Fondation Deutsch de la Meurthe

The Fondation Émile and Louise Deutsch de la Meurthe is the oldest house in the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris. Founded in 1925, it consists of six residential buildings and one central administrative building, which also houses a bell and clock tower. In total there are 393 beds for 341 rooms: 243 single rooms, 27 double rooms, 56 studios, 10 two-room apartments and 5 three-room apartments. Common spaces include 15 shared kitchens, a laundry room, a TV room, and game room with billiards and ping-pong. The central building also contains a great hall, a small lounge, a classroom, and a music room with frescoes painted by Maurice Guy-Loë. The front of the administrative building has an exit gate and is often referred to as the 37 Boulevard Jourdan gate.

The Fondation Deutsch de la Meurthe was established following World War I during a meeting between Émile Deutsch de la Meurthe, an industrialist and philanthropist, and Paul Appell, Rector of the University of Paris. An unprecedented housing crisis occurred in Paris in the 1920s, forcing many students to live in cramped and unsanitary conditions. Appell sought to provide better living conditions for students, and Deutsch de la Meurthe was interested in attaching his name to the philanthropic endeavor. A decree signed November 18, 1922 authorized the University of Paris to accept a donation from Émile Deutsch de la Meurthe and named the Fondation in honor of him and his wife, Louise.

Wikipedia