Residence hall Jean-Zay

The residence hall Jean-Zay is one of the greatest whole of student social housing in Europe. It is located on the commune of Antony, in the department of the Hauts-de-Seine.

Address : 55, avenue du Général- of-Gaulle - 92160 Antony (Localization Google map)

Study and construction: 1945 - 1955

The study of the construction of a residence hall with Antony is considered in 1945, at the request of the minister of education. A convention is signed the May 7th 1952 between the university of Paris and the public Office of the housing public sector of the department of the Seine for the construction of the future residence hall of Antony. Regional office HLM of the Seine builds the residence, CROUS of Paris while becoming in the long term (in 2019) the owner. The first section of work begins the April 12th 1954; the project superintendent in is Eugene Beaudouin.

Meanwhile, an invitation to tender is launched for the furnishing of the residence. Jean Prouvé takes part in it with the support of the Union of the modern Artists; cooperating with Charlotte Perriand, it obtains the ordering of furniture for the common rooms, the restaurants and part of the rooms. Its achievements - libraries, chairs, beds “Antony”, offices “Compass” - are exemplary and appear today among the pieces of furniture more the sides of the 20th century (an original edition of the chair “Antony” is evaluated around 40.000 €, while a library can be worth up to 160.000 €!) A special order of luminaries for the rooms and the refectory also passed to Serge Mouille.

In 1955, Pierre Mendès France, then chief of the government, visits the building site of the future residence hall, which takes the name of Jean Zay, former minister for State education under the Popular front, resistant carried out in 1944. The residence hall Jean-Zay of Antony " city modèle" open on December 1st of the same year. In addition to the 1580 individual rooms (including 1040 rooms for boys and 540 rooms for girls) and 490 apartments, of many common spaces are set up (a library, a theater, a sports complex, rooms of work animated by the Groups of Studies). The buildings extend on 10 hectares between the downtown area from Antony and the Parc from Seals.

The 1956, the first 150 students are placed with the RUA. Lionel Jospin is allowed there in spring; It remains there until in 1959. The AERUA (Association of the students of the residence hall of Antony) east creates in 1957. Claude Allègre occupies there in 1959 the station of social delegate, Gerard Saint-Paul that of delegated to information in 1961. The residence accommodates students of the whole world. With most extremely of its activity, it counts 3 cribs, a different school, mini-market, and 50 nationalities.

First clashes: 1956 - 1965

Raise rents

A first rise of the rents in 1959 starts a strike followed by 80 to 90% of the students. In 1962, the rent of a room for single person rises with 55 old francs. A second rise of the rents in November 1963 again involves a strike, which takes a national character and thus gives rise to the Fédération of the residence halls of France (FRUF), also marking the beginning of the regionalization of the rents. Since 1959, the rents increased by 56% for the single people and 50% for the households.

Réadmissions

Very quickly the problem of the departure of the first students made in 1956 poses, forced to be rehoused under the terms of the payment limiting to 3 years the stay with the RUA: the AERUA obtains the right to a fourth year, then the June 22nd 1960 a petition is signed against the Rules of procedure (1398 signatures). The AERUA obtains finally administration that the réadmission is done until the end of the studies. In spite of that, in June 1964, the administration reconsiders its decision of 1960 concerning réadmissions while trying to expel 400 residents. July 16th, these students are advised of their non-réadmission by a letter-circular. September 22nd, it; surface of Antony, Georges Sweating, is astonished by the massive eviction of young couples and thus takes the party of the residents.

Forced refitting

At the beginning of the same year, 600 franc million of appropriations is resolved for the refitting of the residence. From June to September 1964, work are begun at the level University canteen it in order to make the room calmer, to isolate it from the kitchens and to transform the hall into cafeteria of 500 places. The higher galleries are reconverted in concerning the library and offices for the culture section. The possibilities of access to the restaurant by the interior of the buildings were removed, which causes to restrict the space of student's sociabilities. Militant reactions develop vis-a-vis what is perceived like a will of control of the students: “All this work has only one goal, comments on the AERUA and the socialist Tribune newspaper (n° 10): to give the means to the administration of preventing the students to meet, group, get information, organize themselves on the trade-union level, to be able to express their opposition, as they always did, with the continual degradation of their standard of living, in particular by organizing important strikes of the rents”. And authors of the article to warn against projects of bulk-heading of all the buildings, aiming, according to them, to control the entries, the exits and the visits of the residents.

Change of manager

In May 1964, the university of Paris gives up without any counterpart the whole of the rights and obligations resulting from last convention the May 7th 1952, with the profit of the CROUS of Versailles.

The old rules of procedure are given into force in 1965 (control of the collective activities of the residents; stay in city U limited to 3 years in spite of the fourth year obtained in 1959). For this purpose, new cabins must be built in all the buildings, and the interior communications between each building must be removed, all being connected, except for G and of H. Whereas the first cabin of the building has (house of the young girls) is in building site, the administration thus wanting - by preoccupation with a morality - to prevent the boys from going there, of the students occupy the site to be opposed to it. A strike is organized at the Restaurant, is followed of a demonstration in Antony the January 30th 1965) to alert the elected officials and in particular the Mayor, Mr. Sweating. A petition gathers 1500 signatures against the new cabins, the walls, the rise of the rents, the reinstauration of the old rules of procedure, the restriction of collective and individual freedoms. The October 16th 1965, 8 students of the Residence hall of Antony are translated in front of the Disciplinary board of the Residence halls, because of their trade-union activity and their opposition to the construction of the cabin of building A.

In December 1955, a new Director is named with the head of the RUA: Mr Jacques Balland, 35 years, former president of UNEF. The Minister for State education, Christian Fouchet, explicitly asks him to attack the monopoly of the Communist party on the residence. The December 5th 1966, the PCF has been put for the first time in failure for ten years at the trade-union elections of the residence. It loses the absolute majority and passes from 56 seats out of 62 to 28.

Hardening of the fights vis-a-vis the slow degradation of the living conditions in residence

After 3 years of fight, co-education is finally obtained in each building in 1967. The residence hall of Antony is famous being a “spot hot” of the student's fight which germinated a few weeks earlier on the campus of Nanterre. Some thus saw in the support brought by the students of the residence hall a few years earlier for the minors burdens the premises with them with the unit protest movements (student-workers) of May 68…

In 1970, the process of the rise of the rents begins again; again, a massive strike of the residents is undertaken. In 1972, the rent of an individual room rises with 118 francs. To protest against the sudden rise (on ministerial decision of Jean-Pierre Soisson) of 25% their rents, the students occupy the administrative buildings and are evacuated by the police force in November 1974. The FRUF (Fédération of the residence halls of France, whose head office is in Antony) lance a strike of the rents. More than 30 residence halls (that is to say 6000 students) will follow it and pay with the FRUF their rent with the old tariff.

In 1971, commissions of safety visit the residence and require a setting in conformity to the standards in force. Three years later, 20 franc million is invested for this purpose, involving provisional closings of whole buildings: work with C in November 1973, with has in May 1974, with H in October 1974. In December 1974, Gilbert Balta, director of the residence, is sequestered during three hours and for the second time. Seven police van intervene to deliver it. The “maos of Antony” had protested thus against expulsions “under pretext of repair of the buildings” and obtain thus not only the immediate re-establishment of the crib, but also the heating on other houses and material required for more than five years.

the eagerness of the press

According to Le Figaro, there would have been not less than 12 rapes in one month; but the newspaper notices that it none in 1974 ago of it. Mr Fohr, director of the CROUS, are explained in an article of the Nouvel Observateur (““hollows” of Antony”, December 30th 1974): “With the re-entry of October 1973, seven rapes were made, all consequently nobody, who was stopped at the end of three days! ”

The December 10th 1974, the mayor of Antony, Georges Sweating, declares that “the City has of academic only the name”, “that one is there in a state of permanent insecurity” and that one takes drugs there, is violated there and there male prostitute… He shows it moreover “to weigh” considerably on the commune. Jean-Pierre Soisson, Secretary of State at the Universities declares: “We will not make more university campuses as that of Antony All the files of the residents will be examined, and we are ready “to empty” half of the residence hall of Antony if it were needed”. An extremely virulent press campaign is followed from there.

Release affirms the 18 March 19th: “The mayor of Antony offers 43 franc million to repurchase 2,4 hectares and to cut down the buildings C, E and F” of the residence, which according to him “shows its buttocks” at the city. A discussion with the mayor of Antony appears in Figaroscope of November 8th, which justifies the necessary disappearance of the City U, on “an exceptional site”. In the introductory text, the written journalist: “The residence hall, which very little students would attend besides… ”.

The students deny their responsibility in degradation for the living conditions, they rather denounce the lack of means allotted to the residence, the reduction in half of the personnel and the rise of the rents of 300% in ten years. The cribs close little by little and no restoration of scale is committed.

In 1974, the majority and the right to vote are fixed at 18 years: 83% of the students of the RUA vote for François Mitterrand with the second turn of the presidential elections at the polling station of the residence.

A case of tuberculosis is discovered in 1997, but is camouflaged by the direction of CROUS; Rooms are classified unhealthy by DDASS, and are condemned. In spite of that good number of students live under deplorable conditions of hygiene, the residence remaining in a state of advanced decay. Estimated cost of the restoration: 40 million euros. With its 2.500 rooms, the residence hall of Antony however represents a quarter of the social housing studying in Ile-de-France.

In 2000 few chairs, tables and beds indicated by Jean Prouvé and which were not already dispersed are put in safety in a hall, before being inopportunely catch.

A residence with the dubious future

According to information of the Committee of the residents, the residents learn as of 1972 that the future A86 highway would pass very close to the city and that with the passage, two houses would be threatened of destruction, where work was envisaged at the restaurant and the building B. 500.000 francs are besides necessary to replace the boiler of the building B (approximately 350 rooms) broken down in December 1974. The building B is thus closed in 1975 for “repair”. The students evacuate the places but are rehoused, neither by CROUS, nor by the town hall. The building is abandoned with the squatters.

After eleven last years with the abandonment, the building B is finally sold with the town hall of Antony in 1986. The latter passed to the hands of the RPR/UMP Patrick Devedjian in 1983. February 28th, the municipal council of Antony takes a decision on the installation of this land plate: The 9570 m ² are bought 7 million francs. The buildings are destroyed in August, replaced soon by the building sites of the sub-prefecture, the police station and a whole of offices, are inaugurated in 1990. In 1988, negotiations are again committed between CROUS and the town hall for the sale of the building C. the minister of education main road is opposed to it; in the place, a decree is signed in July by the new minister, Lionel Jospin, which obliges the board of directors of CROUS has to engage a plan of rehabilitation of the residence. Work begins in July 1990 (architect Mr. Granveaud), start with the rough-casting of the frontages then the installation of the PVC windows 70 million francs are invested until 1995.

Seeking funds, CROUS enters into in December 1994 negociations to sell the building G, which accommodates couples and of force. In October 1995, it proposes with the public Office of the HLM Hauts-de-Seine to yield the rights to him which it has on the totality of the residence for only 6 franc million… without informing of it the CROUS which disputed this agreement and went in its turn purchaser… The evening of November 24th, when the municipal council of Antony confirmed this agreement, the students decide to occupy the university canteen of the residence, and remain there during nearly one month. The mobilization of the students enables them to meet the vice-chancellorship then the Minister for State education, Francois Bayrou which decides a moratorium on any project during five years.

In September 2002, the town of Antony asks for Sem 92 a feasibility study of demolition “partial” of the residence with transfer of the land one. Alerted by the municipal opposition, the students mobilize, create a collective, invade the municipal council and obtain appointments with the mayor of Antony (Raymond Sibille) and the director of the CROUS of Versailles (Jean-Francis Dauriac Extrait from the Dauriac report/ratio, February 2000). The mayor of Antony includes/understands the concern of the students but maintains that the city can nothing make without the agreement of the CROUS, which takes refuge behind a simple role of manager.

article 66 of the law of decentralization (August 2004):

It is moment that chooses Patrick Devedjian, which cumulates the posts of minister delegated local Freedoms and to president of the agglomeration of communes, to create an amendment to measure with the law of decentralization. “The communes and public corporations of inter-commune co-operation which make the request of it have the load of construction, destruction, rebuilding and of the extension of the buildings intended for the students. ” The December 15th 2004, community of agglomeration tops of Beaver chaired by Patrick Devedjian request the transfer of competence envisaged by article 66 of the law of decentralization. That involves a free transfer of the goods belonging to the State, returning in the long term the community of agglomeration owner of the grounds. The phase demolition is launched. But the Jean-Zay residence is property of CROUS and not of the State; it cannot thus be the subject of any transfer of competence, as a recent investigation of the direction of the Legal affairs of the minister of education main road explains it.

In January 2005, the collective of the residents is recreated, the old ones of 2002 come to lend hands strong to new been able to prevent a destruction unceasingly given to the day order, and which would go against the needs however shouting for the students for Ile-de-France as regards housing.

Some former famous residents

(date of entry to the residence)

Internal bonds

Housing studied in France | studied Trade union and high-school pupil | CROUS | CNOUS | General association of the students

External bonds

CROUS of Versailles
Town hall of Antony
Article of Working force
Site of the exposure of the restaurant-U, by GE Art schools
Association Technik 2:00
experimental Film on the residence and its past

Resources

Gwenaëlle Bordet-Kerharo, the Residence hall Jean-Zay d' Antony of 1945 to 2003 (Eugene Beaudouin, architect), control of history of art supported at the Paris-I university.
Marcel Ruby, Jean ZAY collection a life, a work, Corsair Editions

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