Seventh Board Meeting of the Inalco Foundation at the Bibliothèque Nationale de France

Having our Board meeting at this venue is of particular importance, as the building has been identified by Prof. Emmanuel Lozerand, Mémorialist des Langues O', as the birthplace of Langues O'.

Under the terms of the founding decree issued in 1795, the Ecole des langues orientales vivantes was created, "intended for the teaching of languages of recognized utility for politics and commerce"; the decree further states that it will be established within the precincts of the Bibliothèque nationale, in order to have the scientific resources necessary for this learning.

At the time, the school was a small establishment attended by a limited number of scholars, and this was the case for the first 80 years of its existence. After the 1867 World's Fair, oriental studies gained in popularity, leading to a significant increase in attendance. Faced with a lack of space, Charles Schefer, professor of Persian and president of the school, set about finding new premises. Subsequently, Langues O' was able to move into the unoccupied apartment of the Collège de France administrator, and then, in 1873, into the Hôtel de Bernage at 2 rue de Lille, giving the school a dedicated location for the first time in its history.

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The Inalco Foundation once again thanks the BNF for its warm welcome and for the guided tour of this unique building!

For more information about visiting the Bibliothèque Nationale:
https://www.bnf.fr/fr/agenda/visite-du-site-richelieu

BnF - Bruno GAUDIN and Virginie BREGAL, Architects, Paris, 2023
BnF - MN/Patrick Jouin/ Alki, 2023
BnF - Bruno GAUDIN and Virginie BREGAL, Architects, Paris, 2023