Louis Didier Jousselin
Encyclopedia
Louis Didier Jousselin was a French engineer. He built a three-kilometre-long bridge in less than three months during the Siege of Hamburg
in 1813. His name is immortalised on the Eiffel Tower
.
on 1 April 1776. His father was a lawyer who was also interested in politics. Jousselin was successfully admitted as one of the first students at the École Polytechnique
, where he graduated two years later. After becoming a qualified engineer he was sent to assist with the Northern Canal near Maastricht
in May 1808.
; a city that was then under French control. He fortified the town and was recognised for the role he played in securing the city whilst it was under siege by the Russian Army
and in containing a population who were not supportive of the French invaders.
Jousselin built a bridge which was useful to those defending the siege. Marshal Davout needed to get supplies across the River Elbe. His advisors advised that boats were the only solution. Jousselin was summoned and he said he could build a bridge in three months if he was given every material he would ask for. The Marshal agreed to the commitment. The bridge was not only built, but built well within the time that Jousselin had estimated. The bridge was three kilometres long and linked Hamburg over low ground with Harburg
. Marshal Devout wrote to his wife in October 1813 assuring her that Hamburg was now impregnable. The bridge was described as beautiful and prodigious. Jousselin was praised as the Marshal could not believe the amount of work that had been achieved.
The bridge was constructed in 1813. Hamburg was particularly important as it was on the supply lines of Napoleon's army. Hamburg was only surrendered when orders came from the French King following the fall of Napoleon.
. He was there on 20 March 1815 when he heard of Napoleon's return from Elba. Jousselin returned to Paris and contacted Marshal Davout. Davout obviously remembered the skillful engineer from their work at Hamburg and recommended him further. Davout wrote to the Emperor, telling him of his Jousselin's exploits. He told Napoleon that he would be a prisoner of war
in Siberia
with his 40,000 soldiers if it had not been for this engineer.
Jousselin's contribution was recognized and he was made Inspector General of Bridges. However at the end of Napoleon's "Hundred Days
", all decrees are recanted and Jousselin returned to Orléans.
The bridge he had built at Hamburg was decommissioned in 1817 as it was not maintained by the Germans. However in Orléans, Chief Engineer Jousselin built quays around the mouth of the Loire. He is credited with saving the inhabitants of Orléans from the floods of 1846, 1856 and 1867; a street was named in his honour.
He was a deputy at Blois from 1831 to 1834. He continued to work as an engineer and did early work on the Canal Latéral à la Loire
. Jousselin died at Vienne-en-Val
on 3 December 1858.
possible. He is number 28 in this list. His name is on the side opposite the Grenelle
. A primary school in Vienne-en-Val is named in his honour.
Jousselin's elder brother Alexandre Louis Jousselin
, who was also a qualified bridge engineer, outlived him. He was the chief engineer for the Seine-et-Marne
region and he built a bridge over the River Seine at Paris. Some called Alexandre Jousselin Scared, as he was sickly and timid, to differentiate him from Louis Didier who they nicknamed, Jousselin Scary. Effectively Jousselin was tall and had an imposing physical stature.
Siege of Hamburg
The city of Hamburg was one of the most powerful fortresses east of the Rhine. After being freed from Napoleonic rule by advancing Cossacks and other following allied troops it was once more occupied by Marshal Davout's French XIII Corps on 28 May 1813, at the height of the campaign for Germany in...
in 1813. His name is immortalised on the Eiffel Tower
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is a puddle iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world...
.
Biography
Louis Didier Jousselin was born at BloisBlois
Blois is the capital of Loir-et-Cher department in central France, situated on the banks of the lower river Loire between Orléans and Tours.-History:...
on 1 April 1776. His father was a lawyer who was also interested in politics. Jousselin was successfully admitted as one of the first students at the École Polytechnique
École Polytechnique
The École Polytechnique is a state-run institution of higher education and research in Palaiseau, Essonne, France, near Paris. Polytechnique is renowned for its four year undergraduate/graduate Master's program...
, where he graduated two years later. After becoming a qualified engineer he was sent to assist with the Northern Canal near Maastricht
Maastricht
Maastricht is situated on both sides of the Meuse river in the south-eastern part of the Netherlands, on the Belgian border and near the German border...
in May 1808.
Siege of Hamburg
By 1811 the canal had been completed and Jousselin was appointed Chief Engineer for HamburgHamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
; a city that was then under French control. He fortified the town and was recognised for the role he played in securing the city whilst it was under siege by the Russian Army
Siege of Hamburg
The city of Hamburg was one of the most powerful fortresses east of the Rhine. After being freed from Napoleonic rule by advancing Cossacks and other following allied troops it was once more occupied by Marshal Davout's French XIII Corps on 28 May 1813, at the height of the campaign for Germany in...
and in containing a population who were not supportive of the French invaders.
Jousselin built a bridge which was useful to those defending the siege. Marshal Davout needed to get supplies across the River Elbe. His advisors advised that boats were the only solution. Jousselin was summoned and he said he could build a bridge in three months if he was given every material he would ask for. The Marshal agreed to the commitment. The bridge was not only built, but built well within the time that Jousselin had estimated. The bridge was three kilometres long and linked Hamburg over low ground with Harburg
Harburg
Harburg is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It takes its name from the town of Harburg upon Elbe, which used to be the capital of the district but is now part of Hamburg...
. Marshal Devout wrote to his wife in October 1813 assuring her that Hamburg was now impregnable. The bridge was described as beautiful and prodigious. Jousselin was praised as the Marshal could not believe the amount of work that had been achieved.
The bridge was constructed in 1813. Hamburg was particularly important as it was on the supply lines of Napoleon's army. Hamburg was only surrendered when orders came from the French King following the fall of Napoleon.
France
On 24 April 1814, he was sent as Chief engineer to OrléansOrléans
-Prehistory and Roman:Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the Carnutes tribe where the Druids held their annual assembly. It was conquered and destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then rebuilt under the Roman Empire...
. He was there on 20 March 1815 when he heard of Napoleon's return from Elba. Jousselin returned to Paris and contacted Marshal Davout. Davout obviously remembered the skillful engineer from their work at Hamburg and recommended him further. Davout wrote to the Emperor, telling him of his Jousselin's exploits. He told Napoleon that he would be a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
in Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
with his 40,000 soldiers if it had not been for this engineer.
Jousselin's contribution was recognized and he was made Inspector General of Bridges. However at the end of Napoleon's "Hundred Days
Hundred Days
The Hundred Days, sometimes known as the Hundred Days of Napoleon or Napoleon's Hundred Days for specificity, marked the period between Emperor Napoleon I of France's return from exile on Elba to Paris on 20 March 1815 and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII on 8 July 1815...
", all decrees are recanted and Jousselin returned to Orléans.
The bridge he had built at Hamburg was decommissioned in 1817 as it was not maintained by the Germans. However in Orléans, Chief Engineer Jousselin built quays around the mouth of the Loire. He is credited with saving the inhabitants of Orléans from the floods of 1846, 1856 and 1867; a street was named in his honour.
He was a deputy at Blois from 1831 to 1834. He continued to work as an engineer and did early work on the Canal Latéral à la Loire
Canal latéral à la Loire
The Canal Latéral à la Loire was constructed between 1827 and 1838 to connect the Canal de Briare at Briare and the Canal du Centre at Digoin, a distance of 196 km. It replaced the use of the River Loire which had reliability problems arising from winter floods and summer droughts...
. Jousselin died at Vienne-en-Val
Vienne-en-Val
Vienne-en-Val is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France....
on 3 December 1858.
Legacy
Jousselin was one of the seventy two people whom Gustav Eiffel chose as having made his achievement of building the Eiffel towerEiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is a puddle iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world...
possible. He is number 28 in this list. His name is on the side opposite the Grenelle
Grenelle
Grenelle is a neighbourhood in southwestern Paris, France. It is a part of the 15th arrondissement of the city.The area takes it name from Latin Garanella, meaning a wooded area where rabbits live...
. A primary school in Vienne-en-Val is named in his honour.
Jousselin's elder brother Alexandre Louis Jousselin
Alexandre Louis Jousselin
Alexandre Louis Jousselin was a French engineer. Jousselin was the chief engineer for the Seine-et-Marne region and he built a bridge over the River Seine at Paris. Some called Alexander, Jousselin Scared, to differentiate him from Louis Didier who they nicknamed, Jousselin Scary...
, who was also a qualified bridge engineer, outlived him. He was the chief engineer for the Seine-et-Marne
Seine-et-Marne
Seine-et-Marne is a French department, named after the Seine and Marne rivers, and located in the Île-de-France region.- History:Seine-et-Marne is one of the original 83 departments, created on March 4, 1790 during the French Revolution in application of the law of December 22, 1789...
region and he built a bridge over the River Seine at Paris. Some called Alexandre Jousselin Scared, as he was sickly and timid, to differentiate him from Louis Didier who they nicknamed, Jousselin Scary. Effectively Jousselin was tall and had an imposing physical stature.