How do we know when we are living through a catastrophe?
The Hotel Lutetia in Paris serves as a historical lens through which to examine crises and the human response to them. During its history, it has been a refuge for exiles, a headquarters for German intelligence, and a reception center for deportees. The article reflects on the difficulty of recognizing and responding to unfolding catastrophes, drawing parallels between past and present challenges of authoritarianism and moral decision-making.
- ▪The Hotel Lutetia has been a significant meeting place for artists and intellectuals since its opening in 1910.
- ▪During World War II, the hotel was requisitioned by the Nazis and later transformed into a reception center for deportees returning from camps.
- ▪The article discusses the challenges of recognizing crises and making moral decisions in the face of escalating threats.
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Open this photo in gallery:During the occupation of France, Paris’s famed Hotel Lutetia became the headquarters of the Abwehr, or German military intelligence.STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN/AFP/Getty ImagesShareSave for laterPlease log in to bookmark this story.Log InCreate Free AccountJane Rogoyska is the author of Hotel Exile: Paris in the Face of Fascism and the Shadow of War, 1933-1945, which is a finalist for the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction.The luxurious Hotel Lutetia seems, at first glance, an unlikely place to try to understand the nature of crisis. The Lutetia is a Paris institution, the only “grand” hotel on the city’s bohemian Left Bank.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Globe and Mail.
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