The “Memory of the City” Local History Museum is located in the town of Rueil-Malmaison, in the Hauts-de-Seine department, a few kilometers west of Paris.
The establishment is housed in the town's former town hall, built in 1868 in cut stone and red brick at the initiative of Napoleon III.
Inaugurated in 1982, the museum traces the history of the city, from the time of Charles the Bald to the present day. Its funds come mainly from the collections of the Historical Society of Rueil-Malmaison, and it has been enriched by donations or loans from individuals and by contributions from the municipal archives.
A particular emphasis is placed on the Second Empire: a model and original documents of Armand du Plessis, Duke of Richelieu, archaeological remains of the Merovingian residence of Childebert, but also, therefore, memories of the imperial past of Rueil-Malmaison, such as the attribution of the city's arms, namely an N recalling Napoleon I and an H in memory of Queen Hortense, mother of Napoleon III. The painting by Maurice Orange "Bonaparte in Egypt contemplating the mummy of a King" is also highlighted.
A unique collection of 1,600 hand-painted figurines, purchased by the Historical Society and the City, representing the Grande Armée, completes the collection linked to this period.
Finally, inaugurated in May 2016, a new room allows you to discover the story of the mummy of Rueil-Malmaison, discovered in 2000 by municipal agents during a bulky waste collection.
The transcription of the inscription painted on the mummy reveals the name and sex of the deceased: a little girl from the Ptolemaic era (from 323 to 30 BC) named Ta-Iset, "that of "Isis". The visit to the mummy room highlights the embalming techniques and funerary beliefs of ancient Egypt.
The establishment offers a special welcome for young audiences, programs temporary exhibitions and events linked to its collections.
Open every day except Sunday and in August. FREE ENTRANCE. Information on +33 1 47 32 57 19.
