The Palace
The Hôtel de Salm was commissioned by Prince Frederic III of Salm-Kyrbourg from the architect Pierre Rousseau in 1782 and completed in 1788. The Legion of Honour acquired it on 3 May 1804. Severely damaged in the Paris Commune fire, the mansion was identically rebuilt by the architect Mortier between the years 1871 and 1878.
It is the residence of the Grand Chancellor and the headquarters of the Order. The building harbours the Grand Chancery which is the administrator of the national orders: the Legion of Honour (since 1802), the Military Medal (since 1852) and the Order of Merit (since 1963).
The palace is also the home of the National Museum of the Legion of Honour and the Orders of Knighthood (since 1925).
It is the residence of the Grand Chancellor and the headquarters of the Order. The building harbours the Grand Chancery which is the administrator of the national orders: the Legion of Honour (since 1802), the Military Medal (since 1852) and the Order of Merit (since 1963).
The palace is also the home of the National Museum of the Legion of Honour and the Orders of Knighthood (since 1925).
The Museum
The museum was built between 1922 and 1925 in a wing that was once the stables of the Salm Mansion. Founded by General Yvon Dubail, it was funded by contributions from Legion of Honour and Military Medal holders. The response was particularly generous from the United States.
The initial core of the objects exhibited when it opened in 1925 came from the Grand Chancery, from collections of the national museums and from the collection of an enlightened amateur, Maurice Bucquet (1860-1921). Numerous donations and prestigious purchases have been added along the years.
The initial core of the objects exhibited when it opened in 1925 came from the Grand Chancery, from collections of the national museums and from the collection of an enlightened amateur, Maurice Bucquet (1860-1921). Numerous donations and prestigious purchases have been added along the years.
