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The Glow of Paris – Episode 1
The Pont d’Austerlitz: A Bridge of Empire and Liberation

In this first full episode of The Glow of Paris, Gary Zuercher begins a 35-month journey exploring the history, drama, and beauty of the bridges that span the Seine River through the heart of Paris.

We begin with the Pont d’Austerlitz — a bridge born in the glory of Napoleon’s greatest military triumph, rebuilt during the sweeping transformation of Paris under Napoleon III, immortalized in Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables, and ultimately tested during the darkest days of World War II.

Commissioned in 1806 to honor Napoleon Bonaparte’s victory at the Battle of Austerlitz, the original bridge was the largest metal bridge in France — an ambitious cast-iron experiment that would ultimately fail. Rebuilt in 1854 in enduring stone masonry, it became a symbol not just of engineering progress, but of resilience.

Yet its most profound moment came in August 1944.

As Paris stood on the brink of destruction under Nazi occupation, German forces had mined bridges across the Seine with explosives. Orders were clear: if the Allies entered the city, Paris was to be destroyed. On the night of August 24th, Captain Raymond Dronne and a daring reconnaissance unit of the French 2nd Armored Division crossed the Pont d’Austerlitz in darkness and silence. The bridge held. Minutes later, they became the first Allied troops to reach the heart of Paris.

A bridge named for imperial conquest quietly became a pathway to liberation.

In this episode, discover how the Pont d’Austerlitz has carried revolution, reconstruction, literature, war, and freedom across its arches — and why thousands who cross it today may never realize the weight of history beneath their feet.

This is just the beginning.
Over the next three years, The Glow of Paris will uncover the spellbinding stories of all 35 bridges of Paris.

Join Gary Zuercher each month as history, architecture, and human drama come alive along the Seine.

Subscribe and step into The Glow of Paris.