Paris Facility for Wounded Soldiers Begins €100 Million Renovation

Les Invalides in Paris is undergoing a €100 million renovation of its ageing facilities while continuing to house and treat wounded soldiers and war victims. The institution was founded by King Louis XIV in the 17th century to provide lifelong care for former soldiers.

It admitted its first residents in 1674 and has since expanded its mission to include Holocaust survivors and civilian victims of attacks.

Sixty-four people currently live at the facility.

Among them is Ginette Kolinka, 101, a survivor of the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp, and Esther Senot, 98, who was deported from Paris at age 15 and held at the Mauthausen camp. Master Corporal Mikaele Iva, injured in a 2021 parachuting accident in Gabon, also resides there.

He participates in fencing, archery and golf through the Invalides sports club and represents the institution at national ceremonies.

The facility operates as a specialist hospital for severe disabilities, providing expertise in prosthetics and rehabilitation. Medical teams treated some victims of the Bataclan attacks and conduct research on mobility for amputees and wheelchair users.

General Sylvain Ausset, Director of the Institution nationale des Invalides, said each conflict produces distinct injuries. He noted that multiple amputations became more common after operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, while psychological wounds are now the primary concern.

General Christophe de Saint Chamas, Governor of Les Invalides, said the institution allows active-duty troops to deploy knowing France will provide care if they are injured.