Pont de Bir-Hakeim
The pont de Bir-Hakeim in Paris crosses the River Seine at the eastern end of the Ile aux Cygnes and connects the cities 15th and 16th arrondissements (suburbs). Built between 1903 and 1905 to replace an earlier bridge, the structure was originally known at pont de Passy but it was renamed in 1948 to commemorate the Battle of Bir-Hakeim when Free French forces fought against the German Afrika Korps in 1942, helping to turn the tide of the war in North Africa and causing the Free French to be known at the Fighting French after the battle. Pont de Bir-Hakeim is on two levels. The lower level is for cars and pedestrians, while the upper level carries Line 6 of the Paris Metro. Just in front of the arch on the end of the Ile de Cygnes is a statue of a figure astride a horse with a sword held out in front. This monument was once meant to represent Joan of Arc, but was changed, and inaugurated with the name of Monument de la France Renaissante. Th...