Le Kremlin-Bicêtre (French pronunciation: [lə kʁɛmlɛ̃ bisɛtʁ] ^ⓘ) is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is 4.5 km (2.8 mi) from the center of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe.

Quick Facts Country, Region ...

Le Kremlin-Bicêtre
Commune
Town hall
Coat of arms
Location (in red) within Paris inner suburbs
Location of Le Kremlin-Bicêtre
Le Kremlin-Bicêtre Show map of France Le Kremlin-Bicêtre Show map of Île-de-France (region)
Coordinates: 48°48′36″N 2°21′29″E
Country	France
Region	Île-de-France
Department	Val-de-Marne
Arrondissement	L'Haÿ-les-Roses
Canton	Le Kremlin-Bicêtre
Intercommunality	Grand Paris
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Jean-Luc Laurent[1]
Area 1	1.54 km2 (0.59 sq mi)
Population  (2021)[2]	24,380
• Density	16,000/km2 (41,000/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	94043 /94270
Elevation	45–115 m (148–377 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Close

Le Kremlin-Bicêtre is most famous as the location of the Bicêtre Hospital, where Superintendent Philippe Pinel is credited as being the first to introduce humane methods into the treatment of the mentally ill, in 1793. Its most notorious guest was the Marquis de Sade.

This section does not cite any sources. (August 2023)

The name has roots both in England and Russia. Le Kremlin-Bicêtre was originally a hamlet called simply Bicêtre and located within the commune of Gentilly. The name Bicêtre comes from the manor built there by John of Pontoise, Bishop of Winchester (England), in the end of the 13th century. The name of this Manor of Winchester was corrupted into Vinchestre, then Bichestre, and eventually Bicêtre. The Bicêtre Hospital was built starting in 1634 on the ruins of the manor.

In 1813, the Bicêtre Hospital acted as a major reception point for evacuated casualties of the Grande Armée from the French invasion of Russia. Veterans of the invasion of Russia used to gather in a tavern near Bicêtre Hospital. This tavern was soon renamed Au sergent du Kremlin ("At the Kremlin sergeant") in reference to the Moscow Kremlin where the veterans had camped.

Gradually the name Kremlin was used for the whole neighborhood around the Bicêtre Hospital, and appeared for the first time officially in an ordnance map of 1832. Later the names Kremlin and Bicêtre were joined together and became the official name of the area.

The commune of Le Kremlin-Bicêtre was created on 13 December 1896 by detaching its territory from the commune of Gentilly.

Le Kremlin-Bicêtre is served by Le Kremlin-Bicêtre station on Paris Métro Line 7.

Public primary and secondary schools:^[13]

• Five preschools: Benoît-Malon, Jean-Zay, Pauline-Kergomard, Robert-Desnos, Suzanne-Buisson
• Five elementary schools: Benoît-Malon A, Benoît-Malon B, Charles-Péguy, Pierre-Brossolette

Secondary schools:

• Public junior high schools: Collège Jean-Perrin and Collège Albert-Cron^[14]
• Public senior high schools: Lycée intercommunal Darius-Milhaud and Lycée Pierre-Brossolette^[15]

There is one private elementary and junior high, Jeanne-d'Arc.^[13][14]

Le Kremlin-Bicêtre also has the computer science schools EPITA and EPITECH.^[16] The computer programming school Coding Academy, IONIS School of Technology and Management, the Web@cademie and the school E-Artsup are also located in the commune.

• Roger Caillois (1913–1978), writer, sociologist, and literary critic.
• Suzanne Flon (1918–2005), actress and comedian, born at Kremlin-Bicêtre.
• Kamelancien (aka Kamelanc'), rap artist of Moroccan origin, who debuted in 1993.
• Charles Lavialle [fr] (Émile Charles Jean Aldéric Lavialle) was an actor, who died 16 October 1965 in this town.
• Lazare Ponticelli, the last surviving French and Italian veteran of World War I, Resistance member and industrialist, died here in 2008.
• Vincent Purkart [fr], seven-time French table tennis champion and creator of the Secrétin-Purkart Show, a humorous look at the sport broadcast on television.
• Jean-François Revel, intellectual, lived in this town during the latter part of his life, and he died here in April 2006.

• Townhall
• Music School & cultural center "André Malraux"

• Communes of the Val-de-Marne department
• Fort de Bicêtre