Alexandre Auguste Ledru-Rollin

In 1843, he married an Irish lady. He breathed his last in Fontenay-aux-Roses. An avenue and a metro station in Paris are named after him. He also has a statue at the city hall building in Paris named after him.

Born in Paris, Rollin was the grandson of Nicolas Philippe Ledru, a renowned quack doctor under Louis XV and Louis XVI. His father was also a physician. As the son of a wealthy physician, he received liberal education and studied law.

In 1830, he was admitted to the Bar. During the insurrection of 1832, he played a significant role regarding a paper on the proclamation of martial law in Paris. As a result of this he got recognition as a skilled lawyer.

Many of the Republican conspirators who were facing prosecution from Louis Philippe employed him as counsel. During these trials he became well known for his effective style of speaking. Within a brief period, he became a representative of the Communist interest.

Apart from supporting republican conspirators as a lawyer, he superintended the publication of several works on French jurisprudence. He also took the responsibility of chief editor of “Le Droit”, a daily law journal.

In 1838, he purchased the position of attorney at the Court of Cassation for 330,000 francs and served in this position till 1846. In 1841, the Department of Sarthe elected him as the Deputy.

Before taking the responsibility of Deputy, he made a bold confession regarding his Republican creed. As its consequence, the Government prosecuted him and sentenced him to four months’ imprisonment. Later, he was released through a new trial.

He got recognition for his gift of the gab ability while working as a lawyer. For his effective delivery of speech, he became an ideal representative of Communist interest and a popular leader of the working-men of France.