Riel house
The Riel House ( Maison Riel or Riel House ), also Louis Riel House , is one of the National Historic Sites of Canada . The building from 1880/81 is reminiscent of the Métis politician Louis Riel (1844–1885), but also of the Métis' living conditions in the Red River colony of the late 19th century. It is located in Winnipeg , the capital of the province of Manitoba , more precisely in the St. Vital district at 330, River Road.
history
From 1865 the property belonged to Louis Riel's mother Julie Riel (Lagimodière) , and his brothers and their families also lived there. Louis Riel himself stayed there only in the summer of 1883. After his execution, he was laid out in the house for two days in December 1885 and then buried in St. Boniface . The house remained in the family until 1968 when it was acquired by the Winnipeg Historical Society .
It has been restored to its original state from around 1886 and converted into a museum, surrounded by a 1.09 hectare city park. In 1976, after Riel was recognized as "Father of Manitoba", it was elevated to a National Historic Site . It has also been a Federal Heritage Building since 2000 and has been managed by Parks Canada since 1970 . Tours and programs have been organized by the Louis Riel Institute , an associated organization of the Manitoba Métis Federation , since 2013 .
Father Louis Riel and Julie Lagimodière married in Saint-Boniface in 1844, and the family moved to Saint-Vital in 1850. Julie Riel acquired the property from Monsignor Alexandre-Antonin Taché in 1864, shortly after her husband's death. At first she lived with her children in a building that had not been preserved, overlooking the Seine.
Her son Louis became head of the provisional government of Manitoba in 1869 at the age of 26. It was supposed to secure the rights of the French-speaking Métis living there. Although the status of the colony was recognized, Riel had to go into exile in the United States. He was only allowed to return in 1880. When it came to an open conflict with the government, the Métis were defeated by their soldiers. Riel was tried and sentenced to death. He was executed in December 1885 and his body was laid out for two days in the Riel House. His widow Marguerite Monet-Riel and their children Jean-Louis and Angélique received the numerous condolences.
Soon twelve people lived in the house, namely the widow, who died in the spring of 1886, with her two children, who later started families, then the mother. Joseph, Louis Riel's brother, was given permission to open a first post office in 1896.
building
The complex is L-shaped, the facade faces west. The main building is one and a half story high and lies in the northeast, a rectangular annex served as a summer kitchen. The roof shingles are made of the wood of the common thuja . The interior corresponds to the Canadian-French equipment, which is typical of the time, but does not lack a certain luxury that was entirely geared to the culture of France, from where the soap was obtained. The clothes and household items were either stored in the only closet in the house, or in suitcase-like boxes; the Riels owned a sewing machine. The walls were decorated with family portraits, with pictures of the Holy Family, of Pope Pius IX. and by Monsignor Ignace Bourget , the first archbishop of the province.
Web links
- The Woman's Sphere: Domestic Life at Riel House and Dalnavert
- Riel House National Historic Site of Canada
- To the Riel House: engl. ; french , Société historique de Saint-Boniface
Remarks
- ^ Louis Riel - His family, his youth , Center du patrimoine der Société historique de Saint-Boniface.
- ^ Frits Pannekoek: Riel House: A Critical Review , in: Archivaria 18 (1984) 255-262.
- ^ Riel House Programming , Louis Riel Institute.
Coordinates: 49 ° 49 '9.5 " N , 97 ° 8' 10.2" W.