Page "Académie française" Paragraph 6

During the French Revolution, the National Convention suppressed all royal académies, including the Académie française.

In 1792, the election of new members to replace those who died was prohibited ; in 1793, the académies were themselves abolished.

They were all replaced in 1795 by a single body called the Institut de France, or Institute of France.

Napoleon Bonaparte, as First Consul, decided to restore the former académies, but only as " classes " or divisions of the Institut de France.

The second class of the Institut was responsible for the French language, and corresponded to the former Académie française.

When King Louis XVIII came to the throne in 1816, each class regained the title of " Académie "; accordingly, the second class of the Institut became the Académie française.

Since 1816, the existence of the Académie française has been uninterrupted.