With over two million inhabitants, the French capital Paris is now the largest city in the country. The twenty districts are spread across the northern and southern parts of the city, separated by the Seine. In centrally organized France, the metropolis is the political, economic and cultural center.

The city originated from the Celtic settlement of Lutetia, which was founded in the third century BC on today's Ile de la Cité by the Parisii tribe. After a failed conquest attempt, the Roman legions returned in 52 BC and destroyed the bridges to the settlement. After the Roman victory, the Romans built a new city on the other side of the Seine with thermal baths, a forum and an amphitheater. It was given the name Parisia and was first mentioned by Caesar in the sixth book of De Bello Gallico.

The city grew enormously in the Middle Ages, when numerous religious buildings were constructed. The modern era was characterized by the French Revolution and the Napoleonic period. After a turbulent 19th century for the city and the defeat against the German Empire in the war of 1870/71, Paris did not recover as the center of France until the beginning of the 20th century. After setbacks during the First and Second World Wars, Paris developed into one of the most important metropolises in the world over the past decades, where internationality has always been a top priority. In this context, a delegation from Paris City Hall visited Wiesbaden on August 31, 1902 and signed the city's Golden Book.