Which institutions did Napoleon I create that lasted in France?

Napoleon I established several foundational institutions and systems that significantly shaped modern French society and endured throughout the 19th century and beyond. Historians often refer to these as the "granite masses" of the French state.1

Key institutions and reforms include:

• Napoleonic Code: Enacted in 1804, this legal framework consolidated principles such as civil equality, the abolition of feudalism, and the protection of property rights. It remains a cornerstone of French law and influenced legal systems globally.12
• Prefectorial System: Created in 1800, this system established extreme administrative centralization. Prefects were appointed to oversee départements, ensuring that central government policies were effectively implemented across the country.134
• Centralized Education: Napoleon reorganized the educational structure into a unified state system, including lycées and a centralized university bureaucracy. This system established standardized examinations and degrees, such as the baccalauréat, which persist in modern French education.15
• Conseil d’État: This body was established to formulate policy, draft legislation, and supervise government ministries, playing a central role in the administration of the state.13
• Legion of Honour: Created to reward service to the state, this institution has endured as a prestigious mark of recognition.1
• Concordat of 1801: This agreement with the Vatican reversed the secularizing tendencies of the French Revolution, re-establishing a formal relationship between the French state and the Roman Catholic Church.16