The President of the Republic did justice to the historian and resistance fighter Marc Bloch on Saturday, November 23 in Strasbourg. “Because of his work, his teaching and his courage, we decided that Marc Bloch enters the Pantheon”announced at noon from the classroom of the University of Strasbourg, in front of Daniel Bloch, 98 years old, son of the historian, decorated on this occasion with the Legion of Honor, and Hélène Seguret, 50 years old, great-granddaughter. by Marc Bloch.
Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to “scathing lucidity” and in “physical courage” from the author of “ The strange defeat ». Coming from an Alsatian Jewish family, professor of medieval history at the University of Strasbourg (1919-1936), this intellectual became one of the leaders of the Resistance during the Second World War. Imprisoned, tortured and shot by the Gestapo on June 16, 1944, he wrote in 1940 “the story of this strange defeat, that of our French will blunted by conservatism, numbed by conformism, softened by bureaucracy, abandoned by a part of its elites”praised the head of state.
The idea of a pantheonization of Marc Bloch, after those of Simone Veil, Maurice Genevoix, Joséphine Baker, Missak Manouchian and Robert Badinter, had been circulating for some time in the mind of the Head of State, who made “ The strange defeat » your bedside book. In June 2006, a group of historians requested the transfer to the Pantheon of the ashes of their illustrious colleague, who renewed the historical discipline, but the family opposed it for a long time. The Head of State himself recently decided, about two weeks ago, to conclude with this highly symbolic gesture the long commemorative cycle of the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of France.
“The family is very moved and completely satisfied with this entry to the Pantheon, Hélène Seguret reacted to the Agence France-Presse (AFP), after attending the president’s speech. We hope that this tribute that will be paid to him will allow his work to be better and more widely known.” In a letter to the President of the Republic, the family also requests that “The extreme right, in all its forms, will be excluded from any participation in the ceremony” entrance to the Pantheon.
“In spite of ourselves”, Natzweiler-Struthof…
Emmanuel Macron also mentioned in his speech that “despite us”, these 130,000 Alsatians and Mosellans considered Germans after the annexation of these territories, forcibly incorporated into the German army. His “The tragedy must be named, recognized and taught because it is that of the Nation”ordered the head of state. This tragic episode of World War II should now appear in the curriculum of juniors and seniors.
You have 47.75% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.
