Title: Former Chief of French Defence Staff Jean-Louis Georgelin Found Dead during Hiking Trip
Subtitle: General Georgelin, responsible for Notre-Dame Cathedral reconstruction, dies in Pyrénées
Date: Saturday, 19 August 2023, 14.17 BST
The nation of France mourns the loss of former Chief of Defence Staff Jean-Louis Georgelin, who tragically passed away while hiking in the Pyrénées. The 74-year-old general, who was appointed by President Emmanuel Macron to oversee the reconstruction of the fire-damaged Notre-Dame Cathedral, was found dead by mountain gendarmes after he failed to return to a mountain refuge on Friday.
According to reports, Jean-Louis Georgelin is believed to have fallen from Mount Valier, near the Faustin pass in the Ariège region of south-west France. The accident occurred at an altitude of approximately 2,650 meters.
The public prosecutor’s office in Foix has confirmed that the body has been formally identified and the death is being treated as an accident. It is a tremendous loss for the nation, as General Georgelin has been described as one of France’s great soldiers, a dedicated public servant, and a master manager of the cathedral’s renaissance by President Macron in a tweet.
General Jean-Louis Georgelin had an illustrious military career. A graduate of France’s prestigious Saint-Cyr military academy, he served in the infantry, a parachute regiment, and later returned to the infantry. He also received training at the US Army Command and General Staff College and participated in military operations in Algeria, Lebanon, Bosnia, Ivory Coast, and Afghanistan. From 2002 to 2006, he served as the military chief of staff and special advisor to former French President Jacques Chirac.
Georgelin, a practicing Catholic, was appointed to lead the restoration efforts of Notre-Dame Cathedral after it was severely damaged by fire in April 2019. His role was crucial in returning the cathedral to the Catholic religion in the best possible condition. General Georgelin took a strategic approach to the project, overseeing a Notre-Dame “taskforce” and emphasizing the motto, “Advance without procrastination.”
However, he faced criticism in 2019 when he publicly clashed with Notre-Dame’s chief architect over whether to reconstruct the spire with an exact replica or a modern alternative. Despite the rebuke from the government, Georgelin dismissed the incident, stating that there was no quarrel, only mutual respect and esteem.
The death of General Jean-Louis Georgelin is an immense loss for France, and his contributions will be remembered as the nation continues its efforts to rebuild and restore Notre-Dame Cathedral.