Robert Schuman — Thionville, France
Posted by: 
prussel
N 49° 21.452 E 006° 10.111
32U E 294397 N 5471058
Bust of the French statesman Robert Schuman (1886 - 1963) in front of the City Hall of Thionville
Waymark Code: WMQAZY
Location: Grand-Est, France
Date Posted: 01/26/2016
Views: 5
This life-sized bust of Robert Schuman stands on a concrete pillar in the small green area in front of the City Hall of Thionville. On the pillar is the a circle of 12 stars from the Flag of Europe. In front of it is a plaque with the following inscription:
Robert Schuman
1886 — 1963
Député de Thionville
1919 — 1962
Président du Conseil
Ministre des Affaires étrangères
Promoteur de la communauté Européenne
du charbon et de l'acier
Président du Parlement européen
Jean-Baptiste Nicolas Robert Schuman (* 29 June 1886 in Clausen; † 4 September 1963 in Scy-Chazelles) was born in Clausen, Luxembourg, having his father's then German nationality. From 1904 to 1910 he studied law, economics, political philosophy, theology and statistics at the Universities of Berlin, Munich, Bonn and Strasbourg. In 1912 Schuman set up practice as a lawyer in Metz. When war broke out in 1914 he was called up for the auxiliary troops by the German army in Metz but excused from military service on health grounds. From 1915 to 1918 he served in the administration of the Boulay district.
After the First World War, Alsace-Lorraine was returned to France and Schuman became a French citizen in 1919 and active in French politics. In 1919 he was first elected as député to parliament on a regional list, and later serving as the député for Thionville until 1962 with an interval during the war years.
On September 14, 1940 he was arrested for acts of resistance and protest against Nazi methods. He was interrogated by the Gestapo but thanks to the intervention of a German lawyer, he was saved from being sent to Dachau. He escaped from prison in 1942 and re-joined the French Resistance.
After WW II he was French Minister of Finance, then Prime Minister from 1947–1948, becoming Foreign Minister in 1948, he retained the post in different governments until early 1953. As Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Schuman was instrumental in the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). Schuman also signed the Treaty of Washington for France. As Foreign Minister, he announced in September 1948 and the following year before the United Nations General Assembly, France's aim to create a democratic organisation for Europe which a democratic Germany could join.
Schuman later served as Minister of Justice before becoming the first President of the European Parliamentary Assembly (the successor to the Common Assembly) which bestowed on him by acclamation the title 'Father of Europe'. He is considered one of the founding fathers of the European Union. He presided the European Movement over the years 1955 to 1961.
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