Scy-Chazelles, France
Our friends, Marlies and Helmut Werner, were very excited to take us to the burial place of Robert Schuman, who was born in Luxembourg in 1886. While in Luxembourg they showed us where he lived as a child. I had never heard of him before, which is sad because he had a lot to do with helping European Countries come together and stop fighting. I can see why this was so important to him because he lived thru both World War I & World War II.
During World War II he was arrested for acts of resistance and protest against the Nazis. He was interrogated by the Gestapo but thanks to a German lawyer, he was saved from being sent to Dachau. With the help of others he escaped in 1942 and re-joined the French Resistance. He spoke out against Germany during the time when Nazi Germany was at the peak of its power.
He accomplished a lot in his life, including being the Prime Minister of France twice, Minister of Finance and Foreign Minister and he was also instrumental in building post-war Europe and is regarded as one of the founders of the European Union, the Council of Europe and NATO.
Robert Schumann became the first President of the European Parliamentary Assembly (the successor to the Common Assembly) which bestowed on him the title ‘Father of Europe’.
He died in 1963 at the age of 77 in Scy-Chazelles, France. He is buried in the church of Saint Quentin, which is across the street from his home where he spent most week-ends and the last few years of his life. (THANKS Marlies & Helmut, a GREAT video they show at this home & Wikipedia.)
Photo taken with a Canon 50D
