Maurice Grimaud
Encyclopedia
Maurice Grimaud was the French
Prefect of Police
, or police chief, of the city of Paris
during the May 1968 general strikes and student uprisings. He is credited with avoiding an escalation of violence and bloodshed during May 1968 unrest.
Grimaud was born in Annonay
, Ardèche
, on November 11, 1913. He originally studied literature
.
Grimaud began his career in civil service with the French colonial administration of Morocco
in Rabat
. He later worked in both Algeria
and Germany
. Grimaud also worked as a local governor and aide to then-French Interior Minister Francois Mitterrand
.
as Prefect of Police
, meaning the head of the Paris police force, in 1967. Grimaud would continue to serve as police chief until 1971, when he was succeeded by Jacques Lenoir.
Starting in May 1968, mass social events occurred in France, involving students and workers. Protests initially began at the University of Nanterre, located west of Paris, when students demanded that men and women be allowed to visit each others' dormrooms. The students' demands soon expanded, basically challenging the whole of Gaullist
society. The protests quickly escalated nationwide, as French trade union
s went on strike in solidarity with the students, prompting 10 million union workers to call a general strike
.
Student protesters seized and occupied buildings on Paris's Left Bank and Sorbonne University. Grimaud was credited with starting a dialogue
with the student protesters and promoting police restraint in the face of the protests.
Maurice Grimaud died on July 16, 2009, in Paris at the age of 95. He was buried in the Père Lachaise Cemetery
.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Prefect of Police
Prefecture of Police
The Prefecture of Police , headed by the Prefect of Police , is an agency of the Government of France which provides the police force for the city of Paris and the surrounding three suburban départements of Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis, and Val-de-Marne...
, or police chief, of the city of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
during the May 1968 general strikes and student uprisings. He is credited with avoiding an escalation of violence and bloodshed during May 1968 unrest.
Grimaud was born in Annonay
Annonay
Annonay is a commune in the north of the Ardèche department in the Rhône-Alpes region in southern France. It is the most populous commune in the Ardèche department, although it is not the capital, which resides in the smaller town of Privas.-Geography:...
, Ardèche
Ardèche
Ardèche is a department in south-central France named after the Ardèche River.- History :The area has been inhabited by humans at least since the Upper Paleolithic, as attested by the famous cave paintings at Chauvet Pont d'Arc. The plateau of the Ardeche River has extensive standing stones ,...
, on November 11, 1913. He originally studied literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
.
Grimaud began his career in civil service with the French colonial administration of Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
in Rabat
Rabat
Rabat , is the capital and third largest city of the Kingdom of Morocco with a population of approximately 650,000...
. He later worked in both Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Grimaud also worked as a local governor and aide to then-French Interior Minister Francois Mitterrand
François Mitterrand
François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand was the 21st President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra, serving from 1981 until 1995. He is the longest-serving President of France and, as leader of the Socialist Party, the only figure from the left so far elected President...
.
Prefect of Police
He succeeded Maurice PaponMaurice Papon
Maurice Papon was a French civil servant, industrial leader and Gaullist politician, who was convicted for crimes against humanity for his participation in the deportation of over 1600 Jews during World War II when he was secretary general for police of the Prefecture of Bordeaux.Papon also...
as Prefect of Police
Prefecture of Police
The Prefecture of Police , headed by the Prefect of Police , is an agency of the Government of France which provides the police force for the city of Paris and the surrounding three suburban départements of Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis, and Val-de-Marne...
, meaning the head of the Paris police force, in 1967. Grimaud would continue to serve as police chief until 1971, when he was succeeded by Jacques Lenoir.
Starting in May 1968, mass social events occurred in France, involving students and workers. Protests initially began at the University of Nanterre, located west of Paris, when students demanded that men and women be allowed to visit each others' dormrooms. The students' demands soon expanded, basically challenging the whole of Gaullist
Gaullism
Gaullism is a French political ideology based on the thought and action of Resistance leader then president Charles de Gaulle.-Foreign policy:...
society. The protests quickly escalated nationwide, as French trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
s went on strike in solidarity with the students, prompting 10 million union workers to call a general strike
General strike
A general strike is a strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city, region, or country. While a general strike can be for political goals, economic goals, or both, it tends to gain its momentum from the ideological or class sympathies of the participants...
.
Student protesters seized and occupied buildings on Paris's Left Bank and Sorbonne University. Grimaud was credited with starting a dialogue
Dialogue
Dialogue is a literary and theatrical form consisting of a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people....
with the student protesters and promoting police restraint in the face of the protests.
Maurice Grimaud died on July 16, 2009, in Paris at the age of 95. He was buried in the Père Lachaise Cemetery
Père Lachaise Cemetery
Père Lachaise Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the city of Paris, France , though there are larger cemeteries in the city's suburbs.Père Lachaise is in the 20th arrondissement, and is reputed to be the world's most-visited cemetery, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors annually to the...
.