Pierre Taittinger
Encyclopedia
Pierre-Charles Taittinger (October 4, 1887 – January 22, 1965) was founder of the famous Taittinger champagne house
and chairman of the municipal council of Paris
in 1943–1944 during the German occupation of France, in which position he played a role during the Liberation of Paris
.
and had left the Moselle
département when it had been annexed by the German Empire
in 1871 in order to remain French citizens. A young officer in the cavalry during the First World War
, Pierre Taittinger received several citations and was decorated with the Légion d'honneur
. In 1919 he was elected deputy
of the Charente-Inférieure département.
Pierre Taittinger married Gabrielle Guillet (1893–1924) in 1917. In 1925 he married again to Anne-Marie Mailly (1887–1986). He died in Paris in 1965 and was buried in Reims at the cimetière du Nord with his third son François (1921–1960) who had run the Taittinger champagne house between 1945 and 1960. His son Michel, a French military hero and second lieutenant in the 66th African Artillery Regiment of the French Army, died on June 15, 1940 at the age of 20 in the city of Saint Parres-aux-Tertres, near Troyes in the Champagne region. He had held off for five hours a Panzer division of General von Kleist with his fellow soldiers, many of whom were Moroccan, Algerian and West African. Michel had been a student in the French military academy Ecole Polytechnique. Another of Pierre Taittinger's sons, Jean Taittinger
, was deputy mayor of Reims from 1959 to 1977, Secretary of State for Budget from 1971 to 1973 and State Minister of Justice from 1973 to 1974 in the administration of Gaullist President of the French Republic
Georges Pompidou
.
, in the same département, from 1919 until 1937, and again from 1953 until his death in 1965. In 1924 he was elected deputy of the 1st arrondissement
of Paris, and held this mandate until 1940.
In 1924, Pierre Taittinger founded the Jeunesses patriotes
(Patriotic Youths), a right-wing group, recruited mostly from university students and financed by industrialists. Taittinger took inspiration for the group's creation in the Boulangist Ligue des patriotes
. Pierre Taittinger was also deeply influenced by the Bonapartist movement, during which he was a member of the French Parliament. In the end of the 1920s, the Jeunesses patriotes became one of the far-right's major anti-Communist movements, challenging the Action française
and the Croix de Feu under Colonel de Laroque.
In 1937 he was elected to the municipal council of Paris and to the departmental council of the Seine
. In March 1940 he was elevated to the rank of Commander in the Order of the Légion d'honneur. He became president of the municipal council of Paris in May 1943, as the Germans occupied the city, and held this position until the Liberation of Paris in August 1944.
On August 17, 1944, concerned that explosives were being placed at strategic points around Paris by the Germans, Taittinger met with the German military governor Dietrich von Choltitz
. On being told that Choltitz intended to slow up as much as possible the Allied advance, Taittinger, along with the Swedish consul general Raoul Nordling
, attempted to persuade Choltitz not to destroy Paris. As the Allies rolled into the Paris Basin, Pierre Taittinger made an incredible change from collaborator to a member of the resistance. After the war, he published a book called ...et Paris ne fut pas détruit ("...and Paris was not destroyed") which was awarded a prize by the French Academy
. In 1954 he became honorary deputy (a title given to ancient members of the French National Assembly
).
, which he had first visited during the war while stationed in the area. In the following years, he bought hundreds of acres of vineyards in the finest producing areas of Champagne, taking advantage of the cheap price of land due to the 1930s economic crisis. Forest-Fourneaux, renamed Ets Taittinger Mailly & Cie, was transformed by Pierre Taittinger into a world famous champagne house, Champagne Taittinger, operating from the cellars of the Saint-Nicaise Abbey in Reims
. Pierre Taittinger restored the House of the Counts of Champagne in the center of Reims, damaged by the Germans during the First World War, which had been the residence of the Counts of Champagne
during the Middle Ages and which is now the property of Champagne Taittinger. He bequeathed to the city of Reims his estate of La Grainetière on the Isle of Rhé
, which has become a summer camp for the children of Reims.
Taittinger family
Taittinger is a French wine family who are famous producers of Champagne. The estate is headed by Claude Taittinger , a member of the consultative committee of the Banque de France...
and chairman of the municipal council 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...
in 1943–1944 during the German occupation of France, in which position he played a role during the Liberation of Paris
Liberation of Paris
The Liberation of Paris took place during World War II from 19 August 1944 until the surrender of the occupying German garrison on August 25th. It could be regarded by some as the last battle in the Battle for Normandy, though that really ended with the crushing of the Wehrmacht forces between the...
.
Personal life
Born in Paris, Pierre Taittinger's family were originally from LorraineLorraine (province)
The Duchy of Upper Lorraine was an historical duchy roughly corresponding with the present-day northeastern Lorraine region of France, including parts of modern Luxembourg and Germany. The main cities were Metz, Verdun, and the historic capital Nancy....
and had left the Moselle
Moselle
Moselle is a department in the east of France named after the river Moselle.- History :Moselle is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
département when it had been annexed by the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
in 1871 in order to remain French citizens. A young officer in the cavalry during the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Pierre Taittinger received several citations and was decorated with the Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
. In 1919 he was elected deputy
French National Assembly
The French National Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of France under the Fifth Republic. The upper house is the Senate ....
of the Charente-Inférieure département.
Pierre Taittinger married Gabrielle Guillet (1893–1924) in 1917. In 1925 he married again to Anne-Marie Mailly (1887–1986). He died in Paris in 1965 and was buried in Reims at the cimetière du Nord with his third son François (1921–1960) who had run the Taittinger champagne house between 1945 and 1960. His son Michel, a French military hero and second lieutenant in the 66th African Artillery Regiment of the French Army, died on June 15, 1940 at the age of 20 in the city of Saint Parres-aux-Tertres, near Troyes in the Champagne region. He had held off for five hours a Panzer division of General von Kleist with his fellow soldiers, many of whom were Moroccan, Algerian and West African. Michel had been a student in the French military academy Ecole Polytechnique. Another of Pierre Taittinger's sons, Jean Taittinger
Jean Taittinger
Jean Taittinger is a former French politician and member of the champagne producing Taittinger family.-Political career:Taittinger was Minister of Budget between January 7, 1971 and April 5, 1973...
, was deputy mayor of Reims from 1959 to 1977, Secretary of State for Budget from 1971 to 1973 and State Minister of Justice from 1973 to 1974 in the administration of Gaullist President of the French Republic
President of the French Republic
The President of the French Republic colloquially referred to in English as the President of France, is France's elected Head of State....
Georges Pompidou
Georges Pompidou
Georges Jean Raymond Pompidou was a French politician. He was Prime Minister of France from 1962 to 1968, holding the longest tenure in this position, and later President of the French Republic from 1969 until his death in 1974.-Biography:...
.
Political career
He was mayor of Saint-Georges-des-CoteauxSaint-Georges-des-Coteaux
Saint-Georges-des-Coteaux is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
, in the same département, from 1919 until 1937, and again from 1953 until his death in 1965. In 1924 he was elected deputy of the 1st arrondissement
Ier arrondissement
The 1st arrondissement of Paris is one of the 20 arrondissements of the capital city of France.Situated principally on the right bank of the River Seine, it also includes the west end of the Île de la Cité...
of Paris, and held this mandate until 1940.
In 1924, Pierre Taittinger founded the Jeunesses patriotes
Jeunesses Patriotes
The Jeunesses Patriotes were a Fascist-inspired street brawlers group of France, recruited mostly from university students and financed by industrialists founded in 1924 by Pierre Taittinger...
(Patriotic Youths), a right-wing group, recruited mostly from university students and financed by industrialists. Taittinger took inspiration for the group's creation in the Boulangist Ligue des patriotes
Ligue des Patriotes
The Ligue des Patriotes was a French far right league, founded in 1882 by the nationalist poet Paul Déroulède, historian Henri Martin, and Felix Faure. The Ligue began as a non-partisan nationalist league calling for 'revanche' against Germany, and literally means "League of Patriots"...
. Pierre Taittinger was also deeply influenced by the Bonapartist movement, during which he was a member of the French Parliament. In the end of the 1920s, the Jeunesses patriotes became one of the far-right's major anti-Communist movements, challenging the Action française
Action Française
The Action Française , founded in 1898, is a French Monarchist counter-revolutionary movement and periodical founded by Maurice Pujo and Henri Vaugeois and whose principal ideologist was Charles Maurras...
and the Croix de Feu under Colonel de Laroque.
In 1937 he was elected to the municipal council of Paris and to the departmental council of the Seine
Seine (département)
Seine was a département of France encompassing Paris and its immediate suburbs. Its préfecture was Paris and its official number was 75. The Seine département was abolished in 1968 and its territory divided among four new départements....
. In March 1940 he was elevated to the rank of Commander in the Order of the Légion d'honneur. He became president of the municipal council of Paris in May 1943, as the Germans occupied the city, and held this position until the Liberation of Paris in August 1944.
On August 17, 1944, concerned that explosives were being placed at strategic points around Paris by the Germans, Taittinger met with the German military governor Dietrich von Choltitz
Dietrich von Choltitz
General der Infanterie Dietrich von Choltitz was the German military governor of Paris during the closing days of the German occupation of that city during World War II...
. On being told that Choltitz intended to slow up as much as possible the Allied advance, Taittinger, along with the Swedish consul general Raoul Nordling
Raoul Nordling
Raoul Nordling was a Swedish businessman and diplomat. He was born in Paris and spent most of his life there....
, attempted to persuade Choltitz not to destroy Paris. As the Allies rolled into the Paris Basin, Pierre Taittinger made an incredible change from collaborator to a member of the resistance. After the war, he published a book called ...et Paris ne fut pas détruit ("...and Paris was not destroyed") which was awarded a prize by the French Academy
Académie française
L'Académie française , also called the French Academy, is the pre-eminent French learned body on matters pertaining to the French language. The Académie was officially established in 1635 by Cardinal Richelieu, the chief minister to King Louis XIII. Suppressed in 1793 during the French Revolution,...
. In 1954 he became honorary deputy (a title given to ancient members of the French National Assembly
French National Assembly
The French National Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of France under the Fifth Republic. The upper house is the Senate ....
).
Champagne business
Pierre Taittinger, who before the First World War had run a business involved in the distribution and export of champagne with one of his brothers-in-law, acquired in 1931 the venerable champagne firm of Forest-Fourneaux, founded in 1734 by Jacques Fourneaux and the third oldest champagne house in existence. The next year he bought the Château de la Marquetterie and its champagne estate, near ÉpernayÉpernay
Épernay is a commune in the Marne department in northern France. Épernay is located some 130 km north-east of Paris on the main line of the Eastern railway to Strasbourg...
, which he had first visited during the war while stationed in the area. In the following years, he bought hundreds of acres of vineyards in the finest producing areas of Champagne, taking advantage of the cheap price of land due to the 1930s economic crisis. Forest-Fourneaux, renamed Ets Taittinger Mailly & Cie, was transformed by Pierre Taittinger into a world famous champagne house, Champagne Taittinger, operating from the cellars of the Saint-Nicaise Abbey in Reims
Reims
Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
. Pierre Taittinger restored the House of the Counts of Champagne in the center of Reims, damaged by the Germans during the First World War, which had been the residence of the Counts of Champagne
Count of Champagne
The Counts of Champagne ruled the region of Champagne from 950 to 1316. Champagne evolved from the county of Troyes in the late eleventh century and Hugh I was the first to officially use the title "Count of Champagne". When Louis became King of France in 1314, upon the death of his father Philip...
during the Middle Ages and which is now the property of Champagne Taittinger. He bequeathed to the city of Reims his estate of La Grainetière on the Isle of Rhé
Île de Ré
Île de Ré is an island off the west coast of France near La Rochelle, on the northern side of the Pertuis d'Antioche strait....
, which has become a summer camp for the children of Reims.