Pierre Dreyfus Schmidt, Mayor of the Alsatian city of Belfort and a prominent French liberal leader, died suddenly of a heart attack on Saturday night at the age of 62. His death was only announced in the French capital today.
Schmidt, a former member of Parliament, was one of the main figures of French Judaism. He served as president of the French section of the World Jewish Congress and was known for his passionate dedication to the fight for human rights and liberty.
Born in Belfort, he became a municipal counsellor and president of the city’s bar association while still in his thirties. His heroic activity in the French resistance during the Second World War won him the Legion of Honor. His death was widely commented on today in the French press.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
