René-Georges Laurin (

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, 2 May 1921 -

Saint-Raphaël (Var) Saint Raphael often refers to Saint Raphael the Archangel. Saint Raphael, Saint-Raphaël, or St. Raphael may also refer to: People *Raphael of Brooklyn (1860–1915), saint in the Christian Orthodox tradition Places * Saint-Raphaël, Quebec, a ...

, 29 April 2006) was a French politician. He was born in the 10th arrondissement of Paris and raised in a very modest environment. He became a highly respected appraiser, a militant of the

French Resistance The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

of Saint-Raphael, and senator of the

Var Var or VAR may refer to: Places * Var (department), a department of France * Var (river), France * Vār, Iran, village in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran * Var, Iran (disambiguation), other places in Iran * Vár, a village in Obreja commune, Ca ...

. His political affiliation was the right-wing party

Rally for the Republic The Rally for the Republic (french: Rassemblement pour la République ; RPR ), was a Gaullist and conservative political party in France. Originating from the Union of Democrats for the Republic (UDR), it was founded by Jacques Chirac in 1976 a ...

(RPR) which merged to

Union for a Popular Movement The Union for a Popular Movement (french: link=no, Union pour un mouvement populaire, ; UMP, ) was a centre-right political party in France that was one of the two major contemporary political parties in France along with the centre-left Social ...

(UMP) in 2002.

Involvement in the French Resistance

He began his activist involvement with the Young Christian WorkersProfile of Mr. Laurin: Former French Union Council (''Profil de M. Laurin: Ancien Conseiller de l'Union Francaise''). Print. 1977. (''Jeunesse Ouvrière Chrétien'') in 1936. He became a militant of the

in 1940 and was one of the founders of the Movement of Young Christian Fighters (''Mouvement des Jenues Chretiens Combattants'') in 1943. The movement was later fused with the Movement of the United Resistants (''Mouvement des Unies Résistents'') to become the New French Youth (''Nouvelle Jeunesse Francaise'') of which he was the secretary-general. This movement was one of many underground networks under the organization the United Forces of the Patriotic Youth (''Forces Unies de la Jeunesse Patriotique'') that organized actions to inform the population, espionage to retrieve information, and sabotage or organization of military operations against the Axis powers. In 1944 he was captured and imprisoned in Fresnes by the

Gestapo The (), abbreviated Gestapo (; ), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of Prussia into one organi ...

but escaped from the train transferring him to

Mauthausen Mauthausen was a Nazi concentration camp on a hill above the market town of Mauthausen (roughly east of Linz), Upper Austria. It was the main camp of a group with nearly 100 further subcamps located throughout Austria and southern German ...

. He returned to Paris under a fake identity and became a militant activist participant in the

Liberation of Paris The liberation of Paris (french: Libération de Paris) was a military battle that took place during World War II from 19 August 1944 until the German garrison surrendered the French capital on 25 August 1944. Paris had been occupied by Nazi Germ ...

of 1944.

Political mandates

He was first named Youth Delegate (''Delegue des Jeunes'') of the

Provisional Consultative Assembly The Provisional Consultative Assembly (french: Assemblée consultative provisoire) was a governmental organ of Free France that operated under the aegis of the French Committee of National Liberation (CFLN) and that represented the resist ...

from 1944 to 1945 and then was appointment press attaché to the cabinet of General

Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government ...

from 1946 to 1947 where he began his political career.Permanent Profile Documentation: General Press Society.(''Documentation Permanent. Societe Generale de la Presse''). Print. 1998. His was elected as deputy to represent the Var

Union for the New Republic The Union for the New Republic (french: L'Union pour la nouvelle République, UNR), was a French political party founded on 1 October 1958 that supported Prime Minister Charles de Gaulle in the 1958 elections. History The UNR won 206 of 579 s ...

at the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repre ...

in 1958, and reelected in 1962 under UNR-UDT until 1967. He was

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

of Saint-Raphael from 1961 to 1965 and then from 1977 to 1992 after which he had reached the quota of mandates allowed by the law of cumulative quotas. He was elected

General Council General council may refer to: In education: * General Council (Scottish university), an advisory body to each of the ancient universities of Scotland * General Council of the University of St Andrews, the corporate body of all graduates and senio ...

of the Var from 1973 to 1989. He was elected Senator of the Var on 28 September 1986, reelected on 24 September 1995, and then chose not to participate in the senatorial elections of 2004. Mr. Laurin was fast to respond to his country's state; he left his university life to lead the life of a Resistant followed by a life of politics, though he remained above all a man passionate of his profession of appraiser. His career as an appraiser began in 1952 at Hotel Drouot, in collaboration with Maurice Rheims, where he forged his reputation as an expert in antique furniture. He continued to pursue his career as an appraiser throughout the years reconciling and harmonizing it with his political mandates and his family life.

Family life

Mr. Laurin had two sons, Hervé and Thierry Laurin, from his first marriage to Viviane Mason De Tourbet. M Laurin remarried and shared his life with Danielle Couderc until his death in Saint-Raphael on 29 April 2006 after spending over sixty years of his life proudly devoted to the country he loved and respected above all.Former Senators of the V Republic (''Anciens Senateurs V Republique''). Web.

Medals received

Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

Médaille de la Résistance The Resistance Medal (french: Médaille de la Résistance) was a decoration bestowed by the French Committee of National Liberation, based in the United Kingdom, during World War II. It was established by a decree of General Charles de Gaulle on 9 ...

Médaille des Évadés The Escapees' Medal (french: Médaille des Évadés) is a military award bestowed by the government of France to individuals who were prisoners of war and who successfully escaped internment or died as a result of their escape attempt. The "Escap ...

Croix du combattant volontaire de la Résistance Croix (French for "cross") may refer to: Belgium * Croix-lez-Rouveroy, a village in municipality of Estinnes in the province of Hainaut France * Croix, Nord, in the Nord department * Croix, Territoire de Belfort, in the Territoire de Belfort depa ...

, and Commandeur de la Légion d’Honneur

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Laurin, Rene-Georges 1921 births 2006 deaths Politicians from Paris French Roman Catholics Rally for the Republic politicians Union for the New Republic politicians Union of Democrats for the Republic politicians Union for a Popular Movement politicians Members of the Provisional Consultative Assembly Deputies of the 1st National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic Deputies of the 2nd National Assembly of the French Fifth Republic Members of Parliament for Var French senators of the Fifth Republic Senators of Var (department) Mayors of places in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur French Resistance members French people of the Algerian War Commanders of the Legion of Honour Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France) Recipients of the Resistance Medal