Paul-Louis Weiller
This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2013) |
Paul-Louis Weiller | |
---|---|
philanthropist | |
Spouses | |
Children | Marie-Élizabeth Weiller (1923-2006) Paul-Annik Weiller (1933-1998) |
Parents |
|
Relatives | Louis Émile Javal (grandfather) Louise Weiss (cousin) Jenny Aubry (cousin) |
Paul-Louis Weiller (September 29, 1893, Paris - December 6, 1993, Geneva) was a French industrialist and philanthropist.
Biography
From a Jewish Alsatian family, Weiller was the son of the industrialist and politician Lazare Weiller (1858–1928) and Alice Anna Javal (1869–1943), scion of the Javal family, who rose to prominence in business, finance, and politics during the 19th century. His maternal grandfather was Louis Émile Javal. Through his mother he was the cousin of Louise Weiss and Jenny Aubry.
Weiller studied engineering at the
Receiving 12 honorable citations from the army, he was made an officer in the
A business leader from the age of 29 (from 1922 to 1940), Weiller developed the most important airplane engine factory in Europe,
In 1940, Weiller and his family, his wife Aliki, his son Paul-Annik and his mother-in-law, Hélène Diplarakos, travelled to Bordeaux, France, where they received transit visas to Portugal from the Portuguese consul Aristides de Sousa Mendes, on 22 June. The family crossed into Portugal and stayed in Monte Estoril, at the Grande Hotel D'Itália, between 15 August and 23 August 1940, and the Hotel Atlântico, between 23 August and 25 September 1940.[2] The family then flew from Lisbon to New York City on the Pan Am Atlantic Clipper seaplane in October 1940, with the exception of Paul-Louis.[3]
Arrested on 6 October 1940 in
Returning to Europe after the war, he began to concentrate his business activities first on energy (oil exploration in
Paul-Louis Weiller led an active social life associating with the royal families of Europe, business and political leaders (
A small park in the city of Sélestat (Bas-Rhin), of which he was made an honorary citizen, was named in his honor.
Family
On 29 August 1922 in Paris, Weiller married princess Alexandra
He later divorced on 25 March 1931, in order to marry on 31 October 1932 Aliki Diplarakou (Miss Europe of 1930) from whom he was also divorced. They had one son, Paul-Annik, whose daughter, Sibilla Weiller, married Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg, youngest son of Jean, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, in 1994.
References
- ^ Biography from Musée aéronautique et spatial du groupe SAFRAN Archived 2014-08-14 at the Wayback Machine (accessed 23 August 2008)
- ^ See 'Weiller family biography' held at the Exiles Memorial Center.
- ^ Sousa Mendes Foundation - Diplarakos/Weiller Family.
Further reading
- Jacques Mousseau, Le Siècle de Paul-Louis Weiller 1893-1993, Stock, 1998.
- Roger Faligot, Remi Kauffer, Éminences grises, Fayard, 1992.
External links
- Musée aéronautique et spatial du groupe SAFRAN: Biography on museesafran.com
- Michel Harvey, délégué général de Snecma au Royaume-Uni, Institut de stratégie comparée, Commission française d'histoire militaire, Institut d'histoire des conflits contemporains : De 1920 à la fin de la Seconde Guerre Mondiale on stratisc.org
- Les Javal-Wallerstein-Weiller ou la médecine de campagne "Les Grandes Familles du Bassin Arcachon," L'express 21 May 2009