Coubertin, Pierre, Baron de |
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BORN 1 Jan 1863, Paris - DIED 2 Sep 1937, Genève GRAVE LOCATION Lausanne, Vaud: Cimetière de Bois-de-Vaux, Route de Chavannes 2 (section 9, concession 153-154) |
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Pierre Coubertin was born into a noble family. From an early age he was convinced that sports education sould be part of an improvement to general education. In 1892 he was the referee of the first French rugby final. At the time the interest in the ancient Olympics was growing and started thinking of establishing modern Olympic Games. In 1894 he organised a congress at the Sorbonne where he suggested reviving the Olympic Games. This led to the creation of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), with De Coubertin as general secretary. In 1896 Athens was the scene of the first modenr Olympic Games and they were a success. He succeeded Demetrius Vikelas as president of the IOC. Hard times followed, because the Olympic Games in Paris (1900) and St. Louis (1904) were less successfull. Both times the event was overshadowed by a World Fair at the same time and location. The 1906 summer Olympics in Athens (also known as the Intercalated Games because they took place between the official third and fourth Olympic Games) were more successful and things went better after that. De Coubertin remained president of the IOC until the successful games in Paris of 1924 and was Honorary President until his death in 1937. He was buried in Lausanne, where the IOC was seated. His heart was buried near the ruins of ancient Olympia. |
| Images |
 The grave of Pierre de Coubertin at the Cimetière de Bois de Vaux, Lausanne. Picture by Androom (05 Dec 2007) |
Sources • Adler, Josef, Handbuch der Grabstätten, 2. Band, Die Grabstätte der Europäer, Deutsches Kunstverlag, München, 1986 • Pierre de Coubertin - Wikipedia (EN) |
