Marc Bloch to be Honored at the Panthéon on June 23 with Family Demanding Exclusion of Far-Right Groups

Marc Bloch, the renowned Jewish historian and French resistance fighter, will be honored with a ceremony at the Panthéon on June 23, 2026, marking 82 years since his execution by the Gestapo. The announcement was made by President Emmanuel Macron's team to Agence France-Presse, following Macron's earlier unveiling in November 2024. Macron praised Bloch's "cutting lucidity" and "audacity of words and ideas," noting his physical bravery and unwavering French spirit until his death.

Bloch was a pioneering scholar who expanded historical research by incorporating sociology, geography, psychology, and economics. A professor of medieval history at the University of Strasbourg from 1919 to 1936, Bloch served as a captain during World War I and was remobilized in 1939. Between 1942 and 1943, he joined the French Resistance against the Nazi occupation. He authored "L’Étrange Défaite," a critical study of France’s 1940 military defeat, published posthumously.

Arrested on March 8, 1944, in Lyon, Bloch was tortured at Montluc prison before being executed alongside 29 comrades on June 16, 1944. Though June 16 was initially considered for the Panthéon ceremony, it was postponed due to a G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains occurring from June 15 to 17.

Significantly, Bloch’s family has formally requested that all far-right groups be barred from attending the ceremony, emphasizing their desire to protect their ancestor's legacy from extremist ideologies. This position was conveyed in a letter to the President, underscoring the family's commitment to honoring Bloch’s memory responsibly.

The Panthéon ceremony will celebrate Bloch’s profound contribution to French history, his resistance heroism, and his intellectual legacy, reaffirming France’s respect for one of its most courageous and pioneering scholars.