Obituary: Jean-Claude Lachnitt, Historian and Secretary General of the Jury of the Fondation Napoléon History Prizes and Research Grants (1990-2017)
Jean-Claude Lachnitt passed away this morning after a short illness. He was 88 years old. Jean-Claude Lachnitt had led a rich professional career, which culminated in 1989 as Secretary General of the Jockey Club. Thereafter he was able to devote himself entirely to Napoleonic history and Napoleonic institutions. He was a member of the Board of Directors for the Souvenir Napoléonien and was an administrator and secretary of the Fondation Napoléon (1991-2005). Since 1990, he was also Secretary General of the Jury of the Prizes and Grants awarded by the Fondation Napoléon every year. The Board of Directors appointed him as an Honorary Director of the Fondation Napoléon in 2005. As a historian, lecturer, and author of numerous articles, he published a major book on the Prince Impérial (edited by Perrin in 1997 and still available). In 2012, he was made a “Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres” by the French Ministry of Culture [an honour which recognizes significant contributions to the arts and literature, equivalent to a Knighthood in Britain].
Since the autumn of 2016, several indispositions had prevented him from fulfilling his duties as Secretary General of the Prize-giving jury of the Fondation and in the meantime President Masséna had asked another jury member, Laurent Theis, to take over his duties. Mr Theis will now take over this position on a permanent basis.
The Fondation Napoléon team, its President, and the Board of Directors wish to extend their sincerest condolences to the family of Jean-Claude Lachnitt.
31 August 2017
