2 Euro Proof

Abbé Pierre’s birth name was Henri Grouès. He was born in Lyon in 1912, initially joined the Capuchin order and was ordained a priest in 1938. During the German occupation of France, he took part in the Résistance. He helped persecuted people escape, procured false documents and adopted the code name “Abbé Pierre”, which he later retained. After the war, he was a member of the French National Assembly from 1945 to 1951.

In 1949, he founded the first Emmaus community near Paris. People who were homeless or socially marginalized lived there in a working and solidarity-based community. They earned their living, among other things, by collecting, repairing and selling used objects. This approach gave rise to the internationally widespread Emmaus movement. The Fondation Abbé Pierre, established later, focused particularly on homelessness and inhumane housing conditions.

Abbé Pierre attracted considerable public attention during the severe winter of 1954. France was still suffering from the consequences of the war and a serious housing shortage. After a woman froze to death in the street, he addressed the population via Radio-Luxembourg. His appeal sparked a broad relief campaign that became known as the “Uprising of Kindness”. Donations of money and goods came in; at the same time, housing policy became a more prominent subject of public debate.

For decades, Abbé Pierre remained a widely known voice in debates about poverty, homelessness and social exclusion. He died in 2007. The French 2012 issue therefore not only marked a milestone anniversary, but also commemorated a person whose work was closely connected with French post-war history, the housing question and organized efforts on behalf of people without accommodation.