Camille Polfer

Camille Polfer (21 November 1924 – 19 March 1983) was a

Luxembourg Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...

ish politician and teacher. Born in

Namur Namur (; ; ) is a city and municipality in Wallonia, Belgium. It is the capital both of the province of Namur and of Wallonia, hosting the Parliament of Wallonia, the Government of Wallonia and its administration. Namur stands at the confl ...

, in southern

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

, to Luxembourgish parents, Polfer received his primary education in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, and his secondary education in

Echternach Echternach (, ; or locally ) is a commune with town status in the canton of Echternach, in eastern Luxembourg. Echternach lies near the border with Germany, and is the oldest town in Luxembourg. History The town grew around the Abbey of Echt ...

, in

. He studied at the

University of Nancy A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...

, qualifying as a sports teacher. He taught at the

Lycée de Garçons Esch-sur-Alzette Lycée de Garçons Esch-sur-Alzette (), abbreviated to LGE, is a high school in Esch-sur-Alzette, in south-western Luxembourg. Despite the name, the LGE is not an all-boys school, but open to women since 1969. At the heart of the school is the or ...

from 1950 until 1959. He transferred to the

Lycée de Garçons Luxembourg In France, secondary education is in two stages: * ''Collèges'' () cater for the first four years of secondary education from the ages of 11 to 14. * ''Lycées'' () provide a three-year course of further secondary education for students between ...

, in

Limpertsberg Limpertsberg (, ) is a quarter in north-western Luxembourg City, in the centre of Luxembourg. , Limpertsberg had a population of about 11,521 inhabitants. Overview In the south, on the border with the main city is the Glacis, a large open air ...

, where he remained until 1969, when he replaced René Van Den Bulcke as sports commissioner. Polfer entered the communal council of

Luxembourg City Luxembourg (; ; ), also known as Luxembourg City ( or ; ; or ), is the capital city of Luxembourg and the Communes of Luxembourg, country's most populous commune. Standing at the confluence of the Alzette and Pétrusse rivers in southern Luxe ...

as a Democratic Party councillor in 1969. He served as an '' échevin'', before becoming

Mayor of Luxembourg City The Mayor of Luxembourg City (; ) is the mayor of Luxembourg's Capital city, capital and List of towns in Luxembourg, largest city, Luxembourg City. The officeholder, like other mayors in Luxembourg, is appointed by the Monarchy of Luxembourg, Gran ...

in 1980. However, due to his declining health, Polfer was forced to step down after two years in office. He was replaced as the city's mayor by his daughter, Lydie, who continued in the position until 1999. Lydie has gone on to be one of the most important Luxembourgish politicians, serving as

Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a Minister (government), government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to th ...

and

Minister for Foreign Affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral re ...

(1999–2004). Polfer died the year after his departure from office, at the age of 58. His name is borne by Stade Camille Polfer in

South Bonnevoie South Bonnevoie (, ; ; ) is a quarter in south-eastern Luxembourg City, in southern Luxembourg Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and ...

and ''rue Camille Polfer'', in Cents. Mayors of Luxembourg City Councillors in Luxembourg City Democratic Party (Luxembourg) politicians Luxembourgian educators 1924 births 1983 deaths People from Namur (city) Nancy-Université alumni {{Luxembourg-mayor-stub