Coralie Cahen

Coralie Cahen (née Coralie Lévy; 21 June 1832 – 12 March 1899) was a

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...

and

sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

. Coralie Lévy was born in Nancy in 1832 to a French-

Jew Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...

ish family. At the age of 19 she married Mayer Cahen (1823–1866), a doctor at the

Rothschild Hospital, Paris Rothschild Hospital is a hospital in the 12th arrondissement of Paris, operated by the Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris. Initially built to serve the Pletzl, Jewish community of East Paris, it specializes in geriatrics, physical therapy ...

and chief physician of the

Chemin de Fer du Nord The Chemins de fer du Nord''French locomotive built in 1846''

railway company. They had one daughter, Lucie, who died young. In 1866 she was involved in founding the "Maison Israélite de Refuge pour l'Enfance", an
orphanage An orphanage is a residential institution, total institution or group home, devoted to the care of orphans and children who, for various reasons, cannot be cared by their biological families. The parents may be deceased, absent, or abusi ...
for Jewish girls at
Romainville Romainville () is a commune in the Seine-Saint-Denis department, located in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. Location It is located from the center of Paris. History On 24 July 1867, a part of the territory of Romainville was detached ...
(relocated in 1883 to
Neuilly-sur-Seine Neuilly-sur-Seine (; 'Neuilly-on-Seine'), also known simply as Neuilly, is an urban Communes of France, commune in the Hauts-de-Seine Departments of France, department just west of Paris in France. Immediately adjacent to the city, north of the ...
). In particular the refuge sought to provide an escape for young Jewish prostitutes from the 5th arrondissement of Paris. At the outbreak of the
Franco-Prussian War The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 Janua ...
in 1870, Cahen became a central committee member of the "Dames de la Société de Secours aux Blessés Militaires" ("Ladies Committee of the Society to Aid the War-Wounded") (SSBM). Based at
Metz Metz ( , , , then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle (river), Moselle and the Seille (Moselle), Seille rivers. Metz is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Moselle (department), Moselle Departments ...
, she developed an
ambulance An ambulance is a medically-equipped vehicle used to transport patients to treatment facilities, such as hospitals. Typically, out-of-hospital medical care is provided to the patient during the transport. Ambulances are used to respond to ...
service dedicated to non-commissioned officers and ordinary soldiers (officers had their own service). She continued this work even while Metz was besieged (August–October 1870).
Léon Gambetta Léon Gambetta (; 2 April 1838 – 31 December 1882) was a French lawyer and republican politician who proclaimed the French Third Republic in 1870 and played a prominent role in its early government. Early life and education Born in Cahors, ...
then French
Minister of the Interior An interior minister (sometimes called a minister of internal affairs or minister of home affairs) is a cabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such as public security, civil registration and identification, emergency ...
, subsequently requested her to support the
Army of the Loire An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by p ...
, she took on the management of the hospital at
Vendôme Vendôme (, ) is a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture of the Departments of France, department of Loir-et-Cher, France. It is also the department's third-biggest Communes of France, commune with 15,856 inhabitants (2019). It is one of th ...
. In the following years, Cahen interested herself in the fate of French war prisoners. She visited 66 Prussian prisons where they were detained, and pleaded personally with the Empress Augusta of Prussia for their release. In 1872, when the Prussian government was refusing to cooperate on this issue, Cahen discovered in Berlin 59,000 files on the prisoners, and succeeded in getting these transmitted to Paris; this was the first news available in France on many of those who had been captured. The SSBM recognized Cahen's activities with reluctance and its Ladies Committee was disbanded after the war. In 1879 she joined and became Vice-President of the "Association des Dames Françaises" of the
French Red Cross The French Red Cross (), or the CRF, is the national Red Cross Society in France founded in 1864 and originally known as the ''Société française de secours aux blessés militaires'' (SSBM). Recognized as a public utility since 1945, the Frenc ...
. It was not until 1888 that Cahen was awarded the "
Légion d'Honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...
" for her war work. By then her work was chiefly centred on child protection and education. Cahen also became interested in
sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...
during the 1870s and created a number of works, including a bust of the French chief
rabbi A rabbi (; ) is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi—known as ''semikha''—following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of t ...
, Zadoc Kahn. Her funeral in 1899 was accompanied in her honour by a detachment of
infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...
.

Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cahen, Coralie 19th-century French Jews Artists from Nancy, France 1832 births 1899 deaths Recipients of the Legion of Honour 19th-century French sculptors 19th-century French women sculptors 19th-century French philanthropists 19th-century women philanthropists French women philanthropists