Alsatian politician Robert Grossmann, founder of the Union of Youth for Progress (UJP), died at the age of 83, Agence France-Presse learned from the Eurométropole of Strasbourg, Friday 5 January. “Robert Grossmann has just left us. With him, it is one of the last great Alsatian Gaullists who is leaving,” reacted Bas-Rhin MP Patrick Hetzel (Les Républicains) on X.
Born in 1940, Robert Grossmann founded the UJP, a movement of young Gaullists, in 1965. Engaged in Strasbourg political life, from the same year he sat on the Strasbourg municipal council, which he did not leave until ‘in 2014.
In 2001, the right won, with a tandem composed of Mr. Grossmann and Fabienne Keller, the town hall of Strasbourg. He became president of the urban community of Strasbourg (which preceded the current Eurométropole) and Ms. Keller took over as mayor.
Nearly fifty years on the Strasbourg municipal council
In 2008, the outgoing tandem was not renewed, but Mr. Grossmann chaired an opposition group. In total, he served for forty-nine years, from 1965 to 2014, on the municipal council of Strasbourg, and several years on the general council of Bas-Rhin and the regional council of Alsace.
Jérôme Besnard, former leader of the UJP, also declared having learned “with pain of the death of the founder (…) of this beautiful Gaullist youth organization”.
“He marked Strasbourg political life for several decades with his eloquence and leaves our city a legacy in which his memory will live on,” for his part reacted, on X, municipal councilor Pierre Jakubowicz. Mr. Grossmann was also the author of around ten works.