Pierre Nora facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pierre Nora
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Nora in 2011
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| Born | 17 November 1931 Paris, France
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| Died | 2 June 2025 (aged 93) Paris, France
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| Education | Lycée Carnot |
| Occupation | Historian |
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| Known for | Member of the Académie Française |
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| Relatives | Simon Nora (brother) |
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Pierre Charles Nora (born November 17, 1931, died June 2, 2025) was a famous French historian. He became a member of the Académie Française on June 7, 2001. This is a very respected group in France that protects the French language.
As an editor at Éditions Gallimard, a big publishing company, he started important book collections. These included the Library of Social Sciences in 1966 and the Library of Histories in 1970. He also worked as a director of studies at the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences for 40 years, starting in 1977. Pierre Nora is well-known for leading a big project called Les Lieux de Mémoire. This project explored important places and objects that represent France's national memory.
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Early Life and Education
Pierre Nora was born in Paris, France, on November 17, 1931. He was the youngest of four children. His father, Gaston Nora, was a well-known doctor in Paris.
During World War II, Pierre Nora met important thinkers like Jean Prévost. In the 1950s, he studied at the Lycée Louis-le-Grand. He tried several times to get into the École Normale Supérieure, a very selective school, but he was not accepted. However, he later felt this was a good thing. He believed it led him to a more interesting life. He earned a degree in philosophy. In 1958, he passed a special exam to become a history teacher.
Career Highlights
Pierre Nora taught history in Algeria from 1958 to 1960. He wrote a book about his experiences there called Les Français d'Algérie ("The French of Algeria") in 1961.
In 1962, the Algerian War ended with a peace treaty. Nora was asked to go to Algeria to check on the situation of Algerian Jews. He also helped bring their historical records back to France. He met Ahmed Ben Bella, a leader in Algeria. Ben Bella thought Nora was part of the local Algerian Jewish community.
From 1965 to 1977, Nora worked at the Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris (Paris Institute of Political Science). He started as an assistant and later became a lecturer. In 1977, he became the director of studies at the École des hautes études en sciences sociales (School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences). He held this important position for four decades. In 2014, Pierre Nora received the Dan David Prize for his work on "History and Memory."
Publishing Work
Pierre Nora also had a very important career in publishing books. In 1964, he joined Éditions Julliard and created a collection of paperback books. In 1965, he moved to Éditions Gallimard. This company wanted to publish more books in the social sciences.
Pierre Nora helped them do this. He created two major book collections: the Library of Social Sciences in 1966 and the Library of Histories in 1970. He also started the Témoins collection in 1967. Under Nora's guidance, Gallimard published many important academic books. These included works by famous thinkers like Michel Foucault and Jacques Le Goff. He also published translations of books by authors like Elias Canetti.
Nora's role gave him a lot of influence in French publishing. He made decisions about which books to publish. For example, he decided not to translate Eric Hobsbawm's book, The Age of Extremes. Nora admired the book, but he felt it would be too expensive to translate. He also thought the political situation in France at the time was not right for that kind of book.
Intellectual Contributions
In May 1980, Pierre Nora started a review (a type of intellectual magazine) called Le Débat with philosopher Marcel Gauchet. This quickly became one of the most important intellectual reviews in France. In 1983, another French historian, Jacques Julliard, said that Nora was the natural successor to the important role played by Raymond Aron.
Nora is most famous for directing Les Lieux de Mémoire (which means "Places of Memory"). This was a huge project with several volumes. It aimed to identify and explore the places and objects that hold the national memory of the French people. This work helped to create a new way of looking at history.
Personal Life and Family
Pierre Nora was the brother of Simon Nora, who was a senior French government official. He was also the uncle of Olivier Nora, who is now the president of another French publishing house, Éditions Grasset.
Pierre Nora was married to art historian Françoise Cachin for a time. He also had a long relationship with Gabrielle van Zuylen. Later in his life, he lived with French journalist Anne Sinclair. He had one son, who is now a biologist in San Francisco.
Pierre Nora passed away in Paris on June 2, 2025, at the age of 93.
Awards and Recognition
Pierre Nora received many honors and awards for his work.
Honors
- Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour
- Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit (France)
- Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
Awards
- 1988: Prix Diderot-Universalis
- 1991: Louise-Weiss Award of the Bibliothèque nationale de France
- 1993: Grand prix Gobert of the Académie Française
- 1993: French Grand National History Prize
- 2012: Prix Montaigne de Bordeaux
- 2014: Dan David Prize
Honorary Degrees
- 1989: Université Laval
See also
In Spanish: Pierre Nora para niños
- Memory space (social science)
