Georges Charpak street sign unveiled

While it might not be the only French street named in honour of the late Georges Charpak, who passed away in September 2010 at the age of 87, the street chosen by the mayor of Saint-Genis-Pouilly is certainly the only one located directly opposite the CERN "campus". The road overlooks buildings on the CERN Meyrin site, where Georges Charpak spent most of his career as a physicist, conducting the research that won him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1992.

 

From left to right: Sigurd Lettow, Dominique Charpak and the mayor of Saint-Genis-Pouilly.

The unveiling took place on 17 October and was organised by the mayor of Saint-Genis-Pouilly. George Charpak’s wife, Dominique, and Sigurd Lettow, CERN Director of Administration and General Infrastructure, attended what was an intimate and touching ceremony. The mayor’s speech at the event praised Georges’ commitment to scientific education.

The highlight of the event, however, was a witty and humorous speech by Dominique Charpak. "George had two real passions," she said. "The first was nuclear disarmament and the second was science education in primary schools and kindergartens." The new Saint-Genis-Pouilly international school, opening in 2015, is to be built on the new road – they couldn’t hope for a better address!

Click here for more images from the unveiling.

by Paola Catapano