Barely had the Paralympic Games ended when the descendants of Gustave Eiffel reaffirmed their desire for the rings to be transferred to Los Angeles before the end of the year, denouncing “a substantial modification to both the visual and symbolic aspects” of the Parisian monument.
The descendants of Gustave Eiffel, opposed to keeping the Olympic rings on the Eiffel Tower at least until 2028, as the mayor of Paris wishes, proposed on Sunday September 8 that the City could “to transmit symbolically” in Los Angeles by the end of 2024. In a press release, the Association of Descendants of Gustave Eiffel (Adge) reaffirms its “unfavorable position” to the “definitive perpetuation of the rings […] beyond the 2024 Olympic year, with no clear end date announced.”
On Friday, Anne Hidalgo reiterated her wish to see the rings fixed to the Eiffel Tower, which belongs to the city, remain on the historic monument until the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028, “and even beyond.” This position, already expressed shortly after the opening of the Games and reaffirmed a week ago, has sparked an outcry among heritage defenders and opponents of the socialist elected official. “We are very pleased that the rings have been associated with the Eiffel Tower for the duration of the Olympic Games,” explained the descendants of the famous engineer on Sunday, while reaffirming their opposition to this project.
“No prior thematic or historical link between the tower and the Games”
“As heirs of Gustave Eiffel, the members of the Adge […] may be led to oppose any alteration that undermines respect for the work of their ancestor”, they assure, explaining that they consulted a law firm. However, according to them, “the hanging of the Olympic rings […] induces a substantial modification both on the visual aspect but also on the symbolic aspect of the Eiffel Tower”. “Colored, of a significant size, placed in the privileged access axis to the tower, creating a strong imbalance, the rings substantially modify the very pure forms of the monument”, they estimate.
The presence of the rings on the tower beyond the duration of the Games also contradicts, according to them, “the neutrality and meaning acquired over the years by the Eiffel Tower, which has become the symbol of the city of Paris and even of the whole of France throughout the world”, they plead, adding that there is no “no prior thematic or historical connection between the tower and the Games.” Saying that they were at the mayor’s disposal for discussion, they in turn proposed that Paris, “after passing the Olympic flame to the city of Los Angeles […]can symbolically transmit the Olympic rings to Los Angeles, by the end of 2024, which marks the end of the Olympic year.”
The request of the mayor of Paris had also been rejected by the resigning Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, also her rival in the last municipal election in the capital. She had, in a message published on X (ex-Twitter) on September 1, retorted that “The Eiffel Tower is a protected monument, the work of an immense engineer and creator. Respect for his architectural gesture and his work requires, before making any substantial modification, a work permit and an impact assessment, in accordance with the heritage code.”
In response, the mayor’s entourage explained to Checknews what “The City of Paris wishes to take all the time necessary to ensure this sustainability under the best possible conditions. […] This is why the city services are currently working to resolve all the legal and technical issues in connection with the State services, the IOC and the Eiffel Tower.
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