Azzedine Hedna, face of the reconstruction of Notre-Dame, is dead

The 64-year-old scaffolder died suddenly at his home last weekend, just a few weeks before the reopening of a cathedral to which he was so attached.

The Notre-Dame Cathedral construction site in mourning one month from its reopening. Azzedine Hedna, one of the figures in the reconstruction of the religious building, died on the night of November 8 to 9 at his home, victim of “a serious health accident”, indicated Philippe Jost, at the head of the public establishment responsible for the restoration of the cathedral.

Rebuilding Notre-Dame was the life project of this 64-year-old scaffolder. A pride symbolized by this photo taken at the top of the new spire of the cathedral, next to the rooster which overlooks the building.

“Dad was very proud to work for Notre-Dame Cathedral,” confirms Najib Hedna, son of the craftsman, on BFMTV. “It was a great honor for him. […] He was to receive a medal upon reopening. He was very proud of it. Unfortunately, he will only have it posthumously.”

The tribute of his colleagues at the foot of the monument

The sixty-year-old, passionate about history, was one of the first to go to the construction site every morning. Since the announcement of his death, testimonies have been pouring in.

“He was someone from the family,” attest Didier Cuiset and Régis Jaeger, his colleagues. “He’s someone, if you have days with it and days without it, just seeing him and you forget all your problems.”

According to the two men, Azzedine Hedna continued to work even though “he was entitled to his retirement”. “But he said he would stay with us until the end, until we finished our work,” they whisper.

Several of his friends paid tribute to him at the foot of Notre-Dame Cathedral on Wednesday.

“We will not forget”

Phillipe Jost, the site director, also has no shortage of laudatory remarks about the companion. “He embodied the state of mind of this site. An extremely positive, friendly spirit, kindness,” summarizes the person concerned.

It was the Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, who made public the death of the father of the family on Sunday. “Our thoughts are deeply moved by the announcement of the death of Azzedine Hedna, one of the architects of the renewal of Notre-Dame. All my condolences to his family, his loved ones and his fellow artisans who are losing one of their own,” he said. she writes about X.

The one who is also mayor of the 7th arrondissement of Paris assures him: “We will not forget that it is thanks to men like him that Notre-Dame will regain its splendor.”