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Simone Veil
Simone Veil was a French magistrate, Holocaust survivor, and politician. Deported as a teenager to Auschwitz-Birkenau and later Bergen-Belsen, she became a prominent advocate for human dignity and European reconciliation. As minister of health, she championed women's rights and is best remembered for the landmark 1975 law legalising abortion, known as the Veil Act.
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politics · French politician (1927–2017) · politician · magistrate · lawyer · author · judge · jurist · also Simone Veil, Simone Jacob, Simone Annie Liline Jacob, Veil
Born 13 July 1927 · Died 30 June 2017 · Q298180
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2026· 10 entries
ArchDaily: Galería de CIL – Residencia Simone Veil / Vincent Parreira Atelier Architecture AAVP - 2
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ArchDaily: Galería de Colegio Simone Veil / Dietrich | Untertrifaller Architekten + Colas Durand Architectes - 18
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ArchDaily: Galería de Centro Cultural Simone Veil / Doucerain Lièvre Delziani Architectes - 4
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ArchDaily: Galería de Centro Médico Simone Veil / CIL Architecture + GRAMME - 26
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ArchDaily: Galería de Complejo escolar Simone Veil Tremblay-en-France / Le Penhuel Architectes - 42
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ArchDaily: Galería de Escuela secundaria Simone Veil en Niza / Comte & Vollenweider - 23
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ArchDaily: Galería de Grupo escolar Simone Veil en Villejuif / Dominique Coulon & associés - 26
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ArchDaily: Galería de Complejo escolar y dojo Simone Veil / Badia Berger Architectes - 19
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The Mémorial de la Shoah in Paris presented the exhibition Simone Veil
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2024· 1 entry
The Simone Veil Bridge (Fr: Pont Simone Veil) opened
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2023· 1 entry
Forbes: The Gift Of Simone Veil: Elsa Zylberstein’s Oscar-Worthy Performance
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2018· 2 entries
Was the subject of a €2 commemorative coin, the design of which included her deportation registration number, the European Parliament and the year "1975" signifying the legalisation of abortion
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The government of France established a prize in memory of Veil to honour people who fight for women's causes
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2017· 3 entries
Died 2017-06-30.
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And her husband, Antoine Veil, were interred at the Panthéon in July 2018 during a state ceremony led by President Emmanuel Macron
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Career landmark: funeral.
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2012· 2 entries
Awarded Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour (2012).
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Won golden class of the honour medal for Health and Social Affairs (2012).
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2011· 1 entry
Awarded Schiller Prize of Marbach (2011).
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2010· 3 entries
Awarded Heinrich Heine Prize (2010).
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Awarded Coudenhove-Kalergi Plaque (2010).
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Received the Coudenhove-Kalergi Badge by the Europa-Union Münster
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2009· 1 entry
Awarded Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour (2009).
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2008· 4 entries
Career landmark: seat 13 of the Académie française (2008–2017).
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Received the grand cross of the Légion d’honneur in 2012, and was awarded numerous doctorates honoris causa abroad
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Won the Charles V Prize, awarded by the Fundación Academia Europea de Yuste in honour of "her acknowledged merits in the struggle for the advancement of women's equality
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Simone Veil became the sixth woman to be elected to the Académie française
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2007· 4 entries
Won: Latvia (2007).
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Awarded honorary doctorate of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (2007).
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Simone Veil supported presidential candidate Nicolas Sarkozy
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Was awarded the North-South Prize of the Council of Europe
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2005· 3 entries
Awarded Princess of Asturias Award for International Cooperation (2005).
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Was awarded the Prince of Asturias Award in International Cooperation
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Put herself briefly on leave from the council in order to campaign in favour of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe
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2003· 1 entry
Was elected to the Board of Directors of the International Criminal Court's Trust Fund for Victims
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1998· 3 entries
Won: United Kingdom (1998).
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Career landmark: member of the Consitutional council (1998–2007).
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Was appointed to the Constitutional Council of France
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1993· 3 entries
Won: Portugal (1993).
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Awarded honorary doctor of the University of Antwerp (1993).
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Career landmark: Ministry of Labour, Health and Solidarity (1993–1995).
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1989· 1 entry
Career landmark: Member of the European Parliament (1989–1993).
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1987· 1 entry
Won: Portugal (1987).
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1984· 1 entry
Career landmark: Member of the European Parliament (1984–1989).
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1983· 1 entry
And her husband founded the Club Vauban, a political think tank intended to bridge divisions between the left and right
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1982· 3 entries
Won: Cameroon (1982).
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Awarded honorary citizen of Brussels (1982).
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Veil remained a Member of the European Parliament
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1981· 2 entries
Awarded Charlemagne Prize (1981).
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Veil was awarded the prestigious Charlemagne Prize, which recognises individuals for their contributions to European unity
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1980· 2 entries
Awarded honorary doctor of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1980).
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Awarded honorary doctor of the University of Edinburgh (1980).
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1979· 6 entries
Awarded honorary doctor of the Bar-Ilan University (1979).
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Career landmark: Member of the European Parliament (1979–1993).
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Veil became the first woman elected President of the European Parliament, symbolising both her stature and her commitment to European integration as a guarantee of peace
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Veil was elected to the European Parliament in its first direct elections
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Career landmark: Member of the European Parliament (1979–1984).
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Career landmark: President of the European Parliament (1979–1982).
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1978· 5 entries
Won: Senegal (1978).
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Won: Luxembourg (1978).
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Won: Ivory Coast (1978).
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Won: Brazil (1978).
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Won: Morocco (1978).
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1977· 2 entries
Awarded Monismanien Prize (1977).
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Won: Tunisia (1977).
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1976· 1 entry
Veil also contributed to the introduction of restrictions on smoking in certain public places and addressed the issue of unequal access to medical care in rural areas
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1975· 2 entries
Won: Germany (1975).
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Awarded honorary doctorate from Princeton University (1975).
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1974· 1 entry
Career landmark: Ministry of Labour, Health and Solidarity (1974–1979).
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1970· 2 entries
Career landmark: general secretary (1970–1974).
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Became secretary general of the Superior Council of the Judiciary
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1964· 1 entry
Left to become the director of civil affairs, where she improved French women's general rights and status
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1954· 1 entry
Passed the national examination to become a magistrate
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1952· 1 entry
Madeleine Jacob died with her son in a car accident after visiting Simone in Stuttgart
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1927· 1 entry
Born 1927-07-13.
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1924· 1 entry
Hoping to benefit from construction projects on the Côte d’Azur
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1922· 1 entry
Married Yvonne Steinmetz, who had just passed her Baccalauréat and was about to start studying chemistry
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