1935 The White Bear

We could say that the history of Club Méditerranée has its origins in the mid-1930s at the beginning of the Popular Front of 1936. On June 7, 1936, the Matignon Agreements were signed between employers, unions and the new Léon BLUM government. These agreements established a number of social benefits, such as the famous paid leave that appeared on June 20, 1936 and was set at 2 weeks.

In 1935, a year before the creation of paid holidays, Dimitri PHILIPPOFF (a White Russian), a member of the Russian water polo team, opened a kind of sports club at Scudo (Route des Sanguinaires near Ajaccio) that looked more like a campsite, bar, restaurant than a real village. This Club was called "Ours Blanc", the name given to the Russian water polo team. It offered, for a month's stay, an 'all-inclusive' package of relaxation and sports activities in a beautiful setting. The ticket price: 500 francs at the time!!!

During its first year of operation, the White Bear welcomed 70 people. These people (men and women) came to "rest" and practice sporting activities in a relaxed and non-competitive atmosphere. The day's program is simple. Once breakfast is eaten, members warm up with some physical exercises (today we would call this fitness, abs, glutes, or muscle toning) before diving into the water of the deep blue to do a few lengths. After lunch, it's all over again. Some members take up to 3 baths a day.

Until the declaration of war in 1939, other structures based on the concept of the White Bear were established, notably on the Côte d'Azur in La Napoule and Les Issambres. The outbreak of the Second World War put an end to this adventure.

1948 A happy band of friends

In 1948, Paul MORIHIEN, a close friend of Colette and Jean MARAIS, and personal secretary to Jean COCTEAU, introduced Lionel MARCU to Dimitri PHILIPPOFF and Édith FILIPACCHI. Edith was the wife of Henri FILIPACCHI, founder of the 'Le Livre de Poche' department at Hachette. In Calvi, on land belonging to Édith, they created the Olympic Games Club, in reference to the London Olympics. The goal was simple: to revive and improve the concept of the Polar Bear.

The following year, the Olympic Games Club was renamed the Olympic Club. The concept was retained. Mario Lewis, a close friend of Lionel Marcu, joined them to manage the bar and entertainment. Mario Lewis was the husband of Judith Blit, Gérard's sister. In August 1949, Gérard Blitz came to spend 15 days of vacation there with his children. From this stay, the concept of Club Méditerranée was born.

On February 11, 1950, the statutes of the non-profit association Club Méditerranée were filed with the Paris Police Prefecture. The stated goal was to develop a taste for outdoor life and the practice of physical education and sports. Since Gérard BLITZ was of Belgian nationality, Tony HATOT was listed on the statutes as the association's name bearer. The location chosen for the first village was a pine forest near Alcudia, a small fishing village lost somewhere on the west coast of the island of Palma de Mallorca.

Barely a month later, on March 17, 1950, the statutes of the Magic Village Club (amended on April 7, 1950) were filed at the same police headquarters. This holiday club, created and launched by Paul MORIHIEN, with the help of the couple Hélène and Pierre LAZAREFF and Mario LEWIS, was aimed more specifically at the readers of Elle magazine. The Magic Village Club opened two villages. The first in Tyrol at Plansee near a lake, the second in Sicily in an exceptional location overlooking the town of Cefalu and its famous rock.

This group of friends (Dimitri PHILIPPOFF, Paul MORIHIEN, Tony HATOT, Mario LEWIS, and Lionel MARCU) met at the poolside. They were all top-level swimmers and swimming champions. During the Second World War, they met at the famous SCUF (Sporting Club Universitaire de France) in Paris. Their friendships developed, their network of friends grew gradually, and when each of them retrained after the war, they continued to work together.

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4 comments

  1. very interesting

  2. Good evening,

    Your site is great, thank you.

    I think that August 1949 was the first "inter-season" / "village pre-opening"!

    I say this in continuation of your history told above - the big link is this water polo club "White Bears" - Gerard Blitz was there, but also another big name in organized holidays of this time.
    Also a White Russian, Jewish, named Vladimir Raitz, who following this same vacation in August 1949, founded the company Horizon Holidays which was the first to launch charter planes for holiday travel. In May 1950 departing from London, Gatwick.

    I'm sure Gerad Blitz and Vladimir Raitz did their "pre-opening" / "inter-season" together in August 1949 and that's where these two big names "Le Club Mediterranee" and "Horizon Holidays" were born.

    You can find information about Mr. Raitz on the internet; http://www.TheGuardian.com and http://www.TheNewEuropean.co.uk wikipedia and others. He died in August 2010 RIP

  3. Hello and thank you for your site. With a close family connection to Mr. Marcu, I spent 30 of my youthful summers with him in Calvi. I had obviously heard a lot about the history of the Olympic Club, but the proto-history you tell in this article was unknown to me. I therefore find it interesting and moving. It gives me a perspective that still resonates in my personal history (culture and the leisure market, sports, the outdoors, etc.). Congratulations on your work.

    1. Hello,
      I have done the genealogy of Mr. MARCU, I would like to place you? Can you tell me more about your family relationship.
      Kind regards

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