Gérard BLITZ was born on February 28, 1912, in Antwerp, Belgium. His father, Maurice, was a diamond dealer, and his mother ran a beauty salon. They lived in a house at 4 Rue Anselmo in Antwerp.
As a teenager, Gérard Blitz followed in his father Maurice's footsteps by learning the trade of Cleaver and regularly went to the swimming pool where he quickly became a good swimmer. Swimming was a family passion. Gérard had an uncle, also named Gérard. The latter would go on to win a medal at the 1920 Antwerp Olympic Games, set the world record in the 400-meter backstroke in 1921, and then medal again at the 1924 Paris Games and the 1936 Berlin Games.
Gérard BLITZ married for the first time in 1935 with Denise ( Denise LIBBECHT) . From this marriage, he will have 4 children. One of them, Hélène (Hélène PERRY-BLITZ), will work at the Club Méditerranée, the others will follow different paths.
When World War II broke out, Gérard joined an elite Belgian mounted regiment. Arrested in Antwerp, he was freed thanks to the connections earned by his status as a champion. After the Belgian defeat, he decided to go to Switzerland with his family and join the resistance. On behalf of Belgian state security, he ran an intelligence network for London.
In the spring of 1945, he was tasked by the Belgian government with organizing the rest of prisoners of war before their return home. To this end, he reopened two hotels in Haute Savoie: the first in Chamonix and the other in Annecy. These hotels, which would be called "Villages des Repatriés," would operate for two years and accommodate repatriates before their return to Belgium.
In 1947, he met Claudine (Claudine COINDEAU), who became his second wife the following year. She brought him a love of Tahiti. Two revelations would mark his life because they would become his passions: Tahiti and Buddhism.
During the summer of 1949, Gérard, accompanied by his two children (Hélène and Maurice), decided to join his sister Didy and her husband Mario LEWIS for two weeks, who were spending the season at the Calvi Olympic Club village. At the village, he took the initiative of organizing some activities such as scuba diving or volleyball matches to keep the members of the Olympic Club occupied, under the astonished eyes of the leader, a certain Dimitry PHILIPPOFF. It was at this time that the idea of creating a holiday club germinated in Gérard's head.
On February 11, 1950, Tony Hatot, Jean Maubert, and Caludine Blitz were tasked with filing the statutes of the Club Méditerranée association with the Paris Police Prefecture. That summer, Alcudia in the Balearic Islands would be their first village. The first of a long list.
Judith BLITZ (Didy)
Gérard BLITZ has a sister named Judith. At the beginning of the Second World War, she followed her father Maurice BLITZ who took refuge in Annecy where he founded a swimming club. He brought swimmers who would be part of this adventure. We find Mario LEWIS, Tony HATOT, Lionel MARCU, Paul MORIHIEN as well as Dimitri PHILIPOFF. At the liberation, Judith married Mario LEWIS. They will have 2 children: Yves and Claire LEWIS.
Judith, whom everyone calls Didy, becomes a great village leader of the Club Méditerranée.
Claire (Clarita) is today a painter. On the following link you can see her works
Claire Lewis, Contemporary Artist
The World of Yoga
In 1974, Gérard Blitz left the Club Méditerranée to devote himself fully to his passion, yoga. He joined a great master, Krishnamacharya, in India. He had already founded the Zinal International Meetings, where great names in modern spiritual life gathered to serve seekers of truth.
Gérard BLITZ died on March 3, 1990 at Cochin Hospital in Paris.
Magnificent portrait of Gérard. Thank you. His regiment was called "The First Guide" the Queen's equestrian regiment. It was composed of the sons of the Belgian aristocracy. When there were not enough to make up a regiment, it was completed by "commoners" who were great athletes. This was the case for Gérard and his friend (my Dad) Léon Mortaigne, (both excellent riders), who followed him as Trafis to Alcudia in 1950)
I met Gérard at the Club Med in St Moritz in 1964, as well as Paul Emile Victor with whom I had breakfast in the company of Jean Christophe? It was nice, with a bouillabaisse at the foot of the Mortorasch massif.
Hello everyone,
Gérard's dad loved water indeed, I saw him swimming in 1949 in the port of Antwerp... in winter... with my father with whom I believe he had done part of his studies.
Together they had discussed the future Club Med.
Who had the idea at the beginning I don't know but the dad contributed to the financing since he had some "pebbles" available...
I remember Didy in Corfu very well a little after the opening and Gérard of course even if I was still small, I remember the large tables at lunchtime with a profusion of fresh products and the sea, the khaki tents recovered from the army.
I slept on camp beds in the cheetah tent, marked in white.
There was a small dance floor, a small orchestra, everything was very basic but what an atmosphere and we sang "Adam and R-Eve in paradise, walked like good friends... without shirts, without pants..."
What wonderful memories and I have never stopped going to the club since...