Who was Anne Beffort?
The name ‘Mersch Anne Beffort International School’ is perfectly suited to the new school for the following reasons: Madame Anne Beffort (1880-1966) literally personified and even prefigured, by her very being and existence, the evolution of the former domestic school into a new, lasting international school. The daughter of a gardener and one of 12 siblings, Madame Anne Beffort defied all the social obstacles and prohibitions of the time to become the first woman to hold a doctorate from the Sorbonne in Luxembourg and the first woman teacher in the Grand Duchy. Co-founder of the Lycée de Jeunes Filles (Lycée Robert Schuman) and a teacher with heart and soul, her unparalleled courage led her to stand up to the occupying forces during the Second World War. A specialist in Victor Hugo, her unwavering commitment to the French language and culture earned her the Légion d'Honneur from Robert Schuman. A convinced European from the outset, she worked tirelessly for the European ideal throughout her life.