The Notre Dame Effect

In the aftermath of the catastrophic fire which gutted Paris’ Cathedral of Notre Dame in 2019, President Emmanuel Macron announced it would be rebuilt within five years and promised it would be “more beautiful than before!”

Macron, who remains head of a divided French government, saw restoration of the 13th Century church as a way to restore national pride and unite fellow French citizens.

When interviewed just before Notre Dame’s massive doors re-opened on Dec. 7, Macron called the restoration a miracle—an accomplishment of the unthinkable.

His enthusiasm was felt worldwide. For example, thousands of American donors already chipped in $57 million of the $900 million project cost.

“Howling winds could not stop Notre Dame’s heart from beating again,” the Irish News reported. “With three resounding knocks on its doors by Paris Archbishop Laurent Ulrich, wielding a staff carved from fire-scorched beams, the Cathedral roared back to life on Saturday evening.”

Project director Phillipe Jost views the renovated building as a “bright light” which reinvigorates the soul. The pre-fire medieval landmark was dark and gloomy from years of accumulated soot and grime. Today, Notre Dame is a vibrant and airy gothic masterpiece.

Longtime Notre Dame chief architect Philippe Villeneuve worried there would not be enough traditional carpenters, roofers, and stone masons. Macron and government leaders insisted the Cathedral be refurbished with original materials---wood, stone, and lead.

However, the French mobilized a talented army of 2,000 artists, architects, and skilled workers who were called “companions.” Among its legions were the world’s leading experts, extraordinarily talented men and women, who brought modern technology.

Most impressive was the group of young people who became apprentice carpenters, roofers, and stonecutters---jobs not highly valued today. It is called “The Notre Dame Effect” Hopefully, it is contagious and spreads across the world. It is much needed in America.

Unfortunately, in October Timpl Marketing found there is a widespread notion that working in skilled trades somehow equates to “less success.” However, in free-flowing unscripted interviews, young apprentices restoring Notre Dame were excited about their work, proud of their accomplishments, and anxious for the next project.

Today in our country there continues to be a bias against skilled workers. For example, parents tend to push their children to get college degrees and often view a journeyman electrician as less successful than an electrical engineer even though their wage is $77,000 annually in Washington.

In Villeneuve’s view, the Cathedral became a trade school where carpenters used handsaws to cut wood and masons used chisels to break stones just like craftsmen did when construction began in 1163.

Initial construction took a century and was completed by 1260. Over the years it has been modified, expanded, and restored.

In the 1790s, Notre Dame suffered extensive desecration during the French Revolution. The building was left in disrepair. Its religious imagery was damaged or destroyed.

It changed when French novelist Victor Hugo, a gothic architecture advocate, wrote “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” in 1831. Hugo launched a campaign to save and restore Notre Dame.

In 2019, work was underway to secure the spire when the fire broke out. Macron credits well-trained and resolute Parisian fire fighters with containing the blaze to massive roof and spire. They employed drones and robots equipped with advanced sensors, thermal cameras, and fire extinguishing systems.

“This is the core of what a nation is for me: a group of people with the same history, the same values, the same language, and having done a lot of great things together and ready to do new things together,” Macron told correspondent Bill Whitaker, CBS 60 Minutes. “This is a big thing we did together during the past five years.”

Don C. Brunell is a business analyst, writer, and columnist. He retired as president of the Association of Washington Business, the state’s oldest and largest business organization, and now lives in Vancouver. He can be contacted at theBrunells@msn.com.