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André Ludwig

European Supercentenarian Organisation
Validated By: European Supercentenarian Organisation On Date: Jun. 19th 2022

André Ludwig is a French supercentenarian whose age has been validated by the European Supercentenarian Organisation (ESO). He is currently the oldest known living man in Europe. Having been captured while fighting in World War II, Ludwig may be the longest living former prisoner of war in world history.

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Biography

André Ludwig was born in the commune of La Ferté-sous-Jouarre, Seine-et-Marne département, Île-de-France region, France, on 6 June 1912. Ludwig married Yvonne in 1935; the couple had a daughter (aged about 80 in 2015). However, the last time he saw his daughter was when she was aged 20.

In 1939, he was mobilized for World War II. In 1940, he was made a prisoner in Épinal (Vosges department, Grand Est), and was deported to Poland. In 1942, he escaped but was caught again, and spent 40 more days in jail. He was sent to a labor camp in Germany, but managed to escape again, and joined the Zone libre (in France) to shelter his family. He also joined the French Resistance in the east of the country. Ludwig finished his career as a middle manager, retired in 1972, and moved with his wife to Longué-Jumelles.

His wife passed away in 2012, aged 99. In 2015, he moved into a nursing home.

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Recognition

His age was verified by Cyril Depoudent of the Les Grands Centenaires Français, and validated by the ESO on 19 June 2022.

On 28 December 2022, following the death of 110-year-old Jose Van Zandijcke of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, Ludwig became the oldest living man in France. Van Zandijcke was a day older than Ludwig.

On 22 February 2023, following the death of 110-year-old Hans Schornack of Germany, Ludwig became the oldest (known) living man in Europe.

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Attribution

* “Longué-Jumelles. Les 107 ans d’André Ludwig” – Ouest-France, 7 June 2019

* “Longué-Jumelles. « Ici, je ne manque de rien »” – Ouest-France, 9 June 2020

* “Le doyen du Maine-et-Loire André Ludwig a fêté ses 109 ans” – Ouest-France, 7 June 2021