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Marc Ferro

1924 – 2021

French historian

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About Marc Ferro

Lived 1924 – 2021 (aged 96). Marc Ferro was a French historian, french resistance fighter, film director, university teacher, screenwriter and author.

Marc Ferro (; 24 December 1924 – 21 April 2021) was a French historian. Author of several books, including The Use and Abuse of History.

Life and career Marc Ferro was born in Paris to a Greek-Italian father and a Russian-born Jewish mother (née Firdmann (Oudia)), who died in Auschwitz in June 1943.

Ferro worked on early twentieth-century European history, specialising in the history of Russia and the USSR, as well as the history of cinema.

He was Director of Studies in Social Sciences at the École des hautes études en sciences sociales. He was a co-director of the French review Annales and co-editor of the Journal of Contemporary History.

He also directed and presented television documentaries on the rise of the Nazis, Lenin and the Russian revolution and on the representation of history in cinema.

Ferro died from COVID-19 complications in Maisons-Laffitte in April 2021, at the age of 96.

Honours and awards Honours Knight of the Legion of Honour Officier of the National Order of Merit Officer of the Ordre des Palmes académiques Knight of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres

Awards City of Paris History Film Prize (France, 1975) Prize Clio (France, 1988) Europe's Historical Prize (1994) Peace Prize (France, 2007) Prize Saint-Simon (France, 2011)

Honorary degrees Moscow State University Bordeaux Montaigne University University of Chile.

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
Grenoble Alpes University, École pratique des hautes études, Lycée Carnot
Positions held
Director of studies
Employers
School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences, École polytechnique, Annales. Histoire, Sciences sociales, National Center for Scientific Research
Awards
Knight of the Legion of Honour; Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres; Honorary doctorate of the Bordeaux Montaigne University; Officer of the French Order of Academic Palms; Officer of the National Order of Merit; Saint-Simon Award

People in Marc Ferro's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Marc Ferro's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Marc Ferro?

French historian (1924–2021)

When was Marc Ferro born?

Marc Ferro was born on 24 December 1924 in 8th arrondissement of Paris.

When did Marc Ferro die?

Marc Ferro died on 21 April 2021 in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Maisons-Laffitte.

What was Marc Ferro's occupation?

Marc Ferro was a historian, french resistance fighter, film director, university teacher, screenwriter and author.

What nationality was Marc Ferro?

Marc Ferro was French.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Marc Ferro

· Wikidata: Q1372228

· DBpedia: Marc Ferro

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Marc Ferro. https://biography.guide/marc-ferro/

MLA: "Marc Ferro." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/marc-ferro/.

Chicago: "Marc Ferro." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/marc-ferro/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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