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 It is said that
Marie Harel, born in 1761 in Crouttes (Crouptes),
a hamlet near Vimoutiers,
would
not have invented the cheese already mentioned in the General
Geographic and Historical Dictionary of Thomas Corneille in
1708. But it is undoubtedly recognized that
: according to a
recusant priest's advices, come from Brie and to whom she had
given refuge during the revolutionary period,
she "dressed"
the Camembert cheese with its famous crust,
modifying thus
decisively the identity of this previously “white” cheese.
That occurred at the
►Farm
Manor of Beaumoncel on the hills of Camembert
… some five kms
from ►the market place
of Vimoutiers where Marie used to sell her cheeses. Her
daughter, Marie Paynel, and her husband develop the production,
and later, seizing the opportunity of a voyage of Napoleon III
on the railway line Paris-Caen, the grandson Victor Paynel has
the idea to propose the cheese to the Emperor. He meets him in
Surdon station on August 10, 1863. The Emperor tastes Camembert
cheese, likes it ... so much that he orders regular deliveries
to the Tuileries Palace.
No longer any doubt,
the notoriety
of Camembert cheese and Marie Harel is then famous and has
already crossed the borders when:
On 14 March
1926, on the market place of Vimoutiers, an unknown man
knocks on the door of the pharmacy Gavin ...
In an attempt to make him better
understood, the man takes from his pocket a document printed in
French :
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HOMAGE TO MADAME HAREL
"Savarin, the famous epicure, said
that it was more worthwhile to invent a new dish than to discover a
new star. How much more precious, therefore, must be the invention
of a new dish of equal benefit to both the sick and to those who
enjoy good health. This is the great merit of the late Madame
Harel’s discovery. I have travelled thousands of miles to come to
honor her at the monument erected in her memory, and had I known the
history of Camembert cheese earlier, I would have made this
pilgrimage long ago. France possesses many cheeses, all of which are
excellent, but when it comes to digestibility, Madame Harel’s
cheese, the “véritable Norman Camembert,” is surely the best. Years
ago, I suffered for several months from indigestion, and Camembert
was practically the sole nourishment that my stomach and intestines
were able to tolerate.
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Since then, I have sung the praises of
Camembert, I have introduced it to thousands of gourmets, and I
myself eat it two or three times a day.
I shall never tire of
describing the value of this wonderful product of your town, and in
my efforts to convince the doubters, I have asked them to engage in
an impartial trial. May Camembert’s popularity increase the world
over and may your town produce other benefactors of mankind to equal
Madame Harel. In humble expression of my great admiration for
Camembert cheese, which is shared by thousands of friends in the
United States, I have brought with me across the waters this wreath
of flowers to lay on the monument of our common benefactoress.
May
the French and American flags be forever united in the service of
mankind".
Joseph KNIRIM,
Mach 1926, Camembert, France |
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The event is serious for the chief
town of the district … the doctor and mayor George Dentu comes
immediately … It is that Joe KNIRIM, American doctor arrives from
New York. He assures that he cured many patients with for only
remedy : the Camembert cheese… And he crossed the Atlantic with the
sole purpose of laying a sheaf of flowers on Marie Harel's grave …
but nobody can say where Marie is buried… Finally, Joe Knirim is
shown to the tomb of those who gave birth to the “Benefactress of
humanity”, they rest in Champosoult … honor is safe!
A sumptuous lunch ... when dessert
is served, Joe Knirim thanks his hosts and with 20 dlrs offered at
once, he opens the subscription which will allow the inauguration, on April 7, 1928, of the
statue of Marie Harel, unveiled by Alexandre Millerand, former
President of the Republic !
It is an unforgettable
day which “the Illustration” newspaper will report … Unfortunately,
when Mr the Mayor invited Joe for the great day, he received
a telegram from New York: “Dr. KNIRIM HAS PASSED AWAY”!
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►
sculpted by Eugene L'Hoest
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