On April 15 the world watched as the Cathedral of Notre-Dame, one of France’s most prized pieces of architecture and history, caught on fire. While the fire was eventually distinguished, Notre-Dame still sustained a great amount of damage that would cost a fortune to repair. In light of this predicament, Nissan Motor Company offered to help in the restoration and rebuilding of Notre-Dame by donating $100,000 Euros or $112,000 US dollars.
It is pertinent to understand the fire that took place at Notre-Dame to understand what Nissan is working toward with its contribution. The fire started at 6:43 p.m., on Monday, April 15; raging on for another 12 hours before officially being extinguished. It began under the roof among wooden beams that originated from the Middle Ages; spreading to destroy two-thirds of the roof and the Cathedral’s 295-foot spire.
The exterior of Notre-Dame was not the only thing harmed by the flames of the fire. The interior of the Cathedral sustained its fair amount of damage. Potentially, the fire could have ruined three of the Cathedral’s organs and a number of paintings and sculptures that could date back all the way to the 17th century. With the amount of damage, the Cathedral of Notre-Dame could take longer than the five years to renovate.
Nissan is one of the many organizations and individuals that have made donations for the restoration of Notre-Dame. The first to donate were local citizens and companies such as L’Oréal or the billionaire Pinault family, which amounted to over $600 million Euros or over $675 Million US Dollars. After France’s culture ministry created an online portal for donations, and President Emmanuel Macron called for a fund-raising campaign, even more donations were made. Along with Nissan, more than $1 billion has been raised so far. As to why Nissan decided to contribute, the company released a statement saying it is “in recognition of and appreciation for Nissan Europe and Renault employees as well as the people of France.”