After eight years of dedication and overcoming numerous challenges, 77-year-old French entrepreneur Jean-Claude Fassler has finally completed what he calls "the work of my life" - an exact 1/10 scale replica of the Eiffel Tower. The remarkable 100-foot-tall structure was completed on Tuesday in the small town of Sainte-Croix-aux-Mines in the Haut-Rhin region of Alsace, when workers successfully installed the final components including the second-floor platform, the spire, and the third-floor campanile using two cranes.
"Now we can say it's a masterpiece, right?" said the energetic grandfather, who founded a metalworking company in 1975 before developing it and eventually passing it on to his son. Fassler's ambitious retirement project involved cutting thousands of metal pieces using laser technology, requiring meticulous attention to detail and unwavering determination. "All of this consists of thousands of metal pieces, laser-cut. It was difficult, but there was no discouragement. I had to see it through to the end," he explained.
This long-term construction project became the perfect retirement endeavor for the admirer of Gustave Eiffel, who refused to "remain inactive" after transferring the family business. "I've been going full speed all my life," said the man behind his glasses, who never really stopped working. "But I didn't realize how much work it would be. You see drawings and think it's simple, but it's incredibly complicated." Fassler enlisted the help of his grandson Killian from the early days of the young man's apprenticeship in the family business, creating a unique intergenerational collaboration.
"I took care of the drawings, assembly, and construction," explained the 23-year-old grandson, wearing his hard hat. "My grandfather handles the design, and then we discuss it to see if it's achievable." The grandfather-grandson duo relied on the original Eiffel Tower blueprints, which were patented in 1884 but have since entered the public domain, to create a perfectly faithful reproduction of the tower erected for the 1889 Universal Exhibition.
Pushing their attention to detail to the extreme, they included numerous historically accurate features that showcase their commitment to authenticity. These include the original walkways from the first floor that have since been renovated in the actual tower, the names of 72 scientists (including Lavoisier, Becquerel, and Ampère) inscribed in golden letters on the structure, and even the apartment that Gustave Eiffel had initially set up on the third floor of the original tower. "I didn't cheat. You can go see for yourself up close - I can tell you it's perfect. There are even four-leaf clovers on the second crossbeam of the arbalests. Eiffel did it, so I did it too," Fassler said proudly.
The impressive structure, painted in "Venice red" - the first color historically applied to the Parisian tower - has become a source of pride for local residents and curious visitors who have followed the project's progress in this small community of 1,700 inhabitants in the Vosges mountains. "It's exceptional. There's nowhere else in the world with such an achievement, of this quality, this art, and this passion," enthused Lubisa Idoux, a municipal councilor who hopes the construction will be valued at the level of the investment made.
Fassler now hopes to sell his creation, which has consumed a significant portion of his personal wealth, though he struggles to put a price on it. "Look at the time, the work required... It's priceless," he said. Despite the financial investment, he still dreams of one day seeing his replica displayed on the Champ-de-Mars in Paris, or even installed beneath the original tower. "From the ground to the arch of the first floor of the real Eiffel Tower, there are 164 feet, so it would fit," assured his other grandson, Mattéo, who manages all communication around the project. "We could dismantle it in two weeks and reassemble it in two weeks."
While waiting for a buyer to come forward, Jean-Claude Fassler envisions spending a night on the first floor of his tower, which kept him awake for so many nights during construction. "I'll do it. Do you think I'm joking? When I say something, I do it!" he declared with characteristic determination. The completed replica stands as a testament to one man's extraordinary vision, persistence, and craftsmanship, representing not just a remarkable engineering achievement but also a touching story of family collaboration and the pursuit of a seemingly impossible dream.
