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Early years

Nicollier was born on 1 July 1966 in Vesoul, France to his mother Lyliane Fournier. He was the middle child of three brothers; his brothers are Pierre and Paul. In Vesoul he finished elementary and high school. Nicollier watched the Croatian War of Independence on television in France, and decided to travel to Croatia. He told his mother:

I want to help these people, they need me. I have to go, but I'll be back. You know that I'm a wild grass that never goes away.

In July 1991, he boarded the train and arrived in Zagreb completely alone. There he joined the Croatian Defence Forces and was set off to the front along the Kupa river in Banovina.



Battle of Vukovar

In September 1991, Nicollier arrived in Vukovar with the last volunteers. Nicollier fought across the Vukovar battlefields and was wounded twice in the three months he was there. On 9 November 1991 he was wounded in the leg by a fragmentation grenade, and was transported to the Vukovar hospital where he was treated for his injuries. Nicollier stayed in the Vukovar hospital until the fall of Vukovar on 18 November 1991.

On 20 November 1991, he was interviewed by a French reporter, Agnes Vahramian, and described his experience in Vukovar as "a slaughterhouse"

"I lost too much of my friends, I saw too many people crying, too much suffering, and often suggested that I leave Vukovar and come back to France, but I was left out." We lost, I knew it would be difficult, but I did not think so it will be so terrible, especially for the civilians I am as a volunteer came to Vukovar It is my choice, both in good and bad Why is it as a volunteer Because I think they need help So that's why I chose their side What's for you actually symbolizes Vukovar, slaughterhause, slaughterhause, slaughterhause . "

The same day, he was taken from the hospital by Yugoslav People's Army and paramilitary Serb forces and transported to the Ovčara farm.

At Ovčara, according to later witness testimonies, a man named Kemo took Nicollier from the hangars, at which point Nicollier was viciously beaten, and killed by a gunshot to the head by one Spasoje Petković, who then took 20 francs from his pocket.

Nicollier's remains were among sixty not subsequently found. It is possible that they were initially disposed of in shallow graves, which caused them to be uncovered by the following spring and then thrown elsewhere, or that they were thrown into the Danube.


last known photo of Jean

Legacy

-On November 15th, Jean-Michel Nicolier was immediately awarded the Memorial Postcard "Vukovar 1991", which was taken over by the consul of the French Embassy in Croatia, Rodolphe Le Dref, on behalf of the family of the Croatian volunteer.

-On November 17th, 2011, President of the Republic of Croatia Ivo Josipović had hailed her Jean-Michele Nicolier's Order of Nikola Šubić Zrinski for the extraordinary courage and heroism he had shown in defense of Vukovar. The eminence was taken by his mother Lyliane Fournier.

-On November 17, 2011, Jean-Michel Nicolier was honored with the honor of the county, an acknowledgment of the Vukovar-Srijem County for love, loyalty and courage in the Homeland War.

-In 2012, the historical novel of Croatian novelist Nevenka Nekić Jean or the smell of death, the life and destiny of Jean-Michel Nicolier, and the tragic war of the war in Vukovar and Croatia, were published. The publisher is Dr Ante Starčević from Tovarnika.

-On September 18, 2014, the central pedestrian bridge in Vukovar was named after Jean-Michel Nicolier in accordance with the decision of the City Council.


The "Jean Michel Nicolier" Walking Bridge with a memorial plaque

-On May 3, 2015, on the day of the City of Vukovar, along the bridge "Jean-Michel Nicolier", his memorial burial was erected, the work of the academic sculptor Lovro Jakšić.


Sculptor of Jean

-In the year 2016, 17 February in Zagreb, a ceremonial premiere of documentary film directed by Branko Ištvančić was held, All was a good dream about the life of Jean-Michele Nicolier

Vukovar after the battle