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France president Francois Hollande adds resistance heroines to Pantheon France president François Hollande adds resistance heroines to Panthéon
(35 minutes later)
In a symbolic gesture to acknowledge that women as well as men have made French history, François Hollande has interred two female heroes of the resistance in the Panthéon, the resting place of the nation’s great.In a symbolic gesture to acknowledge that women as well as men have made French history, François Hollande has interred two female heroes of the resistance in the Panthéon, the resting place of the nation’s great.
The French president honoured four wartime resistance figures in total on Wednesday: Geneviève de Gaulle-Anthonioz and Germaine Tillion, who survived capture and deportation, and two men, Pierre Brossolette and Jean Zay, who died in terrible circumstances before the end of the war.The French president honoured four wartime resistance figures in total on Wednesday: Geneviève de Gaulle-Anthonioz and Germaine Tillion, who survived capture and deportation, and two men, Pierre Brossolette and Jean Zay, who died in terrible circumstances before the end of the war.
The only other woman to have been honoured in the Panthéon, over whose door is written “The nation thanks its great men”, is the Nobel prize-winning scientist Marie Curie, whose ashes were moved there in 1995. Another woman was buried there, Sophie Berthelot, but only to be close to her husband, the chemist and politician Marcellin Berthelot. There are 72 men in the mausoleum in Paris’s Latin quarter.The only other woman to have been honoured in the Panthéon, over whose door is written “The nation thanks its great men”, is the Nobel prize-winning scientist Marie Curie, whose ashes were moved there in 1995. Another woman was buried there, Sophie Berthelot, but only to be close to her husband, the chemist and politician Marcellin Berthelot. There are 72 men in the mausoleum in Paris’s Latin quarter.
Hollande lauded the spirit of the resistance and warned that indifference was “today’s enemy”. He used his speech to caution against a resurgence of antisemitism and of democracy, and to defend what he called thespirit of libertydisplayed in the street demonstrations that followed January’s terrorist attacks in Paris.Hollande lauded the spirit of the resistance and warned that indifference was “today’s enemy”. He used his speech to caution against a resurgence of antisemitism and of democracy, and to defend what he called thespirit of libertydisplayed in the street demonstrations that followed January’s terrorist attacks in Paris.
Geneviève de Gaulle-Anthonioz was the niece of Charles de Gaulle. Her engineer father made her read Mein Kampf when she was 14 so she could understand the horror of the Nazis. She was 20 when the Nazi occupation began and her uncle called from London for the French to keep fighting. She joined a resistance movement based around academics at Paris’s anthropology museum, the Musée de l’Homme. In 1943, she was captured in a Paris book shop and deported to the Ravensbruck, the largest concentration camp for women.Geneviève de Gaulle-Anthonioz was the niece of Charles de Gaulle. Her engineer father made her read Mein Kampf when she was 14 so she could understand the horror of the Nazis. She was 20 when the Nazi occupation began and her uncle called from London for the French to keep fighting. She joined a resistance movement based around academics at Paris’s anthropology museum, the Musée de l’Homme. In 1943, she was captured in a Paris book shop and deported to the Ravensbruck, the largest concentration camp for women.
She later described coming close to death in the filth of the camp, surrounded by women who were massacred at random, and attacked by dogs. She spent part of her time in isolation after Heinrich Himmler, aware of her name, decided to keep her alive as a possible exchange prisoner. She was finally released in April 1945 and received a letter from her uncle saying he was “extremely proud” of her, and she should get back on her feet because “France needs girls like you”.She later described coming close to death in the filth of the camp, surrounded by women who were massacred at random, and attacked by dogs. She spent part of her time in isolation after Heinrich Himmler, aware of her name, decided to keep her alive as a possible exchange prisoner. She was finally released in April 1945 and received a letter from her uncle saying he was “extremely proud” of her, and she should get back on her feet because “France needs girls like you”.
After the war she dedicated her life to fighting poverty and campaigning for homeless people, shocked by shanty towns outside Paris. Despite seeing numerous women murdered in front of her in the camps, she always said she believed in “the greatness of humanity” because she had witnessed “beautiful things” such as a starving prisoner giving food to another. She died in 2002, aged 81.After the war she dedicated her life to fighting poverty and campaigning for homeless people, shocked by shanty towns outside Paris. Despite seeing numerous women murdered in front of her in the camps, she always said she believed in “the greatness of humanity” because she had witnessed “beautiful things” such as a starving prisoner giving food to another. She died in 2002, aged 81.
Germaine Tillion, an ethnologist, met de Gaulle-Anthonioz in the same resistance movement at the Paris museum, and both worked to counter Nazi propaganda. She was denounced and arrested at Paris’s Gare de Lyon and also sent to Ravensbruck. There she found her mother, who had also joined the resistance, and who would die in the gas chambers in 1945.Germaine Tillion, an ethnologist, met de Gaulle-Anthonioz in the same resistance movement at the Paris museum, and both worked to counter Nazi propaganda. She was denounced and arrested at Paris’s Gare de Lyon and also sent to Ravensbruck. There she found her mother, who had also joined the resistance, and who would die in the gas chambers in 1945.
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Tillion described the camp as “a world of horror that was a world of contradictions: more terrifying than the visions of Dante, more absurd than a game of snakes and ladders”. She said that while there she lost the will to live. After the war she studied and wrote about Ravensbruck, as well working in Algeria, saying her work as an ethnologist had saved her. She died in 2008 aged 100. Tillion described the camp as “a world of horror that was a world of contradictions: more terrifying than the visions of Dante, more absurd than a game of snakes and ladders”. She said that while there, she lost the will to live. After the war she studied and wrote about Ravensbruck, as well as working in Algeria, saying her work as an ethnologist had saved her. She died in 2008 aged 100.
Pierre Brossolette, similarly based at the Paris anthropology museum, led several missions as an intelligence agent for de Gaulle’s Free France, and became a resistance spokesman on the BBC. Arrested and tortured in 1944, he jumped to his death from a top-floor window to avoid disclosing information, shouting that he would never give up and would die free.Pierre Brossolette, similarly based at the Paris anthropology museum, led several missions as an intelligence agent for de Gaulle’s Free France, and became a resistance spokesman on the BBC. Arrested and tortured in 1944, he jumped to his death from a top-floor window to avoid disclosing information, shouting that he would never give up and would die free.
Jean Zay was France’s education minister before the war. He went to Morocco in 1940, intending to form a resistance government in North Africa. He was arrested but continued his efforts from prison. He was killed by the French militia, a paramilitary force of the collaborationist Vichy regime, in 1944.Jean Zay was France’s education minister before the war. He went to Morocco in 1940, intending to form a resistance government in North Africa. He was arrested but continued his efforts from prison. He was killed by the French militia, a paramilitary force of the collaborationist Vichy regime, in 1944.