European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)

This is the conclusion: War is something terrible!

It creates horrible conditions - not only for the soldiers but for civilians, as well.

You have to turn against fascism and now, as well, the neo-Nazis to be able to prevent similar affairs.

That could maybe be even the closing words, if you have no other questions:

This conclusion did not only arise in recent years.

You were already living with this decision in the times you were imprisoned and then afterwards during the war.

Yes, our life was very difficult.

But we had made a choice. We could have put up our feet and watched TV.

But we didn’t make that choice. I can’t explain exactly why.

On one hand, it was thanks to the way my parents educated me.

As soon as I was old enough, they told me what Italian fascism was.

Then it was thanks to the teachers in school,

especially my last one. I have very fond memories of him.

He embedded in us the principles of loyalty, taught us what it meant to be a citizen,

to be someone who took on responsibilities and acted in life.

Commitment after the war until today

I did not start immediately as a witness.

Even though I was a member of the association of former resistance fighters, I had other political responsibilities.

I had joined the French Communist Party in 1943, when it was still clandestine,