European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)

We had not internalized the importance of organizing ourselves in the underground yet. Everyone knew each other.

Nine of them were shot and the other eight died during the deportation to Auschwitz.

Political activities 

During the elections of 1935, the reactionary government of Nanterre

had been replaced by a communist government.

During the electoral campaign, there were always meetings in the various neighborhoods.

These meetings were called “Le compte rendu des mandats”. My father often took me along.

I participated at meetings for the legislative elections

in which Waldeck Rocher won against the Comte De Fels.

My father also took me to my first demonstration.

It was called the “Wall of the Confederates” in memory of the Paris Commune (1870/71).

I remember meeting my teacher, a young socialist, at the demonstration.

I belonged to the Communist Youth Movement.

I was responsible for the distribution of the newspaper “l’Avantgarde” until the war,

until the banning of the Communist Party.

The Communist Party was banned after the non-aggression treaty between Hitler and Stalin (1939).

The treaty was seen very negatively by the population

and became subject of propaganda from the French government.

When distributing leaflets I was sometimes insulted by the workers.

Introduction: family, school, work