When we came back, nobody wanted to know. ― Loulou Le Porz, Ravensbruck survivor
It’s the two-part conclusion of the miniseries: Women In War. This episode was a long time coming. I struggled to read the stories of Ravensbruck concentration camp. How can I pay tribute to these brave women? But I knew the story of French women during World War II would be incomplete without confronting the truth of the camp.
Note: This episode is much darker than any previous episodes of this podcast. Please consider this a content warning for, well, just about everything. If you just discovered the show via the newest issue of France-Amérique Magazine, welcome! You might want to start with a lighter episode, like this one or this one.
Episode 57: “Women At War 5: The Survivor I (Marie-José Wilborts)”
Marie-Jo, the children’s guardian
Marie-José Chombart de Lauwe, a.k.a. Marie-José Wilborts, grew up determined to “do something with my life.” She certainly did: fighting in the Résistance, protecting the children of Ravensbruck concentration camp, and devoting her entire life to the study of childhood, and the advocation of children’s rights. She is an incredible woman, and at the age of 96 she is still going strong!
A young Marie-José Wilborts, schoolgirl Résistante
Marie Jo’s “ausweis” or pass, which allowed her to leave and enter Bréhat freely. The ausweis was essential for Marie-Jo’s Résistance activities.
Above: Marie-Jo tells the story of her years in Ravensbruck and Mauthausen concentration camps.
I adore this recent interview with Marie-Jo – look at her cozy home! Here, continuing her lifelong advocacy of children’s well-being, she discusses the state of children’s education today:
Images from Ravensbruck
The barracks of Ravensbruck concentration camp. Note the dense forest, hiding the camp from view.
The crowded bunks of Ravensbruck. Originally intended to hold 3,000 prisoners, by the end of the war it held nearly 40,000 women and children.
Ukrainian mothers in the infamous Kinderzimmer of Ravensbruck. One of the women was raped by the Red Army when the camp was liberated.
Sources
My primary source for this week’s episode is Marie-Jo’s own memoir, Resister Toujours. It’s only available in French right now. I find it particularly poignant that her memoir describes her entire life, not just her experience in the Résistance and Ravensbruck. The best revenge is a life well lived, and Marie-Jo has done just that.
A few other terrific, highly recommended reads:
Ravensbruck by Sarah Helm – A fantastic work of scholarship and journalism. Helm did a remarkable job tracking down survivors for interviews, and helping survivors tell their stories after decades of silence. I particularly respect her commitment to telling the stories of the most marginalized victims of Ravensbruck. There is so much work to be done.
Les Parisiennes by Anne Sebba – If I could recommend a single English-language book about French women’s experiences during World War II, this is the one I’d choose!
Fighters In The Shadows by Robert Gildea – Recommended with a caveat: I don’t think Gildea is the most evocative writer, and this is shockingly poor editing for Harvard University. However, Gildea’s scholarship is tremendous especially when it comes to foreign or Jewish resistance networks.
A Train in Winter by Caroline Moorehead – This author focuses on a different convoy of women deported to Ravensbruck. I first read this book years ago, and it’s stuck with me ever since.
Sudden Courage: Youth in France Confront the Germans, 1940-1945 by Ronald C. Rosbottom – Rosbottom wrote one of my favorite books about the Occupation, When Paris Went Dark: The City of Light Under German Occupation, 1940-1944. This one is particularly poignant, considering the incredibly young ages of so many participants in the French Resistance. The photos alone will make you weep – they look like the babies they were. When Marie-Jo joined the Résistance at 17, she wasn’t alone.
Further Reading:
Letter from Ravensbruck – Penned by The New Yorker’s famous Paris correspondent, Janet Flanner, this article was first published two days before the Red Army liberated the camp.
Madame Fourcade’s Secret War by Lynn Olson – You’ve probably seen this making the rounds. I’m thrilled to see something about les résistantes making the rounds! I’ve heard good things but haven’t checked it out myself just yet.
Subscribe to the brand new newsletter
That’s right – the Land of Desire newsletter is BACK. The revamped newsletter comes in two flavors: free and paid. Free subscribers receive one newsletter per quarter; paid subscribers receive at last one newsletter per month. Subscribe to the newsletter here.
Support the Show
There are so many ways to support the show! First and foremost, sign up for a paid subscription to The Land of Desire newsletter or contribute via Patreon. If you’re a paid subscriber, chime in on our Substack discussion threads whenever a new newsletter is sent out!
But that’s not all: you’re always welcome and strongly encouraged to ask questions on the show’s Facebook page or through Twitter! And of course, you can contact me directly here. Thank you so much for listening to the show. Until next time, au revoir!
Join the Discussion
Join our Substack discussions (paid subscribers only)
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter (so many GIFs)
Follow us on Instagram (find out when new episodes go live)
The post 57. Women At War 5: The Survivor I (Marie-José Wilborts) appeared first on The Land of Desire.
Comentarios