Village of Secrets
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Quakers 44, 45, 48, 57, 61, 67, 104, 124, 150, 156, 203, 207, 244
Quilici, Anne-Marie (Bonnet) 215
Rambaud, Jean 303
Rambert, Raymond 152
Ravenists 10, 104, 108–11, 339
Ravensbrück 265–6, 268, 318, 319
Récébédou 63, 99
Red Cross 30, 40, 66, 124, 150, 208, 209, 212, 294, 302, 303
Rédmont, Bishop of Nice, Mgr Paul 263
Reiter, Friedel 56, 58, 63, 64
‘Relève’ scheme 194–5
Réseau Marcel 263
Resistance, French 5, 6, 30, 74, 86, 151, 196, 201–2, 207, 215, 228, 237, 239, 244, 253, 267, 270, 275, 276, 277, 278, 279, 287, 288, 292, 298, 299, 301, 302, 308, 315, 316, 318, 320, 325, 327, 335 see also Maquis
Reynaud, Paul 3, 18
Reynier, Alice (Jispa) 168, 190
Riegner, Gerhart 208, 353
Riou, Dr 118–19, 305, 306
Rivesaltes internment camp 54–8, 60, 63, 64, 82, 85, 93, 99, 102, 139, 160, 208, 230, 233, 251, 282, 283, 295, 296, 327–8, 350
Rivière, Dora 224, 227, 265–6, 319
Rivière, Germaine 210
Rivière, René 353
Roanne 2, 184–9, 247, 257, 282, 294, 312, 323, 324, 329, 340
Robert, Berthe 266, 320
Robert, Dorcas (Tabitta) 1, 201–2, 266, 319–20
Robert, M (baker) 179, 180, 181, 242
Rockefeller Jr, John D. 114
Romania 15, 42, 209, 238, 320–21
Roosevelt, Eleanor 50–51
Roosevelt, Franklin D. 209
Rosay, curé of Douvaine, Abbé Jean, 227, 228, 232, 318
Rosenstock, Odette (Sylvie Delatre) 263, 264
Rosowsky, Mirra 159–60, 161, 187, 307, 312
Rosowsky, Oscar 1, 158–62, 180, 182, 187, 198–9, 206, 225, 270, 276, 278, 281, 282, 301, 312, 332, 333, 335, 337, 338, 350, 352, 354
Rothke, Heinz 89, 218, 241
Rothmund, Heinrich 220
Rothschild, Baron Robert de 42
Rothschild family 21, 42, 162, 208, 229
round-ups (rafles) 4, 5, 23, 33, 39, 46, 68, 72, 80, 82, 88, 127, 134–41, 161, 174–7, 186, 105, 200, 207, 208, 209, 220, 261, 296
Roussel, Mme 1, 236, 237, 305, 340
Rousset, Jean 286, 287
Rousso, Henry 325
Ruel, Lucie (Lulu) 1, 200, 201, 216, 278, 280, 281, 307, 339
Ruel, Lucienne 1, 200, 278, 307
Ruel, Paul 200
Sachsenhausen 36
Saint-Etienne 93, 95, 96, 101, 116, 121, 141, 143, 154, 178, 199, 201, 215, 224, 226, 239, 253, 265, 282, 299, 307
Saint-Paul-d’Eyjeaux camp 190–2, 203–4, 205
Saliège, Archbishop of Toulouse, Mgr Jules-Géraud 83, 84, 86, 263, 330
Salomon, Andrée 2, 53, 63, 64, 70, 86–7, 230, 296, 349
Salon, Jacques 265, 296
Salque, Mayor of Mazet, Pierre 200
Samuel, Julian 296
Sarrault, Maurice 83
Sauckel, Fritz 194, 195
Sauvage, Pierre: Weapons of the Spirit 333, 334, 335
Scheizer, Kalman 139
Schloss, Genie 2, 185, 185–7, 188, 189, 247, 312, 324
Schloss, Liliane 2, 185, 185–7, 189, 312, 324
Schloss, Max 185, 186, 187, 188
Schmähling, Major Julius 2, 152, 153, 154, 203, 303, 307, 308, 309, 332, 333, 334, 335, 336, 337, 352
Schneider, Hermann 139, 140
Schneider, Selma 139–40
Schwartz, Chief Rabbi Isaïe 80–1
Schweitzer, Albert 42, 119
Sèches, Emile 1, 100–1, 102, 145, 162, 163, 166, 198, 237, 252, 253, 254, 301–2, 312, 338
Sèches, Madeleine 2, 101, 166, 168, 250, 253, 312, 338, 351, 352, 353
Sèches, Solange 100–1
Second World War, 1939–45: Allied bombing campaigns 4, 209, 228, 291, 318; Anzio, Allied landings at, 1944 5; begins, 1939 3, 18; Dunkirk, 1940 3, 202, 285; end of 310–12; France, fall of 3, 18–20, 31, 32, 37, 42, 75, 85, 98, 124–5, 285; France, liberation of, 1944 6, 276, 307; North Africa, Allied landings in, 1942 2, 5, 151, 157; Overlord, Operation 276, 299; phoney war (drôle de guerre) 18, 35, 285; Salerno, Allied landings in, 1943 260; Sicily, Allied landings in, 1943; Stalingrad, siege of, 1943 5, 192, 205, 251
Secours Suisse 45, 57, 101, 102, 134, 137, 146, 157, 162, 171, 289, 303
Segonzac, Pierre Dunoyer de 130
le Service André 2, 215–17
Service d’Ordre Légionnaire 4, 153–4, 202–3
Service du Travail Obligatoire (STO) 5, 195–6, 197, 198, 201–2, 206, 209, 220, 225, 228, 237, 270, 276, 278, 290, 311
Service Français des Relations Franco-Allemands 166
Service Social des Etrangers 44, 52, 70
Shoah (film) 327
Silvani, Sébastien 140, 152, 203
Sixième (UGIF) 88, 211, 215, 224, 318
Sobibor 174, 242
Société de l’Histoire de la Montagne 335
Soutou, Jean-Marie 210
Soviet Union 21, 31, 42, 43, 192, 251, 299, 307
Spain 49, 50, 156, 173, 217, 285, 286, 287, 296, 318, 320, 328
Spanish Republicans 35, 48, 52, 53, 54, 97, 99, 186, 200, 243, 245, 283, 327
Special Operations Executive (SOE) 1, 151, 285–6, 287, 289, 299, 300, 354
Spitz, Huguette 254
SS 30, 34, 210, 275, 299
Stalingrad, siege of, 1943 5, 192, 205, 251
State Department, US 156, 157, 209, 285
Statut des Juifs 4, 20, 42, 81, 101, 159, 263, 286, 316
Steckler, Paul 138–9
Stern, Alexander 248
Strong, Tracy 60
Stulmacher, Jacques 2, 31–4, 42, 54, 74, 254–8, 312, 349
Stulmacher, Marcel 2, 31, 32, 33, 254, 255, 256, 257, 312
Switzerland 77–8, 97, 107; attempts to get Jewish refugees into 1, 2, 5, 9, 53, 72, 97, 126, 137, 140, 159–60, 165, 166, 179, 181, 218–21, 222–9, 230, 231, 232, 233, 262, 267, 269, 270, 275, 283, 296–8, 313, 317–18, 320, 321, 334; money from aides of French Jews 44, 86, 165, 216, 220, 225, 263; poor wartime record in helping Jews to escape France 218–21, 317–18
Tante Soly, le Chambon 1, 2, 100–1, 145, 162, 166, 253–4, 302, 311, 321, 338
Tartar/Armenian/Georgian soldiers 152, 282, 307, 309, 337
Tence 1, 94, 127, 134, 135, 140, 161, 164, 178, 180, 191, 193, 199, 223, 235, 238, 278, 281, 282, 283, 284, 289, 294, 302, 330, 331, 332, 334, 337, 339, 352
Théas, Mgr Pierre-Marie 83–4, 86, 330
Theis, Edouard 1, 121–2, 124, 125, 127, 131, 132, 135, 146, 147, 149, 163, 164, 180, 186, 190–2, 194, 198, 204–5, 216, 224, 225, 226, 227, 230, 270, 276, 309, 329, 332, 337–8, 352
Theis, Mildred 1, 132, 329
Tiger, Operation 174
Le Tortillard (train) 95, 96, 141, 145, 177, 178, 254, 313
Trocmé, André 1, 9–10, 112–16, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 123–6, 127, 131, 132, 133, 134–5, 145, 146–7, 149, 163–5, 168–9, 171, 180, 183, 186, 190–3, 194, 198, 200, 204–5, 206, 216, 224, 243, 244, 249, 250, 252, 269–73, 278, 282, 293–4, 305, 306–8, 309, 311, 312, 325, 329, 331–4, 335, 337–8, 351, 352, 353
Trocmé, Daniel (nephew of André and Magda Trocmé; director of Maison des Roches) 194, 206, 242–50, 243, 262, 270, 300, 329
Trocmé, Daniel (son of André and Magda Trocmé) 1, 115, 117, 149, 169, 293, 305
Trocmé, Eve 244, 248, 300
Trocmé, Francis 146–7
Trocmé, François 300
Trocmé, Henri 244, 300
Trocmé, Jacques 1, 115, 117, 169, 272, 305
Trocmé, Jean-Pierre 1, 115, 117, 139, 149, 169, 237, 245, 247–8, 272, 293, 305–6, 338
Trocmé, Magda 1, 112, 114, 115–16, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121–3, 122, 125–6, 135, 145, 147, 168, 169, 183, 190, 193, 200, 216, 224, 237, 245, 247–8, 250, 252, 270–1, 272, 293, 305, 306, 309, 312, 329, 332, 334, 351, 352, 353
Trocmé, Nelly 1, 115, 116, 117, 132, 149,
168, 169, 293, 305, 351
Trocmé, Robert 145, 146, 169
Trocmé, Suzie 248
Tuck, S. Pinkney 60
Tulle 6, 186, 299
Union Chrétienne des Jeunes Filles 99
Union Général des Israelites de France (UGIF) 4, 25, 29, 87, 88, 208, 210–11, 215, 224, 264, 268, 317, 318
United States 9, 16, 17, 25, 36, 43, 44, 46, 47, 49, 50, 60, 61, 64, 87, 114, 124, 132, 148, 150, 151, 155, 156, 157, 215, 219, 226, 285, 286, 287–8, 289, 290, 299, 300, 309, 310, 314, 323, 324, 331–2, 334, 339–40, 349
Usach, Juliette 101, 102, 137
Valdener, Jules 197, 278
Valla, Alphonse 289, 291
Valla, André 280, 281
Valla, Charles 280
Valla, Marc 280, 281
Vallat, Xavier 4, 21–2, 23
Vatican 20, 81, 82, 145, 208, 209
Veil, Simone 327
Vénissieux internment camp 2, 67, 69, 70–4, 76, 81, 82, 85, 86, 87, 88, 93, 144, 211, 212, 230, 262, 313, 328
Vent Printanier, Opération 5, 28–9, 33
La Verdière 264
Vergara, Paul 211
Vernet, internment camp at 63, 215
Vichy 2, 19, 349, 350, 351, 352, 354; armistice and 19–20; authorises confiscation of Jewish property and enterprises 4, 20; CGQJ, sets up 4, 21–2; civil servants 25, 70, 151, 158, 162, 251, 336; complicity with German persecution of Jews in France becomes clear after war 316–17; deportation of Jews from France, role in 26–7, 28–9, 60, 61, 66, 67, 69, 76, 80, 81, 83, 84, 88–9, 93, 154–5, 156, 157, 172–3, 275, 316–17; deportation of Jews from Germany into France, reaction to 37; fall of 315; French Government moves to 3, 19; German occupation of south of France, reaction to 151–2, 155; Groupements de Travailleurs Etrangers and 51; internment camps and 35, 39, 40–1, 43, 44, 45, 48–9, 50, 51, 52, 56, 59, 62, 63–4, 85, 104, 173; loyalty of Jewish leaders to 18–19, 25, 88, 174, 176, 185; Milice and see Milice; police see police, Vichy French; post–war view of 316–17, 325–9; removes penalties for anti–Semitic defamation 20; Statut des Juifs 4, 20–1, 42, 81, 101, 159, 263, 286, 316; STO and 194–5 see also Service du Travail Obligatoire (STO); support begins to erode 202, 207, 232, 251; turns over prefectural lists of French Jews to the Gestapo 275; UGIF and 25, 87; Vichy Syndrome 325, 327; wish to be loved/encouragement of group activities 129–33 see also under individual leader name
Vierny, Dina 156
Villeravel, Monseigneur DuBois de la, Archbishop of Aix-en-France, 81
Vochoc, Vladimir 155–6
Vollweiler, Serge 171
Wahl, Huguette 262, 264–5
Wajsfelner, Lea 74
Wanger, Robert 35
Wehrmacht 151, 154, 249, 260, 282, 301, 337
Weil, André (Columbo) 201
Weil, Nicole 262, 265, 296
Weill, Dr Joseph 53, 85–6, 98, 211, 224–5, 229–30, 231, 278
Weintrob, Jacob 264
Weiss, Ernst 156
Williamson, Miss 129, 204, 309
World Council of Churches 44, 79, 89–90, 233
World Jewish Congress 208
Yad Vashem 10, 225, 329–30, 335
YMCA 43, 44, 45, 60, 132, 156, 225
Yssingeaux 1, 139, 196, 197, 200–2, 266, 278, 279, 280, 281, 289, 299, 319–20, 337, 352
Zalberg, Carol 257, 323
Zay, Jean 121
Zionism 184, 217, 229, 283, 324, 329
Zusbach, Dédé 291
Zweig, Hannah 52
P.S. Insights, Interview & More . . .*
About the author
* * *
Writing Village of Secrets
About the book
* * *
An Interview with Caroline Moorehead
Read on
* * *
Caroline Moorehead on Village of Secrets: “I received warnings”
About the author
Writing Village of Secrets
VILLAGE OF SECRETS came out of a desire to carry the story of the war and the resistance in France up until liberation. A Train in Winter looked at France only until the end of 1942—after which the women had gone to Auschwitz. The real story of Village of Secrets opens in the autumn of 1942, when the Germans occupied the whole of France. My intention was also to find a story in which the French behaved courageously and well—as distinct from all those who had sent the women from the train to their deaths.
The village in question is Le Chambon sur Lignon, in the mountains of central France. Here and in the surrounding villages, Protestants, Catholics, and Darbystes—an obscure sect of Protestants—combined to save the lives of some 1,500–2,000 Jews, resisters, and communists. Many of the Jews were children; and many were the children of immigrants into France, Poles, Germans, Austrians, Russians. They were hidden in farmhouses, attics, huts in the forest or simply absorbed into the large local families, before being spirited over the border into Switzerland. Some spent the whole war in the area, protected by their hosts, despite raids from the Gestapo and the Vichy police. A few were caught.
The story is told through the lives of individual children and adults, tracing their adventures from early days in Paris and the big cities, through the round-ups by the police, the months spent in internment camps, the deportations, the life in Chambon, and the extraordinary network of escape routes into Switzerland. It was put together through lengthy interviews with dozens of the saved, the savers, and local people, and from archives in Paris, Bordeaux, Le Puy, Lyon, New York, and Israel. For the book I traveled around France, the United States, and Israel.
Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at hc.com.
About the book
An Interview with Caroline Moorehead
Interview conducted by Michael Causey, The Washington Independent Review of Books. Reprinted with permission.
ABOUT THE ONLY black and white you’ll find in Village of Secrets: Defying the Nazis in Vichy France are the photographs. In this impassioned work, author Caroline Moorehead chronicles the town of Chambon’s resistance during World War II. It is a true tale of heroism, cowardice, and the spectrum of behavior lurking in between.
Chambon quickly became an important symbol to the French. In their eyes, it celebrated their resistance and heroism relative to how other French in Vichy and elsewhere quickly capitulated and helped the Nazis persecute Jews. You demonstrate that Chambon’s record of resistance was, in fact, a bit more opaque. What should a reader make of Chambon’s true legacy after finishing your book? Are the French making of it something “bigger” than it really is?
The legacy is a very real one: The inhabitants of the Plateau Vivarais-Lignon did indeed combine to rescue a great number of people wanted and hunted down by the Vichy government and the Gestapo. But the story as originally told was too narrow. It left out many of the most important players and several of the essential villages and hamlets. My feeling is that by concentrating on the smaller story—that the rescue was all about nonviolent resistance and a small group of Protestants—the French have, in fact, made too little of it. It showed what could be done when people of all kinds put aside their differences and behaved with imagination, selflessness, and courage.
Why, more than seventy years on, does this story still resonate?
I think it resonates because the Vichy years—les années noires—still play a big part in French memory. With so much having come to light about how the collaborators and the Vichy government helped the Germans, the story of what happened on this remote plateau acts as a beacon of light in the dark years. It is something that all French can take pride in.
Americans tend to prefer war stories that are more black and white. Do you think your readers, at least in this country, will struggle with the complexity and very human confusion in this story? There’s no “Hollywood ending” here.
The trouble is, I don’t think anything, or any stories, are really black and white. What drew me to this was precisely the complexity, the way that human beings ca
n be so many things at the same time, and that good is not always done by “good” people. I like writing about people I admire, who have navigated their way through these moral mazes.
You address it up front, but many of your interview sources could be unreliable for a number of reasons (denial, faulty memory, etc.). How hard was it for you as an author and historian to suss out as much truth as you possibly could?
This problem was greater than for any other book I have written. I tried to use nothing that was not corroborated from several sources—e.g., an interview, a report, a memoir, some private letters. At the end of the day, a writer can only take a view, back a hunch, hope that it is the truth, and remain always aware that there are many versions out there. When writing about the Vichy years, this fallibility of memory is particularly toxic. I am also always interested in memory: how, why, what people remember and what they do with their memories.
Were there aspects of the story you decided not to pursue because you weren’t confident in the data you were able to gather?
Yes, I did not follow stories that I believed I couldn’t be entirely certain of, or that I thought might upset those who told them to me or their immediate descendants. Sometimes there was data that I believed reliable, but that could be interpreted in different ways I was not sure of. So these I left out. It was also a question of space. For the dozen or so main characters, there were a dozen or so others I could have written about.
There are not many outright “heroes” depicted in Village of Secrets. Given the frightening wartime climate in a society that stopped making sense, that’s probably not a surprise. But can you single out any person we can admire without reservation?
It goes back to my view of life being grey—but I admired Miss Maber without reservation, and certainly Daniel Curtet, the pastor at Faye le Froid who wrote of his rescue operations to his father using a code based on the Old Testament.
You’re an expert on this time and place in history, and some of your work has overlapped with the world in Village of Secrets. What surprised you most after you sifted through the records this time? Did you have any preconceived notions that were dashed or altered?