58. Women At War 5: The Survivor II (Marie-José Wilborts)

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 58: “Women At War 5: The Survivor II (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! 

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

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 C...