18 Facts About Berty Albrecht

Berty Albrecht was a French feminist and French Resistance martyr of the Second World War.

Berty Albrecht studied in Marseille and then in Lausanne, and obtained her nursing diploma in June 1912.

In 1933, conscious of the dangers of Nazism and hostile to the Munich Accords, Berty Albrecht welcomed German refugees to her house in Sainte-Maxime, where she met Captain Henri Frenay, who was to survive the war and become one of the most famous living representatives of French resistance fighters.

In 1937, Berty Albrecht did course work at the school of factory superintendents.

Berty Albrecht then became a social worker, working in an optical instrument factory.

In 1940, Berty Albrecht was mobilised as superintendent at Usines Fulmen, first in Clichy and then in Vierzon.

In December 1940, Berty Albrecht took over the production of Frenay's bi-weekly Bulletin.

In 1941, Berty Albrecht was hired as "inspector of female unemployment" for the city of Lyon.

Since she was a well-known pre-war activist, Berty Albrecht was closely watched by the French police and, no doubt, by the German military police as well.

Berty Albrecht organized a social service in the free zone that helped imprisoned activists and their families.

Berty Albrecht was arrested for the first time by the French police in January 1942.

Berty Albrecht was arrested by the Vichy government, end of November 1942, placed under administrative detention and refused a lawyer or a trial.

Berty Albrecht escaped on December 23,1942, thanks to an operation by commandos from the Groupes Francs de Combat and her daughter, Mireille.

Berty Albrecht arranged for a false message to be sent to Albrecht, telling her of the arrival of a person from Marseilles whom she knew and who wished to give her news of Maurice Chevance, a close associate of Henri Frenay in the resistance.

Berty Albrecht went to the meeting and was arrested by the Abwehr and the Gestapo of Lyon on May 28,1943, in Macon, in the presence of Klaus Barbie, Robert Auguste Moog and Jean Multon.

Berty Albrecht therefore decided to move her immediately to Paris.

In May 1945, Berty Albrecht's remains were discovered in the Fresnes prison grounds.

On October 29,1945, the name of Berty Albrecht was drawn from a hat at Mont Valerien.