Maurice RajsfusThe Vél d'Hiv Raid
The French Police at the Service of the Gestapo
Übersetzer: Laub, Levi
Maurice Rajsfus (1928–2020) was an author and activist who worked as an investigative journalist at multiple French outlets, including at Le Monde . Of his many books, many dealt with the Vichy regime and its legacy in French police culture, focusing on police violence against immigrants and people of color. He also wrote about Drancy concentration camp and Israel-Palestine, as well as co-authoring several illustrated books about history. In 1990, Rajsfus and several friends founded “Ras l’Front,” the anti-racist association of far-left-wing organizations extremely active in the 1990s against the rise of Le Pen and fascist/nationalist parties in France. They worked together and promoted leftist causes through a monthly publication as well as actions. He served as chairman from 1991–1999. From 1994–2012 Rajsfus created and circulated Que fait la police?, a “Cop Watch” bulletin with selections from his archive of over 40,000 press clippings detailing human rights abuses by French police. His books about the Vél d’Hiv raid and his experiences during WWII have been brought together to form the basis of a YA comic (Tartamudo editions) as well as a play written and directed by Philippe Ogouz, which was then adapted for film in 2010, Souvenirs d’un vieil enfant: La rafle du Vel’ d’Hiv (Memories of an Old Child: The Roundup of the Vel’ d’Hiv), directed by Alain Guesnier. Maurice Rajsfus is survived by two sons as well as several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Read more about Rajsfus and his legacy at the link posted in our tribute.
Foreword by Michel Warschawski
Introduction: THE UNVARNISHED TRUTH
PRELUDES TO THE GREAT RAID: THE PREPARATIONS OF THE VICHY GOVERNMENT
THE PREPARATION FOR THE RAID
ARMED VIGIL
THE RAID
- The behavior of the police
- Suicides
- Wanting to do a good job
- Public opinion
- The raids will continue
- The malcontents
TO THE VÉL D'HIV
- Escapes
- The evacuation of the Vél d'Hiv
THE DIRECTORS OF THE GREAT RAID and their Nazi interlocutors
WHAT THE PRESS WAS SAYING
WHO COULD PROTEST?
Conclusion: FOR THE RECORD...
Appendix 1
ORGANIZATION OF THE GREAT ROUNDUP
The decrees issued by Émile Hennequin (Chief of the municipal police) on
July 12 and 13, 1942
Appendix 2
FLYER TRANSLATED FROM YIDDISH DISTRIBUTED TO JEWISH IMMIGRANTS IN PARIS A
FEW HOURS BEFORE THE ROUNDUP
FLYER TRANSLATED FROM YIDDISH DISTRIBUTED IN PARIS IN AUGUST 1942
Appendix 3
SPEECH BY JACQUES CHIRAC ON JULY 16, 1995 (Delivered at the ceremonies
memorializing the roundup of July 16 and 17, 1942)
