Berty Albrecht (15 February 1893 – 31 May 1943) was a French feminist and Resistance martyr.

Life

Albrecht was born Berthe Wild in Marseilles on 15 February 1893 to a middle-class Protestant family. She married the Dutch banker Frédéric Albrecht in 1918. They had two children, Frédéric and Mireille. Separated from her husband, she moved to Paris, where she made friends with Victor Basch, a teacher at the

Sorbonne Sorbonne may refer to: * Sorbonne (building), historic building in Paris, which housed the University of Paris and is now shared among multiple universities. *the University of Paris (c. 1150 – 1970) *one of its components or linked institution, ...

and the president of the Human Rights League. She founded a feminist journal, ''Le Problème Sexuel'' (''The Sexual Problem''), in which she campaigned for the right to access

contraception Birth control, also known as contraception, anticonception, and fertility control, is the use of methods or devices to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Birth control has been used since ancient times, but effective and safe methods of birth contr ...

and

abortion Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pre ...

. Conscious of the reality of

Nazism Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) i ...

and hostile to the Munich Accords, she founded a welcome centre for German refugees. There she met Captain

Henri Frenay Henri Frenay Sandoval (1905–1988) was a French military officer and French Resistance member. He was born in Lyon, France, on 11 November 1905, into a Catholic family with a military tradition. He studied the Germanic languages at the Universit ...

and participated in all of his Resistance initiatives, despite their political differences. She was close to the Communists, whereas Frenay, although a visceral enemy of the Nazis and collaborators, made an exception for Marshal Pétain, who he thought was secretly preparing to liberate France. Together, they successively produced three journals: “Bulletins d’informations et de propagande” (Information and Propaganda Bulletins), “Les Petites Ailes” (Little Wings) and then “Vérités” (Truths), before becoming directors of the "Combat" network.

Death

Detained and released once by the French police, she was arrested on 28 May 1943 by the Gestapo and transferred to

Fresnes Prison Fresnes Prison (''French Centre pénitentiaire de Fresnes'') is the second largest prison in France, located in the town of Fresnes, Val-de-Marne, south of Paris. It comprises a large men's prison (''maison d'arrêt'') of about 1200 cells, a small ...

, where she was tortured. She died by hanging herself there on 31 May 1943.

Legacy

After the war, her body was buried in the crypt of the French Resistance martyrs in

Fort Mont-Valérien Fort Mont-Valérien ( French: ''Forteresse du Mont-Valérien'') is a fortress in Suresnes, a western Paris suburb, built in 1841 as part of the city's ring of modern fortifications. It overlooks the Bois de Boulogne. History Before Thiers built ...

. This is now part of the

Mémorial de la France combattante The Mémorial de la France combattante (Memorial to Fighting France) is the most important memorial to French fighters of World War II (1939–1945). It is situated below Fort Mont-Valérien in Suresnes, in the western suburbs of Paris. It commem ...

. Albrecht is one of the six women nominated to the order of French Resistance Fighter.

Honour

Compagnon de la Libération The Order of Liberation (french: Ordre de la Libération) is a French Order which was awarded to heroes of the Liberation of France during World War II. It is a very high honour, second only after the ''Légion d’Honneur'' (Legion of Honour) ...

(she is one of the only six women nominated in this order) *

Médaille militaire The ''Médaille militaire'' ( en, Military Medal) is a military decoration of the French Republic for other ranks for meritorious service and acts of bravery in action against an enemy force. It is the third highest award of the French Republic, ...

(posthumous) * Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 with Army acknowledgements * Officer of the Resistance

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Albrecht, Berty 1893 births 1943 suicides French feminists French Resistance members Companions of the Liberation Recipients of the Resistance Medal Recipients of the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 (France) French Protestants French women in World War II Suicides by hanging in France Female resistance members of World War II 1943 deaths French torture victims 20th-century French women