Alice Parizeau (née Alicja Poznańska; 25 July 1930 – 30 September 1990) was a Polish-

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

writer, essayist, journalist and criminologist.

Early life

Her parents were Stanislaw Poznański (1894 - 1943) and Rebeka (Bronislawa Breina) Kestenberg (1892-1943) Polish Jews murdered in the Holocaust, both in

Otwock Otwock (Yiddish: אָטוואָצק) is a city in the Masovian Voivodeship in east-central Poland, some south-east of Warsaw, with 43,895 inhabitants (2024). Otwock is part of the Warsaw metropolitan area. It is situated on the right bank of the ...

, Poland according to the testimony of Kestenberg's brother, Yehuda Adam Kestenberg, recorded in Yad Vashem. Stanislaw Poznański was the son of Karol Poznański and grandson of Izrael Poznański, a famous Polish-Jewish businessman, textile magnate and philanthropist (

Philanthropy Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...

) in Łódź. Born in Łuniniec, Poland, as a young girl Poznańska was associated with the Polish Home Army during the 1944

Warsaw Uprising The Warsaw Uprising (; ), sometimes referred to as the August Uprising (), or the Battle of Warsaw, was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance movement in World War II, Polish underground resistance to liberate Warsaw from ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, which led to her internment in the

Bergen-Belsen Bergen-Belsen (), or Belsen, was a Nazi concentration camp in what is today Lower Saxony in Northern Germany, northern Germany, southwest of the town of Bergen, Lower Saxony, Bergen near Celle. Originally established as a prisoner of war camp, ...

prisoner of war camp and her receipt of a war medal following the war. Following the war Poznańska went to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

to study at the Sorbonne, earning degrees in literature, law and political science. In 1955 she visited a friend from the Sorbonne in Quebec, where she accepted a short contract which would turn into a lifelong stay. She married economist and politician

Jacques Parizeau Jacques Parizeau (; August 9, 1930June 1, 2015) was a Canadian politician and economist who served as the 26th premier of Quebec from September 26, 1994, to January 29, 1996. Early life and career Parizeau was born in Montreal, Quebec, the s ...

the following year. Though of Jewish background, and interned in Bergen Belsen during the Holocaust, Alice Poznanska's funeral was held at a Catholic church.Myths, Issues, Facts

"Jacque Parizeau's "Jewish" Offspring"

Career

As a Quebecer, Parizeau was strongly associated with Montreal's intellectual and sovereigntist scenes, respectively. While best known as a novelist and journalist — she wrote for '' Cité libre'', '' La Presse'', ''

Châtelaine ''Châtelaine'' is a French language, French-language magazine of women's lifestyles, published in Quebec by St. Joseph Communications. History and profile The magazine was first published in 1960 by Maclean-Hunter Publishing. It covers issues ...

'', ''

Le Devoir (, ) is a French-language newspaper published in Montreal and distributed in Quebec and throughout Canada. It was founded by journalist and politician Henri Bourassa in 1910. is one of few independent large-circulation newspapers in Quebec ...

'', '' La Patrie'' and ''

Maclean's ''Maclean's'' is a Canadian magazine founded in 1905 which reports on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, trends and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian ...

'' — Parizeau held a number of other positions. These included civil servant with the City of

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

, researcher for Société Radio-Canada and, most notably, criminology researcher, lecturer and secretary-general of the Centre international de criminologie comparée at the

Université de Montréal The Université de Montréal (; UdeM; ) is a French-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university's main campus is located in the Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce on M ...

, where she served for many years as the ''de facto'' assistant director to Denis Szabo, founder of modern criminology in Quebec. Parizeau's writing was known for its outstanding storytelling and sensitive treatment of themes relating both to the Quebec people, which she portrayed in romantic terms congruent with the sovereignty movement's ideals, and life in and exile from Poland. She won the ''Prix européen de l'Association des écrivains de langue française'' in 1982 for her novel ''Les lilas fleurissent à Varsovie'' (translated as ''The Lilacs are Blooming in Warsaw''). In 1987, she was made an Officer of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada () is a Canadian state order, national order and the second-highest Award, honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the Canadian Centennial, ce ...

. Many members of the

Quebec sovereignty movement The Quebec sovereignty movement (French: ''mouvement souverainiste du Québec'', ) is a political movement advocating for Quebec's independence from Canada. Proponents argue that Quebecers form a distinct nation with a unique culture, language, ...

, including the press, criticised her for accepting an honour from the

Governor General of Canada The governor general of Canada () is the federal representative of the . The monarch of Canada is also sovereign and head of state of 14 other Commonwealth realms and resides in the United Kingdom. The monarch, on the Advice (constitutional la ...

Memorials

In 1990, Parizeau died of cancer in Outremont, Quebec, leaving her husband, Jacques, and two children, Isabelle, a lawyer, and Bernard, a doctor. The École Alice Parizeau in Montreal and the Bibliothèque Alice-Parizeau in Saint-Esprit, Quebec were named in her honour.

Works

* ''Les solitudes humaines'' (1962) * ''Voyage en Pologne'' (1963) * ''Fuir'' (1963) * ''Survivre'' (1964) * ''Une Québécoise en Europe rouge'' (1965) * ''Rue Sherbrooke Ouest'' (1967) * ''Les lilas fleurissent à Varsovie'' (1981) * ''Côte-des-Neiges'' (1983) * ''Blizzard sur Québec'' (1987)

References

Sources

*
PARIZEAU, ALICE
, in ''Dictionnaire des auteurs de langue française en Amérique du Nord'', 1989 * http://www.cjnews.com/perspectives/opinions/jacques-parizeaus-legacy-divides-us * http://www.iforum.umontreal.ca/Forum/ArchivesForum/2001-2002/020318/article910.htm

External links

* Jean-Marie Tremblay,

, in ''Les Classiques des sciences sociales'' (several works online) {{DEFAULTSORT:Parizeau, Alice 1930 births 1990 deaths 20th-century Canadian novelists Canadian women novelists Officers of the Order of Canada Polish emigrants to Canada Spouses of Canadian politicians University of Paris alumni 20th-century Canadian women writers Canadian novelists in French Deaths from cancer in Quebec Burials at Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery Novelists from Quebec