Established in 1987, the Centre Maï Politzer stands as a testament to a remarkable woman. She was not only a midwife but also a dedicated activist and a brave member of the French Resistance. Marie Politzer, known as Maï, was born Marie Larcade in Biarritz.
Her story is one of passion and courage during World War II. Maï Politzer was married to Georges Politzer a philosopher of Hungarian origin. Raised in a devoutly Catholic family, Maï initially seemed destined for a conventional life. She was educated in a convent. However, her passion for theatre and her later studies led her down a different path. She trained as a stenographer and typist in Bayonne. Then, she studied commerce. Later, she moved to Paris to become a midwife. She graduated from Pitié-Salpêtrière in 1929. Her parents helped her buy a clinic.
In 1929, a chance encounter on a train to Biarritz changed her life. She met Georges Politzer. They married in 1931. Maï embraced his communist ideals. She joined the Communist Party. There, she befriended other notable women. These included Danielle Casanova and Hélène Solomon-Langevin.
During the German occupation of France, Maï and Georges went underground. This was in August 1940. They entrusted their seven-year-old son Michel to her parents. Georges wrote for resistance newspapers. Maï transported texts to clandestine printers. To avoid detection, the blonde Maï dyed her hair brown.
Together with Hélène Solomon-Langevin, her husband Jacques Solomon, and Georges, Maï Politzer founded the underground newspaper L’Université Libre. The Politzer’s were arrested in their clandestine home on February 14, 1942. Special brigades captured them in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. Maï was imprisoned. She was first held at the depot. Then, she was secretly detained at the Santé prison. There, she saw her husband for the last time before his execution on May 23, 1942.
In August 1942, Maï was transferred to Fort de Romainville. Later, she was deported to Auschwitz on January 24, 1943. This convoy included many French resistance fighters. Many were non-Jewish and communist. Danielle Casanova, also in the convoy, secured Maï a position as a doctor in the camp’s infirmary despite her being a midwife. Conditions were harsh. However, it was better than the rest of the camp. Doctors avoided roll calls, had shelter from the cold and received adequate food.
Maï Politzer died of typhus on March 6, 1943. From prison, she managed to send a letter to her parents. She described her harsh treatment. She wrote about being held in solitary confinement. She also mentioned being deprived of food and sleep. The Centre Maï Politzer stands as a reminder of her courage. It also honors her commitment to helping others. It is a place where her legacy of compassion and resistance continues to inspire.