Look closely at this plaque. It is a tribute to Arnaud Fraiteur. He was a Belgian resistance fighter during World War II. The Arnaud Fraiteur Plaque marks the family home of this brave young man.
Arnaud Fraiteur was born in Ixelles in 1924. He died at the young age of 18 in 1943. Fraiteur was hanged at Fort Breendonk. His execution was ordered by the German occupiers. He was killed for the assassination of Paul Colin. Colin was a Belgian collaborator.
Before the war, Arnaud Fraiteur studied at the Athénée Royal d’Ixelles. He then enrolled at the University of Liège. He aimed to become a civil engineer. However, the German invasion of Belgium disrupted his studies. The University of Liège closed its doors. The Université libre de Bruxelles also suspended classes.
During the occupation, Arnaud Fraiteur joined the Partisans Armés in 1941. He served as a liaison officer. His alias was Max. He participated in many actions. These actions were against intellectual collaboration with the Nazis.
In April 1943, Jacques Grippa tasked Fraiteur with assassinating Paul Colin. Colin was a journalist and art critic. He was also a notorious collaborator. Colin directed the weekly Cassandre and the daily Le Nouveau Journal.
On April 13, 1943, Arnaud Fraiteur and two other resistance members ambushed Paul Colin. They shot Colin and his bodyguard in a bookstore on Rue de la Montagne. The offices of Le Nouveau Journal and Cassandre were located above the bookstore. Fraiteur escaped. However, his comrades André Bertulot and Maurice Raskin were quickly arrested.
The German authorities took over the case. They recognized the importance of Paul Colin. Arnaud Fraiteur was soon identified. His bicycle’s license plate was found at the scene. The family home was placed under surveillance that very night.
Fraiteur went into hiding. He stayed with friends of his parents in Uccle. The Réseau Zéro helped him to escape to England. However, a driver betrayed him to the Germans. The Gestapo arrested Arnaud Fraiteur near Halle.
Fraiteur, Raskin, and Bertulot were tortured. They were sentenced to death. The execution took place by hanging at Fort Breendonk. They were buried in Schaerbeek. Later, Arnaud Fraiteur’s body was moved to the family vault in Saint-Gilles.
After the war, Joseph Herten and Paul Hoogeveen were convicted of treason. They were the ones who denounced Arnaud Fraiteur. Both were executed.
In 1947, a center for disabled children was named after Arnaud Fraiteur. It was called La fondation Arnaud Fraiteur – La Cité Joyeuse. An avenue, a bridge, and a bus stop also bear his name. This Arnaud Fraiteur Plaque on the family home serves as a lasting reminder. It commemorates his courage and sacrifice during the dark days of the occupation. It is a bronze plaque by Dupagne at number 60 Rue de la Concorde in Ixelles.