“Ici j’ai tué un soldat allemand voilà pourquoi j’ai été exécuté” These chilling words were pinned to Robert Degert’s body. His story is etched into the very name of Rue Robert Degert in Ivry-sur-Seine. This street doesn’t just exist it remembers. It remembers a young man a life cut short.
Rue Robert Degert honors a courageous Resistance fighter. Robert Degert was born in Paris in 1923. He wasn’t born into privilege. His father died when he was young. He lived in Ivry-sur-Seine’s hospice. His mother worked as a nurse there. He worked as an insurance broker in Paris’s 3rd arrondissement. He left this job in 1943. He went to Brest to work for the Organisation Todt. This was a German construction organization during WWII. He met Marcel Laurent there. They had known each other before. They worked on Breton farms. They returned to the Paris area in January 1944.
Robert Degert joined the Resistance. He fought against the German occupation. His actions were brave. His actions were dangerous. He participated in many operations. One involved seizing tobacco from a tobacconist in Chelles. Another involved attacking an herbalist in Savigny-sur-Orge. This man was accused of denouncing those who resisted forced labor. He was also accused of forcing young men into collaborationist groups.
The FTP groups were poorly armed. An order came to kill a German soldier and take his weapon. On June 26 1944 in Montrouge Robert Degert and his team encountered a German soldier. Robert Degert and Balan shot the soldier. The soldier was a non-commissioned officer. He was part of a tank unit. The team escaped. A nearby factory worker found the body. He alerted German railway workers. The German military police investigated.
Robert Degert was arrested on July 5 1944. He was found with a false identity card. He was interrogated. He explained that Marcel Laurent gave the orders. He said that the Montrouge mission felt too dangerous and repugnant. He claimed he didn’t even know the name of the organization. He said he didn’t know it was communist.
Robert Degert was executed on August 1 1944. He was executed with Marcel Laurent and Claude Guy. The next day flowers were placed at the site. A nurse in uniform left a wreath. The municipal police intervened. People later placed another wreath at the town’s war memorial.
Rue Robert Degert stands as a powerful testament. It commemorates the sacrifice of a young man. It reminds us of the struggles of WWII. It honors his bravery his commitment to freedom. It serves as a poignant reminder of the cost of resistance. His story is a reminder of the ordinary Parisians who fought for freedom. It lives on in the name of the street.