You see a simple plaque on the wall of a building. The sun, filtered through the leaves of an ancient oak tree, casts a dappled shadow upon the inscription. It reads, “À Celestino Alfonso.” Celestino Alfonso was a Spanish republican and a member of the French Resistance. He didn’t choose to fight for France, but he did it for his adopted home and his comrades. Celestino Alfonso was born in Spain in 1916. He came to France and became a carpenter. He joined the Communist Youth in 1934, and was a leader of the group in Ivry-sur-Seine. In 1936, he volunteered to fight in the Spanish Civil War. Alfonso was captured by the Nazis during World War II and then sent to Germany in 1942. The plaque tells us that he was deported to Germany but was able to escape and return to Paris. He joined the Francs-tireurs et partisans – Main-d’œuvre immigrée (FTP-MOI) – a resistance group comprised of immigrant workers. He was a skilled shot and participated in several operations against the Nazis. Alfonso is credited with contributing to the killing of General Ernst Von Schaumburg, the commandant of Greater Paris, and later of SS officer Julius Ritter, who was responsible for forced labor in France. He was a crucial figure in the Manouchian group, a group of 23 resistance fighters, from 10 different countries. The group was betrayed and arrested by the Nazis. These men all faced trials where they were accused of being terrorists and were then sentenced to death. On February 21, 1944, Celestino Alfonso was executed, by firing squad, at the Mont-Valérien. His name and those of his 23 resistance comrades can now be found engraved on a commemorative plaque at the Panthéon, the final resting place of the greatest French heroes. As you stand here, in front of this plaque, let us take a moment to honor this brave man and his many acts of defiance. His courage and sacrifice for France are forever etched on this stone.
Центральный дом работников искусств
Step through the grand wooden doors of the Central House of the Workers of Art, and you’ll be transported to