Imagine echoes of resilience bouncing off these very stones. This is the site of the Ancienne prison des Présentines Plaque. Let me tell you its story.
Once, this place wasn’t a plaque at all. From 1820 to 1823 the Ancienne prison des Présentines was built. Michel-Robert Penchaud was the architect. It stood where the Hôtel de Région is today near the Porte d’Aix.
The Ancienne prison des Présentines wasn’t large. It held only 76 female prisoners. It served this purpose with few changes until 1943.
Conditions inside the Ancienne prison des Présentines were harsh. Cells teemed with parasites. There were no sinks toilets or running water. Every morning the women had to empty their waste buckets.
Yet within those grim walls courage blossomed. During World War II many female members of the Resistance were held here. Among them were Raymonde Tillon Adrienne Ranc-Sakakini and Mireille Lauze.
These women resisted the Nazi occupation. They fought for France’s freedom. The Ancienne prison des Présentines became a symbol of their defiance.
In 1943 the prison closed. The women were moved to the Baumettes prison. The building fell into disuse.
Later the Hôtel de Région was built here. But the memory of the women of the Ancienne prison des Présentines was not forgotten. A plaque was placed under the arcades of the Hôtel de Région on Rue Sainte-Barbe.
The plaque reads in French. Let me translate. “Let no one forget. Here stood the former women’s prison of the Présentines.” It continues “where young girls and women political prisoners were incarcerated from 1940.” They “often wrote at the cost of their lives a page in the history of the Resistance in the south of France.” The inscription notes “several of them like Mireille Lauze 20 years old leader of the Union of young girls of France deported to the death camps never returned.”
One notable prisoner was Raymonde Tillon. Born Raymonde Nédélec she was a French Resistance fighter and politician. Arrested in 1941 she endured imprisonment in several locations including this one. She was later deported to Germany.
Raymonde survived. She later served as a member of parliament. She remained politically active for many years.
The Ancienne prison des Présentines Plaque is a reminder. It commemorates the bravery of these women. It honors all who resisted tyranny during the dark days of World War II. It stands as a testament to their courage. Their spirit lives on in Marseille. It inspires us to stand up for what is right.
So as you stand before this plaque take a moment. Reflect on the sacrifices made here. Remember the women of the Ancienne prison des Présentines. Their story is a powerful part of Marseille’s history a story of courage and resistance.