Didn’t she live in Pavillons-sous-Bois? Avenue Georgette Bach stands as a testament to a remarkable woman. It is located in Les Pavillons-sous-Bois. The avenue is named after Georgette Bach. She was a communist activist and a member of the French Resistance during World War II.
Georgette Bach was born in Paris on March 26 1918. She married Paul Bach at the age of 18. Georgette Bach lived in Les Pavillons-sous-Bois. She became deeply involved in the French Communist Party.
During the dark days of the Nazi occupation Georgette Bach actively resisted. She was arrested in January 1942. The Special Section of the Paris Court of Appeals convicted her for communist activities.
But Georgette Bach’s spirit could not be contained by prison walls. She escaped from Rennes prison in July 1943. She was then appointed political officer for the Vienne region using the pseudonyms Denise and Hélène.
However fate intervened again in November 1943. Georgette Bach was re-arrested in Niort. This happened during the dismantling of a group of resistance fighters at the Châtellerault factory.
Georgette Bach arrived at the Royallieu camp in Compiègne between January 25 and 28 1944. On January 31 1944 she was deported from Compiègne to Ravensbrück. She received the number 27580. This convoy of 959 women was known as the “27000” convoy. All deportees received a number between 27030 and 27998. The convoy reached Ravensbrück at dawn on February 3.
After a quarantine of about one month the deportees were assigned to different tasks. In early April the selection of the youngest deportees began. On April 14 Georgette Bach was sent to the Holleischen Kommando. This was a subcamp. It was located in the Sudeten region of Czechoslovakia. She worked in a munitions factory there.
The Holleischen camp was liberated on May 5 1945. Polish partisans freed the camp. The French women waited several days for the arrival of American troops. They were transferred to Würzburg and then to Longuyon.
Even after surviving the horrors of war Georgette Bach continued to live in Pavillons-sous-Bois. She was still living there in 2009. The municipal council honored her by naming this avenue after her.
The Defence Department recognized her contributions. The Resistance Bureau granted her the titles RIF and DIR. This acknowledged her as a member of the French Resistance and a deportee. It also entitled her to a military pension. Georgette Bach died on November 2 2010 in Meaux.
As you stand here on Avenue Georgette Bach remember her courage. Remember her resilience. Her legacy lives on. It inspires us to fight for justice and freedom.