Who was Berthie Albrecht? Right here in Place Berthie Albrecht we stand on ground that remembers a remarkable woman. This square honors Berthie Albrecht a French feminist and Resistance martyr during World War II.
Berthie born Berthe Wild in 1893 came from a well-to-do Protestant family in Marseille. She trained as a nurse and later married a Dutch financier. Their marriage took them to the Netherlands and then London. In London she discovered feminism becoming involved in movements to improve women’s lives.
Financial hardship brought Berthie back to France in 1931. She moved to Paris. There she befriended Victor Basch. He was a Sorbonne professor and president of the Human Rights League. Berthie’s passion for women’s rights led her to establish Le Problème Sexuel. It was a feminist journal. In it she advocated for contraception and abortion rights. This was a daring stance at the time.
The rise of Nazism deeply concerned Berthie. She welcomed German refugees into her home. Among them was Captain Henri Frenay a future leader in the French Resistance. Though their politics initially differed they became lovers and key figures in Combat a major resistance group.
Berthie’s activism continued even after the 1940 armistice. She worked at Usines Fulmen factories. Secretly she helped escaped prisoners. She then worked in Lyon organizing social services for imprisoned activists and their families. Her open defiance did not go unnoticed. The French police arrested her. After a brief release she was forced to resign. Later the Vichy government arrested her again. She went on a hunger strike demanding a trial.
After her release Berthie was always in danger. The Germans occupied the Free Zone in November 1942. Fearing deportation she cleverly simulated madness. She escaped from a psychiatric hospital. She continued her resistance work using the alias Victoria.
Tragedy struck in May 1943. Klaus Barbie a notorious Gestapo officer wanted to capture Henri Frenay. Berthie was used as bait. She was betrayed attending a meeting in Macon. The Gestapo arrested her. She was tortured. Transferred to Fresnes prison near Paris she was found hanged. It’s believed she took her own life. She would rather die than betray her ideals.
Berthie Albrecht’s sacrifice is remembered. She’s a Companion of the Liberation. A posthumous honor recognizing her courage. Place Berthie Albrecht allows us to remember her. She stood for women’s rights. She fiercely resisted fascism. Her memory inspires us to fight for justice and freedom.