“Who was Jacques Woog?” you might ask, standing here on Rue Jacques Woog. This street carries the name of a man who stood against oppression during a dark chapter in French history. Rue Jacques Woog is more than just a street. It is a memorial. It commemorates a life sacrificed for freedom.
Jacques Woog was born on June 27, 1912. He was born in Draveil. This is now part of Essonne. Woog was an architect and decorator by profession. But he was also a committed communist activist. He lived with his wife, Lucienne Chauvin, and their two children in Colombes. Later, the family moved to Meudon.
During the Nazi occupation of France, Jacques Woog became deeply involved in the resistance. He organized teams to distribute leaflets in Paris and Boulogne-Billancourt. This was dangerous work. Spreading communist propaganda was met with severe repression. Woog and his fellow activists risked their lives to inform and inspire the population. They worked in secret. Often, they delivered leaflets by bicycle.
Woog’s activities did not go unnoticed for long. On March 23, 1941, he was arrested and imprisoned. He was incarcerated in the prison de la Santé. In September 1941, he and other activists were tried by a special section of the state court. The trial was held behind closed doors. Woog was accused of distributing communist leaflets and other offenses.
The Vichy government’s commissioner demanded the death penalty for Jacques Woog. This was under a law enacted in August 1941. The law punished communist and anarchist activity. Woog defended himself. He spoke out against capitalist society. He reminded the court of his service as a former combatant. He pointed out that at the time of his alleged crimes, he would have faced only five years in prison.
Jacques Woog and two other men were sentenced to death. On the morning of September 24, 1941, they were guillotined in the prison courtyard. Before his execution, Woog gave a photograph of his wife and children to the commissioner. He asked that it be given to Marshal Pétain. Woog requested that his family be placed under Pétain’s protection. He was a holder of the Croix de Guerre.
Woog was initially buried in the Parisian cemetery of Ivry-sur-Seine. In 1944, a ceremony was held at his grave. In 1947, his remains were moved to face the graves of other executed patriots.
Rue Jacques Woog, here in Paris, serves as a reminder of his courage. It reminds us of his sacrifice. Let us remember Jacques Woog. He died fighting for his beliefs.