Jacques Bonsergent

Jacques Bonsergent (* 1912 in Malestroit ; † December 23, 1940 in Paris ) was one of the first civilians of French nationality to be killed by the Germans in World War II . Today the Place Jacques-Bonsergent in the 10th arrondissement of Paris is named after him, as well as a metro station , which was previously called Lancry , since 1946 .

Life

Bonsergent came from a middle-class, church-oriented family. After attending high school, he studied at the École nationale supérieure d'arts et métiers in Angers and received his doctorate in engineering in 1930.

At around 9 p.m. on November 10, Bonsergent was returning from a wedding with some friends when a patrol of German soldiers tried to stop them because they had violated the curfew . There was a fight and a push away, the group dispersed afterwards. In a subsequent pursuit, the soldiers could only get hold of Bonsergents because of his noticeable height. He was arrested and asked for the names of his comrades, which he repeatedly refused to do. Eventually he was accused and charged of cracking down on German soldiers on the night of November 10th. The court hearing on December 5, said the death sentence from the day before Christmas Eve executed was. General Otto von Stülpnagel had rejected a previously filed pardon .

Bonsergent was buried in his hometown cemetery in Brittany .

Bonsergent was and is considered a martyr . While the German commanders wanted to make an example with his death, Jacques Bonsergent was seen as a symbol of heroism, willingness to make sacrifices and brotherhood. In a farewell letter to a comrade, he wrote in view of the impending execution:

“Je n'aurais jamais cru écrire mes dernières volontés si tôt. Sur ce, je t'embrasse fraternellement et te dis adieu avant de me coucher pour la dernière fois. »

“I would never have believed that I would write down my last will so early. So I hug you brotherly and say goodbye to go to sleep one last time. "

- Author: Jacques Bonsergent : Source: Jacques Bonsergent premier fusillé et sacrifié

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personal data
SURNAME	Bonsergent, Jacques
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	French resistance fighter
DATE OF BIRTH	1912
PLACE OF BIRTH	Malestroit
DATE OF DEATH	December 23, 1940
Place of death	Paris