Lucie at age 90
Lucie Aubrac was really a remarkable woman. She was quite literally a hero, as a member of the French Resistance, for her country, but she was also a hero for her family. Lucie Aubrac was born in 1912. In 1939, Lucie married Raymond Samuel, a young jewish man. At the onset of World War II, Lucie and her husband were in danger. Jews were being persecuted in France and this anti-Semitism forced the Samuel's to adopt the last name Aubrac. When France fell to the Germans, Lucie and Raymond assisted in forming the Liberation South resistance group. This branch of the French resistance published an underground newspaper, Libération. On June 21st 1943, Raymond and another important member of the Resistance, Jean Moulin, were captured by the Gestapo.
At the time of her husband's capture, Lucie was pregnant with her second child. Lucky for the Aubracs, there was a provision of French law that allowed those condemned to death to marry civilly (marriage in extremis). Lucie saved her husband and the other captured resistance members by tricking the Gestapo captain into releasing her husband so that they could get "married". On the day of their "marriage" Lucie and other Resistance members attacked the Germans transporting the prisoners. They rescued everyone and had to leave France since their true identities had been revealed. The Aubracs fled to London and raised their children in the United Kingdom for the remainder of the war. Post-war, Lucie renewed her teaching license and began teaching history again. She was also an activist for human rights and published her memoirs in a book which translated into English is called Outwitting the Gestapo. Lucie died in 2007 near Paris.
I think it is pretty obvious that Lucie Aubrac was a very brave woman who believed strongly that the risks that she and her fellow Resistance members were taking were worth taking for the sake of their country. When Raymond was captured, Lucie was able to keep her cool and do whatever she needed to do to save her husband and protect her family.
For more about Lucie visit these links!
Lucie Aubrac obituary
Towards the end of this part of a documentary called Great Escapes of WWII,
Lucie and Raymond Aubrac tell their story of escape.
Lucie and Raymond Aubrac tell their story of escape.
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