The French Resistance and the world at large have lost one of their most extraordinary and fearless figures. Madeleine Riffaud, who at the young age of 19 boldly shot a German soldier on the streets of Nazi-occupied Paris, passed away on November 6, 2024, at the impressive age of 100. Her death marks the end of an era, as she was among the last surviving members of the French Resistance’s armed struggle against the Nazi occupation during World War II.
A Daring Act of Defiance
On a sunny Sunday morning in July 1943, Madeleine Riffaud, then a young trainee midwife and underground resistance member, approached a German soldier standing on the Pont de Solférino bridge in central Paris. In a breathtakingly audacious move, she pulled out a revolver and shot him twice in the head before fleeing on her bicycle.
Her brazen act was part of a broader campaign of armed resistance and sabotage aimed at demoralizing the Nazi occupiers and rousing the Parisian populace to revolt. It came at a time when tensions were already high, with demonstrations and strikes rocking the city.
Enduring Torture and Escaping Death
Riffaud’s attack did not go unpunished. As she cycled away from the scene, a collaborationist spotted her and rammed his car into her bicycle, sending her sprawling. He handcuffed the young resister and delivered her to the notorious Gestapo headquarters on Rue des Saussaies.
Over the next six harrowing weeks, Riffaud endured brutal torture and interrogation at the hands of the Nazi secret police. Incredibly, not only did she survive the ordeal, but she escaped the firing squad and even deportation to a concentration camp.
Even more extraordinary than this feat of arms by a female resister was the fact that over six weeks Madeleine survived torture, the firing squad and deportation.
In a twist of fate, Riffaud was freed in a prisoner exchange organized by Swedish diplomat Raoul Nordling on August 18, 1943. Undeterred by her brush with death, she promptly rejoined the resistance upon her release.
Poetry and Purpose Amidst the Fighting
Beyond her roles as an armed resister and lieutenant in the underground Compagnie Saint-Just, which fought in the prelude to the liberation of Paris, Riffaud found solace and expression in poetry. While imprisoned and awaiting execution, she wrote verses that later connected her with the surrealist poets of the time.
The renowned poet Paul Éluard took the young Riffaud under his wing, virtually adopting her and arranging for the publication of her first poetry collection, Le Poing Fermé (The Clenched Fist), in 1945. The celebrated artist Pablo Picasso even sketched a portrait of Riffaud for the volume.
Bearing Witness and Battling Injustice
In the decades following World War II, Madeleine Riffaud channeled her experiences and ideals into journalism and activism. She reported on French colonial conflicts in Vietnam and Algeria for left-wing publications, often placing herself in peril to shed light on the struggles for independence and human rights.
During the 1960s, Riffaud lived in North Vietnam for several years with the poet Nguyên Ðinh Thi and ventured into the Vietcong-controlled areas of South Vietnam alongside Australian journalist Wilfred Burchett. She continued to advocate for social justice causes, guided by her belief in the principles of liberation theology.
She claimed not to have read Marx and Engels, citing only the line that “a people who oppress another can never be a free people”.
A Life and Legacy to Remember
Madeleine Riffaud’s extraordinary life encompassed the pivotal events and upheavals of the 20th century. From her youth in the French Resistance to her later years as a journalist and activist, she consistently displayed remarkable courage, conviction, and resilience in the face of adversity and injustice.
Her passing at the venerable age of 100 marks the end of an era and the loss of an irreplaceable link to a defining chapter in modern history. Yet her legacy endures as an inspiring testament to the power of individual bravery, the unbreakable spirit of resistance, and the enduring pursuit of a more just and humane world.
Madeleine Riffaud, born August 23, 1924, died November 6, 2024. French Resistance fighter, journalist, poet, and activist. She is survived by her extended family and a grateful nation that will forever remember her as one of its most valiant and heroic daughters.
