In France, a further step in recognizing the role of foreigners in the Resistance has been taken. Szlama Grzywacz, a Polish Jewish resistant, shot in 1944 at Mont-Valérien, was recognized as “dead for France” by the French state on Saturday February 18. An approach that raises the question of the pantheonization of Missak Manouchian, partisan leader during the Occupation.
A recognition that comes after years of oblivion for Szlama Grzywacz, and comes on the occasion of a symposium organized at the Senate on the role of Armenians, Poles and Spaniards in the French Resistance.
Jean-Pierre Sakoun, president of the association Laïque Unit, at the origin of this colloquium, welcomes this recognition and especially hopes that it will open the way to the next pantheonization of Missak Manouchian. He signed in the daily Release with the historian Denis Peschanski, specialist in the occupation, a forum entitled “ Behind the pantheonization of Missak Manouchian, the shadow army of foreigners who died for France “.
Iconic figure who inspired the song The Red Poster by Léo Ferré on a poem by Louis Aragon and several biographies including in the cinema, this Armenian resistance fighter commanded a group of resistance fighters executed on February 21, 1944 in Mont-Valerien and featuring Szlama Grzywacz. Of the 25 men shot, 22 including Manouchian himself belonged to the organization FTP-MOI (Francs-tireurs et partisans – immigrant labor). They were Jews, Armenians, Poles, Hungarians, Spaniards or even Italians…
And ” the place of foreigners is at the heart of memory issues”,recall Jean-Pierre Sakoun and Denis Peschanski in their forum.
” Missak Manouchian is a perfect illustration of this ideal”
“ Here, justice is done, rejoices Jean-Pierre Sakoun, at the microphone of Baptiste Coulon of the French service. That is to say that it was not a question of a desire not to recognize this death for France, simply to repair an oversight or a negligence, something which remained in the air and which did not was never settled. And I believe that it is a strong act which reinforces our idea that Missak Manouchian, representative of all the foreigners who died for France, has his place in the Pantheon.
We await with hope the announcement of this entry into the Pantheon. Today, we ask ourselves the question of who we are: we are told about identity, religion, we are told about a lot of things. No. A Frenchman is someone who decides to be. And deciding to be French means deciding to defend liberty, equality, fraternity, universalism, language and literature, the authors of this country, and all our ideals which make us a country a little bit particular, which when it rises to the level which should be its own is higher than itself.
And Missak Manouchian is a perfect illustration of this ideal. »
It is to the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron that the decision of this pantheonization falls. Elected officials, including the mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo, are calling for this pantheonization.
?️ “France must complete the story by bringing Missak and Mélinée Manouchian into the Pantheon. »
In @leJDD, I renew my request for pantheonization of the Manouchian couple. We must honor the memory of foreign resistance fighters. https://t.co/N1u03OT42P
— Anne Hidalgo (@Anne_Hidalgo) February 18, 2023