Julia Pirotte
Encyclopedia
Julia Pirotte was a photojournalist known for her work in Marseille
during the Second World War when she documented the French Resistance
, and for photographs taken in the aftermath of the Kielce Pogrom
of 1946.
Pirotte grew up in a working class Jewish family in Warsaw
. She emigrated to Belgium in 1934 where she married Jean Pirotte, a labor activist in Brussels
, and studied photography. In May 1940, after the German occupation of Belgium and the deportation of her husband, Pirotte made her way to southern France
. There she played an active role in Jewish and French resistance groups. Based in Marseille
, she worked as a photojournalist for Dimanche Illustré and served as a courier for weapons, false papers and underground publications. During this time she took numerous photographs documenting life under the Vichy Regime. As a member of the Francs-Tireurs et Partisans, she was able to photograph the activities of the Maquis
resistance in the summer of 1944 and the liberation of Marseille.
After the war, Pirotte returned to Poland
as a photojournalist for the Polish periodical Zolnierz Polski. During that period she covered the aftermath of the Kielce Pogrom
of July 4, 1946 and attended the World Congress of Intellectuals for Peace
of 1948 in Wrocław, taking portraits of Pablo Picasso
, Irène Joliot-Curie
and Dominique Desanti. Pirotte visited Israel
in 1957. She later married Jefim Sokolski, a Polish economist who died in 1974. In later years, Pirotte frequently traveled to Belgium, France, and the United States, where, in 1984, the International Center of Photography
in New York hosted an exhibition of her work.
Buried: Powązki Cemetery
in Warsaw
Parents: Boruch and Sura Diament
Sister: Mindla Maria Diament (1911 – August 24, 1944). Also a member of the French Resistance
, she was captured, tortured and executed by the Vichy Regime.
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
during the Second World War when she documented the French Resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
, and for photographs taken in the aftermath of the Kielce Pogrom
Kielce pogrom
The Kielce pogrom was an outbreak of violence against the Jewish community in the city of Kielce, Poland on July 4, 1946, perpetrated by a mob of local townsfolk and members of the official government forces of the People's Republic of Poland...
of 1946.
Pirotte grew up in a working class Jewish family in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
. She emigrated to Belgium in 1934 where she married Jean Pirotte, a labor activist in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, and studied photography. In May 1940, after the German occupation of Belgium and the deportation of her husband, Pirotte made her way to southern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. There she played an active role in Jewish and French resistance groups. Based in Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
, she worked as a photojournalist for Dimanche Illustré and served as a courier for weapons, false papers and underground publications. During this time she took numerous photographs documenting life under the Vichy Regime. As a member of the Francs-Tireurs et Partisans, she was able to photograph the activities of the Maquis
Maquis (World War II)
The Maquis were the predominantly rural guerrilla bands of the French Resistance. Initially they were composed of men who had escaped into the mountains to avoid conscription into Vichy France's Service du travail obligatoire to provide forced labour for Germany...
resistance in the summer of 1944 and the liberation of Marseille.
After the war, Pirotte returned to Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
as a photojournalist for the Polish periodical Zolnierz Polski. During that period she covered the aftermath of the Kielce Pogrom
Kielce pogrom
The Kielce pogrom was an outbreak of violence against the Jewish community in the city of Kielce, Poland on July 4, 1946, perpetrated by a mob of local townsfolk and members of the official government forces of the People's Republic of Poland...
of July 4, 1946 and attended the World Congress of Intellectuals for Peace
World Congress of Intellectuals for Peace
The World Congress of Intellectuals for Peace convened in Wrocław, Poland on August 25-28, 1948, in the aftermath of the Second World War. Notable politicians, academics, and artists attended, including Pablo Picasso, Frédéric Joliot-Curie, Irène Joliot-Curie, Bertolt Brecht, Paul Éluard, Aldous...
of 1948 in Wrocław, taking portraits of Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso known as Pablo Ruiz Picasso was a Spanish expatriate painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer, one of the greatest and most influential artists of the...
, Irène Joliot-Curie
Irène Joliot-Curie
Irène Joliot-Curie was a French scientist, the daughter of Marie Skłodowska-Curie and Pierre Curie and the wife of Frédéric Joliot-Curie. Jointly with her husband, Joliot-Curie was awarded the Nobel Prize for chemistry in 1935 for their discovery of artificial radioactivity. This made the Curies...
and Dominique Desanti. Pirotte visited Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
in 1957. She later married Jefim Sokolski, a Polish economist who died in 1974. In later years, Pirotte frequently traveled to Belgium, France, and the United States, where, in 1984, the International Center of Photography
International Center of Photography
The International Center of Photography is a photography museum, school, and research center in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States...
in New York hosted an exhibition of her work.
Buried: Powązki Cemetery
Powazki Cemetery
Powązki Cemetery , also known as the Stare Powązki is a historic cemetery located in the Wola district, western part of Warsaw, Poland. It is the most famous cemetery in the city, and one of the oldest...
in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
Parents: Boruch and Sura Diament
Sister: Mindla Maria Diament (1911 – August 24, 1944). Also a member of the French Resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
, she was captured, tortured and executed by the Vichy Regime.