Marcel Rayman
Encyclopedia
FTP-MOI
The Francs-tireurs et partisans – main-d'œuvre immigrée were a sub-group of the Francs-tireurs et partisans organization, a component of the French Resistance. A wing composed mostly of foreigners, the MOI maintained an armed force to oppose the German occupation of France during World War II...
group of French resistance fighters during World War II, and the head of "Stalingrad", a highly active militant group.
First years
Marcel Rayman was born on 1 May 1923 in Warsaw. He came to France with his parents at the age of eight. At ten, he joined the PionniersPioneer movement
A pioneer movement is an organization for children operated by a communist party. Typically children enter into the organization in elementary school and continue until adolescence. The adolescents then typically joined the Young Communist League...
and the working men's sports club Yask. Making up for lost time, he studied with ease and passed his brevet élémentaire aged 15. He started working with his parents, as a textile worker.
Second World War
After the first groups of the Jeunesses communistes were formed, Rayman readily joined them and fought actively until the beginning of 1942, participating in illegal demonstrations, putting up posters, leafleting and other activity. He became in charge of the Jeunesses communistes in the 11th arrondissement.At the beginning of 1942, Rayman asked to join the 2nd Jewish division of the Francs-tireurs et partisans. He was accepted, distinguishing himself by bravery and intelligence. He was named to train new fighters, which role he gladly accepted. When the Czech grouping of the FTP was formed, he was sent to teach them the partisans military skills. He was completely successful, and the first operation against the Germans at the Pont des Arts
Pont des Arts
The Pont des Arts or Passerelle des Arts is a pedestrian bridge in Paris which crosses the Seine River. It links the Institut de France and the central square of the palais du Louvre, .-History:Between 1802 and 1804, a nine-arch metallic bridge for pedestrians was constructed at the location of...
caused a big stir.
When the Armenian detachment was formed, Rayman was sent as an inspector. Notably, the first operation of Missak Manouchian
Missak Manouchian
Missak Manouchian was a French poet of Armenian birth, a militant communist in the MOI , and military commissioner of the FTP-MOI in the Paris region...
, at Levallois
Levallois
Levallois may refer to:*Levallois-Perret, a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France.*Levallois technique *Nicolas-Eugène Levallois*Levallois SC, a current French football club...
, took place under Rayman's leadership.
On 3 June 1942, in front of the address 17 rue Mirabeau in the 16th arrondissement, Rayman and Ernest Blankopf threw a volley of grenades at a coach belonging to the Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
. The Germans returned fire. Rayman, sought by all the police forces, managed to escape, while Blankopf was gravely wounded, and, not to be taken alive, shot himself in the head.
During summer 1943, the FTP-MOI
FTP-MOI
The Francs-tireurs et partisans – main-d'œuvre immigrée were a sub-group of the Francs-tireurs et partisans organization, a component of the French Resistance. A wing composed mostly of foreigners, the MOI maintained an armed force to oppose the German occupation of France during World War II...
decided to assassinate the commandant of Greater Paris, General von Schaumburg, who was responsible for signing the posters displayed in Paris announcing the execution of resistance members. The FTP-MOI informants spotted him, a well groomed officer who rode on horseback to the Bois de Boulogne
Bois de Boulogne
The Bois de Boulogne is a park located along the western edge of the 16th arrondissement of Paris, near the suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt and Neuilly-sur-Seine...
every day escorted by two guards. After his excursion, he went up the avenue Raphaël and into the couryard of a luxurious hotel, before taking his official car which drove him to the hôtel Meurice
Hotel Meurice
Le Meurice is a 5-star hotel in Paris, located opposite the Tuileries Garden, between Place de la Concorde and the Musée du Louvre. This hotel is owned and managed by the Dorchester Collection...
. His journey being predictable, Rayman, Raymond Kojiski and Léo Kneller decided to act. On 28 July 1943, the three men attacked the car, throwing a grenade, and succeeded in getting away. However, they missed their target; furthermore, it was not von Schaumburg who was in the car on that day, but lieutenant colonel Moritz von Maliber, a high-ranking member of von Schaumburgs staff.
Thenceforth, Rayman became a major target, and his hideaway at rue de Belleville, Paris, was soon known to the Renseignements généraux. However, the RG preferred to prolong their surveillance in the hope that it would lead to more arrests.
In July and August 1943, the Brigades Spéciales n° 2 of the Renseignements généraux concentrated their efforts on the "terrorists" of the MOI. Rayman, in charge of the train derailing group and of execution, Missak Manouchian
Missak Manouchian
Missak Manouchian was a French poet of Armenian birth, a militant communist in the MOI , and military commissioner of the FTP-MOI in the Paris region...
, the military commander, and Léo Kneller, a veteran fighter, were the most wanted men.
At the beginning of 1943, Lejb Goldberg
Léon Goldberg
Léon Goldberg, called "Julien" was a Polish Jew and volunteer fighter in the French Liberation army FTP-MOI in the Manouchian Group.- Youth :...
– a fierce partisan since his parents were arrested and killed in the July 1942 Vel' d'Hiv Roundup (Rafle du Vélodrome d'Hiver) – was identified and followed to a particular address, 9b passage de Stinville. He left accompanied by Rayman, and they were followed by Inspector Constant of the RG.
By the end of the summer, almost all the MOI fighters has been spotted.
In enemy hands
Rayman was arrested by the Brigades Spéciales on 16 November 1943 at a rendezvous with Olga BancicOlga Bancic
Olga Bancic , also known under her French nom de guerre Pierrette , was a Jewish Romanian communist, known for her role in the French Resistance during World War II. A member of the FTP-MOI and the Manouchian Group, she was captured by Nazi German forces in late 1943...
. He was indicted in the trial of the FTP-MOI members which took place on 17–18 February 1944. He was one of the ten fighters depicted on the Affiche rouge
Affiche Rouge
The Affiche Rouge is a famous propaganda poster, distributed by Vichy French and German authorities in the spring of 1944 in occupied Paris, to discredit 23 French Resistance fighters, members of the Manouchian Group...
propaganda poster which was displayed throughout Paris. The German military tribunal sentenced him to death. He was shot at the fort Mont Valérien on 21 February 1944 along with 21 other members of the Manouchian group.
Legacy
He is portrayed by actor Robinson StéveninRobinson Stévenin
-Selected filmography:-Awards:In 2002 he won the César Award for Most Promising Actor for the film Bad Genres.- External links :...
in the 2009 French film The Army of Crime
The Army of Crime
The Army of Crime is a 2009 French drama-war film directed by Robert Guédiguian and based on a story by Serge Le Péron, one of three credited for the screenplay. It received a wide release in France on September 16, 2009 and opened in the United States in 2010.The film deals with the events of the...
directed by Robert Guédiguian
Robert Guédiguian
Robert Jules Guédiguian is a French film director, actor, screenwriter and producer. Most of his films star Ariane Ascaride and Jean-Pierre Darroussin....
.
Portrait
Rayman's profile among the BS2 police read as follows: "Faculté: 19 ans, corpulence trapue, visage rond, cheveux châtain foncé, frisés et abondants, chandail bleu marine à col roulé, pardessus bleu à martingale, souliers noirs, porte une serviette sous le bras." (Faculté: 19 years old, stocky build, round face, big curly dark brown hair, navy blue sweater with turtleneck, blue martingale overcoat, plack sandals, carries a satchel under his arm.) Faculté was one of Rayman's pseudonyms.Rayman's name appeared on the Affiche rouge
Affiche Rouge
The Affiche Rouge is a famous propaganda poster, distributed by Vichy French and German authorities in the spring of 1944 in occupied Paris, to discredit 23 French Resistance fighters, members of the Manouchian Group...
German propaganda poster, with the following caption "Rayman, juif polonais, 13 attentats" (Rayman, Polish Jew, 13 attacks).
Rayman's mother Chana was gassed to death at Birkenau. His younger brother Simon was deported to Buchenwald.
See also
- Francs-tireurs et partisans - Main-d'œuvre immigrée
- Affiche rougeAffiche RougeThe Affiche Rouge is a famous propaganda poster, distributed by Vichy French and German authorities in the spring of 1944 in occupied Paris, to discredit 23 French Resistance fighters, members of the Manouchian Group...
- Brigades Spéciales
- Geheime Feld Polizei