Jean Burger
Encyclopedia
Jean Burger, alias "Mario", was a member of the French Resistance
during World War II
. A member of the French communist party
, he was born in Metz
on 16 February 1907 and died at the Mittelbau-Dora
concentration camp on 3 April 1945.
. He rose rapidly in the Communist Party and became departmental secretary for the Moselle anti-fascist movement Paix et Liberté ("Peace and Liberty"). Burger became involved in recruitment for the International Brigades
during the Spanish Civil War
. In September 1939, Burger was mobilized as part of the 460th Pioneer Regiment of the French Army and was stationed on the Maginot Line
where he was taken prisoner on 17 June 1940. Burger and his brother escaped during Pentecost
in 1941. Jean Burger took the pseudonym
René Legrand at this time.
. Activities included aid to German deserters and assistance for Soviet prisoners of war in camps in the Moselle region.
in 1940 from the Direction centrale des renseignements généraux, the intelligence service of the French National Police. Jean Burger was arrested in Metz on 21 September 1943 by the Germans, who had set a trap for resisters. As a result, by the time American troops arrived in the area in 1944, the Mario group had practically ceased to exist.
After his arrest, Burger was tortured by the Gestapo, then moved to a military prison in Metz. From there he went to the Fort de Queuleu
just outside of Metz, which was used as a detention and interrogation center for members of the Resistance. In November 1944 he was sent to prisons in Mannheim
and Wiesbaden
, then to Dachau concentration camp. as American forces were closing in on Metz. Not long after arriving at Dachau, he was moved to the Auschwitz concentration camp
. With the approach of Soviet forces, Burger and a few other Marios were marched to Gliewitz in Silesia
. Finally moved to an annex of the Dora concentration camp, he was mortally wounded while weakened by pneumonia
during an American bombing raid on the Mittelwerk
complex.
, Germany, where a commemorative monument was erected.
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...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. A member of the French communist party
French Communist Party
The French Communist Party is a political party in France which advocates the principles of communism.Although its electoral support has declined in recent decades, the PCF retains a large membership, behind only that of the Union for a Popular Movement , and considerable influence in French...
, he was born in Metz
Metz
Metz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...
on 16 February 1907 and died at the Mittelbau-Dora
Mittelbau-Dora
Mittelbau-Dora was a Nazi Germany labour camp that provided workers for the Mittelwerk V-2 rocket factory in the Kohnstein, situated near Nordhausen, Germany....
concentration camp on 3 April 1945.
Youth and political engagement
Born into a family of tradesmen, Jean Burger studied at the Ecole Normale de Montigny and became a teacher in the industrial basin of LorraineLorraine (province)
The Duchy of Upper Lorraine was an historical duchy roughly corresponding with the present-day northeastern Lorraine region of France, including parts of modern Luxembourg and Germany. The main cities were Metz, Verdun, and the historic capital Nancy....
. He rose rapidly in the Communist Party and became departmental secretary for the Moselle anti-fascist movement Paix et Liberté ("Peace and Liberty"). Burger became involved in recruitment for the International Brigades
International Brigades
The International Brigades were military units made up of volunteers from different countries, who traveled to Spain to defend the Second Spanish Republic in the Spanish Civil War between 1936 and 1939....
during the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
. In September 1939, Burger was mobilized as part of the 460th Pioneer Regiment of the French Army and was stationed on the Maginot Line
Maginot Line
The Maginot Line , named after the French Minister of War André Maginot, was a line of concrete fortifications, tank obstacles, artillery casemates, machine gun posts, and other defences, which France constructed along its borders with Germany and Italy, in light of its experience in World War I,...
where he was taken prisoner on 17 June 1940. Burger and his brother escaped during Pentecost
Pentecost
Pentecost is a prominent feast in the calendar of Ancient Israel celebrating the giving of the Law on Sinai, and also later in the Christian liturgical year commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ after the Resurrection of Jesus...
in 1941. Jean Burger took the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
René Legrand at this time.
Resistance
Charles Hoeffel, a Communist Party militant and member of the CGT railway workers' union, put Burger into contact with Georges Wodli, a member of the Communist Party Central Committee. Wodli asked Burger to organize Communist resistance in the Moselle region. Burger organized the "Mario" resistance group, whose activities included the printing and distribution of leaflets, collection of arms, aid to prisoners and resisters, and sabotage. Three thousand men and women participated in the Mario group. The organization was integrated into the national resistance movement and had contacts in Paris and LuxembourgLuxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
. Activities included aid to German deserters and assistance for Soviet prisoners of war in camps in the Moselle region.
Arrest
Massive arrests of resisters began in August 1943. The arrests were aided by information seized by the GestapoGestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
in 1940 from the Direction centrale des renseignements généraux, the intelligence service of the French National Police. Jean Burger was arrested in Metz on 21 September 1943 by the Germans, who had set a trap for resisters. As a result, by the time American troops arrived in the area in 1944, the Mario group had practically ceased to exist.
After his arrest, Burger was tortured by the Gestapo, then moved to a military prison in Metz. From there he went to the Fort de Queuleu
Fort de Queuleu
The Fort de Queuleu is a fortification to the southeast of Metz, near Queuleu, France. Construction began while part of Lorraine was under French rule in 1868. After the interruption of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, the fort was improved between 1872 and 1875 by the German Empire , which had...
just outside of Metz, which was used as a detention and interrogation center for members of the Resistance. In November 1944 he was sent to prisons in Mannheim
Mannheim
Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
and Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
, then to Dachau concentration camp. as American forces were closing in on Metz. Not long after arriving at Dachau, he was moved to the Auschwitz concentration camp
Auschwitz concentration camp
Concentration camp Auschwitz was a network of Nazi concentration and extermination camps built and operated by the Third Reich in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany during World War II...
. With the approach of Soviet forces, Burger and a few other Marios were marched to Gliewitz in Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
. Finally moved to an annex of the Dora concentration camp, he was mortally wounded while weakened by pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
during an American bombing raid on the Mittelwerk
Mittelwerk
Central Works was a World War II factory that used Mittelbau-Dora forced labor in 2 main tunnels in the Kohnstein. The underground facility produced V-2 rockets, V-1 flying bombs, and other Nazi weapons.-Mittelwerk GmbH:...
complex.
Legacy
In memory of Burger, a number of streets and buildings in the Mosellle département bear his name, as well as the Jean-Burger-Straße in MagdeburgMagdeburg
Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
, Germany, where a commemorative monument was erected.
Source
- This article incorporates text translated from the corresponding French and German Wikipedia articles as of April 2, 2010.
External links
- L’itinéraire de Jean Burger, alias « Mario » by Pierre Schill, professor of history and geography at the University of Montpellier, l'Humanité, 15 February 2007.