Violette Lecoq
Encyclopedia
Violette Lecoq was a French
nurse, illustrator, and a resistance member during World War II
. She is known for her drawing
s from the Ravensbrück concentration camp
, which were also used as evidence
at the first Ravensbrück Trials in 1946.
. She was arrested in 1942 and held one year in isolation, and then brought to the Ravensbrück concentration camp
in 1943, as a Nacht und Nebel
prisoner. She worked as a nurse at block ten, the block for tuberculous
and mentally ill
. From this hut she witnessed the murder of women who were not longer capable of working. Lecoq managed to organize pencil and paper, and made several illustrations from the life in the camp, with the intention of publishing the drawings some day.
She was evacuated with the Swedish Red Cross in April 1945. In 1946, she witnessed at the Ravensbrück Trials in Hamburg, along with Odette Sansom
, Irène Ottemard, Jaqueline Hereil, Helene Dziedziecka, Neeltje Epker and others. Her drawings were used as evidence at the trials.
In 1948 she published Ravensbrück, 36 dessins à la plume, a collection of her drawings from the Ravensbrück camp. The drawings are pencil sketches from the "everyday life" in the camp. Examples are the series "-Welcome...", and "Deux heures après", showing individual women entering the camp, and the transition two hours later. The drawing "" (in The law of the strongest ) shows the humiliation of the prisoners by brutality from the staff.
Several of her illustrations had been included in Sylvia Salvesen
's book Tilgi – men glem ikke from 1947. Some of the illustrations were later included in Kristian Ottosen
's book on Ravensbrück from 1991.
Lecoq was awarded the French Resistance medal, and the French Croix de guerre. She died in Paris in 2003.
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...
nurse, illustrator, and a resistance member 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...
. She is known for her drawing
Drawing
Drawing is a form of visual art that makes use of any number of drawing instruments to mark a two-dimensional medium. Common instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, inked brushes, wax color pencils, crayons, charcoal, chalk, pastels, markers, styluses, and various metals .An artist who...
s from the Ravensbrück concentration camp
Ravensbrück concentration camp
Ravensbrück was a notorious women's concentration camp during World War II, located in northern Germany, 90 km north of Berlin at a site near the village of Ravensbrück ....
, which were also used as evidence
Evidence (law)
The law of evidence encompasses the rules and legal principles that govern the proof of facts in a legal proceeding. These rules determine what evidence can be considered by the trier of fact in reaching its decision and, sometimes, the weight that may be given to that evidence...
at the first Ravensbrück Trials in 1946.
World War II
At the outbreak of World War II Lecoq worked as a nurse with the Red Cross. She was also affiliated with the French resistance movementFrench 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 arrested in 1942 and held one year in isolation, and then brought to the Ravensbrück concentration camp
Ravensbrück concentration camp
Ravensbrück was a notorious women's concentration camp during World War II, located in northern Germany, 90 km north of Berlin at a site near the village of Ravensbrück ....
in 1943, as a Nacht und Nebel
Nacht und Nebel
Nacht und Nebel was a directive of Adolf Hitler on 7 December 1941 signed and implemented by Armed Forces High Command Chief Wilhelm Keitel, resulting in the kidnapping and forced disappearance of many political activists and resistance 'helpers' throughout Nazi Germany's occupied...
prisoner. She worked as a nurse at block ten, the block for tuberculous
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
and mentally ill
Mental illness
A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and which is not a part of normal development or culture. Such a disorder may consist of a combination of affective, behavioural,...
. From this hut she witnessed the murder of women who were not longer capable of working. Lecoq managed to organize pencil and paper, and made several illustrations from the life in the camp, with the intention of publishing the drawings some day.
She was evacuated with the Swedish Red Cross in April 1945. In 1946, she witnessed at the Ravensbrück Trials in Hamburg, along with Odette Sansom
Odette Sansom
Odette Sansom Hallowes GC, MBE, Chevalier de la légion d'honneur was an Allied heroine of the Second World War.-Early years:...
, Irène Ottemard, Jaqueline Hereil, Helene Dziedziecka, Neeltje Epker and others. Her drawings were used as evidence at the trials.
In 1948 she published Ravensbrück, 36 dessins à la plume, a collection of her drawings from the Ravensbrück camp. The drawings are pencil sketches from the "everyday life" in the camp. Examples are the series "-Welcome...", and "Deux heures après", showing individual women entering the camp, and the transition two hours later. The drawing "" (in The law of the strongest ) shows the humiliation of the prisoners by brutality from the staff.
Several of her illustrations had been included in Sylvia Salvesen
Sylvia Salvesen
Sylvia Salvesen was a member of the high society in Norway, and a resistance pioneer during World War II. She was arrested and sent to the Ravensbrück concentration camp in Germany...
's book Tilgi – men glem ikke from 1947. Some of the illustrations were later included in Kristian Ottosen
Kristian Ottosen
Kristian Ottosen was a Norwegian non-fiction writer and public servant.While still a student, he was also active in the Norwegian resistance movement during World War II and was imprisoned as a Nacht und Nebel inmate...
's book on Ravensbrück from 1991.
Lecoq was awarded the French Resistance medal, and the French Croix de guerre. She died in Paris in 2003.