Jules-Henri Desfourneaux
Encyclopedia
Jules-Henri Desfourneaux (17 December 1877, Bar-le-Duc
– 1 October 1951) was the last French executioner
to officiate in public. He came from a long line of executioners named Desfourneaux stretching back many hundreds of years
. Like all French executioners since 1792 his method of application of the death penalty was beheading by guillotine
.
Desfourneaux was recruited by his predecessor Anatole Deibler and attended his first execution as second assistant in 1909. Following the death of Deibler in 1939 - the latter having died of a heart attack in a Metro station while en route to his 401st execution - he was elected to chief and was in charge of the last public execution in France on June 17, 1939, when he guillotined the five-time murderer Eugène Weidmann.
This execution was also notable as it is one of the few ever filmed, having been shot from a private apartment near the prison.
For reasons unknown, Desfourneaux insisted that Greenwich rather than summertime dawn should be the official hour. This meant that contrary to custom, Weidmann was executed in broad daylight.
This, combined with the public revelry around the jail (cafes were given an all-night licence extension, wine flowed and jazz blared on radios) and the filmed evidence, was largely responsible for the government's decision to hold all future executions behind closed doors.
Desfourneaux was involved in further controversy during World War II
when required by the Vichy Government to execute communists and members of the French Resistance
, notably Marcel Langer, which led to the resignation of his assistants, André Obrecht
, who was his cousin, and the Martin brothers, Georges and Robert. He was also responsible for the first guillotining of women since the late 19th century, including, famously, an abortionist named Marie-Louise Giraud
in 1943. He put to death the axe-killer Germaine Godefroy, the last woman executed in France, on April 21, 1949.
Escaping retribution after the war, Desfourneaux increasingly turned to drink, a problem compounded by the suicide of his son. He was rejoined as first assistant in 1945 by Obrecht, who, despite his increasing dislike of Desfourneaux, could see a potential future as chief executioner looming. Further disagreements followed and Obrecht resigned for the second time in 1947.
Desfourneaux continued working until October 1951 when, whilst still in office and almost insane, he died. His eventual successor was Obrecht, who officiated until 1976, one year before the last execution in France; the death penalty was abolished in 1981.
Jules-Henri Desfourneaux (17 December 1877, Bar-le-Duc
– 1 October 1951) was the last French executioner
to officiate in public. He came from a long line of executioners named Desfourneaux stretching back many hundreds of years
. Like all French executioners since 1792 his method of application of the death penalty was beheading by guillotine
.
Desfourneaux was recruited by his predecessor Anatole Deibler and attended his first execution as second assistant in 1909. Following the death of Deibler in 1939 - the latter having died of a heart attack in a Metro station while en route to his 401st execution - he was elected to chief and was in charge of the last public execution in France on June 17, 1939, when he guillotined the five-time murderer Eugène Weidmann.
This execution was also notable as it is one of the few ever filmed, having been shot from a private apartment near the prison.
For reasons unknown, Desfourneaux insisted that Greenwich rather than summertime dawn should be the official hour. This meant that contrary to custom, Weidmann was executed in broad daylight.
This, combined with the public revelry around the jail (cafes were given an all-night licence extension, wine flowed and jazz blared on radios) and the filmed evidence, was largely responsible for the government's decision to hold all future executions behind closed doors.
Desfourneaux was involved in further controversy during World War II
when required by the Vichy Government to execute communists and members of the French Resistance
, notably Marcel Langer, which led to the resignation of his assistants, André Obrecht
, who was his cousin, and the Martin brothers, Georges and Robert. He was also responsible for the first guillotining of women since the late 19th century, including, famously, an abortionist named Marie-Louise Giraud
in 1943. He put to death the axe-killer Germaine Godefroy, the last woman executed in France, on April 21, 1949.
Escaping retribution after the war, Desfourneaux increasingly turned to drink, a problem compounded by the suicide of his son. He was rejoined as first assistant in 1945 by Obrecht, who, despite his increasing dislike of Desfourneaux, could see a potential future as chief executioner looming. Further disagreements followed and Obrecht resigned for the second time in 1947.
Desfourneaux continued working until October 1951 when, whilst still in office and almost insane, he died. His eventual successor was Obrecht, who officiated until 1976, one year before the last execution in France; the death penalty was abolished in 1981.
Jules-Henri Desfourneaux (17 December 1877, Bar-le-Duc
– 1 October 1951) was the last French executioner
to officiate in public. He came from a long line of executioners named Desfourneaux stretching back many hundreds of years
. Like all French executioners since 1792 his method of application of the death penalty was beheading by guillotine
.
Desfourneaux was recruited by his predecessor Anatole Deibler and attended his first execution as second assistant in 1909. Following the death of Deibler in 1939 - the latter having died of a heart attack in a Metro station while en route to his 401st execution - he was elected to chief and was in charge of the last public execution in France on June 17, 1939, when he guillotined the five-time murderer Eugène Weidmann.
This execution was also notable as it is one of the few ever filmed, having been shot from a private apartment near the prison.
For reasons unknown, Desfourneaux insisted that Greenwich rather than summertime dawn should be the official hour. This meant that contrary to custom, Weidmann was executed in broad daylight.
This, combined with the public revelry around the jail (cafes were given an all-night licence extension, wine flowed and jazz blared on radios) and the filmed evidence, was largely responsible for the government's decision to hold all future executions behind closed doors.
Desfourneaux was involved in further controversy during World War II
when required by the Vichy Government to execute communists and members of the French Resistance
, notably Marcel Langer, which led to the resignation of his assistants, André Obrecht
, who was his cousin, and the Martin brothers, Georges and Robert. He was also responsible for the first guillotining of women since the late 19th century, including, famously, an abortionist named Marie-Louise Giraud
in 1943. He put to death the axe-killer Germaine Godefroy, the last woman executed in France, on April 21, 1949.
Escaping retribution after the war, Desfourneaux increasingly turned to drink, a problem compounded by the suicide of his son. He was rejoined as first assistant in 1945 by Obrecht, who, despite his increasing dislike of Desfourneaux, could see a potential future as chief executioner looming. Further disagreements followed and Obrecht resigned for the second time in 1947.
Desfourneaux continued working until October 1951 when, whilst still in office and almost insane, he died. His eventual successor was Obrecht, who officiated until 1976, one year before the last execution in France; the death penalty was abolished in 1981.
Bar-le-Duc
Bar-le-Duc, formerly known as Bar, is a commune in the Meuse département, of which it is the préfecture . The department is in Lorraine in north-eastern France-Geography:...
– 1 October 1951) was the last French executioner
Executioner
A judicial executioner is a person who carries out a death sentence ordered by the state or other legal authority, which was known in feudal terminology as high justice.-Scope and job:...
to officiate in public. He came from a long line of executioners named Desfourneaux stretching back many hundreds of years
. Like all French executioners since 1792 his method of application of the death penalty was beheading by guillotine
Guillotine
The guillotine is a device used for carrying out :executions by decapitation. It consists of a tall upright frame from which an angled blade is suspended. This blade is raised with a rope and then allowed to drop, severing the head from the body...
.
Desfourneaux was recruited by his predecessor Anatole Deibler and attended his first execution as second assistant in 1909. Following the death of Deibler in 1939 - the latter having died of a heart attack in a Metro station while en route to his 401st execution - he was elected to chief and was in charge of the last public execution in France on June 17, 1939, when he guillotined the five-time murderer Eugène Weidmann.
This execution was also notable as it is one of the few ever filmed, having been shot from a private apartment near the prison.
For reasons unknown, Desfourneaux insisted that Greenwich rather than summertime dawn should be the official hour. This meant that contrary to custom, Weidmann was executed in broad daylight.
This, combined with the public revelry around the jail (cafes were given an all-night licence extension, wine flowed and jazz blared on radios) and the filmed evidence, was largely responsible for the government's decision to hold all future executions behind closed doors.
Desfourneaux was involved in further controversy 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...
when required by the Vichy Government to execute communists and members 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...
, notably Marcel Langer, which led to the resignation of his assistants, André Obrecht
André Obrecht
André Obrecht was the official executioner of France from 1951 until 1976.Born in Paris on August 9, 1899, Obrecht was the nephew of the chief executioner Anatole Deibler. He learned of his uncle's job at ten, when a series of postcards depicting an execution were published in September 1909...
, who was his cousin, and the Martin brothers, Georges and Robert. He was also responsible for the first guillotining of women since the late 19th century, including, famously, an abortionist named Marie-Louise Giraud
Marie-Louise Giraud
Marie-Louise Giraud was a housewife and mother who became one of the last women to be guillotined in France. Giraud was a convicted abortionist in 1940s Nazi occupied France. She was executed on July 30, 1943 for having performed 27 abortions in the Cherbourg area...
in 1943. He put to death the axe-killer Germaine Godefroy, the last woman executed in France, on April 21, 1949.
Escaping retribution after the war, Desfourneaux increasingly turned to drink, a problem compounded by the suicide of his son. He was rejoined as first assistant in 1945 by Obrecht, who, despite his increasing dislike of Desfourneaux, could see a potential future as chief executioner looming. Further disagreements followed and Obrecht resigned for the second time in 1947.
Desfourneaux continued working until October 1951 when, whilst still in office and almost insane, he died. His eventual successor was Obrecht, who officiated until 1976, one year before the last execution in France; the death penalty was abolished in 1981.
Sources
- Flanner, JanetJanet FlannerJanet Flanner was an American writer and journalist who served as the Paris correspondent of The New Yorker magazine from 1925 until she retired in 1975. She wrote under the pen name "Genêt"...
. Paris was Yesterday. 1972. The Viking Press, 1972. Print.
Jules-Henri Desfourneaux (17 December 1877, Bar-le-Duc
Bar-le-Duc
Bar-le-Duc, formerly known as Bar, is a commune in the Meuse département, of which it is the préfecture . The department is in Lorraine in north-eastern France-Geography:...
– 1 October 1951) was the last French executioner
Executioner
A judicial executioner is a person who carries out a death sentence ordered by the state or other legal authority, which was known in feudal terminology as high justice.-Scope and job:...
to officiate in public. He came from a long line of executioners named Desfourneaux stretching back many hundreds of years
. Like all French executioners since 1792 his method of application of the death penalty was beheading by guillotine
Guillotine
The guillotine is a device used for carrying out :executions by decapitation. It consists of a tall upright frame from which an angled blade is suspended. This blade is raised with a rope and then allowed to drop, severing the head from the body...
.
Desfourneaux was recruited by his predecessor Anatole Deibler and attended his first execution as second assistant in 1909. Following the death of Deibler in 1939 - the latter having died of a heart attack in a Metro station while en route to his 401st execution - he was elected to chief and was in charge of the last public execution in France on June 17, 1939, when he guillotined the five-time murderer Eugène Weidmann.
This execution was also notable as it is one of the few ever filmed, having been shot from a private apartment near the prison.
For reasons unknown, Desfourneaux insisted that Greenwich rather than summertime dawn should be the official hour. This meant that contrary to custom, Weidmann was executed in broad daylight.
This, combined with the public revelry around the jail (cafes were given an all-night licence extension, wine flowed and jazz blared on radios) and the filmed evidence, was largely responsible for the government's decision to hold all future executions behind closed doors.
Desfourneaux was involved in further controversy 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...
when required by the Vichy Government to execute communists and members 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...
, notably Marcel Langer, which led to the resignation of his assistants, André Obrecht
André Obrecht
André Obrecht was the official executioner of France from 1951 until 1976.Born in Paris on August 9, 1899, Obrecht was the nephew of the chief executioner Anatole Deibler. He learned of his uncle's job at ten, when a series of postcards depicting an execution were published in September 1909...
, who was his cousin, and the Martin brothers, Georges and Robert. He was also responsible for the first guillotining of women since the late 19th century, including, famously, an abortionist named Marie-Louise Giraud
Marie-Louise Giraud
Marie-Louise Giraud was a housewife and mother who became one of the last women to be guillotined in France. Giraud was a convicted abortionist in 1940s Nazi occupied France. She was executed on July 30, 1943 for having performed 27 abortions in the Cherbourg area...
in 1943. He put to death the axe-killer Germaine Godefroy, the last woman executed in France, on April 21, 1949.
Escaping retribution after the war, Desfourneaux increasingly turned to drink, a problem compounded by the suicide of his son. He was rejoined as first assistant in 1945 by Obrecht, who, despite his increasing dislike of Desfourneaux, could see a potential future as chief executioner looming. Further disagreements followed and Obrecht resigned for the second time in 1947.
Desfourneaux continued working until October 1951 when, whilst still in office and almost insane, he died. His eventual successor was Obrecht, who officiated until 1976, one year before the last execution in France; the death penalty was abolished in 1981.
Sources
- Flanner, JanetJanet FlannerJanet Flanner was an American writer and journalist who served as the Paris correspondent of The New Yorker magazine from 1925 until she retired in 1975. She wrote under the pen name "Genêt"...
. Paris was Yesterday. 1972. The Viking Press, 1972. Print.
Jules-Henri Desfourneaux (17 December 1877, Bar-le-Duc
Bar-le-Duc
Bar-le-Duc, formerly known as Bar, is a commune in the Meuse département, of which it is the préfecture . The department is in Lorraine in north-eastern France-Geography:...
– 1 October 1951) was the last French executioner
Executioner
A judicial executioner is a person who carries out a death sentence ordered by the state or other legal authority, which was known in feudal terminology as high justice.-Scope and job:...
to officiate in public. He came from a long line of executioners named Desfourneaux stretching back many hundreds of years
. Like all French executioners since 1792 his method of application of the death penalty was beheading by guillotine
Guillotine
The guillotine is a device used for carrying out :executions by decapitation. It consists of a tall upright frame from which an angled blade is suspended. This blade is raised with a rope and then allowed to drop, severing the head from the body...
.
Desfourneaux was recruited by his predecessor Anatole Deibler and attended his first execution as second assistant in 1909. Following the death of Deibler in 1939 - the latter having died of a heart attack in a Metro station while en route to his 401st execution - he was elected to chief and was in charge of the last public execution in France on June 17, 1939, when he guillotined the five-time murderer Eugène Weidmann.
This execution was also notable as it is one of the few ever filmed, having been shot from a private apartment near the prison.
For reasons unknown, Desfourneaux insisted that Greenwich rather than summertime dawn should be the official hour. This meant that contrary to custom, Weidmann was executed in broad daylight.
This, combined with the public revelry around the jail (cafes were given an all-night licence extension, wine flowed and jazz blared on radios) and the filmed evidence, was largely responsible for the government's decision to hold all future executions behind closed doors.
Desfourneaux was involved in further controversy 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...
when required by the Vichy Government to execute communists and members 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...
, notably Marcel Langer, which led to the resignation of his assistants, André Obrecht
André Obrecht
André Obrecht was the official executioner of France from 1951 until 1976.Born in Paris on August 9, 1899, Obrecht was the nephew of the chief executioner Anatole Deibler. He learned of his uncle's job at ten, when a series of postcards depicting an execution were published in September 1909...
, who was his cousin, and the Martin brothers, Georges and Robert. He was also responsible for the first guillotining of women since the late 19th century, including, famously, an abortionist named Marie-Louise Giraud
Marie-Louise Giraud
Marie-Louise Giraud was a housewife and mother who became one of the last women to be guillotined in France. Giraud was a convicted abortionist in 1940s Nazi occupied France. She was executed on July 30, 1943 for having performed 27 abortions in the Cherbourg area...
in 1943. He put to death the axe-killer Germaine Godefroy, the last woman executed in France, on April 21, 1949.
Escaping retribution after the war, Desfourneaux increasingly turned to drink, a problem compounded by the suicide of his son. He was rejoined as first assistant in 1945 by Obrecht, who, despite his increasing dislike of Desfourneaux, could see a potential future as chief executioner looming. Further disagreements followed and Obrecht resigned for the second time in 1947.
Desfourneaux continued working until October 1951 when, whilst still in office and almost insane, he died. His eventual successor was Obrecht, who officiated until 1976, one year before the last execution in France; the death penalty was abolished in 1981.
Sources
- Flanner, JanetJanet FlannerJanet Flanner was an American writer and journalist who served as the Paris correspondent of The New Yorker magazine from 1925 until she retired in 1975. She wrote under the pen name "Genêt"...
. Paris was Yesterday. 1972. The Viking Press, 1972. Print.