Paul-Jacques kalb — Wikipedia

Paul-Jacques Kalb alias « Jacques d’Alsace » , born the August 19, 1898 in Wiesbaden and died the August 7, 1964 (at 65) In Colmar, is a French resistant and politician.

Paul-Jacques Kalb’s father is of Alsatian origin, his mother is Swiss. He did his secondary studies in Zurich ^{[ first ]} .

First World War [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

Paul-Jacques Kalb treats the great French wounded and helps families of refugees passing through Switzerland. For his dedication, he obtained the medal of French recognition.

In 1917, he joined the French army and finished war as a second lieutenant. It is decorated with the War Cross with quote to the order of the regiment ^{[ first ]} .

Between two wars [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

Paul-Jacques Kalb resumes his studies at the Faculty of Law at the University of Strasbourg. In 1923, he lawyer for trainee in Colmar and gradually risen the ladder and in 1932, at thirty-four years old, he entered the Council of the Order ^{[ 2 ]} . He is a formidable adversary for Alsatian autonomists ^{[ first ]} .

Second World War [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

On August 22, 1939, he was mobilized to the special army services in Belfort as a lieutenant. On July 27, 1940 he was demobilized in Toulouse. In November 1940 In Lyon, he created the refugee assistance service and expelled from Alsace and Moselle.

He contacted the Alsatian resistance and with Jean Moulin who considers him as the representative of annexed Alsace. It helps many Alsatians join free France or North Africa.

The May 30, 1941 , he wrote to the Minister of War of Vichy, General Huntzinger, to protest against the abandonment of Alsace and the Moselle. It is only one of the many protests he addresses to the Vichy government to ask him to intervene against the incorporation of force of the Alsatians and Mosellan.

With the invasion of the free zone by the Germans in 1942, the refugee assistance service and expelled from Alsace and Moselle disappeared. On February 14, 1943, Paul-Jacques Kalb joined London and engaged in the French forces (FFL). He is assigned to the figure of the cabinet of General de Gaulle and becomes the spokesperson for fighter France. He speaks to the BBC under the pseudonym “Jacques d’Alsace”. He continues to describe the situation of the Alsatians by writing reports for the Central Action Intelligence Office (BCRA) and for the National Commissioner of the Interior André Philipp. In June 1943 , General de Gaulle entrusts him with the affairs of Alsace-Moselle within the French National Liberation Committee (CFLN) in Algiers ^{[ first ]} .

A year later, he returned to Paris Liberated and headed the Alsace-Lorraine service within the provisional government of the French Republic (GPRF). In 1945, he was stationed in Strasbourg as part of the French military mission in Alsace-Lorraine (MMFAL). During the release of Colmar, in February 1945 , he supports General de Lattre de Tassigny. On February 10, 1945, he was appointed to the Provisional Municipal Council of Colmar ^{[ first ]} . Subsequently, he was elected several times to the municipal council and will be assistant to the mayor of 1947 at his death ^{[ 2 ]} .

After war [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

A lawyer by profession, he was a member of the Council of the Republic of his election in 1948 until his death in 1964. He was vice-president from 1948 to 1955. He was registered in the group “Democratic and Republican Action”, who became in 1951 “Rally of the French people”, itself renamed, in 1954, a group of “social republicans” ^{[ 3 ]} . He was president of this group in 1951 ^{[ 4 ]} .

In 1950, he participated in the debate on the amnesty of the Alsatians incorporated by force in the German army which he ardently defended ^{[ 2 ]} .

In 1953, he was a candidate for the presidential election, under the label of the French people’s rally (RPF), a political party founded by General de Gaulle. At the end of the first round, he obtained 114 votes ^{[ 5 ]} Of 932 voters (12.28% of the vote), then withdraws his candidacy.

In 1959, he was a representative of France in the Council of Europe Consultative Assembly. At the associative level, he became honorary president of the association of reserve officers and the federation of voluntary commitments of Alsace and Lorraine.

Bibliography [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

: document used as a source for writing this article.

• Jean-Marie Schmune, “Paul Jacques coldwe (Jahques”, in New Alsatian biography dictionary , vol. 19, p. 1866
• François Igersheim, «  Alsace and Lorraine in London and Algiers: from BBC to Liberation 1940-1944 », Alsace review , n ^O 136, 2010 , p. 199-273 ( read online , consulted the August 16, 2015 ) Paul-Jacques Kalb (alias « Jacques d’Alsace »).

• Eric Le Normand, « Paul Kalb » , in Association for studies on the internal resistance of Alsatians (Aeria) and Christophe Clavel, The resistance of the Alsatians , Foundation of France, Aeri department, 2016 (ISBN  978-2-915742-32-9 ) Educational DVD
• Broissia, Pierre Aymar de, 1965- , Master, Nicolas. And Neuville, Aurore de. ( pref. Hamlaoui Mekachera), Resistance, 1940-1944: testimonies, files, chronology: Alsace edition , Little big man, 2004 , 241 p. (ISBN  2-915347-20-4 And 978-2-915347-20-3 , OCLC  57250485 , read online ) , p. 19 .

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