Photo : © Maud Charton
The "hostage policy": reprisals, executions and deportations
Step into a critical chapter of history during a powerful discussion led by renowned historians and experts. You will explore the complex web of repression that defined the occupation years through an enlightening and commemorative lens. Join this essential dialogue to honor the past and gain a deeper understanding of the struggles that shaped our world.
Mémorial de la Shoah (Paris 4th)
About
On Tuesday, December 15, 2026, the Mémorial de la Shoah hosts a talk regarding the hostage policy implemented by the German occupation during the Second World War. This event examines the repressive measures targeting political opponents and Jewish people, including executions and retaliatory deportations. Moderated by journalist Claude Bochurberg, the session features Gaël Eismann, Thomas Fontaine, and Serge Klarsfeld, who will analyze a system built on intimidation and terror. Located in the 4th arrondissement, this historical encounter runs from 19:00 to 21:00 and is open to the public free of charge, marking the 70th anniversary of the institution.
In the autumn of 1941, the German occupying forces implemented their "hostage policy," a new tool in their repressive arsenal. It specifically targeted political opponents, namely communists and Gaullists. Starting in December 1941, Jews joined the cohort of primary targets of this policy, fueled by the antisemitic and anticommunist ideology of "Judeo-Bolshevism." The repression manifested through multiple hostage executions, such as the one on December 15, 1941, but also through the implementation of the "Nacht und Nebel" (NN) decree, intended to make opponents disappear in secrecy. At the same time, the German military command in France developed a policy of reprisal deportations, which also primarily targeted communists and Jews. All these measures contributed to the construction of a repressive system based on intimidation, terror, and the elimination of the real or supposed enemies of the occupier.
In the presence of Gaël Eismann, professor at the University of Caen, Thomas Fontaine, PhD in History and project director at the National Resistance Museum, and Serge Klarsfeld, lawyer, historian, and founder of the Association of Sons and Daughters of Jewish Deportees from France.
Moderated by Claude Bochurberg, journalist specializing in memory.
Meeting presented in collaboration with the National Memory Sites in Île-de-France and the Sons and Daughters of Jewish Deportees from France.
Programmed as part of the 70th anniversary of the creation of the Memorial to the Unknown Jewish Martyr, which became the Shoah Memorial in 2005.
Our take on this event
This historical meeting focuses on the hostage policy introduced in the autumn of 1941. The experts will explain how the repression expanded to include Jewish people by December 1941, fueled by the anti-communist and antisemitic ideology of Judeo-Bolshevism, alongside the implementation of the Nacht und Nebel decree intended to make opponents disappear. Attendees will gain insight into how the German military command established a repressive framework based on terror and retaliatory deportations.
The panel features Gaël Eismann, Professor at the University of Caen, historian Thomas Fontaine, and Serge Klarsfeld, founder of the Sons and Daughters of Jewish Deportees from France. The discussion is moderated by journalist Claude Bochurberg. The event is organized in partnership with the Hauts lieux de la mémoire nationale en Île-de-France and the Fils et Filles des déportés juifs de France, as part of the 70th anniversary of the Mémorial du Martyr juif inconnu.
The event takes place on Tuesday, December 15, 2026, at the Mémorial de la Shoah, 17 rue Geoffroy l'Asnier, 75004 Paris. The session is scheduled from 19:00 to 21:00. Admission is free and open to all.
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