Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2012 The Malgré-Elles of Moselle Steven A. (Steven Alexander) Lovasz Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES THE MALGRÉ-ELLES OF MOSELLE By STEVEN A. LOVASZ A dissertation submitted to the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Degree Awarded: Fall Semester, 2012 Steven A. Lovasz defended this dissertation on September 21, 2012. The members of the supervisory committee were: Alec Hargreaves Professor Directing Dissertation Eric C. Walker University Representative William Cloonan Committee Member Aimée Boutin Committee Member The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members, and certifies that the dissertation has been approved in accordance with university requirements. ii For my father Oliver Lovasz iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS It is with great pride and appreciation that I acknowledge those who contributed to the completion of this dissertation. First and foremost, to my research Professor Alec Hargreaves without whose invaluable help this dissertation would not have been completed. A very special thanks to the elderly family friend who helped start the project that culminated in this dissertation, in which she appears under the pseudonym of Jacqueline, and who contributed valuable time and bittersweet memories of the Second World War in Moselle. Sincere thanks to all of the malgré-elles who agreed to be interviewed in the course of my research, and who in many cases provided additional documents, some of which are reproduced with their permission in Appendix C. A heartfelt thanks to Philippe Wilmouth of ASCOMEMO for providing over several years the research support in France necessary to the progress of this dissertation and permission to reproduce many of the documents included in Appendix C. A “grand merci” to my brothers in law, Roland Streit, for his superb interpretation skills in various Germanic dialects spoken in Moselle, Alsace and Germany and to Christian Mayot who devoted time and his Clio Renault to drive me around when I did not have any transportation. Finally, to my wife, Marie-Francoise Lovasz, for her unyielding support and tolerance for the long hours involved in the preparation of this dissertation. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables………………………………………...……………….…………………………viii List of Figures……………………...……………………………….………………………….... ix Abstract………………………………………………………………....…………………...…..xiii 1. CHAPTER ONE- INTRODUCTION………………………...……………………..………1 1.1 Research Objectives…………….……...…….....….………………………………….1 1.2 Research Context…...……………………………………………….………………...4 1.2.1 Lorraine and Moselle prior to the Franco-Prussian War of 1870……………. 5 1.2.2 The First Annexation of 1871…………………………………………… …...5 1.2.3 The Second World War………………………………………………… …...6 1.3 Methodology………………………………………………………………………...10 1.4 Dissertation Structure………………………………………………………………..14 2. CHAPTER TWO- HISTORICAL CONTEXT…………………………………………… …17 2. 1 From Antiquity to the Franco-Prussian War…………………………………………17 2.2 From the Franco-Prussian War to World War One…………………………….……21 2.3 World War One………………………………………………………………………27 2.4 The Inter-War Period………………………………………………………………...29 2.5 German Annexation in World War Two…………………………………………….33 2.6 The Reichsarbeitsdienst or RAD and other forms of forced services……………..…47 2.7 Resistance and Liberation…………………………………………………………....50 2.8 Returnees, Reconstruction and Compensation……………………………………....62 3. CHAPTER THREE- METHODOLOGY……………………………………………………..71 3.1 Discovery of Subject…………………………………………………………………71 3.2 Planning and Research for Interviews……………………………………………….73 3.3 Field Research and Interviews……………………………………………………….76 3.4 Transcribing Interviews……………………………………………………………...80 3.5 A Hypothesis on Cultural Influences………………………………………………..80 3.6 Factors Affecting the Reliability of Interview Data…………………..……………..81 v 4. CHAPTER FOUR- EXPERIENCES OF A TYPICAL MALGRÉ-ELLE ……………………84 4.1 The Reichsarbeitsdienst and the Kriegshilfsdienst…………………………………..84 4.2 A malgré-elle drafted in the RAD…………………………………………………..88 4.3 Continued Service in the KHD……………………………………………………...97 4.4 Escape……………………………………………………………………………...101 4.5 Liberation and Reconstruction……………………………………………………..103 4.6 Associations of malgré-elles……………………………………………………….105 5. CHAPTER FIVE- ATTITUDINAL VARIATIONS………………………………………..107 5.1 Construction of Matrices…………………………………………………………..107 5.2 Linguistic Background…………………………………………………………….107 5.3 Reactions to German Take-Over……………………………………………..…...109 5.4 Reaction to Draft…………………………………………………………….…….111 5.5 Reactions to Experiences in Germany……………………………………….. …..112 5.6 Oath of Loyalty to Hitler…………………………………………………………..114 5.7 Synthesis…………………………………………………………………………..114 6. CHAPTER SIX- GENERAL CONCLUSIONS……………………………………………..118 APPENDIX A- GLOSSARY…………………………………………………………………..125 APPENDIX B- TABLES……………………………………………………………………….130 APPENDIX C- FIGURES …………………………………………………………………….134 APPENDIX D- ILLUSTRATIONS…………………………………………………………....136 APPENDIX E- INTERVIEW GUIDE…………………………………………………………160 APPENDIX F- APPROVAL AND CONSENT FORMS……………………………………...186 BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………………………………172 Unpublished Sources……………………………………………………………………...172 Published Sources………………………………………………………………………...176 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH…………………………………………………………………...190 vi LIST OF TABLES Table 1- Linguistic Background……………………………………………………………......130 Table 2- Reactions to German Take-Over…………………………………………...................131 Table 3- Reaction to Draft…………………………………………………………………… ..131 Table 4- Reactions to Experiences in Germany…………………………………...…………. ..132 Table 5- Oath of Loyalty to Hitler…………………………………………………..…….… ...133 vii LIST OF FIGURES Maps Wartime Map of France……………………………………………………………………......146 Map of Moselle…………………………………………….…………...……………………...147 Illustrations All illustrations are reproduced with the permission of the sources acknowledged in the captions. 1. Document from the German Military Archives located in Freiburg translated into French which provides a concise resume of what the RAD/KHD was, laws and regulations which pertained to it and their application to the young women from Alsace-Moselle (Source: ASCOMEMO) ………………………………………………………………….134 2. 1941 German document sent to city mayors informing them of the RAD requirement for women in Moselle and requesting a list of names of those affected by the call-up. (Source: ASCOMEMO)……………………………………………………………………………136 3. 1942 German official notification of the civic duty requirement for the RAD of men born in 1922, 1923 and 1924 as well as women born in 1923 and 1924. (Source: ASCOMEMO……………………….………………………………………… 137 4. 1942 German official notification requesting identification of all young women born in 1924 able to serve in the RAD. (Source: ASCOMEMO)… ………………………………………...……………………..138 5. 1942 German document call-up for the RAD of all young women of Moselle born in 1924. (Source: ASCOMEMO)…………………………………………………………………..139 viii 6. 1942 German document containing a form to be returned notifying whether those men and women who had been called up for the RAD have reported for the Müsterung, i.e. draft call-up and medical examination. Below this is found a form used to inform of any reason why potential draftee cannot report as ordered. (Source: ASCOMEMO)…………….…140 7. 1943 German official notification of the call-up for the RAD of all young women of Moselle born in 1926. (Source: ASCOMEMO)…………………………………………141 8. 1944 German document with French translation informing Maria Bardot that, given that she had refused to take the oath of loyalty to Hitler during her RAD service, her request for a work permit in Moselle has been denied. (Source: ASCOMEMO)……………………142 9. RAD identity card belonging to Hélène Wiesen from Metz. It contains on the right the dates covering her RAD service. (Source: Denise Weiland)…………………………….143 10. 1943 Photo of Hélène Wiesen (fifth from the right) at the RAD camp with some of her co- draftees. (Source: Denise Weiland) ……………………………………………………..144 11. 1993 photo of ex-RAD Arbeitsmaiden with some of the German ex-camp cadre. Gathering was to mark the fiftieth anniversary of their camp service. The photo contains three ex- Führerinen (the second and the third from the left; the fourth from the left was the Haupführerin or camp commander). Hélène Wiesen is the seventh from the right. (Source: Denise Weiland)..................................................................................................................145 12. Four photos of the reunion of ex-Arbeitsmaiden with ex-camp cadre. Hélène Wiesen w/ sign indicating that fifty years ago she had been an RAD Arbeitsmaid. (Source: Denise Weiland) ………………………………………………………………………………….146 ix 13. Photo of Pierrette P. (anonymized identity of one of the malgré-elles interviewed during dissertation field work) in RAD dress uniform with RAD brooch on blouse collar. (Source: Pierrette P.)…………………………………………. …………………………..……….147 14. Certificate of employment of Camilla Lang in a steel mill in Germany during her KHD service after her RAD service. (Source: Camilla Lang) ………………………...………148 15. Health insurance card issued to Camilla Lang during her KHD service in Germany. (Source: Camilla Lang)……………………………………………………………….…….……...149 16. Repatriation card issued by the French Ministry of Prisoners, Deported Persons and Refugees to Camilla