Aubrac, Lucie (1912–)

French Resistance leader. Name variations: Lucie Bernard, Lucie Samuel. Born Lucie Bernard in the Mâcon area of Burgundy, France, June 29, 1912; dau. of winegrowers; graduated from Sorbonne with an agrégée d'histoire (one of France's highest academic degrees), 1938; m. Raymond Samuel (Raymond Aubrac), Dec 14, 1939; children: Jean-Pierre (b. May 3, 1941), Catherine (b. Feb 19, 1944), Elisabeth (b. 1946).

One of the most active members of the Resistance during WWII, participated in raids, arranged contacts, delivered patriots from the Gestapo, and specialized in organizing prison escapes, 3 of which included her Jewish résistant husband; helped found the powerful Libération Sud ("Liberation South") and its underground press, to incite popular revolt and a general strike and to alert the French to the treacherous machinations of Pétain's Vichy government (1940); dealt directly with Klaus Barbie and other Nazis to help husband and others escape (1943); in danger, was flown with family to England where the underground made her a representative of United Resistance Movement with a seat at the conservative assembly of the French Committee of National Liberation in Algiers in 1944 (thus, she became the 1st French woman parliamentarian); testified against Barbie in Lyon (1983); wrote La Résistance (Naissance et Organisation, 1945).

See also memoir, Ils partiront dans l'ivresse (Outwitting the Gestapo) (1984); film Lucie Aubrac; and Women in World History.