Holy Collar, Dark Soul: The Traitor Priest of Occupied France: Robert Alesch
Faith Under Fire: Clergy in WWII [collection]
•
12m
He was a man of God — and a servant of evil.
During the German occupation of France, Catholic priest Robert Alesch preached in La Varenne–Saint-Hilaire near Paris, earning trust with his anti-Nazi sermons. But behind the pulpit, he secretly worked for the German Abwehr, infiltrating Resistance networks across Paris, Lyon, and Normandy.
Alesch’s deceit led to mass arrests and deportations — among them members of the Gloria Network and Germaine Tillion’s circle, many of whom perished in Nazi camps like Ravensbrück. Living in luxury in occupied Paris, he betrayed dozens for money and power.
After the war, Alesch was captured in Brussels, tried in France, and executed by firing squad in 1949 — remembered as one of the most dangerous collaborators in occupied France.
Up Next in Faith Under Fire: Clergy in WWII [collection]
-
Priest Who Risked His Life to Help Pr...
After Nazi Germany annexed Austria in March 1938, repression spread rapidly—and those who spoke out risked everything.
Otto Neururer, an Austrian Catholic priest, was among the few who openly rejected Nazi racial ideology and defended the dignity of all people. His stance led to his arrest and d...
-
The Nazi Bishop Who Helped Hitler's W...
After the Second World War, while Allied authorities hunted down Nazi leaders across Europe, one Catholic bishop secretly helped many of them disappear. Using his position in Rome, Alois Hudal provided false identity papers, arranged travel documents, and assisted some of the most notorious perpe...
