Holy Collar, Dark Soul: The Traitor Priest of Occupied France: Robert Alesch
Faith Under Fire: Clergy in WWII
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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.
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