Klaus Barbie's unheard recordings detail the disturbing moments when Jean Moulin met his savage end, his frenzied actions colliding brutally with the unyielding wall.
Unearthed Conversations Shed Light on the Death of Jean Moulin and Klaus Barbie's Character
The Stanford American university has recently published audio recordings of a lengthy discussion between a German journalist and Klaus Barbie, the notorious "Butcher of Lyon". These recordings, spanning fourteen hours and held over six days in August 1979, while Barbie was in exile in Bolivia, have been made public by multiple international media outlets, including The Sunday Tribune.
Life in La Paz seemed peaceful for Barbie, who was 67 and holding the rank of colonel in the Bolivian army. Perhaps this sense of comfort is why Barbie spoke freely to Gerd Heidemann, the German journalist who pretended to be supportive during the interviews.
Barbie reminisced about his wartime experiences, sharing amusing anecdotes. However, he became somber when asked about the alleged torture of Jean Moulin and its role in his death. "He was not tortured, we did not touch him. I had a long discussion with him, about politics and everything. He told me at the time: you are losing the war, you cannot win. A very intelligent man. I tried, of course, to turn him slowly, but I couldn't. Nothing. Not a sound, not a word", explained Barbie in these recordings. "As long as we talked to him about political things, he was open. But as soon as I started to ask him to talk about London, his parachute jump, his activities, it was over. That's why I respect him".
Details Emerge about Jean Moulin's Detention
"I did not torture Jean Moulin. He committed suicide", Barbie claimed, a position questioned by historians. In these recordings, he offers new details about Jean Moulin's death circumstances. "In prison, we had a basement downstairs. That's where he attempted suicide. He was indeed tied by the hands", admits Barbie, "but I didn't have him tied by the feet. I didn't think of it. The guards didn't pay attention. He would gain momentum and hit his head against the wall and open his skull. That's why he died. Then, he was transported to Frankfurt and he died during the transport", Barbie recounts.
Historian Benedicte Vergez-Chaignon believes that this version presents a more plausible account of Moulin's death than previously accepted by specialists. "The oldest version was that Jean Moulin would have taken advantage of his movements within Montluc prison, going to or coming from interrogations, to throw himself headfirst down the stairs", explains the historian. "This version raised questions for those familiar with this prison, as the stairs are not very high, they're half-landings, so it's hard to see how this seems possible. In the version given by Barbie, Jean Moulin, while in his cell, strikes himself repeatedly, Barbie even mentions three hours during which the resistor would have done this to kill himself", reports Benedicte Vergez-Chaignon.
A Glimpse into Barbie's Psychology
These unprecedented recordings provide insights into the "Butcher of Lyon's" personality, revealing his pride in having arrested Jean Moulin, lack of remorse for the atrocities committed during the war, and cynical sense of humor. For example, he recounts asking a friend in Paris to lay flowers on Moulin's grave, a gesture dripping with provocation and a dark sense of humor.
Military exploits and episodes previously unknown to historians are also mentioned by Barbie during the interviews, offering a chilling self-portrait of this infamous Nazi figure.
- These new details about Jean Moulin's death, as revealed by Klaus Barbie in the recently published recordings, have shed light on the events surrounding Moulin's demise and added to the general-news discourse.
- The recordings, which include anecdotes shared by Barbie, have presented a provocative insight into his personality, showcasing a sense of humor that borders on the cynical.
- In the interviews, Barbie also mentioned various military exploits and incidents, adding to the political history chronicles and expanding the knowledge about this infamous Nazi figure.
- The anecdotes shared by Barbie, along with his comments on Jean Moulin's death, have sparked renewed interest and debates in academic circles, particularly among historians studying the Second World War and its aftermath.
