in Weird, WWII

Shocking Photos Depict How French Women Were Punished In France For Collaborating With Nazis

32.2k Views 251 Comments

At the end of World War II, French people accused some women for being collaborative with the occupying Germans were punished with humiliating acts, such as their heads where shaved in public and they were beaten. Some women were marched through the streets and shamed. The humiliating scenes often took place in front of jeering crowds as you can see in the photographs below.

A lot of committees, Resistance cells and French intellectuals protested against these public shaving because they were also punishing women, who did simple jobs like cooking, laundry, cleaning or other housemaid jobs for the Germans staying there. Some of these women had to pay the rent and food themselves to survive during wartime. Unfortunately, the resistance cells and committees only managed to keep these public shaving low in few regions of France.

#1 French female collaborator punished by having her head shaved to publicly mark her, 1944.

French female collaborator punished by having her head shaved to publicly mark her, 1944.

6 Points
Upvote Downvote

#2 Civilians and members of the French resistance lead a female collaborator through the streets of Rennes after her head was shaven and covered with iodine. August 06, 1944.

Civilians and members of the French resistance lead a female collaborator through the streets of Rennes after her head was shaven and covered with iodine. August 06, 1944.

6 Points
Upvote Downvote

#3 Two women, partially stripped, their heads shaved and with swastikas painted on their faces, are marched barefoot down the streets of Paris, to shame and humiliate them for collaborating with the Germans during the Second World War. August 27, 1944.

Two women, partially stripped, their heads shaved and with swastikas painted on their faces, are marched barefoot down the streets of Paris, to shame and humiliate them for collaborating with the Germans during the Second World War. August 27, 1944.

4 Points
Upvote Downvote

#4 A sobbing French woman with a swastika smeared on her face is paraded through the streets with civilians and a soldier.

A sobbing French woman with a swastika smeared on her face is paraded through the streets with civilians and a soldier.

4 Points
Upvote Downvote

#5 A French woman collaborator and her baby, whose father is German, tries to return to her home followed by a throng of taunting townspeople after having her head shaven following the capture of Chartres by the Allies, August 1944. It appears that she is passing some women who suffered a similar fate.

A French woman collaborator and her baby, whose father is German, tries to return to her home followed by a throng of taunting townspeople after having her head shaven following the capture of Chartres by the Allies, August 1944. It appears that she is passing some women who suffered a similar fate.

4 Points
Upvote Downvote

#6 Two French patriots restrain a woman while another crops her hair after she has been accused of collaborating with the Germans during the occupation. January 01, 1945.

Two French patriots restrain a woman while another crops her hair after she has been accused of collaborating with the Germans during the occupation. January 01, 1945.

4 Points
Upvote Downvote

#7 A group of Frenchwomen, who had been accused of collaborating with the Germans, stripped down to their underwear, some with heads shaved, as part of their public humiliation.

A group of Frenchwomen, who had been accused of collaborating with the Germans, stripped down to their underwear, some with heads shaved, as part of their public humiliation.

4 Points
Upvote Downvote

#8 Throughout France, from 1943 to the beginning of 1946, about 20,000 women of all ages and all professions who were accused of having collaborated with the occupying Germans had their heads shaved.

Throughout France, from 1943 to the beginning of 1946, about 20,000 women of all ages and all professions who were accused of having collaborated with the occupying Germans had their heads shaved.

4 Points
Upvote Downvote

#9 A French woman with a bloody face is forced to look at the camera while French soldiers do nothing.

A French woman with a bloody face is forced to look at the camera while French soldiers do nothing.

3 Points
Upvote Downvote

#10 A young woman has her hair cropped by French patriots who accuse her of collaborating with the Germans during the occupation. January 01, 1945.

A young woman has her hair cropped by French patriots who accuse her of collaborating with the Germans during the occupation. January 01, 1945.

3 Points
Upvote Downvote

#11 Soldiers cutting the hair of a collaborator on Bastille Day. August 12, 1944.

Soldiers cutting the hair of a collaborator on Bastille Day. August 12, 1944.

2 Points
Upvote Downvote

#12 A Frenchwoman collaborator and her baby with her mother followed by a throng of taunting townspeople in August 1944.

A Frenchwoman collaborator and her baby with her mother followed by a throng of taunting townspeople in August 1944.

2 Points
Upvote Downvote

#13 A woman who collaborated with the Nazis has her hair cut as a sign of public disgust.

A woman who collaborated with the Nazis has her hair cut as a sign of public disgust.

1 Point
Upvote Downvote

#14 A woman, with her baby whose father is German, and her mother are jeered and humiliated by crowds in Chartres after having their heads shaved as punishment for collaborating with the German troops, 1944.

A woman, with her baby whose father is German, and her mother are jeered and humiliated by crowds in Chartres after having their heads shaved as punishment for collaborating with the German troops, 1944.

1 Point
Upvote Downvote

#15 A crowd jeers as a woman’s head is shaved during the liberation of Marseilles.

A crowd jeers as a woman’s head is shaved during the liberation of Marseilles.

-1 Points
Upvote Downvote

#16 A French woman accused of sleeping with Germans is attacked and her head has been shaved by her neighbors in a village near Marseilles.

A French woman accused of sleeping with Germans is attacked and her head has been shaved by her neighbors in a village near Marseilles.

-3 Points
Upvote Downvote

#17 Women with their tops torn off and swastikas scrawled with tar on their faces are paraded through the streets of Paris. Many other women were dragged through the streets naked.

Women with their tops torn off and swastikas scrawled with tar on their faces are paraded through the streets of Paris. Many other women were dragged through the streets naked.

-7 Points
Upvote Downvote

#18 A teenager is brutalized by a mob incited by communist ‘partisans’. Note she is being ‘painted’ by a French ‘artist’ at the bottom of the screen.

A teenager is brutalized by a mob incited by communist 'partisans'. Note she is being 'painted' by a French 'artist' at the bottom of the screen.

-9 Points
Upvote Downvote

#19 These two abused girls are little more than children!

These two abused girls are little more than children!

-9 Points
Upvote Downvote

#20 Brutalized women, their heads shaved, are loaded into the back of a truck. The ‘man’ behind them is holding a sign that says ‘collaborators’, but who is the real collaborator?

Brutalized women, their heads shaved, are loaded into the back of a truck. The 'man' behind them is holding a sign that says 'collaborators', but who is the real collaborator?

-31 Points
Upvote Downvote

Written by Alicia Linn

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet....... I’ve never been able to figure out what would i write about myself.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

251 Comments

Load more comments