Times of Betrayal & Defiance
Roth Brothers and Co.
Makers of rubberized fabric
Nantes, 17, June 1940, Concerning Lucien Moreau
Because of the stop of shipment, we must momentarily close the factory.
Telegram (above)
This telegram is from the Jewish business owners Lucien worked for.
Letter (right)
This letter is from The Chamber of Commerce of Nantes granting Lucien permission to restart his house.
I undersign Lucien Moreau, Director of the Roth Frēres enterprise, 76 rue Desaix ā Nantes, holder of passport No. 50368, resident of 26 Avenue Alsace-Lorraine in Grenoble.
I certify that I need to come to Grenoble to get instructions to restart the House that I have there
Signed Lucien Monreau
The chamber of Commerce of Nantes gives a favorable opinion for the deliverance by the Kommandeur to give leave to Mr. Lucien Moreau [to restart the house].
Nantes, 19 August 1940
Letter
(left)
This letter was written in disguise by Lucien’s best friend at the time notifying the German police that Lucien had been helping Jewish business owners.
Letter (Part A.1)
14 August, 1941
You will find my letter a bit late but I am frightened that someone will recognize my writing, you do not want the unsealing. Yes, Lucien, my terrible actions I have committed against your respect… I really have no excuse … if I don’t see you anymore it’s because I am ashamed to find myself in front of you. I have done you much harm, I am ready to face my cowardice. We feel ashamed of betrayal, begging forgiveness. If I do not see you anymore it is because I am ashamed to face you. I do not want you to think that I believed the Boches (Germans) because I have always fought them.
My dear Lucien
I thank you for your response received this morning, but how difficult it was to read those lines. Yes Lucien, all that you say is true, Marc did you much harm. But if you knew how much he regrets the thought you believe that I was [in the know] you must think that at that moment I would have prevented him from doing that. We came to Abel street believing we’d find you. We would really like to see you. If you don’t want to see Marc anymore, I dare to hope that you won’t refuse me and that there I will recount to you all my miseries and then I believe you will be accommodating for my daughter and me. I know that you are going to respond to me…I know that very well and I blushed while writing those lines. What more you say dear Lucien I cannot because you repeat our pain and I come to ask for a favorable response through pity and to ask of you a meeting so we can explain in real life because I can’t write anymore.
Letter (Part A.2)
I tell you again that I will, my dear Lucien, return to Laëmnee for my kidney. You give me that last please of responding because during my operation one never knows what will happen. I do not want to have the operation because my daughter could suffer holding onto the ugly aspects of her father. Pardon us if you cannot pardon him! I’m ending my letter asking for a bit of pity and quick response. My good wishes to Renée and Colette.
-Berthe
Letter (part B.1)
(Sideways text): Marc is ready to receive all your reproaches of which he is capable I am going to ask you again, my dear Lucien, the biggest secret of that ugly story. One who thinks to be one of your friends, Berthe. I hope you have very good news of Renée and Colette.
Letter:
You are certainly not going to be surprised to recognize my writing. It is for a very annoying reason that I solicit your forgiveness. What had to be your punishment, my dear Lucien, in recognizing the writing of your best friend for whom you had performed the greatest services? Yes, it’s true, it’s very dreadful and today he suffers and suffers from an evil that imprisons him. He acted in a moment of madness, gripped by jealousy that existed in an extremely difficult past where everything came in on us. Because my dear Lucien, I will tell you my odyssey and then you will understand everything.
![Letter (Part B.2)You have an angry heart that has beat me and then I was to know I would prove my sorrow to you. He [Marc] lost is head, he really didn’t understand his jealousy- he couldn’t dare write you out of fear that you wouldn’t want to read …](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ece69d7ff39df0155916f44/1596466019881-TCYWGQUKIK0CE65R2UC3/Letter+from+man+and+wife+asking+Lucien+for+forgivness+part+1.jpg)
Letter (Part B.2)
You have an angry heart that has beat me and then I was to know I would prove my sorrow to you. He [Marc] lost is head, he really didn’t understand his jealousy- he couldn’t dare write you out of fear that you wouldn’t want to read his letter. Yesterday, he was called before that commissioner. He recounted his great fault. All he could say was “Why did I do this to my best friend?”. My dear Lucien, I think you will want to take my letter into consideration and know you won’t hold us in distaste, especially my daughter, who is as you know, very sick and will die. I await the day when I must go to the hospital to be operated on for my kidney. As you can see, we are good at complaining. I ask you to forgive us for yesterday, the 3 of us went to Rue Abel at 10 pm and this morning we went into the city where we saw your concierge who was very annoyed not to find someone to bring your bicycle to Montparnasse. Marc quickly took charge in that way that you know as well. But he didn’t accept the declared value. So, Marc left in anger and you will receive it in 2 or 3 days more. It’s a small gesture after the harm he could’ve caused you. Lucien, question your heart, remember the good moments we experienced together, and forgive us. You know how big his heart is, and despite all your pain, we have been together. The commissioner told Marc to see you to stop his worrying and to ask you to write to the Special Court of Justice of Versailles. Think you will do it for us, my dear Lucien, I beseech you. It is a very unhappy mother who asks this of you, and I dare to hope that my letter will not remain without a response because I await one with great impatience, and I don’t want to return to the hospital without one. If you have the kindness to grant us this great favor, Marc will allow you to do anything you want to be granted forgiveness and we will do anything to thank you for that kind gesture. I don’t need to tell you that I was not involved. The commissioner recommended to Marc that he quickly write to stop your lawsuit. We await your response. We no longer live, our souls are in such turmoil. Receive this, my dear Lucien, our best friend.
Letters (above)
These letters were written by the man and his wife who turned Lucien into the Germans. They are both asking Lucien for forgiveness for what the husband had done and the wife attempts to defend his actions.
Letter (right)
This letter is from Lucien to the President of the Special Court of Justice notifying them of the ongoing harassment from his former friend and his wife.
Letter
5 September
The President of the Special Court of Justice, Versailles
Mr. President,
In June, I was summoned to the Quai de l’Horloge in Parsi to identify the handwriting of a reporting of me to the Germans. I recognize the writing of Monsieur Rouveron of 17 rue de la Montague in Athis-Mons (SEO). At that moment the officer who had summoned me said to me: “That man lives at the …Oise, and he must deprive us of the lawsuit in Versailles. The 5th of August, I received a distraught letter begging my forgiveness, et. Monsieur Rouveron had been summoned by the commissioner of the police in Athis-Mons, where he recounted his infamous actions. The Commissioner of Police in Athis-Mons advised him to write me urgently, asking me to write to you to put an end to this affair. I ask myself, what would be the attitude of that gentleman if he had learned that, after questioning him, his best friend was reported to the Germans. I cannot forgive Mr. Rouveron, especially because in February of 1941, the date of his letter, he knew full well that I had been severely interrogated by the Germans in October of 1940 and he was not ignorant of where he could’ve sent me. I address this letter to you, above all because I am harassed by the letters, phone calls, and suicide threats from him and his wife if I don’t stop my lawsuit, etc. etc… And one never knows what will pass through their heads if the case drags on too long.I hope to learn soon that the case has run its course.
I beg to believe, Mr. President, in the assurance of my consideration.