Molland, Josette

A remarkable individual who passed away at the age of 100 in France on 17 February 2024, Josette Molland was a member of the French Resistance during World War II. Captured by the Gestapo, she endured the horrors of Nazi forced-labour camps for women, including Ravensbrück. Despite witnessing brutalities, she survived and later shared her experiences with students. Feeling that words alone were insufficient to convey the harsh reality of camp life, she turned to art in her 80s. Through 15 folk-art style paintings, she depicted scenes of the harsh incarceration endured by female inmates like herself.

Her artwork served as a powerful testimony to the atrocities faced in the camps. Some of her paintings include "The Washroom," depicting the stark conditions of hygiene; "50 Blows of the 'Gummi,'" illustrating a fatal punishment; "Liberation of the Camp by Polish Partisans on Horseback," showing a moment of hope; "At the Dentist," revealing a dehumanizing experience; and "She Had Just Cut Down a Tree," portraying a tragic end. These paintings not only captured the physical suffering but also conveyed the emotional and psychological toll of life in Nazi camps.