The « tondues » during the Liberation

Altough the « femme tondue » (woman whose head was shaved for alleged collaboration) is a powerful image of the Liberation, few studies have analysed this issue. This practice was common and widespread on French territory in 1944 and 1945. During these head shaving incidents, women's bodies were actually put on display as a means of atonement. Beyond illustrating how thepublic took the law into its own hands, however, the description of « public shaving » reflects during this period how unclear the lines were between public and private life. This theatrical public display opened the way to fantasy and sexuality. Symbolically headshaving eoisodes represented the « sin » - collaboration -, the « punishment » - purification -, and finally a « vision of the future » - the reconstruction. This study allows us to understand why these episodes occured, as well as the underlying stakes in the reappropriation of the bodies of the « tondue », specifically, and of women's bodies, in general.

Click on the link of the video ;

French women who had too many german friends loose their hair as retaliation after WWII

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3ySZCMcSew

One can understand the spirit of revenge but the way of doing it a little less. About or is the camp or one is , the respect of the person is important in my eyes. Humiliation in the joy of the spectators and the executants is , for me , disturbing.

Véronique

You have to see this in the light of the wartime years, not in the light of today.

After 4 years of German occupation, people finally were free again.

In that occupation, some of these women paraded around with the (hated) German while other people literally had to fight for survival.

Some of these women might even had a French PoW rotting away in some prison camp in Germany in the early years of the occupation.

Maybe some of them even betrayed other people to their German "boyfriends".

This however does not put what they did with these women in a good light.

Shaving their heads, parading them in their underwear and in some cases even raping them is and remains despicable.

Even if they really were pro-German and committed crimes, they should have been taken care of by proper authorities (which were mostly lacking at that time).

But those days right after the occupation (first days of liberation) were pretty disorderly and confusing.

There was no controle, no order and hidden hatred was suddenly released.

In my area, right after the occupation, one could just pick up an abandoned Mauser rifle, put on a "tricolor" brassard and declare yourself a hero of the Resistance.

For some a way to make up for their cowardice during the occupation (or worse!).

You could also easily point at someone and declare him or her a collaborator.

Nobody would tell you otherwise, and mostly this was a good way to (re-start old vendettas).

Some despicable things have happened here as well.

But again, you need to look at this with "1944 glasses", not "2007 glasses".

Nothing in war situation is black and white, there are always various shades of grey.

Erwin

Very well spoken Erwin. Yes, it's way to easy to "Monday morning quarterback" for the war. It's way too easy for people living in 2007 to judge what was done during the war. You definitely have to understand the mindset at the time, and live through all they lived through.

How many times do we read today about how the allies should have done this and shouldn't have done that, because they are sitting in an easy chair with beer in hand and talking about things they have NO WAY to comprehend. We all have to remember to put ourselves in THEIR shoes first.