Pourtois, Louis
Item
Name
Pourtois, Louis
Given name
Louis
Family name
Pourtois
Relation
French YCW leader
One-line bio
French YCW leader sent to Germany under the Compulsory Labour Service scheme, where he continued to organise Catholic Action groups, leading to his arrest and deportation to the Mauthausen Concentration Camp where he died. He was beatified on 13 December 2025.
Biography
Born on 24 May, 1919 in Besançon. He attended the Arsenal school in Besançon. From a very modest family, he earned his living very early: in 1932 as a delivery boy, in 1933 as an employee at the Besançon branch of the Crédit industriel d'Alsace-Lorraine.
From the age of 8, he was very involved in Catholicism: serving Mass, participating in 1936 in the founding of the youth movement "Cœurs Vaillants"; in 1940 he was responsible for the nascent group "JOC, Banks and offices in Besançon".
On 7 December, 1942, he was required to leave for the STO (Forced Labor Service). He was assigned to Eisenach.
He became head of Catholic Action in Eisenach from Christmas 1942 to February 1943. In this role, he launched theatrical activities, recreational programs, and study groups, which diverted young people away from Nazi propaganda aimed at reducing them to mere beasts of burden. He himself was assigned to test Juncker 52 aircraft engines and worked 72 hours a week (letter of 21 March, 1944).
On 27-28 November, 1943, he participated in a clandestine regional meeting in Erfurt, where he represented Catholic Action from Eisenach with Father Maurice Dubois-Matra, who had agreed to relinquish his status as a prisoner-of-war priest to become a civilian worker and assist them with the sacraments. The German clergy were themselves forbidden from assisting the French under penalty of being sent to Dachau.
On April 19, 1944, he was arrested in Eisenach. Transferred to the Gestapo headquarters in Gotha, he was interrogated by a specialist in religious matters. He joined eleven other comrades arrested for the same reason at Gotha prison.
On September 25, 1944, he signed his reason for condemnation: " Through his Catholic action among these French comrades, during his compulsory labor service, he was a danger to the German state and people."
On 12 October, 1944, he arrived at Flossenbürg and received the number 28908. On 23-25 October, he was transferred to the Gusen commando, of the Mauthausen concentration camp, with the number 108715.
On 20 April, 1945, he died in the infirmary of the Mauthausen camp.
Source: T1, Martyrs of the Spiritual Resistance , C. Molette, ed. X. de G., 1999; Christian Resistance in Nazi Germany, Fernand Morin, cellmate of Marcel Callo , D. Morin, ed. Karthala, 2014.
From the age of 8, he was very involved in Catholicism: serving Mass, participating in 1936 in the founding of the youth movement "Cœurs Vaillants"; in 1940 he was responsible for the nascent group "JOC, Banks and offices in Besançon".
On 7 December, 1942, he was required to leave for the STO (Forced Labor Service). He was assigned to Eisenach.
He became head of Catholic Action in Eisenach from Christmas 1942 to February 1943. In this role, he launched theatrical activities, recreational programs, and study groups, which diverted young people away from Nazi propaganda aimed at reducing them to mere beasts of burden. He himself was assigned to test Juncker 52 aircraft engines and worked 72 hours a week (letter of 21 March, 1944).
On 27-28 November, 1943, he participated in a clandestine regional meeting in Erfurt, where he represented Catholic Action from Eisenach with Father Maurice Dubois-Matra, who had agreed to relinquish his status as a prisoner-of-war priest to become a civilian worker and assist them with the sacraments. The German clergy were themselves forbidden from assisting the French under penalty of being sent to Dachau.
On April 19, 1944, he was arrested in Eisenach. Transferred to the Gestapo headquarters in Gotha, he was interrogated by a specialist in religious matters. He joined eleven other comrades arrested for the same reason at Gotha prison.
On September 25, 1944, he signed his reason for condemnation: " Through his Catholic action among these French comrades, during his compulsory labor service, he was a danger to the German state and people."
On 12 October, 1944, he arrived at Flossenbürg and received the number 28908. On 23-25 October, he was transferred to the Gusen commando, of the Mauthausen concentration camp, with the number 108715.
On 20 April, 1945, he died in the infirmary of the Mauthausen camp.
Source: T1, Martyrs of the Spiritual Resistance , C. Molette, ed. X. de G., 1999; Christian Resistance in Nazi Germany, Fernand Morin, cellmate of Marcel Callo , D. Morin, ed. Karthala, 2014.
Country of origin
English
France
Geographic area
Besançon
Birth date
May 24, 1919
Birth place
Besançon
Death date
April 20, 1945
Death place
Mauthausen Concentration Camp
Movement
French JOC
Affiliation
French JOC