Association Française Buchenwald Dora et Kommandos

Association Française Buchenwald Dora et Kommandos 

The *Association Française Buchenwald Dora et Kommandos* was established on July 1, 1945, by two prominent French resistance members and Buchenwald concentration camp survivors: Marcel Paul and Colonel Frédéric Henri Manhès. Marcel Paul, a former union activist and Communist elected official, later became Minister of Industrial Production under General de Gaulle and founded EDF. Colonel Manhès was a key Resistance figure, serving as an assistant to Jean Moulin, the head of the National Council of the Resistance. Initially, the association focused on maintaining solidarity among Buchenwald and Dora survivors and defending their rights. It later expanded to include the families of survivors and the general public, promoting the memory of the Resistance and deportations. The association now includes over 1,200 members, with more than 200 survivors. Leadership has evolved over time, with responsibilities passing from former deportees to their descendants, and eventually, to individuals connected to the cause through their dedication to memorial efforts. Since 2015, Olivier Lalieu, representing this new generation, leads the association, supported by former deportees and a network of volunteers across France. 

Mémorial