In a remarkable discovery, an album containing 377 clandestine photographs of Paris during the German Occupation from 1940 to 1942 was found at a flea market in 2020. This collection, initially shrouded in mystery, has been attributed to Raoul Minot, an amateur photographer who risked his life to document the era.
Minot's work, comprising nearly 1,300 images, offers a unique, non-propagandist perspective on life under occupation, capturing candid moments of both German soldiers and Parisians.
The investigation, led by Le Monde, took four years to uncover Minot's identity, revealing him as a forgotten hero who was ultimately arrested and died in deportation.
His photographs, now preserved in part by the Musée de la Résistance nationale, provide an invaluable historical record of a city under siege, showcasing the resilience and spirit of its people.