On august 19, 1944 at seven p.m. the fatal order "no belongings" rang out in Montluc. Among the
names yeled out in the corridor were those of Charlotte and 3 other women. Charlottes first reaction
was a cry of joy; she thought she was being liberated. But soon she realized that she was going to be
executed. Sourrounded by her three weeping compagnions, she remained dignified. As they left the
builing they were handed over to an SS formation, armed to the teeth, who amid a torrent of abuse
beat them with their rifle butts ans shoved them into a truck. They were taken to the airfield Bron,
ten kilometers from the center of Lyon. There, they were lined up in front of trenches - shell holes,
in fact - and machine gunned. Without anyone making sure that they were actually dead, their bodies
were hastily covered with earth and rubble.
Charlotte leitner, often called Lotka was born in 1908 by
Polish/Jewish parents. Charlotte spend her youth in Paris, working
as a model for Elizabeth Arden and others. After the German
occupation of France during WW2 Charlotte joined the French
Restance. She fought in the south of France for several years
beforeshe was arrested by the Germans on March 29, 1944.
Charlotte was in Nice when the Gestapo broke down the door to
her room and took her away. She was interrogated several times
during the next days, and then imprisoned in Fort de Montluc.
Being unaware of her Jewish origin the Germans treated her quite
well, almost like a prisoner of war. Among other privilleges
Charlotte was allowed to wash her underwear.