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Odette Nilès

1922 – 2023

French militant

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About Odette Nilès

Lived 1922 – 2023 (aged 100). Odette Nilès was a French resistance fighter and political activist.

Odette Nilès (; 27 December 1922 – 27 May 2023) was a French Communist and a militant in the French Resistance. She was held in internment camps from 1941 to 1944, where she had a romance with resistance hero Guy Môquet, for which she became known as "Guy Môquet's fiancée". After escaping from an internment camp, she became a member of the resistance against Vichy France. After World War II, she remained an active member of the French Communist Party as the wife of the mayor of Drancy.

Biography Odette Lecland was born in Paris on 27 December 1922, and she grew up in Drancy. She became engaged in activism and volunteer work in 1939, when she was 15 years old, opposing French involvement in the Spanish Civil War and collecting donations of milk for babies in Spain. She joined the Young Communists in 1940. During the occupation period of Vichy France, she worked with them to distribute pamphlets and attend protests. She was arrested along with a group of fellow militants on 13 August 1941, and she was sent to the Choisel internment camp the next month. and she briefly began a romance with him. After his execution, she came to be known as "Guy Môquet's fiancée". She remained in various camps for the following three years. She escaped from the Merignac internment camp in 1944 and joined the French Resistance in Bordeaux.

Odette Nilès continued supporting communism after the end of World War II, Nilès died on 27 May 2023. Condolences were sent by prominent figures including President Emmanuel Macron and Communist Party leader Fabien Roussel.

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Positions held
President
Awards
Officer of the Legion of Honour

People in Odette Nilès's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Odette Nilès's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Odette Nilès?

French militant (1922–2023)

When was Odette Nilès born?

Odette Nilès was born on 27 December 1922 in 20th arrondissement of Paris.

When did Odette Nilès die?

Odette Nilès died on 26 May 2023 in Drancy.

What was Odette Nilès's occupation?

Odette Nilès was a resistance fighter and political activist.

What nationality was Odette Nilès?

Odette Nilès was French.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Odette Nilès

· Wikidata: Q93611735

· DBpedia: Odette Nilès

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Odette Nilès. https://biography.guide/odette-niles/

MLA: "Odette Nilès." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/odette-niles/.

Chicago: "Odette Nilès." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/odette-niles/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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