Paul Teitgen

Paul Teitgen (6 February 1919 – 13 October 1991) was a résistant and political prisoner during the Second World War. Later, he was the Police Prefect of Algiers during the Algerian War, where he was notable for his opposition to the French military's use of torture.

Early life

Teitgen was born in Colombe-lès-Vesoul, son of Henri (an employee of L'Impartial before the war, after he became a lawyer), brother to Pierre Henri Teitgen and one of seven, growing up in Nancy.

World War II

During the war Teitgen, his father and brother all joined the French Resistance and were deported by the Nazis. He was imprisoned in Dachau Concentration Camp and tortured nine times.

Career After the war he joined the first class of the École nationale d'administration. After graduation he became sub-Prefect and then in 1955 secretary general of the Marne.

In August 1956, Teitgen was appointed Police Perfect of Algiers. In November 1956 he refused to condone the torture of Fernand Iveton who had planted a bomb at the gasworks where he worked and refused to reveal the location of a second bomb.

In December 1956 Teitgen received a call from General Jacques Faure proposing a military takeover of Algeria. Teitgen reported the exchange to the Governor-General of Algeria Robert Lacoste and then to Minister of Defence Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury who was dismissive of the warning. Teitgen then reported it to Prime Minister Guy Mollet and Faure was recalled to France and arrested.

On 29 March 1957, Teitgen handed his resignation to Lacoste after seeing signs of torture on prisoners being held at the military holding camps at Béni Messous and Paul Cazelle. Lacoste asked Teitgen to remain at his post in order to try to mitigate the torture and Teitgen agreed and in April he helped form the "Safeguard Committee of Individual Rights and Liberties" to investigate and moderate the torture. He eventually resigned over the torture issue in September, leaving his post on 8 October 1957. Teitgen and his family were then sent to Brazil staying there for six months before returning to France. In 1960 he became a member of the Conseil d'État.

In September 1960 Teitgen appeared as a witness in the trial of Francis Jeanson. In his deposition Teitgen said that during the Battle of Algiers he had sheltered three Muslim nurses in his home for a month and a half protecting them from both the FLN and the French military. Teitgen advised that torture was the reason for his resignation and that he been aware of some disappearances.

Teitgen later remarked "All right, Massu won the Battle of Algiers; but that meant losing the war."

Later life and death He died on 13 October 1991 and was buried in his home town of Colombe-lès-Vesoul.