Michel, Louise.

Born in Vroncourt, Haute-Marne, France 1830, died in Marseille 1905; pedagogue, writer, political activist, Communard and anarchist; opened her own free school in Audeloncourt in 1852 and one in Monmartre, Paris in 1865; she wrote novels, poems, plays, articles on literature; she assisted at political meetings and manifestations in Paris from 1856 and wrote for Republican papers, turning more and more radical; she took part wholeheartedly in the Commune of Paris as a nurse on ambulances, propagandist and foremost on the barricades; she gave herself up in exchange for her mother and was imprisoned in New Caledonia from 1873-1880; her experiences with the power of institutions during the Commune made her turn to anarchism; on her return to Paris she was met by enthusiastic crowds; she resumed her political activities, speaking at meetings across the country; she was arrested on several occasions and imprisoned for a longer period again from 1883-1886; from 1890 she lived in semi-exile in London where she was a member of the Fabian Society and continued lecturing, also in Holland, Belgium and Algeria; back in France, she died in Marseille, while on a lecturing tour; 1000.000 persons came to her funeral; her many publications include her "Memoires" (Paris 1886), "La Commune" (Paris 1898) and her journal "L'Intransigeant" (1883-1896).