Geneviève de Gaulle-Anthonioz

French Member of the Resistance

She was a very important Co-operator in the French „Résistance“ during the Nazi-period. Geneviève de Gaulle-Anthonioz (1920 – 2002), niece of General Charles de Gaulle, studied history in Paris, joined the resistance just after the occupation of France in June 1940. She expanded the present information networks, in particular the group “Défense la France”.

In 1943 she was imprisoned by the Gestapo in Fresnes/France and was displaced to the women’s concentration camp of Ravensbrück/Germany in 1944 by the Transport of the 27000. For her the horrible camp life even became worse being placed in isolation in the camp bunker following a decision by Himmler to keep her alive and use her as a possible exchange prisoner.

Unexpectedly she was released in February 1945. The following year she married Bernard Anthonioz, a fellow resistance member with whom she had four children. She became member and president of many social and political movements, especially of the «Association des déportées et internées de la résistance», worked with the cabinet of André Malraux and was the first woman to receive the „Grand Croix de la Légion d‘Honneur“ beside many other awards. Her uncle’s decisions also were influenced by her.

The drawing is based on her book "La Traversée de la Nuit" speaking of her life in the concentration camp, it was published in 1998.

 

Encounter between the Divine Sumerian Prostitute and Enkidu

The Sumerian epic Gilgamesh and Enkidu is the basis for this drawing. The Sumerians ruled the major part of Babylonia and had developed man’s earliest form of writing known as cuneiform characters.

King Gilgamesh ruled in Mesopotamia approximately between 2750 and 2600 BC. He was idolized early in life and many myths soon developed around him and his ancestors. He had became famous for, among other feats, having the great wall built around the capitol of his kingdom, the south of Babylonian city of Uruk, which was located on the River Euphrates. With its area of 5,5 qkm, it was the largest city at that time and was unrivalled anywhere. The temple of Innana, goddess of the skies (later known as Ishtar), was the centre of the city of Uruk and cultural life per se.

Gilgamesh was looking for a strong and mighty friend, counsellor, comrade in arms to help him fight against the other Sumerian cities, whose rivalries among themselves caused them to divert one another’s water off from the Rivers Euphrates and Tigris.

Also, he needed an ally to conquer Huwawa, the divinely appointed guardian of a remote cedar forest. Cedars not only provided wood but also healing oils, ointments, cultic and everyday commodities and were therefore considered vital. A hunter had discovered a wild man on the grasslands who had lived among animals and who was exceptionally strong. This man, Enkidu, was to be made into a worthy companion for Gilgamesh. A divine temple prostitute of Ishtar’s temple was taken to him and he was initiated by her into the ways of city life. She taught him everything from civilized table manners, sexuality and the art of eroticism, from thinking and talking to the mastery of physical combat. This is an indication of remnants of a long past matriarchal culture where women held the decisive educational influence and power in all areas of life, including the training of male and female warriors.