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François Jacob - 'Les compagnons de la libération' (21/77)

361 views · Published 11 August 2017 · 0:56 · Indexed 21 September 2026

Channel: Web of Stories - Life Stories of Remarkable People · 2017 · Science & Technology

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François Jacob (1920-2013) was a French biochemist whose work focused on understanding how genes are controlled. In 1965, he shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Jacque Monod and André Lwoff for his contribution to the field of biochemistry. [Listener: Michel Morange; date recorded: 2004]

TRANSCRIPT: De Gaulle had created a medal for the war battles. At first, in particular he didn't want to give a 'Légion d'honneur', when we were still in England, until he took over the entire government. He didn't want to give 'Légions d'honneurs'. He created a medal for the people of Free France, which was called the 'croix de la libération'. There were 1020 or 1030 I think. I think that there were 1030. Now there are 120, the rest are gone.

[MM] Is that what constituted the order of the 'compagnons de la libération'?

Yes, that's right.

[MM] And is it something that was very important for you?

It was THE decoration of Free France. There was another one afterwards that was called the 'médaille de la resistance', but which really wasn't as... really wasn't as chic.

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