Lyon historians seek former students of the 1987 Klaus Barbie trial

Historians and a lawyer are seeking to collect the memories of approximately 650 students who attended the 1987 trial of Klaus Barbie in Lyon. The former Gestapo chief was tried for crimes against humanity, including the raid on the children of Izieu and the torture of Resistance members.

During the trial, which lasted from May 11 to July 4, 1987, the court reserved 60 seats daily for schoolchildren to ensure younger generations could learn lessons from history. One former student, Michaël Janas, noted that witnessing the dignity of the victims influenced his decision to become a judge, eventually serving as the president of the Lyon judicial court.

Klaus Barbie was sentenced to life imprisonment and died in detention in 1991. The effort to gather these testimonies is led by lawyer Alain Jakubowicz and historians Stéphane Nivet and Sylvie Altar as the 40th anniversary of the trial approaches.