author
François Jourde
1843–1893
A leading figure of the Paris Commune, he wrote a firsthand memoir shaped by revolution, prison, and exile. His life offers a vivid way into one of the most dramatic chapters of 19th-century France.
1 Audiobook
Les condamnés politiques en Nouvelle-Calédonie: Récit de deux évadés
by Paschal Grousset, François Jourde
About the author
Born in Chassagne, France, on July 4, 1843, François Jourde became an accountant and later a prominent member of the Paris Commune of 1871. He served as the Commune’s delegate for finance, where he gained a reputation as a careful and capable administrator during a time of extreme political upheaval.
After the fall of the Commune, he was arrested and deported to New Caledonia. He escaped in 1874 with several other deportees, lived in exile, and returned to France after the amnesty of 1880. He died in Nice on March 20, 1893.
Jourde is remembered not only as a political figure but also as a witness. His memoir, Souvenirs d'un membre de la Commune, stands out as a direct account of the Commune and of the punishment that followed, giving modern readers a personal view of repression, resistance, and survival.