Herge the Collaborator?

An exclusive extract from Herge: The Man Who Created Tintin by Pierre Assouline.

Chapter 7 The Plight of the Inciviques, 1944-1946

The day Brussels regained its liberty, Hergé lost his. On Sunday, September 3, 1944, while Lieutenant General Adair’s Armored Division of the Welsh Guards drove the Germans from the city, Hergé was arrested in his home at 17 avenue Delleur in Boistfort.

The self-appointed representatives of the law were not after Hergé but a certain Georges Remi, and from the evidence it seemed that the relationship between the two was unsuspected. Hergé didn’t know whether he should be glad about this. The celebrations taking place throughout the capital only made it more confusing. The moment the First Belgian Brigade under Colonel Piron entered the city, no one knew who was doing what or by what authority. There were several days of tension and confusion.

After accusation followed denunciation, which was the same thing as during the Occupation but without the instigation of a foreign power. This was a matter among Belgians. The British soldiers often couldn’t hide their disgust at witnessing this settling of old scores.

The members of the Resistance who showed up at Hergé’s home had read the last issue of L’Insoumis (The Undefeated), a bulletin of information for fighting enemy Belgians. It contained a sheet called “Gallery of Traitors” subtitled “From the Lair of The Ersatz-Soir, and it provided photographs, names, addresses, curriculum vitae. For anyone hesitant about administering justice, there was a brief note of encouragement: “Dear readers, look at these faces! Vice is written on these faces. All commentary is unnecessary; these people’s crimes are known. The punishment that we will exact from them is merciless.”

Of the forty journalists denounced, Hergé is the only one listed twice. The first listing, as “Hergé,” includes his photo, address, and some biographical details: “According to our information was a Rexist, but could not confirm.” The second listing, “Georges Remi,” had no photograph but this commentary: “Impossible to obtain any information on this individual. Everything indicates that he must be closely watched.” They had not made the connection between the two. Georges Remi would be arrested four times: by State Security, by the Judiciary Police, by the Belgian National Movement, and by the Front for Independence. Each time he was set free.

Herge: The Man Who Created Tintin by Pierre Assouline is a brand new biography being launched this week in the UK and in the USA in a couple of week’s times. Published by Oxford University Press. It is available on Amazon.co.uk and on Amazon.com.

Text (c) Pierre Assouline and used with permission.
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