Pied-Noir Stories

This section gathers together some of the varied stories of the French settlers of Algeria. In these personal testimonials, they describe their family histories, life in colonial Algeria, and the experience of arriving in France after independence.

The recordings are courtesy of the Écomusée du Val de Bièvre during their exhibition Pieds-Noirs ici, la tête ailleurs which took place from 14 March 2012 to 20 January 2013. Some of the interviewees have agreed for their full testimonies to be reproduced, others are reproduced on the condition of anonymity. Transcriptions in French and English will be provided.

Content Warning: The testimonies may contain offensive language. The views expressed in the testimonies are those of the interviewees and do not necessarily reflect the objectives or conclusions of the project. The aim is to provide a lasting record of the voices of those who lived in and left French Algeria.

Avertissement : il est possible que les témoignages contiennent des termes injurieux. Les vues exprimées sont celles des personnes interviewées. Leurs contenus ne correspondent pas nécessairement aux objectives ou aux conclusions de ce projet. L’objectif est de fournir un enregistrement durable des voix de ceux qui ont quitté l’Algérie.