Leopold Trepper

Leopold Zakharovitch Trepper (February 23rd 1904 with Nowy Targ, Poland - January 19th 1982 with Jerusalem) is a Polish political organizer and a spy having worked on behalf of the the USSR, alias Leiba Domb , alias Jean Gilbert , the Big boss.

He is born in Nowy Targ, in Galicie (at the time in Austria-Hungary) of Polish Jews. With the death of his/her father, in 1917, the family remains without the penny, whereas the Traité of Versailles place Galicie in the incipient territory Polish. As of its youth, it militates in the Jewish youth organization Zionist Hachomer Hatzaïr.

In 1920, it reaches the central management of the movement, leaves the college and becomes apprentice in a clock and watch maker. In 1921, its family settles with Dombrowa, in Silesia, where he discovers the dreadful working condition. In 1923, it is one of the leaders of the general strike of Cracow, against which the Polish government launches its riders. It is constrained to hide, then to leave the country. In 1924, it leaves in Palestine with ten comrades. In 1925, it adheres to the Palestinian Communist party; its objective is to link the action of the Jews and the Arabs against the British soldiers. In 1928, it is locked up with the prison of Saint-Jean-in Acre. Released, it goes in France, where it contacts the French Communist party. In Paris, it occupies several trades. It creates a weekly magazine in language Yiddish: Die Morgen .

Starting from 1938, Trepper sets up an information network between the Belgium and France, supported by some of his/her comrades having taken part in the Palestinian adventure. A few months before the German attack against the the USSR, Trepper manages - just as of other Soviet spies in station in the world - to send information to Moscow on the date of the Opération Barbarossa. But Stalin takes all this information for British propaganda, and account does not hold any.

In France, Trepper creates another network, the red Orchestre, but the Abwehr dismantles it. It is stopped the November 16th 1942. The Gestapo forces it to reveal the majority of its contacts, and tries to make a Double agent of it, but GRU detects this reversal. Thereafter, in 1943, Trepper manage to escape and to hide. It reappears in the French interior Résistance after the Libération of Paris.

After the Second world war, the Soviet authorities make it come in Russia. But, instead of rewarding it, they lock up it in the prison of Loubianka. After a vigorous defense of its position, it avoids the execution because of friends placed well, but remains in prison until in 1955.

After its release, it turns over in Poland with his wife and has three wire. He becomes chief of a Jewish religious organization. After the War the Six Day old and the increase in the Anti-semitism in Poland, Trepper decides to emigrate in Israel. The Polish government refuses until it is forced, by the international protests, to allow a certain number of Jews to emigrate.

Trepper settles with Jerusalem in 1974. In 1975, it publishes its Autobiographie, the Big game .

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