Place du Colonel Fabien

Place du Colonel Fabien carries a name that marks a turning point in the history of the French Resistance. It was renamed in nineteen forty-five to honor Pierre Georges, a young communist militant known by his nom de guerre, Colonel Fabien. He is remembered for leading one of the first armed attacks against German occupation forces in Paris during the Second World War. Before this renaming, the square was known as Place du Combat, a title derived from the animal fights, including bear-baiting, that were held here starting in the late eighteenth century.