Armenian-born poet and communist activist Manouchian was considered a hero among the French Resistance movement, which rose up against the Nazi occupation of France.
ADVERTISEMENTEighty years to the day after his execution by the Nazis at Mont-Valérien, Armenian resistance fighter Missak Manouchian will be inducted into the Panthéon on Wednesday.
His burial signifies the first time a non-French body has been interred at the Pantheon, which holds the remains of many famous French citizens, including Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Victor Hugo, Èmile Zola, and Marie Curie.
Manouchian's burial is a respectful nod to his position as leader of the "Red Poster" ("L'Affiche Rouge") group.
The name derives from a propaganda poster distributed by Vichy France and German authorities in occupied Paris in 1944 to discredit 23 immigrant French Resistance fighters – members of a group led by Manouchian.
The so-called Manouchian Group is considered one of the most active of the French Resistance effort against Nazi occupation, and Manouchian himself has long been thought of as a hero.