End of Public Executions in France

This was the last time the French guillotine carried out its duty in public. In June 1939, the condemned man, Eugen Weidmann, never closed his eyes. Having been sentenced to death for multiple violent crimes, his rapid breathing betrayed the fear inside. Meanwhile, outside, a few staff were busy around

a wooden frame. The sound of metal parts clinking stood out sharply in the silence. What they were assembling was the guillotine, which France had used for nearly one hundred fifty years. Its blade gleamed coldly, as if bearing the weight of centuries of

French order and deterrence. Following prison procedure, a dark suit was handed to him. This was not a special tradition, but a way to let him keep

his dignity in his final moments. Having stayed awake all night, his eyes were vacant and his steps unsteady. He needed support just to stand. At the end of the corridor, a priest stood waiting with a scripture. In the soft murmur of prayers, Weidmann's emotions settled somewhat, though his hands still trembled

uncontrollably. He was then led to the execution ground. Along the way, a guard offered him a drink and a cigarette. He refused the alcohol, but with trembling hands, lit the cigarette.

One can't help but wonder, even a man guilty of terrible crimes longed for a shred of familiarity and calm. At the very end, before he approached the device, a guard gently cut open his shirt collar. This was to minimize any obstruction during the

execution. By then, Weidmann was nearly unconscious. Two guards held him up and brought him to the cold apparatus. The switch was pressed, and everything stopped abruptly. A brief silence fell over the scene, broken only by scattered whispers, reminding everyone that what had just happened was real.

After that day, France put an end to the era of public execution. An age that relied on public punishment had come to a close, and it leaves us with a question to reflect on.

Does true civilization mean no longer using fear to maintain order?