Dupouy Charles & Jeanne-Marie (Dulac)

Dupouy, Charles Dupouy, Jeanne Charles and Jeanne Marie Dupouy served as the concierges of a building in the 11th arrondissement in Paris. Among the tenants in the building were Lazare and Taube Grosslerner, who lived on the first floor with their son, Jacques (b. 1937), and owned a plumbing supply store in the same building. The Dupouys, a childless couple, became friendly with the Grosslerners, and doted on young Jacques. In 1942, Lazare and Taube had another son, whom they named Bernard. In July 1942, during the large-scale round up of Jews, policemen came looking for the Grosslerners. The Dupouys directed the police to an empty apartment on the opposite side of the building. The Grosslerners stayed hidden in their apartment for a number of weeks, with the Dupouys bringing them supplies and looking after their daily needs. Eventually, Lazare managed to cross into the southern unoccupied zone and found work in the Dunlop tire factory in Montluçon (Allier). He then sent for the family to join him. Not long after the family arrived in Montluçon, Lazare appealed to Mme. Dupouy to bring his nephew, nine-year-old Jacques Schlessinger, to Montluçon, too. Jacques' parents had been arrested and deported. Jeanne Marie agreed, and traveled with the young boy by train until she deposited him safely with the Grosslerners. The trip was dangerous; the trains were swarming with German soldiers as well as French police, and Dupouy faced severe punishment if caught aiding a Jewish child. After liberation, the Grosslerners returned to Paris and found their apartment just as they had left it. The Dupouys had paid the rent throughout their absence so that it would be there upon their return. The two families maintained a close relationship for many years. On August 2, 2011, Yad Vashem recognized Charles and Jeanne Marie Dupouy as Righteous Among the Nations.