Trauma, when combined with humor, seem like the strangest of bedfellows. There is nothing remotely funny about deeply distressing events like war, disease, natural disasters, physical or psychological abuse, etc. Yet “gallows humor”, or the form of humor that reduces trauma to light-hearted jocularity, can act as a powerful survival tool. Humor in times of great stress allows the human mind to reframe the horror into something more manageable. When life becomes incomprehensibly dangerous or absurd a good laugh can act as a relief valve in not allowing trauma to have the final word. Jokes, satire, cartoons, caricatures, sarcasm, etc. have historically been vehicles used to deliver gallows humor.
In wartime Brussels in1943, a group of Belgian resistance fighters used a very “Belgian specific” example of gallows humor to counterattack the trauma of German occupation. Judge for yourself…
Le Soir— one of the Belgium’s most popular French language newspapers— began publishing in 1887. When the country was under German occupation during World War II, many local newspapers went underground. La Soir continued publication but was severely restricted by German authorities. La Soir’s editorial team praised the advance of the German armies and exaggerated the virtues of an occupied Belgium.
As German occupation became more and more difficult for the civil population, Belgian resistance became more strident. One resistance group, Front de l’ Indépendance hatched a daring idea: the publication of a false edition of La Soir to boost Belgian morale. Replete with satire and pro-Allied propaganda, the counterfeit La Soir was designed to use humor and derision against the Nazi occupiers.
Resistance editors invented the idea to run a look-alike edition using stolen typeset, the proper ink and paper, with the imprint of La Soir’s title page. They researched La Soir’s list of booksellers and kiosks, noting the delivery times and number of newspapers delivered. On November 9 th , 1943 resistance members distributed thousands of fraudulent copies throughout Brussels.
The “false” edition— which became known as the Faux Soir—was circulated under the noses of the German occupying forces. It was packed with articles lampooning the occupiers. Front de l’ IndĂ©pendance writers contributed pieces conveying Allied propaganda while depicting German military defeats, ineptitude, mass Nazi surrenders and Allied breakthroughs with Germany on the defensive. The editorial section articulated reasons the importance to resist the invader for the liberation of the Belgian homeland.
The high-jacked edition even featured a photo of The Führer with Mr. Hitler looking skyward in terror at Allied bombers with the caption: “ Das wollte ich nicht.” ( I didn’t want that!).
This one time edition of La Soir provoked different reactions in Brussels. Some newspaper sellers hid copies in fear of retaliation, others resumed sales letting their buyer chose between the Faux Soir or the real La Soir. Most accounts however, suggest that Brussels readers met the fraud with open hilarity.
The reaction of the Germans was totally different. What began as a joke ended after only one edition. Members of the resistance group were rounded up, arrested and held in custody. Some members were deported to concentration camps in Germany, others sentenced to up to 15 years in prison. One resistance writer was shot to death.
The incident was revisited a decade later (1955) by the popular Belgium film director Gaston Schoukens. Known for his post-war films, Schoukens work focused mainly on directing popular comedies rooted in Brussels culture and humor. In 1955 Schoukens based his new comedy film Un Soir de Jolie. ( A Soir, Full of Joy, on the aforementioned Faux Soir incident.
The film faithfully mimicked the event using a distinct lighthearted form of self-depricating sarcasm called Zwanze— a type of satire deeply rooted in the culture of Brussels. Using absurd exaggerations, deadpan delivery and local dialect, Schoukens hit upon yet another form of playful gallows humor that served as a cultural outlet to mock the stress of the Belgian World War II experience. The film was an immediate success!
Fun Facts
— Gallows humor is nothing new. Christian martyr Saint Lawrence( circa 235 A.D.), while being burned to death at the stake, is noted to have said: “ Turn me over…I’m done on this side.” Saint Lawrence is the patron saint of comedy.
— Zwanze is a Brussels specific form of comedy that mixes a blend of French and Dutch/Flemish dialects rich in local idioms. Biannually, usually in April, Zwanze Day is celebrated in Brussels. Bars and breweries serve quirky experimental beers (read: beers fermented with pepper, sea weed, vermouth or beets, etc. ) to reflect the city’s non-traditional style.
