Devil's Island
From Freepedia
Devil's Island (French Île du Diable) is the smallest island of the three Iles du Salut located off the coast of French Guiana, with an area of 14 hectares. Geographic coordinates: 5°17′ N 52°35′ W. It was a notorious French penal colony until 1946.
The rocky, palm-covered island is 40 meters high and is most famous for its former prison for political prisoners and for its brutality. First opened by Emperor Napoleon III, Devil's Island would become one of the most famous prisons in history. In addition to the prison on the island, prison facilities were located on the mainland at Kourou. Over time, they became known collectively as "Devil's Island".
Used by France from 1852 to 1946, its residents were everything from political prisoners (for example, anarchist Clément Duval) to the most hardened of thieves and murderers. A great many of the more than 80,000 prisoners sent to the harsh conditions at disease-infested Devil's Island were never seen again. Other than by boat, the only way out was through an impenetrable jungle; accordingly, very few convicts ever managed to escape.
The horrors of the penal settlement became notorious in 1895 with the publicity surrounding the plight of French army captain Alfred Dreyfus, who was sent there on January 5.
Media based on the Island
Several movies, songs, a stage play, as well as a number of books feature Devil's Island. The most famous was a 1970 best-selling book by an ex-Devil's Island convict named Henri Charrière published under the title Papillon. The book told of his numerous alleged escape attempts, and in 1973 it was made into a movie starring Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman. Before the bestseller Papillon, Rene Belbenoit's book, titled Dry Guillotine published in 1938, was instrumental in exposing the prison colony of Devil's Island. In 1986 the thrash metal band Megadeth released their album Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? with their track titled "Devil's Island". In the song the character is subject to several strange occurrences alluding to the occult on the island, as well as having a fearless, hardened soul. The novel "Plan de evasión" by Adolfo Bioy Casares contains many references to the island.
The end of Devil's Island
In 1938 the French government stopped sending prisoners to Devil's Island, and in 1946 the prison closed permanently. Most of the prisoners returned to France, although some elected to remain in French Guiana.
Further Reading
- Belbenoit, René. 1940. Hell on Trial. Translated from the Original French Manuscript by Preston Rambo. E. P Dutton & Co. Reprint by Blue Ribbon Books, New York, 1941.
- Belbenoit, René. 1938. Dry guillotine: Fifteen years among the living dead. Reprint: Berkley (1975). ISBN 0425029506. Reprint: Bantam Books, 1971.
- Charrière, Henri. Papillon. Reprints: Hart-Davis Macgibbon Ltd. 1970. ISBN 0246639873 (hbk); Perennial, 2001. ISBN 0060934794 (sbk).
