Cabanes, born in Toulouse in 1936, ran the newsroom of L'Humanité for sixteen years, from 1984 to 2000 — the years when communism, in France, was losing both its readers and its certainties. He was heard every evening on RTL, the only communist in a commercial radio debate. He also sat on the jury of a prize awarded by right-wing writers. He died in 2015.
The story
Born in Toulouse on 29 April 1936, a law graduate, Claude Cabanes joined the Communist Party in 1962 and became a full-time official in 1968.
He joined L'Humanité Dimanche in 1971, then ran the newsroom of L'Humanité, the Communist daily, for sixteen years, from 1984 to 2000 — as editor, then as editorial director from 1998: the years in which French communism lost its certainties and its readers.
An editorialist until his death, he became one of the voices of “On refait le monde” on RTL, from 2003 to 2015: a communist in a commercial radio debate, every evening.
He sat on the jury of the Prix des Hussards — a prize awarded by writers of the right. The detail says something about the man.
He died of cancer on 25 August 2015 and rests in Division 97 in the collective grave of the National Committee of the French Communist Party, with Billoux, Fajon, Frachon, Grenier, Hénaff and Malleret-Joinville. No inscription bears his name.
The grave
The collective grave of the National Committee of the French Communist Party, where no inscription concerns Claude Cabanes. Resting there are, among others, François Billoux (1903-1992), Étienne Fajon (1906-1991), Benoît Frachon (1893-1975), Fernand Grenier (1901-1992), Eugène Hénaff (1904-1966) and Alfred Malleret-Joinville (1911-1960). The editor-in-chief of L'Humanité rests under the name of his party, and not under his own.
On site, do not miss
Do not look for his name: it is not there. The stone is that of the National Committee of the French Communist Party, and only a few leaders are named on it.
Visitors' questions
Where is Claude Cabanes's grave?
In Division 97, avenue Circulaire, in the collective grave of the National Committee of the French Communist Party — and no inscription concerns him. He rests there with Benoît Frachon, François Billoux, Étienne Fajon and Fernand Grenier.
Marcel CachinWhat did Claude Cabanes edit?
L'Humanité, for sixteen years, from 1984 to 2000 — the years in which French communism was losing its certainties and its readers. He had come to the paper through L'Humanité Dimanche in 1971, after six years as a full-time party official.
Paul Vaillant-CouturierWas Cabanes known on the radio?
He was: from 2003 to 2015 he was one of the voices of “On refait le monde”, RTL's nightly debate show. A communist in a commercial radio debate, every evening, for twelve years — and a member of the jury of a right-wing literary prize.
Henri KrasuckiWhen was he born?
On 29 April 1936. No inscription says so: the collective stone he lies under does not carry his name.
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