Hubscher, Catherine (Madama Sans-Gêne) |
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BORN 2 Feb 1753, Goldbach-Altenbach, Haut-Rhin: rue du Bessay - DIED 29 Nov 1835, Paris BIRTH NAME Hubscher, Catharina GRAVE LOCATION Paris: Père Lachaise, Rue du Repos 16 (division 28) |
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Catherine Hubscher worked as a washer woman and a laundress before in 1783 she married the soldier François Joseph Lefebvre, who was a sergeant in the French guards. In 1804 her husband became a Marshal of the Empire and this meant that she frequently appeared at the imperial court. She used her old vocabulary and had popular manners, much to the dislike of many. But she was very loyal to Napoleon and he liked her although she didn't refrain from criticizing him. She and Lefebvre had fourteen children but only one of them reached adulthood. From 1813 to 1832 she lived at the castle at Pontault-Combault. She was very wealthy but knowing where she came from she often supported others who were in need. She died in 1835 and was buried with her husband at Père Lachaise. In 1893 Victorien Sardou wrote his play "Madame Sans-Gêne" together with Émile Moreau. It was based on Catherine and on the female soldier Marie-Thérèse Figueur. Family • Husband: Lefebvre, François Joseph, Duc de Dantzig (1783-1820, Paris: Montmartre) |
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 The grave of François Joseph Lefebvre at Père Lachaise, Paris. Picture by Androom (19 Nov 2006) |
Sources • GraveYart (Sans-Gêne - Père-Lachaise) |
