List of executioners

This is a list of people who have acted as official executioners.

Algeria

Alger

Monsieur d'Alger: The Executioners of the French Republic

In 1870 the Republic of France abolished all local executioners and named the executioner of Algiers, Antoine Rasseneux, Éxécuteur des Arrêts Criminels en Algérie, which became France's official description of the executioner of Algeria's occupation. From then on there would be one only executioner to carry out death sentences for all of Algeria. Since the colony's executioner was required to live in Algiers, people soon started to refer to him as "Le Monsieur d'Alger" ("The Man From Algiers"). Upon his nomination, Rasseneux was permitted to choose four among France's and Algeria's former local executioners to be his aides.

Australia

Austria

Hall in Tirol

Meran

Salzburg

Steyr

Vienna

Belgium

Brazil

After 1808, during the Portuguese-Brazilian Kingdom (1808–1822) and the Empire (1822–1889), when Brazil's States were still called "Provinces" and the currency was called "Reis", Brazil had factually abolished torture but was a busy death penalty country.<br /> Method of execution was public hanging by an ultra-short drop of approximately 90cm (2' 9 11/2"), with the executioner, after having activated the trap door or pushed the convict, according to the gallows's structure, climbed a ladder and launched himself rope downwards, hitting on the convict's shoulders with his weight.<br /> Executioners generally were selected among convicts of capital crimes who had their death sentences stayed for indefinite terms or even commuted for life without parole, and who in exchange for their stays or commutations had to carry out the executions ordered by law. Executioners were, whenever possible, selected from among slaves convicted for a capital crime. And except for the province of Rio Grande do Norte, executioners had obligatorily to be of African descent.<br /> As stayed or commuted convicts, executioners consequently lived as inmates in the prisons of the respective towns where they were based. When an execution was to be carried out elsewhere in his area, the executioner would be transported to the place of execution in chains and sleep in the local prison; after an attempt of murder against Fortunato José in 1834, prisons started separating the executioners from other inmates.<br /> In the province of Rio Grande do Norte, the executioner had always to be the convict scheduled to die next after an execution, so that province's last execution had to be carried out by a firing squad, after the necessary emergency change of execution protocol.<br /> In the state of Rio de Janeiro, after Independence 7 September 1822 there were also free executioners of African descent who having to travel around, were reached by couriers with execution orders.<br /> Executioners, also when slaves, were paid for their executions; at the example of the province of Minas Gerais, we can establish payment was between 4$000 and 12$000 (4 Mil-Reis to 12 Mil-Reis) per execution.<br /> The last execution of a free convict in Brazil was that of José Pereira de Sousa 30 October 1861 in Santa Luzia (nowadays Luziânia), GO. The last execution at all under law in Brazil was that of the slave Francisco 28 April 1876 in Pilar, AL.<br /> Brazil abolished capital punishment officially with the Proclamation of the Republic 15 November 1889, and by law with its first Republican Constitution of 1891 and Penal Code of 22 September 1892.

Bahía

Salvador

Feira de Santana

Ceará

Fortaleza

Crato

Sobral

Minas Gerais

Ouro Preto

São João del Rei

Paraná

Curitiba

Pernambuco

Recife

Caruaru

Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro

Rio Grande do Sul

Porto Alegre

Canada

China

Kingdom of Bohemia / Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic)

Denmark

Egypt

France

Alsace

Bas-Rhin (67)

Andlau

Benfeld

Bernardswiller

see: Andlau

Bischwiller

Bouquenom

see: Sarre-Union

Bouxwiller

Brumath

Châtenois

Dambach-la-Ville

Diemeringen

Elsenheim

see: Ohnenheim

Epfig

Erstein

see: Epfig

Fleckenstein (Lembach)

see: Memmelshoffen

Fouchy

Geispolsheim

Goersdorf

Gougenheim

Gumbrechtshoffen

see: Gundershoffen

Gundershoffen

Haguenau

Herrlisheim

Hochfelden

Ingwiller

La Petite-Pierre

Lalaye

Lauterbourg

Maisonsgoutte

Marckolsheim

Marmoutier

Memmelshoffen

Molsheim

Mommenheim

Nordhouse

Obernai

Ohnenheim

Otterswiller

see: Saverne

Petersbach

see: La Petite-Pierre

Reichshoffen

see: Gundershoffen

Reutenbourg

Riedheim

see: Bouxwiller

Sarre-Union

Saverne

Schopperten

see: Sarre-Union

Sélestat

Strasbourg

Surbourg

Villé

Wasselonne

Westhoffen

see: Wasselonne

Weyersheim

Wissembourg

Haut-Rhin (68)

Altkirch

Biesheim

Colmar

Ensisheim

Ferrette

Landser

Masevaux

Morschwiller-le-Bas

see: Mulhouse

Mulhouse

Ribeauvillé

Rouffach

Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines

see: Ribeauvillé

Thann

Traubach (Traubach-le-Bas and Traubach-le-Haut)

Vieux-Thann

see: Thann

Zimmerbach

Aquitaine

Dordogne (24)

Périgueux

Gironde (33)

Bordeaux

Landes (40)

Dax

Lot-et-Garonne (47)

Agen

Pyrénées-Atlantiques (64)

Bayonne

Pau

Auvergne

Allier (03)

Moulins

Cantal (15)

Aurillac

Saint-Flour

Haute-Loire (43)

Le-Puy-en-Velay

Puy-de-Dôme (63)

Clermont-Ferrand (former Clermont-d'Auvergne)

Riom

Basse-Normandie

Calvados (14)

Bayeux

Caen

Falaise

Lisieux

Orbec

Pont-l'Évêque

Vire

Manche (50)

Avranches

Coutances

Saint-Lô

Orne (61)

Alençon

Bellême

Mortagne-au-Perche

Mortagne-au-Perche

Bourgogne

Côte-d'Or (21)

Beaune

Dijon

Semur-en-Auxois

Nièvre (58)

Nevers

Saône-et-Loire (71)

Autun

Châlon-sur-Saône

Mâcon

Yonne (89)

Auxerre

Sens

Bretagne

Côtes-d'Armor (22; Côtes-du-Nord before 1990)

Saint-Brieuc

Finistère (29)

Quimper

Ille-et-Vilaine (35)

Rennes

Morbihan (56)

Vannes

Centre-Val de Loire (Centre before 2015)

Cher (18)

Bourges

Vierzon

Eure-et-Loir (28)

Bonneval

Chartres

Châteaudun

Indre (36)

Châteauroux

Issoudun

Indre-et-Loire (37)

Amboise

Chinon

L'Île-Bouchard

see: Chinon

Loches

Tours

Loir-et-Cher (41)

Blois

Romorantin-Lanthenay

Vendôme

Loiret (45)

Gien

Montargis

Orléans

Champagne-Ardenne

Ardennes (08)

Sedan

Aube (10)

Troyes

Marne (51)

Châlons-en-Champagne

Chatillon-sur-Marne

Épernay

Reims

Vitry-le-François

Haute-Marne (52)

Bourmont

Chaumont

Langres

Corse

With a four-year delay in 1875 also Corsica was integrated into the area of the executioner of the republic's activity; see: Monsieur de Paris For the different department numbers, before 1976 Corsica used to be one department only and was codenumbered with 20 by then.

Corse-du-Sud (2A)

Ajaccio

Haute-Corse (2B)

Bastia

Franche-Comté

Doubs (25)

Besançon

Blamont

Montbéliard

Jura (39)

Dole

Lons-le-Saunier

Haute-Saône (70)

Vesoul

Territoire de Belfort (90)

Belfort

Faverois

Grandvillars

Montreux

Haute-Normandie

Eure (27)

Évreux

Gisors

Pont-Audemer

Seine-Maritime (76)

Caudebec-en-Caux

Dièppe

Rouen

Île-de-France

Paris (75)

Prévoté de l'Hôtel du Roi

Prévoté de Paris

Seine-et-Marne (77)

Meaux

Melun

Provins

Yvelines (78)

Mantes

Meulan

see: Mantes

Montfort-l'Amaury

Versailles (Prévoté de l'Hôtel du Roi)

Prévôté de Versailles

Essonne (91)

Dourdan

see: Étampes

Étampes

La Ferté-Alais

see: Étampes

Hauts-de-Seine 92

No local executioner known so far

Seine-Saint-Denis (93)

No local executioner known so far

Val-de-Marne (94)

No local executioner known so far

Val-d'Oise (95)

Pontoise

Languedoc-Roussillon

Aude (11)

Carcassonne

Castelnaudary

Limoux

Narbonne

Gard (30)

Nîmes

Hérault (34)

Montpellier

Lozère (48)

Mende

Pyrénées-Orientales (66)

Perpignan

Limousin

Corrèze (19)

Brive-la-Gaillarde

Tulle

Creuse (23)

Guéret

Haute-Vienne 87

Limoges

Lorraine

Meurthe-et-Moselle (54)

Baccarat

Badonviller

Bauzemont

Bayon

Blâmont

Briey

Conflans-en-Jarnisy

Deneuvre

see: Baccarat

Domjevin

see: Bauzemont

Einville-au-Jard

Foug

Gerbéviller

Haraucourt

see: Einville-au-Jard

Harbouey

see: Blâmont

Longuyon

Longwy

Lunéville

Nancy

Nomény

see: Pont-à-Mousson

Norroy-le-Sec

Pont-à-Mousson

Réchicourt-la-Petite

see: Blâmont

Saint-Clément

see: Baccarat

Saint-Nicolas-de-Port

Sancy

Thézey-Saint-Martin

see: Delme at Moselle (57)

Thiaucourt (Thiaucourt-Regniéville)

see: Pont-à-Mousson

Toul

Ville-sur-Yron

see: Conflans-en-Jarnisy

Villers-la-Montagne

Meuse (55)

Arrancy-sur-Crusne

see: Longuyon at Meurthe-et-Moselle (54)

Avioth

Bar-le-Duc

Billy-sous-Mangiennes

Commercy

Damvillers

Étain

Fresnes-en-Woëvre

Herméville-en-Woëvre

Marville

Montmédy

Saint-Mihiel

Verdun

Moselle (57)

Ancerville

Angevillers

Ay-sur-Moselle

see: Buding

Bambiderstroff

see: Courcelles-sur-Nied

Béchy

Beux

see: Béchy

Bitche

see: Schorbach

Boulay

Buding

Budling

see: Buding

Château-Salins

Château-Voué

see: Dieuze

Courcelles-Chaussy

Courcelles-sur-Nied

Delme

Dieuze

Ébersviller

see: Hombourg-Budange

Elzange

see: Rodemack

Faulquemont

Fénétrange

see: Niederstinzel

Filstroff

Forbach

Freistroff

Gorze

Grostenquin

Hérange

Hombourg-Budange

Insming

Jallaucourt

Kédange-sur-Canner

Kirsch-lès-Sierck

Lixheim

Longeville-lès-Saint-Avold

Lorquin

Louvigny

Lutzelbourg

Metz

Montenach

Morhange

Niederstinzel

Phalsbourg

Porcelette

Prévocourt

Puttelange-aux-Lacs

Rodemack

Saint-Avold

Sarralbe

Sarrebourg

Sarreguemines

Schorbach

Sierck-les-Bains

Thionville

Tincry

Tragny

Vatimont

Vic-sur-Seille

Vosges (88)

Bruyères

Charmes

Châtel-sur-Moselle

Châtenois

Darney

Dompaire

Épinal

La Neuveville-sous-Châtenois

Mirecourt

Neufchâteau

Rambervillers

Remiremont

Saint-Dié

Saint-Nabord

Midi-Pyrénées

Ariège (09)

Foix

Aveyron (12)

Rodez

Haute-Garonne (31)

Toulouse

Gers (32)

Auch

Lectoure

Lot (46)

Cahors

Hautes-Pyrénées (65)

Tarbes

Tarn (81)

Albi

Tarn-et-Garonne (82)

Montauban

Nord-Pas-de-Calais

Nord (59)

Cambrai

Douai

Lille

Maubeuge

Valenciennes

Pas-de-Calais (62)

Arras

Boulogne

Calais

Saint-Omer

Pays de la Loire

Loire-Atlantique (44; before 1957 Loire Inférieure)

Nantes

Maine-et-Loire (49)

Angers

Saumur

Mayenne (53)

Château-Gontier

Laval

Sarthe (72)

La Flèche

Le Mans

Vendée (85)

Fontenay-le-Comte

Picardie

Aisne (02)

Laon

Soissons

Oise (60)

Beauvais

Clermont

(former Clermont-en-Beauvaisis, also called Clermont-en-France)

Compiègne

Crépy-en-Valois

Noyon

Senlis

Somme (80)

Amiens

Poitou-Charentes

Charente (16)

Angoulême

Charente-Maritime (17)

La Rochelle

Rochefort

Saintes

Deux-Sèvres (79)

Niort

Saint-Maixent-l'École

Thouars

Vienne (86)

Civray

Loudun

Poitiers

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (04)

Digne

Hautes-Alpes (05)

Gap

Alpes-Maritimes (06)

Nice

Bouches-du-Rhône (13)

Aix-en-Provence

Var (83)

Draguignan

Vaucluse (84)

Carpentras

Rhône-Alpes

Ain (01)

Bourg-en-Bresse

Ardèche (07)

Privas

Drôme (26)

Valence

Isère (38)

Grenoble

Loire (42)

Feurs

Montbrison

Rhône (69)

Lyon

Savoie (73)

Chambéry

Haute-Savoie (74)

Monsieur de Paris: The Executioners of the French Republic

In 1870 the Republic of France abolished all local executioners and named the executioner of Paris, Jean-François Heidenreich, Exécuteur des Arrêts Criminels, which became France's official description of the executioner's occupation. From then on, there would be only one executioner to carry out death sentences for all of France except Corsica, which would follow in 1875. As the Republic's executioner was required to live in Paris, people soon started to refer to him as "Monsieur de Paris", "The Mister from Paris". At the occasion of his nomination, Heidenreich could choose four among France's former local executioners to be his aides.

Les Territoires Outre-Mer

Wallis-et-Futuna (986)

Polynésie française (987)

Nouvelle-Calédonie (988)

Île de Clipperton (989)

French Guiana

Monsieur de Cayenne: The Executioners of the French Republic

Cayenne Central Prison never used its own guillotine. All death sentences of convicts and locally condemned prisoners were conducted at Saint-Laurent.

Monsieur de Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni|Saint-Laurent: The Executioners of the Bagne

All executioners of Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni were Bagne inmates themselves.