Michel Vieuchange

Michel Vieuchange ( born August 26, 1904 in Nevers, † November 30, 1930 in Agadir) was a French adventurer. He was the first European who visited the forbidden city of Smara in the Sahara.

Life

Goal of his trip was to gather material for a novel. On September 10, 1930, he began his expedition without having to know the exact location of Smara. He reached the city with great effort and weakened by disease. As the region was then forbidden to Christians, he traveled partly as a Berber woman dressed up or hidden by his Arab companions in sacks and tied to a donkey.

On November 16, succeeded him back to Tiznit, but died shortly afterwards in Agadir at the age of 26 years dysentery which he had contracted during the trip.

His brother published the written on the travel records under the title Smara - The Forbidden City in 1937.

Reissue

• Smara. Forbidden City, ed. v. Jean Vieuchange, trans. v. Wilhelm Otto von Riedemann. Klett- Cotta, Stuttgart 1995. ISBN 3-608-91226-6