Back Cayenne-strafkolonie Afrikaans جزيرة الشيطان Arabic Дяволски остров Bulgarian Đavolje ostrvo BS Illa del Diable Catalan Devils Island (pulo sa Guyane) CEB Ďábelský ostrov Czech Diôbli Òstrów CSB Djævleøen Danish Teufelsinsel (Französisch-Guayana) German
 The Dreyfus Tower on the Pointe des Roches, Kourou | |
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| Location | French Guiana |
|---|---|
| Status | Closed (tourist attraction) |
| Security class | Maximum |
| Opened | 1852 |
| Closed | 1953 |
The penal colony of Cayenne (French: Bagne de Cayenne), commonly known as Devil's Island (Île du Diable), was a French penal colony that operated for 100 years, from 1852 to 1952, and officially closed in 1953, in the Salvation Islands of French Guiana.
Opened in 1852, the Devil's Island system received convicts from the Prison of St-Laurent-du-Maroni, who had been deported from all parts of the Second French Empire. It was notorious both for the staff's harsh treatment of detainees and the tropical climate and diseases that contributed to high mortality. The prison system had a death rate of 75 percent at its worst and was finally closed down in 1953.[1]
Devil's Island was also notorious for being used for the exile of French political prisoners, with the most famous being Captain Alfred Dreyfus, who had been accused of spying for Germany. The Dreyfus affair was a scandal extending for several years in late 19th and early 20th century France, exposing antisemitism and corruption in the French military.[2][3]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
tothwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "The Last Prisoner on Devil's Island". 1981. Archived from the original on 20 July 2008. Retrieved 28 April 2012. Excerpt from the People's Almanac, posted at "trivia-library.com. Archive.org
- ^ "Devil's Island Prison History and Facts". prisonhistory.net.
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