Charles-Henri Sanson: The Prolific French Executioner

In the violent upheaval of the French Revolution, few figures stood closer to death than Charles-Henri Sanson. Kings, queens, nobles, priests, criminals, and commoners all passed before him. He did not shout slogans, draft laws, or lead mobs. He stood silently at the scaffold, performing a task that made him both indispensable and despised. By the time he laid down his office, Sanson had overseen nearly 3,000 executions, including some of the most famous deaths in European history. Sanson was a professional executioner born into a family that had wielded the sword of justice for generations.

The execution of Robespierre and his supporters on 28 July 1794. Credit: Wikimedia Commons