The French historian Madeleine Rebérioux (1920-2005) was one of the pioneers of cultural history. This essay deals with her biography, steeped in history and in politics. She emphasised the relation of culture and political avant-gardes, the relation of cultural productions to their audiences, and the importance of the rights of man for creation and for diffusion. Decolonisation and emerging countries were one of her constant priorities. She was one of the active board members of the history journal Le Mouvement Social, then its editor and introduced many innovations.