Le 30 septembre 1945, « L’Amicale Des Anciens Internés Politiques de Châteaubriant-Voves » est créée. Dès lors, cette Association a pour but de maintenir le souvenir de ces hommes, objectif intégré dans la démarche du tourisme de mémoire.

Cette ambition passe par l’entretien du mémorial national érigé à Châteaubriant et par l’aménagement de la Carrière des fusillés. Le site fut classé en 1993.

Le monument inauguré le 22 octobre 1950 fut réalisé par Antoine ROHAL, sculpteur.
Depuis 1951, les alvéoles devant le monument contiennent un peu de terre des hauts lieux de la Résistance. Tout autour de la carriére sont installées en 1986 les stéles portant photographie et les indications personnelles de chaque fusillé.

Elle passe également par l’organisation de commémorations et de conférences. Actuellement, le titre est « Amicale de Châteaubriant-Voves-Rouillé-Aincourt ».

Pour transmettre cette histoire au public, le Musée de la Résistance à Châteaubriant,implanté dans la ferme qui jouxtait la carrière où ont été fusillés 27 hommes dont Guy Môquet, est inauguré en 2001 par l’Amicale. En 2007, l’Amicale délègue la gestion et l’animation du Musée à l’« Association des Amis du Musée de la Résistance de Châteaubriant ». Des expositions permettent de mieux comprendre la vie des internés et la Résistance dans le pays de Châteaubriant. Chaque année, une exposition en lien avec le thème du Concours National de la résistance et de la Déportation.

L’Office de Tourisme Intercommunal du Castelbriantais propose des visites guidées payantes de la Carrière et du Musée. Le Musée peut également être visité de manière libre et gratuite. Des documents sont mis à la disposition du public.

Sources : ©Musée de la Résistance à Châteaubriant

On 16 August 1944, 35 young people between 18 and 22 years old were shot behind the Reservoir pond after having fallen into a trap that led to their arrest. They belonged to three Resistance organisations and included 20 francs-tireurs and partisans from the town of Chelles, three members of the Civil and Military Youth Organisation and 12 Young Christian Fighters who wanted to participate in the liberation of Paris (25-26 August). They accepted a mission from a so-called intelligence service agent, who asked them to transport weapons, and showed up at the meeting place, Place des Ternes, without arms. Almost as soon as they did, they were encircled by the Gestapo and brought to its headquarters, where they were interrogated until 10pm before being taken to the waterfall and shot. Every year, this tragic event is commemorated on the spot where it occurred and where the old oak trees "still have the bullets that killed these teenage boys lodged in their hearts".

The Bois de Boulogne was bombed several times during the Second World War, but the most tragic incident took place on 4 April 1943, when six of the 38 bombs that fell on the 16th arrondissement hit the Longchamp racetrack on opening day, killing many civilians. In memory of that tragic day, coniferous trees were planted in the holes caused by the bombs in the forest, but a storm uprooted many of them in December 1999.
Bois de Boulogne Waterfall Bois de Boulogne Carrefour de Longchamp 75016 Paris

La Picardie est une région fortement touchée par les deux guerres mondiales. 

Région stratégique, lieu de passage entre le nord de l'Europe et Paris, la Picardie se trouve partagée entre la zone interdite et la zone occupée. La présence de l'occupant est durement ressentie. Des hommes et des femmes vont peu à peu réagir. "L'armée de l'ombre" se construit. 

Le département de l'Aisne a sur son territoire un musée consacré à l'histoire des résistants et des déportés. Un musée voulu par des résistants dont Etienne Dromas, qui a trouvé sa place dans la commune associée de Tergnier, Fargniers. 

Vous êtes invités à découvrir ce musée unique en Picardie, implanté sur une place classée monument historique.

L’histoire du lieu

Après avoir trouvé à Tergnier un bâtiment pouvant l’accueillir, le conseil général de l’Aisne vote la somme nécessaire à sa rénovation. L’office départemental de tourisme, avec à sa tête Maurice Bruaux, apporte son aide et son concours. Le premier aménagement se fait grâce à la mobilisation des résistants qui assurent son fonctionnement pendant de nombreuses années.

À voir

Le premier espace permet de découvrir et de comprendre l’histoire de la période allant de l’arrivée d’Hitler au pouvoir jusqu’à l’intervention du maréchal Pétain le 17 juin 1940, suivent des espaces consacrés à l’appel du 18 juin, la naissance de la Résistance et son action, la vie quotidienne sous l’Occupation, la répression et la Déportation. Un espace est également consacré au bureau des opérations aériennes et aux parachutages, aux forces françaises libres dans le monde, au Débarquement et à la Libération. De nombreux objets et matériels viennent compléter l’exposition permanente : un Beechcraft C.45, une locomotive, un wagon ayant servi à la déportation… En octobre 2005, 300 mètres carrés se sont ajoutés à la salle d’exposition permanente. Cet espace polyvalent met à disposition du public une salle de réunion, de conférence, d’exposition temporaire et de projection ainsi qu’une médiathèque et un centre documentaire.

Le musée accorde une place toute particulière au public scolaire. Des dossiers pédagogiques ont été élaborés. Des ateliers (analyse de documents, rencontre avec des témoins…) sont développés sur différents thèmes (la vie sous l’Occupation, la Résistance…), et sont animés par les enseignants ou par un intervenant du musée.

Sources : ©Musée de la Résistance et de la Déportation de Picardie

The Plateau des Glières and the Gilioli Monument A magnificent plateau situated at the heart of the Haute Savoie at an altitude of 1440m, the site of les Glières is not to be missed. An important place for the Résistance movement during the Second World War, its mountainous and therefore strategic territory made the Plateau des Glières an ideal place for parachuting in weapons for the local resistance movement. On the 31st January 1944, because of the "insurrectionary" situation, on the orders of the German authorities the collaborating Vichy government decided to bring the Resistance movement to an end and imposed a state of siege on the département. The same day, 120 maquisards under the orders of Lieutenant Tom Morel, head of the resistance fighters of the Secret Army in the Haute Savoie, climbed up to the Plateau des Glières to receive some parachute drops. The maquisards were former officers of the 27th Battalion of Alpine Chasseurs of Annecy, Spanish Republicans and Francs-Tireurs et Partisans(Partisan irregular riflemen) united by the same desire to liberate France. On the 26th March 1944, a large scale attack involving around 10,000 men was carried out by German troops and the French militia. The numbers involved were disproportionate to the 465 maquisards on the Plateau. After carrying out reconnaissance missions, the maquisards received the order from Captain Maurice Anjot, now in charge of the underground movement (maquis) following the death of Tom Morel, to retreat in the evening. 129 maquisards and 20 resistance fighters from the valleys, who had been unable to escape being surrounded by the forces carrying out the order, were killed during the fighting or were shot by firing squad or died during their deportation. From the start, the Battle of les Glières was the symbol of the French Resistance movement, thanks to radio broadcasts from London. In the months that followed, the maquis restructured in order to arrange a new parachute drop, which would take place on the 1st August. This allowed the liberation of the Haute-Savoie on the 19th August 1944, before the allied troops even arrived. On the 2nd September 1973 Emile Gilioli's National Monument to the Resistance, built on the initiative of the Survivors of les Glières, was inaugurated by André Malraux. It is not a monument to the dead, but rather a symbol of hope. Today there is a sign-posted circuit accessible for all levels of walkers along the parachute drop areas, guiding visitors along the Plateau des Glières which is now very much a part of the collective memory. The information boards along the walk tell of the daily life of the maquisards and the events of February and March 1944.

Footpaths of Remembrance On the plateau, there are footpaths to help you learn about the site of the parachute drops and the how the defence of the plateau was organised: The "Tom Morel" footpath, the only way of accessing the plateau in winter, was the route taken by supplies for the maquis. The footpath of "The Attack", which is relatively difficult due to its unevenness, was used by liaison agents of the Maquis of Les Glières. The Germans also took it during the attack of the 26th March 1944 at Monthièvret. The "Skirmish or "Black Water" footpath, which owes its name to the stream that comes from the Ablon valley and runs across blackish detrital rocks, was taken mainly by resistance fighters from Thorens. This is where the Militia lost heir first man. The footpath of the "Final Assault" allows access to the alpine pasture land of Champ-Laitier, which was attacked on the 16th March 1944. The "Spanish" footpath was the crossing point of a group of Spaniards from Nâves-Parmelan, as well as three Italians. Before them, the forest ranger of the sector had taken this path to accompany young draft dodgers to the Compulsory Work Service on the Plateau des Glières. A lookout post established on the Pas du Roc by the resistant fighters effectively sealed this crossing point. No attacker dared try his luck there. The footpath of "the Ultimatum" was a royal access route to the Plateau des Glières. It was secured down in the valley by the Vichy forces and up on the plateau by the maquisards. Two days before the German assault, it was taken by a group delivering the ultimatum for surrender. The Site of Morette
Located at the gateway to the Thônes valleys, the historic departmental site of Morette is composed of three major places: the National Necropolis of Les Glières the Departmental Museum of the Resistance the Departmental Memorial of the Deportation The National Necropolis of Les Glières The bodies of 105 resistance fighters, mainly soldiers from Les Glières, killed by the Germans and French forces of law and order rest in the Necropolis. The Departmental Museum of the Resistance is located in a high mountain chalet dating back to 1794 and representative of those that housed the maquisards. Created in 1964 by the Association of Survivors of les Glières, the original idea was to house all the souvenirs and documentation held by the Survivors in the museum. It became a departmental museum in 1978. It has displays on 3 levels offering an opportunity to follow the successive periods of the worldwide conflict, from 1939 up to the liberation of the Haute-Savoie in August 1944. The Departmental Memorial of the Deportation provides a deeply moving insight into the Nazi camps (photographs, maps of the Nazi camps, poetry by the deportees and uniforms etc.) Created in 1965 by the Association of Deportees, Internees and Families of the Haute-Savoie and associated with the National Union of Associations of Deportees, Internees and Families (l'Union Nationale des Associations de Déportés, Internés et Familles or UNADIF), it has now become a departmental Memorial. The current building houses an intentionally low key exhibition that claims to bear a message of remembrance and vigilance.
Site de Morette 74230 La Balme de Thuy Tel: +33 (0) 4 50 32 18 38 Memory of the Maquis Tel: 04 50 33 21 31 Opening hours of departmental websites Every day except Saturday from 9:30 to 12:30 and 13:30 to 17H In July and August, 7 / 7 days from 10am to 12.30pm and from 14H to 18H Morette site: closed in December and January Plateau Glières: closed from 1 October to 1st Saturday of the Christmas holidays included Information and reservations Guided tours can be arranged throughout the year, during the opening hours, by reservation. Educational activities on reservation.
Conseil Général de la Haute-Savoie Direction des Affaires Culturelles Service Mémoire et Citoyenneté 18, avenue du Trésum 74000 Annecy Tel: +33 (0) 4 50 51 87 00 Fax: +33 (0) 4 50 51 86 98 E-mail: resistancedepartementale74@cg74.fr

The history of the Aube Resistance abounds with personalities and stories. Immediately following Liberation, associations of former Resistance fighters were set up, which introduced commemorations and erected memorials to the fighting that took place in the Aube.

One such organisation, the association “Le Musée de la Résistance” was founded in 1967. Its object was to create a remembrance site for those who fought in June 1944 in the maquis of Mussy-Grancey, known as the “Montcalm maquis”, based in the forested massif between the Seine and Ource valleys. Placed under the command of Émile Alagiraude (whose code name in the Armée Secrète was Montcalm), the Montcalm maquis comprised 220 members of the FFI (French Forces of the Interior) in June 1944, at the time of the D-Day Landings, and nearly 1 200 by late July. The Resistance museum set up in Mussy-sur-Seine has its roots in the initiative of Colonel Poirier and Commander Hubert Danesini, veterans of the Armée Secrète, together with that of Gildas Bernard, Director of the Aube Departmental Archives.

Back in 1964, a touring exhibition on the Aube Resistance had been created, which presented local collections largely linked to the Mussy-Grancey maquis. Following the founding of the museum association by members of the Amicale des Combattants Volontaires de l’Armée Secrète and the Comité du Souvenir du Maquis de Mussy-Grancey, in 1967, the museum itself came into existence in 1971, in a building converted by the departmental architect, Mr Morisseau. The premises, adjoining the former gendarmerie of Mussy-sur-Seine, were loaned to the association. It was officially opened by Robert Galley on 23 May 1971, in the presence of the prefect of the Aube and the departmental councillors for Mussy and Bar-sur-Seine. After passing into the hands of the municipality in 1974, the museum became a “Musée de France” in 2002.

Today it is called the Musée de la Résistance de l’Aube. It is currently undergoing major renovation and restoration work to its building, its displays and its collections, which include equipment and clothing used by members of the maquis, deportees’ clothing, photographs, and posters linked to the Occupation or Liberation. The goal of the museum is to showcase objects and memories of the Resistance in the Aube, including other maquis (e.g. BOA, Commandos M, Libération Nord), other forms of resistance (women’s resistance, resistance outside the maquis, etc.) and other collections arising from donations or local bequests.

It is scheduled to reopen in 2021 for the general public and school visits, either as part of a cultural programme or for guided tours or unguided visits.

Website: https://museeresistanceaube.fr/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/museeresistanceaube/

Instagram: @museeresistanceaube

During World War II, Grenoble was part of the free zone until November 1942, when it was first occupied by the Italians until November 1943, then by the Germans until its liberation in August 1944. Isère is one of the French departments where movements, networks and underground Resistance maquis were particularly active.

From 1940, individual initiatives came together to form more structured movements and networks. Close to Grenoble, wide valleys surrounded by mountains and forests were a favourable geographical location for the growth of the maquis: originally maquis refuges, they would soon become combatant maquis.

The most prominent, the maquis of Vercors, should not eclipse the others in Oisans, Chartreuse, Belledonne, and Grésivaudan. The men and women who stood up to the occupiers paid a heavy price for their courageous engagement, and many of them encountered the tragic fate of deportation.

Due to the sheer number and effectiveness of the wide-ranging operations led against the enemy, Grenoble was the second of five cities honoured by the title of 'Compagnon de la Libération' in General De Gaulle's decree of 4 May 1944.

Under the tutelage of the Isère departmental council since the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Liberation, the Museum of Resistance and Deportation of Isère highlights the specific nature of the Resistance in this department of France. As well as the temporary exhibits and special events that are organised from time to time, the museum houses a permanent exhibit that offers the visitor a chronological presentation of events, developed according to themes aiming to situate Isère in the historical context of the era.

The museum tour is based on five themes: the beginning of the Resistance, the maquis, repression, the restoration of the Republic and the values of the Resistance. More than five thousand items, objects and documents from the archives illustrating daily life and the stuggle against the occupiers, reconstituting places and ambience. The visitor is invited to conclude this emotional journey with a moment's reflection on the values of the Resistance.

The museum's documentation centre is open to researchers and students as well as the general public. The computerised inventory of collections has led to the development of a library containing more than a thousand works, sound archives, and a photo and film library. The museum also offers a teaching area set aside for educators and their students before or after visiting the museum. It can be used for presentations and workshops on World War II, and offers a multimedia room and a resource and information centre for students to prepare their work on the period. Texts specifically directed at younger generations and school groups are present thoughout the museum visit. They are designed to help the youngest visitors understand the themes addressed by emphasising the links between the different elements on show in the museum and the major issues and concepts covered (especially in the context of the school curriculum).

Museum of Resistance and Deportation of Isère

14 rue Hébert - 38000 Grenoble 

Tél. 04 76 42 38 53 - Fax : 04 76 42 55 89
 

musee.mdr@cg38.fr

www.resistance-en-isere.fr

Getting there By motorway: - Motorways Lyon-Grenoble, Valence-Grenoble: Grenoble-Bastille exit - Motorway Chambéry-Grenoble: Grenoble-Centre-ville exit - Tramway: line A / Bus: Verdun bus stop - Car park: Place de Verdun or rue Hébert Opening times:

The museum is open every day except Tuesdays, 25 December, 1 January and 1 May. - From 1 September to 30 June, 9:00-18:00; - From 1 July to 31 August, 10:00-19:00. Visits: Free guided visits for individual visitors on the first Sunday of every month starting at 14:30. Group guided visits by appointment only.

[align=center]Sénans who chose Free France 22 - 26 June 1940[/align] June 1940: following defeat and the signature of the armistice, not all Frenchmen gave up. Gradually, individual or collective acts of resistance developed, the most famous being the "18th June Appeal", broadcast from London by General De Gaulle, an appeal repeated several times in the days that followed. The inhabitants of Sein were among the first to respond; they were among the earliest of the "Free French". Sein is a small island off the south-west tip of Brittany, facing the Pointe du Raz, with a population of around a thousand. In June 1940, most of the men were mobilised or called to work on the mainland. A garrison of 24 men was also stationed there. The island received information from the few ships that docked or the rare wireless sets. This communication became increasingly difficult until only scraps of news arrived, rumours of an ever-deteriorating situation. Residents of the island (Sénans) learned that Rennes and Brest had fallen and saw the first soldiers pushed back by the German advance. Many ships sailed via the island, such as the Zénith which, via Ouessant and Sein, took a small troop of Chasseurs alpins to Great Britain. The threat was getting closer, with German gunfire and shelling increasing.

Warned by a keeper of the Ar-Men lighthouse that an appeal by a French General was to be broadcast that evening on the BBC, the islanders and those present on the island assembled on 22nd June around one of the radios to listen to the speech. After listening to the message the choice was quickly made. Five ships were available right away. They sailed on 24th and 26th June. The first, the Velleda, left with the garrison and the first Sénans aboard, followed by the Rouanez ar Mor, then the Corbeau des mers, the Maris Stella and the Rouanez ar Péoc'h. Some islanders followed on smaller craft. 128 Sénans finally assembled in England. Some of them would not see their island or their families again until 1944. Initially, the Sénans were assigned to the Courbet, which had the job of protecting the port of Plymouth before most of them were dispersed to serve in the Free French Navy. The Germans occupied the Ile de Sein from the beginning of July, laying mines and barbed wire. Severe restrictions were applied to movement both on the island and the surrounding seas. Physical conditions were difficult, even after the mobilised men returned. In spite of this, assistance was raised for the families of the islanders who had gone to England.

A Sénan native stands before a granite Cross of Lorraine.

A monument dedicated to the Free French Forces was erected at Men-Neï. Sculpted by Quillivic, in clear view of the lighthouse overlooking it, it bears two inscriptions: "Kentoc'h Mervel" (I’d rather die) & “Le soldat qui ne se reconnaît pas vaincu a toujours raison” (The soldier who does not recognise defeat is always right).

On 7 September 1960, General de Gaulle, President of the Republic, paid an official visit to the Île de Sein to inaugurate this monument of remembrance and gratitude. It was a solemn moment, with the huge aircraft carrier Clemenceau just off the island and a helicopter landing. The giant of a man stepped off. The Sénan people were all there to welcome “their” General. The women were wearing their Sunday best, even the Mayor, Mrs Kerloc'h, who was also wearing a jibilinenn bonnet. A chorus of Sénan singers, vibrant with contained emotion, sang “Le Libéra”. Everyone was singing and, with their voices they sang the trials and tribulations they had suffered twenty years earlier, their dedication, their loyalty, death, hunger, injuries and especially their thirst for victory.

General de Gaulle was touched by the sight and understood the message of these simple people, so strong, so natural and so spontaneous. On the rostrum set up in his honour, he thanked the men and woman standing there with their proud, handsome faces looking up at him. “Here is the sea, in perpetual motion. Here is the sky, constantly changing. And here is the granite of Brittany, which never changes. When the time came, the Île de Sein was an example for us all. The movement at the time was natural and spontaneous, because it was for the island and its children, and because over the centuries, you have been confronted with struggles and because it was a question of you and your courage. With the “Le Libéra” that you sang earlier, I understood your sacrifice back in 1940. That remains in Sein and it remains in the spirit of all of France. France has been through many misfortunes, but thanks to its efforts, thanks to yours, it has undergone rebirth. In our dreams, France is what we have always wanted it to be: great, prosperous and fraternal. I have come here in the name of France to pay tribute to the Île de Sein, to this land of courage and exemplarity, to my companion, the Île de Sein. For the rest of my life, I will carry an imperishable memory of this ceremony.”

Then, to the population’s emotional applause, President de Gaulle raised his arms in an immense V for victory. He then visited the town hall and wrote in the registry, “To the Île de Sein, my companion, I offer my best wishes, with all my heart”. General de Gaulle held the Île de Sein and its residents in high esteem. For example, in his office in rue Solferino in Paris, he always kept nearby a gift that the people of the island had given him on 12 June 1949. It was a statue of a Breton woman made of Quimper faience, a work by R. Micheau-Vemez. He had placed it on a pedestal table, in full view, and the face on the ceramic constantly reminded him of his companion, a single word representing the entire Sénan community for him.

Sein is still in the news and is linked to the memory of the illustrious general. In 2002, a copy of the Mouez Enez Sun from November 2000 was given to the Charles de Gaulle Museum, located in the house where he was born in Lille. This monthly is the local paper on the Île de Sein. This issue of the Mouez Enez Sun reported on the ceremonies organised in the General’s memory upon his death in 1970, thirty years earlier.

Site internet

http://www.mairie-iledesein.com/a_visiter.htm

From the 17th century to the present day, this abbey has enjoyed a rich and eventful history. It is currently home to Ministry of Defence departments. History Pentemont Abbey was founded in 1217 at Beauvais, by Philippe de Dreux. Transferred to Paris in 1672, at the wishes of King Louis XIV, the Abbey then settled in the former buildings of the Order of the Word Incarnate; on the site of what is now 104 rue de Grenelle. In 1745, Abbess Marie-Catherine Béthisy de Mézières entrusted the reconstruction of the Abbey to Constant d'Ivry, architect to the Duc d'Orléans and known for his work on the Palais-Royal. The buildings were completed in 1783, but a lack of finance prevented their decoration. Later, in 1835, the building of the extension to rue de Bellechasse meant the demolition of part of the buildings. Up until the Revolution, Pentemont Abbey served as a convent for nuns, as well as an educational establishment for the daughters of nobility. Some apartments were also reserved for ladies of good standing seeking rest. This was the case when Joséphine de Beauharnais stayed here, while the case of her separation from her husband was heard.

After the Revolution, the building was used for military purposes. The abbey buildings housed the National Guard, then the Imperial Guard under the First Empire, before becoming the barracks for the Cent Gardes under the Second Empire. In 1915, Pentemont Abbey was put at the disposal of the Pensions Department of the Ministry of War, which became the Ministry of War Pensions, Bonuses and Benefits in 1920. The building still houses Ministry of Defence departments to this day. Main courtyard The buildings to the left and at the far end of the main courtyard were built in the 19th century, for military purposes. Today they house Ministry of Defence departments. The building on the right, from the 17th century, was the main building of Pentemont Abbey. The first-floor windows at the centre of the facade, used to open into the Abbess's salon. The monumental entrance on the ground floor, which used to lead directly to the Abbey chapel, was converted into the grand salon between the wars.
War memorial and commemorative plaques The war memorial bears the inscription "From veterans to their comrades who gave their lives for their country. In memoriam". It is accompanied by a stele, dedicated to Ministry of Veterans' staff and the victims of war who died for France. Four commemorative plaques to députés and Veterans' Ministers (André Maginot, Robert Lasalle, Albert Aubry and Henri Frenay) are mounted on the building at the far end of the courtyard. There is also a plaque to the victims of the attack on the UTA DC 10 on 19th September 1989. This site is closed to the public, except on heritage days. This historical monument, under the administration of the Ministry for Defence, is part of a Defence Culture protocol, signed on 17th September 2005. Click here to see the list of other buildings included ...
Ministère de la défense Secrétariat Général pour l'Administration Direction de la Mémoire, du Patrimoine et des Archives Bureau des actions culturelles et muséographiques 14 rue Saint-Dominique 00450 Armées E-mail: [email=dmpa-sdace-bacm@sga.defense.gouv.fr]dmpa-sdace-bacm@sga.defense.gouv.fr[/email

The Museum of 20th Century History is more than a memorial about the August 1944 episode in Estivareilles; it is place to ponder and discuss contemporary issues, in particular human rights, in the light of past events. The museographic exhibition has been designed to be accessible to all, especially young people. Estivareilles, a town of 500 people 900 metres above sea level in the Saint-Bonnet-le-Château area, is in the Forez Mountains and the Loire department, 40 km from Saint-Etienne, 60 km from Le Puy-en-Velay and 100 km from Lyon.

A museum, a place, a village In the heart of the town, the former convent buildings of the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph, houses the new Museum of the 20th Century. The north wing's renovation marks the end of the restoration project of the site, which now includes the town hall, rental housing units, tourist accommodations, a car park and a central garden that gives the complex a sense of unity.

An amazing achievement: the museum of history of the twentieth century Estivareilles, a hotbed of resistance

In late August 1944, the small town of Estivareilles trembled. A heavily armed German column had left the Romeuf barracks in Puy-en-Velay and was bearing down on St. Etienne. The St Etienne-Le Puy train track was cut at Pertuiset and, due to the actions of the Resistance, the main roads were unsafe. The Nazi column, desperate and willing to do anything, took the ridge roads, harassed by Wodli's F.T.P.F. resistance forces in Saint-Paulien, Bellevue-la-Montagne, Chomelix and Craponne-sur-Arzon. Estivareilles. The Loire Secret Army took its position. Local Resistance fighters converged on the small town in Haut-Forez. After the Liberation of St. Etienne on 19 August, the population was in grave danger. And Commandant Marey (head of the Loire Secret Army) decided to stop the Germans in Estivareilles! The surrender was on 22 August. 1984: creation of a museum Forty years later, the departmental museum of the Secret Army and the Resistance opened to the public in the presence of Lucien Neuwirth, a major Resistance figure and president of the Loire General Council. This project, which the veterans of the Loire Secret Army (a non-profit association) initiated and carried out, is supported by Estivareilles' elected officials.

Modernisation and reorganisation: the Museum of 20th Century History
On 21 May 1999, Jean-Pierre Masseret, Defence Minister with responsibility for veterans' affairs, inaugurated the new museum. Founded in 1984 by the Loire Secret Army veterans, the museum was entirely renovated in 1999 to open up to new generations. The Museum of 20th Century History was designed as a place of remembrance but also as a cultural and educational institution. It is more than a memorial about the August 1944 episode in Estivareilles; it is a place to think about and discuss contemporary issues in the light of past events. The museographic exhibition has been designed with the goal in mind of being accessible to everybody, especially young people. Come and (re)live the adventure of the 20th century by visiting modern, interactive museums. The displays include historical objects, sound tracks, newsreels, pictures and videos adapted to the whole family. The museum's storerooms contain precious journals and "scrapbooks" made by the Resistance members themselves. The first-hand accounts map out a geography of personal memory that, combined with others, make up our collective memory - in other words, history. Showing a few powerful videos of the last surviving veterans lets us pay tribute to the fighters while passing down to younger generations the values of the Resistance and showing how a historical event becomes part of the nation's heritage. The museum's storerooms also contain the Charreton collection, a group of items from the Dora-Commando camp at Buchenwald. A former camp inmate gathered these documents during his many journeys of remembrance back to the former camp. The museum offers a year-round programme of temporary exhibitions, lectures and meetings.
 

The museum's cultural project Four key goals underpin the museum's cultural project: Testifying. Today we are lucky to work with generations who can remember the first half of the 20th century, in particular Resistance members and former concentration camp inmates. Their involvement is essential and precious. The light they cast on history gives our thoughts meaning, sensitivity, feeling and humanity. Explaining. The museum's historical, chronological approach to the entire century enables us to understand the facts, reasons and dates. The Resistance and the horror of the Deportation stand in the middle of the 20th century, between the emergence of industrial societies and the First World War at one end and European integration on the other. The museum puts all these events into perspective and context in order to help us understand history better and learn the lessons that the past has to teach us. Transmitting. This new place of history will pass down to young generations knowledge about the 20th century's major conflicts and events, but also to perpetuate the memory of the former Resistance members and the ideals for which they fought and died.
 

Reflecting. Lastly, by re-interpreting our past, we seek to question the present and today's world. This site is more than a place of remembrance and a history lesson; it offers testimonials by people who actually took part in the events and the viewpoints of historians to help foster a debate on our present in the light of the Resistance and of past events. A state-of-the-art museum The thoroughly modern museum has been designed to recount the 20th century in an attractive, instructive way. Interactive systems, sound recordings, videos and lighting combine with historical rigor in the treatment of the 20th century's darkest days. Visitors become actors and appropriate the site, objects and presentation. Young people, a special public The museum wants to really reach young people. That is a hard goal to achieve because they have stubborn prejudices about museums. The displays, education department and teaching kit have been designed with that in mind. Each year for the "National Résistance and Deportation Competition" in middle and high schools, the museum produces a dossier to help students in their research. This kit, which is non-exhaustive of course, features texts, documents (adapted to the subject of the competition) and a summary bibliography that can be consulted at the museum. The museum's archives, library and video library are open to the participants by appointment.
 

Temporary exhibitions The temporary exhibitions help to implement the museum's cultural policy in the public sphere. For example: The Voices of Memory "I remember our dying friends asking us, If you make it back, promise you'll talk about us...'" (Violette Maurice. Resistance member deported to - Ravensbrück, block N.N.)
 

2005 -1945 "60th anniversary of the camps' liberation" As part of the 60th anniversary of the camps' liberation, the Museum of 20th Century History wanted to pay tribute to the deportees of the Loire Department and, through them, to all the deportees. Moving testimonials by the last surviving witnesses of those unspeakable horrors will have helped us better understand what the deportees endured in the Nazi concentration camps. Poems, songs, drawings and even making everyday objects were acts of Resistance in themselves (possessing personal belongings was forbidden). 1914-1918 - crossing glances
Looking back at the Great War, 90 years later To open our cultural season (spring 2006), we are offering visitors an exhibition devoted to the Great War presenting drawings, paintings and watercolours made between 1914 and 1918. At the same time, local contemporary artists expressed their vision of the same event, 90 years later.
 

"1944-2004" -60th anniversary of the fighting in Estivareilles and the liberation of the Loire Department. This exhibition -a "tribute to the Resistance members" - traces the "battle of Estivareilles" from the widest possible point of view by putting those days in August 1944 into the context of the war's history on the national, regional and local levels (Puy-en-Velay, Givors, Saint Etienne, etc.). A series of conferences, a guided tour of the places where the fighting took place, meetings with Resistance veterans and the publication of Estivareilles 1944 - mémoire d'un été singulier (Estivareilles 1944 - Remembering a Singular Summer) putting the "battle of Estivareilles" into the context of the war's history on the national and local scale marked the occasion.
 

Museum of 20th Century History - Resistance and Deportation

Rue du couvent - 42380 Estivareilles

Tel.: 04.77.50.29.20

E-mail: museehistoire.estivareilles@wanadoo.fr

Opening hours and rates

The museum is open every day, all year-round from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Adult : 3.10 € Heritage Passport: 2 € Child (8 - 16 years old): 1.50 € Child (under 8): Free A document explaining the visit is provided for 6- to 13-year-old children.