On 10 June 1944, in the early afternoon, a Waffen SS unit belonging to the SS "Das Reich" division, which was on its way back to Normandy as reinforcements, entered the small town of Oradour sur Glane, located about 20 kilometres northwest of Limoges. The day before, the same soldiers had hanged 99 people in Tulle. The men were separated from the women and children. The men were divided into different barns and the women and children were locked up in the church. Around 4 p.m., an explosion in the church gave the signal for the executions and a few hours later, 642 people were massacred. Only 6 people survived. In March 1945, during his visit, General de Gaulle decreed that Oradour would be rebuilt elsewhere and that the ruins would become a place of memory.
An educational tool... to try to understand
The village is surrounded by a wall and for 50 years, the ruins were left as they were, with only a few signs reminding us of the names of the inhabitants of each house and the function of each building: baker, blacksmith, school, etc. Over the years, with the disappearance of witnesses, the message delivered by the ruins became less and less legible. The Haute-Vienne General Council, the National Association of Martyrs' Families and the municipality of Oradour decided to include the martyred village in a global project and to complete it with an "educational tool" intended to help understand what led to the tragedy of 10 June 1944. The Centre de la mémoire was born from this reflection. It was inaugurated on 16 July 1999. It is a cultural facility known as an "interpretation" facility: a story that is told by giving elements to try to understand this tragedy.
An airlock to the unspeakable
From now on, the visit to Oradour will be in two stages. The first, the Centre de la Mémoire, is a permanent exhibition in five chapters. It shows and proves that what happened on 10 June 1944 was no accident but, on the contrary, the result of a deliberate will to spread terror and an operation carefully thought out and prepared down to the smallest detail.
Then, with all the information you have gathered, you will arrive at the village gates. You will walk through streets filled with ghosts, discovering evidence of a life that has suddenly come to an end: the remains of a pram in the church, a sewing machine on a windowsill, pieces of iron waiting to be transformed into ploughshares at the blacksmith's, etc. You will speak in hushed tones and your eyes will often sting without the pollen having much to do with it. You will speak in a low voice and your eyes will often sting without the pollen having much to do with it. In any case, you will never forget this visit.
The Memory Centre in practice
The memory centre is open 7 days a week from 1 February to 15 December inclusive.
Opening hours: From 1 February to 28 February: from 9 am to 4 pm
From 1 March to 15 May: 9am to 5pm
From 16 May to 15 September: from 9am to 6pm
From 16 September to 31 October: 9am to 5pm
From 1 November to 15 December: from 9am to 4pm
Permanent exhibition rates (2022 rates) :
Individual rate: 7.80 euros
Family package (2 adults + 2 or more children): 22 euros
Reduced rate: 5.20 euros (students, young people aged 10 to 18, disabled persons, veterans and victims of war) Free admission for under 10s, jobseekers, disabled persons
Contact details:
The Auze
87520 Oradour-sur-Glane
Tel: +33 (0)5 55 430 430
For more information: oradour.org
Testimony of Robert Hébras
Robert Hébras is one of the last two survivors still alive. He regularly takes students on tours of Oradour. 77 years later, he remains haunted by that day. A moment of incredible strength.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTR7hkf3A8s
Campsites around Oradour-sur-Glane
To best organise your stay at the Centre de la Mémoire, take a look at the list of campsites near Oradour-sur-Glane.