Oradour sur Glane a poignant reminder of Limousin suffering

We'd driven past it probably hundreds of times, but never visited.

 

I didn't know what to expect of Oradour sur Glane, the Limousin village where on June 10 1944, German troops slaughtered 642 men, women and children.  Could a visit here be in any way enjoyable? 

 

On a mercilessly hot August afternoon, was this the place to be?  Probably not would be my answer (especially with children), but if you are visiting the area as a tourist at any time, make sure you set aside an afternoon to learn about the unbelievable events which unfolded that fateful day.

 

For those who have never heard of Oradour, the village was turned into a protected memorial site by the then interim president Charles de Gaulle after the war, and serves to remind the world of the horrors of war, and the barbaric acts perpetrated by the Nazis.

 

The superb and unobtrusive visitor centre built at the entrance to the village is laid out perfectly, with clearly written narrative sprawled across every wall to tell the story from build-up to aftermath, interspersed with video, images and artefacts.  Visitors have the option to take with them a listening-set where you can hear the narrative being expertly read in native English as you make your way through the exhibition corridor.  There is even a short film presentation mid-way through, that explains the detail of what happened and pinpoints where in the village each terrible act occurred.

 

Towards the end of the exhibition, you are shown the worldwide media coverage of the massacre, and are taken through the eventual war-crimes trial at Nuremburg, and you are shown how the new Oradour was conceived and constructed.  A peculiarly shaped room of reflection is held until last, where you can see and listen to a long repertoire of quotes about war and learning the lessons of war by famous and learned people.  A welcome few moments for you to try and reconcile what you have just learned before taking a (long) walk around the remains of the village, which was set alight by the ruthless perpetrators.

 

Buildings are labelled by their owners and their occupation at the time, and what struck me was the sheer number of cafes, restaurants and shops for such a small place.  With its electric tram linking it with other villages and towns in the region, my guess is that this would have been a thriving and welcoming place in its day, a typical Limousin rural village.

 

Most poignant was perhaps the church where, knowing what I know now about what happened that day, it was a strange feeling to step inside the building just to look around.  A rush of emotions...outrage, pity, sadness...

 

I'll leave the telling of the story for your next visit there, but believe me you'll be pleased you went.

 

 
Posted by: Richard Stewart on 04 September 2009