Old pictures of Oradour sur Glane
We visited this site on 18 April 2011, we've been talking about this village since long time, as this is part of the history during 2nd World War.
This rich village was being massacred on Saturday, 10 June 1944. Around 200 German troops attacked this village, killed and burnt its 642 villagers, including women and children. New village has been rebuilt now but the old village is maintained to keep the memories. We pay 7.70 € per person to visit the museum, but the village visit is free, which I think is reasonable cause they need to maintain the village clean & tidy therefore they need some fund for this.
After D-Day invasion in Normandy by the allied, the division of "Das Reich" was ordered to make its way to Normandy to stop the advanced allied. Oradour sur Glane was mistakenly chosen instead of Oradour sur Vayres.
doctor's car still on the parking
The sad story began at 14:00 on 10 June 1944, the German soldiers from the division of "Das Reich" assembled all villagers in the Fairground pretending for an identity control. The women & children were separated from men and men's group was divided into 6 groups put into 6 different barns & garage around the village, the women & children were lead into the church.
Church of Oradour sur Glane
According to one survivor, the soldier shot the men on their legs so that they would die slowly, covered their body with fuel and set the barns on fire. The women & children were locked inside the church and burnt alive, those who tried to escape was shot dead by the troops. Only one women survived alive from this massacre, as she escape from behind the altar, taking advantage of the smoke caused by fire, took the small stair used to burn the candle & escape by the small window behind, she hid herself behind the bush until the next morning.
village's road with tramway
This is really sad story, but one thing REMEMBER war is bad, war is killing, stop war & live in peace cause we have enough trouble in life, add no more !
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