A series of photos of oradoursurglane is shown in the last world at war episode, as sir lawrence olivier intones these words. The ss justification for the oradoursurglane massacre centers on their claim that the destruction of the village was a reprisal, which was legal under international law up until the geneva convention of 1949. For the people of oradoursurglane limousin, france, life had gone on as usual. Oradoursurglane on 10 june 1940, 642 inhabitants of a french village, from a newborn to a ninety year old, were executed by german ss troops. The oradour sur glane massacre was one of the great horrors of world war two. The 10th of june 1944 was also the date for other war crime killings by the waffenss in france and elsewhere during wwii, see the 10th of june as. Nazi atrocities to take place on french soil during the second world war.
A group of some 150 soldiers from the division were on the road to the french village of oradour sur glane when barth allegedly spoke the words. It is inconceivable that any images of oradoursurglane the french village wiped out by the waffen ss in june 1944 could be anything other than moving. Former ss soldier, 88, charged over 1944 village massacre in oradour sur glane, france. Several days later, the survivors were allowed to bury the 642 dead inhabitants of oradoursurglane who had been killed in just a few hours. The story of oradoursurglane the story of the massacre from the ss point of view for the official story, click here. The entire village was destroyed and its inhabitants killed by german troops on june 10, 1944, exactly two years after a similar fate had befallen the czechoslovakian village of lidice.
I think i could and would go to oradoursurglane, this chilling, awful, somehow now beautiful memorial to 644 citizens of that village who were killed there as part of the sacrifice demanded by that dirty little man not very long ago. Several days later, the survivors were allowed to bury the 642 dead inhabitants of oradour sur glane who had been killed in just a few hours. Apr 03, 2010 here is a quote from the forward of the official publication about the massacre at oradoursurglane. Oradoursurglane massacre of 1944 article about oradour. When ss troops massacred over 600 french villagers in. A traveler in june 1944 leaving limoges for angouleme would have been captivated by the charming balance of the surrounding countryside. Oradoursurglane shown in the tv series the world at war. The silence of oradoursurglane france revisited life in. Oradoursurglane 10 june 1944 a wartime tragedy in france. On 4 september 20, german president joachim gauck and french president francois hollande visited the ghost village of oradoursurglane. The ss justification for the oradour sur glane massacre centers on their claim that the destruction of the village was a reprisal, which was legal under international law up until the geneva convention of 1949.
Oradoursurglane was a large town near limoges, which was razed to the ground and almost all of its occupants massacred by a nazi waffenss company, possibly as retaliation for the fact that the germans were starting to lose the war following the dday landings at the beginning of june 1944. A few men can be seen pushing their bikes through the bombed. The first and final episodes 1 and 26, entitled a new germany and remember respectively, show helicopter views of the destroyed village, interspersed with pictures of the victims that appear. Thats how i felt with robin macknesss massacre at oradour. Oradoursurglane a village in france, rochechouart district, hautevienne department. Former ss soldier, 88, charged over 1944 village massacre in oradoursurglane, france. Oradour sur glane the story of the massacre on june 10, 1944.
On that saturday afternoon, four days after the allied landings in normandy, ss troops encircled the town in the rolling farm country of the limousin. Once there, they were told by the nazi commandant they were suspected of hiding explosives and as a result there would be a search and a check of identity papers. Among german crimes of the second world war, the nazi massacre of 642 men, women, and children at. Nazis massacred the entire town of oradoursurglane. Oradoursurglane was the site of a particularly brutal atrocity during world war ii. The new village of oradour sur glane population 2,375 in 2012, northwest of the site of the massacre, was built after the war. The massacre at oradoursurglane, near limoges, was described by the historian m d foot as the most notorious nazi atrocity in western europe in world war two. France buried the dead and left everything else where it was as a memorial. Instead of reporting the truth, that oradoursurglane was a reprisal action, the false portrayal of the destruction of this french village is used to demonize the german army and the german people. German charged over infamous french wwii massacre france 24. I visited oradoursurglane in the limousin region many years ago. Oradoursurglane, frances chilling world war ii ghost village. During world war ii, it was located in the germanoccupied zone of france. Jul 21, 20 i think i could and would go to oradour sur glane, this chilling, awful, somehow now beautiful memorial to 644 citizens of that village who were killed there as part of the sacrifice demanded by that dirty little man not very long ago.
As retaliation for the kidnapping of an ss sturmbannfuhrer and other resistance activities, on june 10 1944, 190 men were executed. A french ghost town from world war ii, left as a memorial to german atrocities. The french village of oradour sur glane that was the nazis final revenge tina ediss traces the steps of a resistance heroine to where an entire french community died in one of the war s most. The story of oradour sur glane the story of the massacre from the ss point of view for the official story, click here. Lost in lush countryside, two hours north of the most popular and scenic stretch of the dordogne river, oradoursurglane is one of the most powerful sights in all of france, and worth going out of your way to see. In the literature, oradoursurglane is often spelled as, oradour sur glane without the hyphens and is frequently referred to simply as, oradour, see the oradours of france. Traces the events surrounding a small french village during the nazi occupation of france during wwii. In the french village of oradoursurglane a unit of the 2.
Oradoursurglane, world at war series american civil. A joint news conference broadcast by the two leaders followed their tour of the site. The new village of oradour sur glane, with a 2006 population of 2,188, was built after the war, at the northwest of the site of the massacre, where ruined remnants of the former village still stand as a memorial to the dead and a representative of similar sites and events. The village des martyrs, as it is now known, was machinegunned and burned by nazi troops on june 10, 1944 four days after dday. Mar 4, 2014 nazis locked all the women and children in the church and then set fire to it, shot all of the men, then systematically burnt down the village. In 1999, a museum, containing personal effects and items found in the burned down structures, was also dedicated to the village martyr, the martyred village, oradoursurglane. On 10 june 1944, the village of oradoursurglane in hautevienne in nazioccupied france was destroyed, when 642 of its inhabitants, including women and children, were massacred by a german waffenss company.
Jun 10, 20 the survivors of oradour sur glane created a new village after the war, but the burnedout ruins of the old village remain, with rusted cars, sewing machines, bicycles and other personal items lying in plain sight on the street, a grim testimony to what happened there nearly seventy years ago. Please post civil war threads in more appropriate forums. This was the first time a german president had come to the site of one of the biggest world war ii massacres on french soil. The book tells the official story of the destruction of the peaceful village of oradour sur glane on june 10, 1944 when 642 innocent men, women and children were brutally murdered for no reason at all and the whole town was destroyed by waffenss soldiers in hitlers elite army. The tiny village, which you could walk through in all of ten minutes, had been the victim of mistaken identity. Former ss soldier, 88, charged over 1944 village massacre. The massacre at oradoursurglane on june 10th, 1944, left 642 people dead. Bombed and burntout shells of houses are all that remain in the french village of oradour sur glane, where more than 600 people were murdered for reasons unclear. Among german crimes of the second world war, the nazi massacre of 642 men, women, and children at oradoursurglane on june 10, 1944, is one of the most notorious. Apr 21, 2015 the massacre at oradoursurglane on june 10th, 1944, left 642 people dead.
There was only one school child among the survivors. They have nothing to be proud of except the french resistance, so they glorify the french people who fought as illegal combatants after france signed an armistice and promised to stop fighting. Here is a quote from the forward of the official publication about the massacre at oradoursurglane. The french village of oradoursurglane that was the nazis.
The nazi waffen ss round up over 600 innocent people and systematically slaughter them. Just hours later, the village lay in smoking ruins, its population massacred by the nazi troops. Visiting oradoursurglane, the site of a world war ii massacre where nazi troops killed and destroyed an entire village on 10 june 1944. The citizens of oradoursurglane had managed to keep their lives distant from the war that raged around them. Jul 27, 20 instead of reporting the truth, that oradour sur glane was a reprisal action, the false portrayal of the destruction of this french village is used to demonize the german army and the german people. On june 10, 1944, during the fascist occupation of france 194044, oradoursurglane was totally destroyed by the fascist german invaders, who were carrying out reprisals against the french populace. As so many provincial towns, this small market town located about 20kms northwest of limoges, had no particular history. We know a great deal about what transpired at oradour sur glane because despite the thorugnness of the ss killing operation, there were a few survivors. Oradour sur glane was the site of one of the most tragic events of wwii.
The book tells the official story of the destruction of the peaceful village of oradoursurglane on june 10, 1944 when 642 innocent men, women and children were brutally murdered for no reason at all and the whole town was destroyed by waffenss soldiers in hitlers elite army. The lone child who managed to survive was roger godfrin. The silence of oradoursurglane france revisited life. The original village was destroyed on 10 june 1944, when 642 of its inhabitants, including women and children, were massacred by a company. As so many provincial towns, this small market town located about 20kms northwest of limoges, had no particular history however, this tragically changed on june 10, 1944, when oradoursurglane became a martyr village. It was mid june and the weather was gloriously hot. Four days previously, the allies had launched the liberation of europe with dday. When ss troops massacred over 600 french villagers in oradour. The oradoursurglane massacre was one of the great horrors of world war two. The french village of oradoursurglane that was the nazis final revenge tina ediss traces the steps of a resistance heroine to where an entire french community died in. Tells the story of the village of oradoursurglane in france where more than 600 villagers were massacred by the nazis.
On 10 june 1944, the village of oradour sur glane in hautevienne in nazioccupied france was destroyed, when 642 of its inhabitants, including women and children, were massacred by a german waffenss company. Former ss soldier, 88, charged over 1944 village massacre in. The story of oradoursurglane was featured in 1974 in the noted british documentary television series, the world at war, which was narrated by sir laurence olivier. Oradoursurglane was a small farming village of around 350 inhabitants, located near clermontferrand, some 15 miles westnorthwest of limoges. Towards the end of the second world war, in a peaceful part of france, took place the particularly horrible murder of 642 men women and children. Sep 05, 20 it is inconceivable that any images of oradoursurglane the french village wiped out by the waffen ss in june 1944 could be anything other than moving. The villagers of oradour sur glane could have had no idea what was about the take place when men from the 2nd ss panzer division travelled up this road on 10th june 1944. Jun 06, 2015 oradour sur glane,france, 10th june 1944. Adolf diekmann, commander of the ss battalion, had been informed that the french resistance had captured an ss officer possibly the kidnapped waffen. Oradour sur glane on 10 june 1940, 642 inhabitants of a french village, from a newborn to a ninety year old, were executed by german ss troops.
Bones of unidentified victims of oradoursurglane massacre the french were defeated by the germans in world war ii after only six weeks of fighting. Just four days earlier, the allies had landed on normandy. Oradoursurglane, frances chilling world war ii ghost. In 1999, a museum, containing personal effects and items found in the burned down structures, was also dedicated to the village martyr, the martyred village, oradour sur glane. Get your kindle here, or download a free kindle reading app. For instance, the french village of oradoursurglane, left depopulated during the second world war after the massacre of more than 500 civilians, has been.
Former ss man charged with taking part in massacre at french. Among german crimes of the second world war, the nazi massacre of 642 men, women, and children at oradour sur glane on june 10, 1944, is one of the most notorious. Nov, 2016 the french village of oradoursurglane that was the nazis final revenge tina ediss traces the steps of a resistance heroine to where an entire french community died in one of the wars most. Charred cars and gutted structures still line oradours streets.
Twenty miles away was a somewhat larger town with a similar name, oradoursurvayres, which was known for its resistance activity. On that saturday afternoon, four days after the allied landings in normandy, ss troops encircled the town in. Oradoursurglane was the site of one of the most tragic events of wwii. However, this tragically changed on june 10, 1944, when oradour sur glane became a martyr village. A series of photos of oradour sur glane is shown in the last world at war episode, as sir lawrence olivier intones these words. The women and children were herded into the church and systematically shot.
Even though the germans had occupied their country and forced france into surrender years before, no wehrmacht soldiers had been stationed in the village, nor did any ever pass through it, since their village lay inside the semiautonomous region of the vichy france regime and was considered cooperative. A group of some 150 soldiers from the division were on the road to the french village of oradoursurglane when barth allegedly spoke the words. The massacre at oradour sur glane memorial center limousin. Oradour sur glane may be notorious but it was by no means the only massacre of french civilians by the nazis in the summer of 1944. The town is known as the village of the martyrs, a sad memorial to its tragic past and the atrocity that took place there on 10 june 1944 i had been camping along the atlantic coast on my way to a rugby match at nontron. Oradour sur glane was the site of a particularly brutal atrocity during world war ii. Forty years on, the world at war has lost none of its power. Commemorating the 1944 massacre at oradoursurglane first edition. World at war tv series misconstrues the oradoursurglane. Oradoursurglane, france ww2 nazi ss massacre hubpages.
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