Oradour-sur-glane church History, Travel Information, Hotels, Facts And More
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PERSONAL INFORMATION
NAME
Oradour-sur-glane church
OTHER NAMES
eglise d'Oradour-sur-glane
COUNTRY
France
ADDRESS
Village of Haute-Vienne, in Nazi occupied France.
ORADOUR-SUR-GLANE CHURCH PICTURE
More Information
About Oradour-sur-glane church
A site with a haunting history;witnessed one of the deadliest massacres in the history of France. The ruins of the city serve as a memorial to the victims.
Some Lesser Known Facts About Oradour-sur-glane church
- on June 10, 1944, Nazi troops, forced the population(642) of the village to step out of their homes and into the village square, as a search for explosives ensued, along with identity checks. The men were singled out and placed into the barn and the women and children were put together in the church. After barring the doors of the barn and the church, they set fire to the village. The residents died of suffocation and burns. Those who didn?t were killed off by machine-gun fires, dynamite, and grenades.
- In the present day, it is known by the name of "Village des Martyrs".
- The trigger or the reason for such blind execution is still unclear. some say it was a way to get back, to seek revenge for the kidnapping of one of the SS officers. Others may argue that it was simply to terrorize the residents.
- In the village cemetary, the walls are engraved with the names of the victims, and in glass cases, ashes of the fallen are contained.
- Near the church, is an underground memorial, much like a bunker, that displays the possessions of the victims. Children's toys, sewing machines, cutlery,etc, are among some of the things.
- The meaning of "oradour" is, quite simply, " a place of worship or prayer", it comes from the Latin "oratio".
- Out of the 7 people that survived the slaughter, and the one of the two people still alive, is a man named Robert Hebras.
- The German authorities are said to be considering reopening the cases against 6 surviving ex-SS men, that were present at the site of the unfortunate event.
- In 1946, the French government declared it to be a national memorial site and decreed its conservation.
- To leave the people with a strong impression of the tragedy, the visitors are encouraged to say "remember" in french and in english.
- Near the church, is an underground memorial, much like a bunker, that displays the possessions of the victims. Children's toys, sewing machines, cutlery,etc, are among some of the things.
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