The small village of Oradour-sur-Glane in Haute-Vienne is sadly known for the massacre that took place there on 10 June 1944. In the afternoon, 200 soldiers of the SS Das Reich division entered the peaceful village. What was supposed to be a simple identity check turned into a bloody massacre. Men, women and children were cold-heartedly shot and set on fire. The Nazis killed a total of 642 people including 207 children.
A true symbol of Nazi barbarism and a place of remembrance, Oradour-sur-Glane has remained unchanged since that day. During your visit, the burnt cars and houses will help you understand the scale of the massacre. In the main street leading to the fairgrounds, stay awhile to read the various commemorative plaques that have been put up.
Near the village, the Remembrance Centre (Centre de Mémoire) offers a retrospective of the history of Nazism, from its rise to that tragic day, through an exhibition that encourages reflection on peace and human rights. In order to honour those who died, the Centre has been working since 2014 to put faces to their names so an engraving can be made of them. Over 500 have been found to date.
