kerouac

I have been to the martyred town or Oradour perhaps 3 times in my life, most recently last Monday. It is about 25km from Limoges, which is an area almost completely spared during World War II.

Unfortunately, D-Day on June 6, 1944 started certain things in motion, and the horrible massacre of Oradour took place on June 10, 1944. The ruins are still in place, and here is my report of the latest visit: http://tinyurl.com/oradourglane

Traviata

Kerouac......my eyes were filled with tears when I walked those streets. Yes, it is important to "never forget".

jamikins

We visited in 2011 and were very moved. Such a sad event...words can't express it really.

Nikki

Thank you for this. My husband and I visited a few years ago and your report answered one of the questions I had at the time. I had thought the new town would be very depressing to live in and wondered why it had been built right there with the permanent reminder of the tragedy always in view.

kerouac

I do understand what was behind that decision, but clearly they didn't think it through properly. But who could think straight about such things right after the war? It was so important to prove to the world that "we will survive" even if Gloria Gaynor had not yet been born.

IMDonehere

Unfortunately there are many places across Europe that are equally sad.

Fra_Diavolo

Sheer horror and little justice. Good to be reminded.

NewbE

<Unfortunately there are many places across Europe that are equally sad.>
Exactly, and around the world.

Kathie

Thank you for your very moving report, kerouac.

Bokhara2

Kerouac, thank you.
I didn't know about Oradour-sur- Glane,

That must have been a heart wrenching visit & piece to write. At the same time, affirming & a salute to the survivors' spirit to see new life growing in Oradour-sur-Glane.

lauren_s_kahn

I just visited Auschwitz I & II as part of my stay in Krakow. What horrors humans can inflict on other humans in the name of what?

maitaitom

We were there in 2012. A memorable, and somber, experience to be sure. As I said in my trip report, "We were very impressed how this museum was set up and how it explained, in great detail, the history of those turbulent and terrible years." Definitely something that has stayed with me long since we visited.

denisea

Thanks, kerouac. I am embarrassed to say I was not familiar with this horrific event. It's heartbreaking. I appreciate being made aware of this and just hope to be worthy of the fortunate life I have. As always, you bring a lot of good to the forum.

KTtravel

Wow!
Thank you for this sobering reminder of an important part of history that happened not that long ago.

tekwriter

Stunning photos, which needed few captions. Such tragedy.

IMDonehere

What was interesting about Auschwitz, is the same thing that gets to most people. It is not the railroad siding or the bunks or the collapsed gas chambers as much as the exhibition cases of glasses, suitcases, and hairbrushes. It humanizes what occurred. (Disclaimer:I am not Kahn nor did I accompany her to Auschwitz.)

Leely2

Thank you for the report, Kerouac. I visited Oradour-sur-Glane several years ago. Unforgettable.

We stayed overnight in the new town and there was some sort of high school(?) festival happening while we were there.

lauren_s_kahn

What got to me at Auschwitz was the size of Birkenau (Auschwitz II). Some tours just go to Auschwitz I, which has been developed as a museum with exhibits and the piles of glasses, suitcases, etc.). Birkenau was what got to me and the blurred photo that a Pole took and attempted to give to the outside world. It was of naked women standing outside the gas chamber waiting for the gas chamber. Unfortunately, the photo never made it to the allies.

There is a lot of walking at Auschwitz, so be prepared.

Gretchen

I believe the soldiers who carried out that massacre were then called to the Normandy front and many are buried in the German cemetery there.
It was a haunting visit for us.

kerouac

The official reason for the massacre was to keep the French resistance subdued since the D-Day landings had just occurred. Killing innocent people was generally more effective for that than just killing captured resistants, who expected to die anyway.