Oradour-sur-Glane... (1 Viewer)

[scotjimland]

We visited Oradour-sur-Glane this week ... a very sad and moving place ..

If you haven't been, put it on a 'must do' list..

There has never been an explanation given why it was done ..

RIP the 642 men, women and children.. slaughtered by the Nazi's on the 10th June 1944.

One picture says more than a 1,000 words

 

[Jim]

Yes, no matter how many words you read about the place or pictures you see. Actually visiting is a bit of a shock. Well it was to us, we were very moved.

 

[Don Quixote]

Likewise we were shocked and moved by it all. So sad what humans can do to each other. A must visit.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Viennese]

It was mistaken by the Nazis for nearby Oradour sur Vayres which was a French resistance village and was giving them a lot of trouble. Read the whole shocking story on Wikipedia...

 

[DavidG58]

we went 2 years ago, did the museum tour so pretty much knew what we were in for, but literally couldn't do the walk round the old town, can't really put our finger on why, but a desperately sad situation to have been in

 

[RowleyBirkinQC]

A very thought provoking place, was on our must visit list in last year's French meander.

Am I right in thinking/remembering that some of the participants in the slaughter were actually French conscripts into the German (Vichy?) forces, who then largely escaped subsequent prosecution in the spirit of "reconciliation" (or similar)? Surely they must found it very, very, difficult living with themselves?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[scotjimland]

http://www.oradour.info/ruined/summary.htm

 

[Munchie]

Mans inhumanity to man. I was in the forces but could never obey that kind of order!

 

[stevec]

Went last year. Very moving. And so quiet. Not even birds singing.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[MikeD]

When we visited we both found it very moving and definitely a must visit.

If I remember right no one has ever been held to account over this crime.

 

[BobtheBass]

I think the Nazi commander responsible for the hideous decision was court martialled, but killed in action before the court could sit in judgement.

 

[lorger]

We visited about 4 years ago and found it very moving and humbling, I don't know if it was just my mind playing tricks but I'm 100% certain I could smell burning all the way round.

On another note we visited the twin towers last year in New York and like above I doubt you could go round without a tear in your eye.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Theonlysue]

Mans inhumanity to man. I was in the forces but could never obey that kind of order!

Kill or be killed??

 

[Jill]

Visiting was on my 'to do' list and we went last summer. I had seen the pictures but they couldn't show the scale of the destruction. Actually walking down street upon street of ruins was horrific. The underground museum where all the watches had stopped at 4.20 was so eerie.

 

[Larby]

We went last year. Wife thought she could smell burning and also remarked on lack of bird noise.
The thing that got to her was the glass coffin with a child's hand.
Did anyone else notice that most had a sewing machine?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[scotjimland]

Did anyone else notice that most had a sewing machine?

yes.. but not unusual ..

up until the 70s most households would have one.. much as nowadays most of us have a microwave oven..
Wooden cases and or sewing tables destroyed in the fires....

lack of bird noise.. smell of fire... all in the imagination...

 

[Badknee]

We were there two weeks ago, what a sad, sad place.
The destruction was complete, as has been said "I was just obeying orders" yeh, right.
They shot the men in the legs to stop them running away then piled flammable stuff on top of them and set fire to it.
The women in the church were burned to death and any trying to escape were machine gunned, the youngest child was eight days old.
Obeying those orders was inhuman.

 

[laneside]

Such a soul searching place, the ironic thing is no one has learned a thing and it is happening all over the world right now

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Anthea M]

We went 2 years ago and found it both moving and emotive. The scale of the devastation to one tiny village was un fathomable
. We stayed on the aire just out side the new village and had the worst hail rain wind storm we had ever encountered a very eerie place .
All the visitors respected the site .
We saw a German couple( passports were the clue )who spoke English when ordering the audio machines , perhaps they were worried that someone may have said something, they too were paying their respects for actions done by forefathers.
We were pleased we had visited but made us very quiet for a day to two.

 

[aldhp21]

Agree with everything said. A very thoughtful and sobering place to visit.

I wouldn't go again but I'm glad I've been.

 

[Geo]

http://www.oradour.info/ruined/summary.htm

What makes this account the correct version Jim?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Forestboy]

We visited a few years ago very sobering especially some of the footage in the museum the cruelty of mankind is shocking.
Also visited the war graves and war museum in Kanchanaburi shocking as is the Nuremberg court rooms museum.
In September we're going to Dhakow on the way to Italy.
As for no bird song, sorry but not true.

 

[scotjimland]

What makes this account the correct version Jim?

I never made any comment Geo, never said or implied it was ... it's just one of several accounts on Google..

so I can't honestly answer your question.

If you know it is incorrect, can you point it out where it is wrong and say why ?

The author, Michael Williams: would be interested to hear from you..

http://www.oradour.info/general/introd01.htm

It is to give an account of a complex event, hopefully without errors that this website has been set up. If any reader has any hard evidence to either support or contest my version, then please contact me and I shall be pleased to acknowledge them and incorporate the new data into this site.

 

[Geo]

You like most folk will have heard the most popular version of events and those most often banded about in the Museums information boards etc that of mistaken identity of the village and retribution for an attack on a German officer by the underground I believe is the most read.

It was fair to assume that you posting this version particulary just after Vieneeses post did suggest all be it subconsciously that you may have better information or supported or wished to discuss it further I again assume you offered it out there for some reason
and i asked the question merely out of interest
I also believe there are far too many sewing machines surviving and a certain amount of poetic licence has been applied for effect, but take your point re the Micro Wave analogy
But every other house placed on top of the ruins ?? I have no doubt that this atrocity took place, I just wish they wouldn't play with history like that
Apart from that its the only place beside you who i know has a singer collection
I wondered if Jan had dropped the odd one off as you past
G

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[chaser]

Think I have read somewhere, don't know if it was there or on the web but that doesn't matter, that the reason for so many sewing machines is that the women all worked from home making clothes or something.
I may well be wrong but that is what I understood.

 

[scotjimland]

You like most folk will have heard the most popular version of events and those most often banded about in the Museums information boards etc that of mistaken identity of the village and retribution for an attack on a German officer by the underground I believe is the most read.

on the contrary ..

in my opening post I said there had never been an explanation as to why it was done... I should have said a *satisfactory* explanation...

quote:
The mystery of why?
What has fascinated people ever since the 10th of June 1944, is why did the SS act as they did? Why did they turn up at Oradour that day and without mentioning anything to the inhabitants, kill them all? That a few people survived the attack was not due to any lack of zeal on the part of the SS, but why did they do it?

There had never been any obvious Resistance activity in the village, the Germans had never been attacked by the inhabitents and after the killings were over the SS left without saying why they had done it to anyone at all. If the attack had been a reprisal for some violence towards the German forces, it would be normal for the Germans to say (loudly) to all the local population, 'that's what you get when you help the Resistance, let that be a lesson to you all'. But they did not, they just left without saying a word.

unquote.


but irrespective.. a war crime was committed, men women and children slaughtered in a cruel and merciless fashion.. that is a fact that no one has ever denied.

I still find your question a bit odd.. I didn't post for a debate .. or whether sewing machines were placed or not... nor have any desire to do so.... but merely to say that it was a sad and moving place that we should all visit .. and also to pay my respects to the victims..

 

[Geo]

Ok i wont trouble you ant further

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Jo662]

We were there 2 years ago,as others have said a very sobering experience.
While there a German family of Mother,Father and two teenage boys were
looking round.The boys were laughing and joking and taking pictures of
each other out side all the buildings,including the church! It was totally
unbelievable!

 

[StanandShirley]

Like many comments above we didn't hear any birds at all. We humans can be so cruel, just read about the Nice killings last night, but still believe most people in the world are caring and helpful to others.

 

[TPMM]

I thought I'd add a brief note about parking for MHs at Oradour. We spent about a month in central France in September doing lots of "tourist attractions" (not really the right description for Oradour) and this was the only one where we encountered height barriers. We knew there was an Aire but it's quite a distance from the Old Village and we didn't want to leave our dogs for too long. We were lucky to find a shady street parking space on the main street. We asked at reception about MH parking and the lady said there was somewhere quite close - but we never bothered finding out precisely where because we'd already found somewhere. So - if you want to avoid the walk from the Aire, it maybe worth ringing or emailing the office in advance to get details. Also - we were advised by reception not to bother with the audio system for the museum/exhibition but regretted taking that advice because the video - which is excellent - was only partially subtitled and we missed a lot, which was annoying. As others have said it's a extraordinary place that you will never forget.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}