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Posts Tagged ‘Camp des Milles’

July – and Lots of SummerActivities Start

Posted in Art, Event, Patrimoine, Publication, tagged , , , on July 7, 2013| Leave a Comment »

IMG_5706Loved the Tour de France, as did Aixcentric petit-fils who, aged 2,  soon got the hang of running for loot: key-rings, hats, sweets and madeleines.  It’s really solid brand-awareness. I remember after the last football World Cup, one of the UK marketing magazines researched brand retention amongst TV viewers and those who had been in the stadiums – and there was precious little recall. I guess that when you have been hit on the foot as I was (more…)

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Women from the Resistance in Conference

Posted in Event, Patrimoine, tagged , on March 5, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Another very late notification: this one for Friday when there is a conference, which looks fascinating, at the Camp des Milles.

Called ‘Femmes Debut: Femmes en Résistance’, it has an afternoon programme of fascinating speakers including Edmonde Charles-Roux who was a brave resistant during the Occupation.  You can read about her here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmonde_Charles-Roux

Another speaker is Beata Klarsfeld, an activist against Nazis.  Details http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serge_and_Beate_Klarsfeld

What a privilege to hear these women speak about their lives and philosophy.  It’s free, Friday 8th March, 14:30. Presumably in French. Details on the Camp des Milles website.

8mars

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Prime Minister’s Visit – Part 1

Posted in Event, Patrimoine, tagged , , on September 9, 2012| Leave a Comment »

French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, together with 6 cabinet ministers, will tomorrow visit the Camp des Milles in order to declare it officially open.

This is the old tile-works which was taken over in 1939 to house, firstly German and Austrian intellectuals who were fleeing Nazism ‘sujet ennemis’, then ‘ indésirables’ mainly Jewish people from across the region.  Finally in August and September 1942, the camp was used as a deportation centre for Jewish men, women and children who were sent by train to Drancy and then Auschwitz.  Altogether 10,000 people were interned from 38 countries, and more than 2000 Jews were deported.

It has taken nearly 30 years to ensure that this camp becomes a memorial to the people who were held there.  Equally important though is its educational goal, showing the public, especially the young, the reality and consequences of extremism. 

Visitors can see the frescos in the dining room which were painted by interned artists; the dormitories and grim living conditions they endured; and also an example of the cattle trucks used to transport the inmates north.

The camp will be open to the public from Wednesday 12th September. Open daily exc Mondays. www.campdesmilles.org.

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