August 7, 2019
Remembrance
Today I went to Oradour-sur-Glane. I had planned this visit for a long time and its because of what happened there that I went. If you dont know the story, here is a synopsis: On June 10, 1944 the second division Waffen SS were moving toward the front in Normandy. Passing through the village, they went on a rampage, looting and pillaging before rounding up the inhabitants and forcing them into their homes and businesses while burning the town to the ground. 642 people, including 196 children, were killed. Only six people survived the massacre. The town survives as a memorial to the victims. A new town has been built alongside the old, but the old stays as it was found after the killing.
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5 years ago
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It’s easy to blame the nazis for this. The SS divisions were composed mostly of nazi party true believers, or so we are told. But were the young men who volunteered for this service ideologs or just caught up in the furor. It’s feels great to told you are among the elite, or the chosen, that you are destined to rule. It’s all too easy to see anyone not in the in group as something less. You always say you were following orders, or you had to do it because there might be partisans among the population and you didn’t have time to sort every one out. And anyway, the air force kills far more civilians, don’t they? They just don’t have to look them in the eye when they drop their bombs. In the end, you were young and frightened and so you lashed out.
The SS veterans were rarely punished for their crimes. The German government wouldn’t extradite them. Every war brings on more such horrors. And when I hear the words of hate being used for political ends, I know that there will be new SS soldiers who will be there to do the unthinkable.
There is a wall in the entrance of the memorial building adjacent to the site. On it are the photographs of the victims, or those for whom a photograph could be found. I tried to take a picture of that wall, but my focus was blurred.
Today's ride: 70 km (43 miles)
Total: 505 km (314 miles)
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Tricia
5 years ago
5 years ago
Thank you for bringing this important memorial to my attention. I will be riding through the Poitou-Charentes region next month and have added Oradour-sur-Glane to my route. It's so important to remind ourselves and others where extreme nationalism and xenophobia can lead.
5 years ago