# Oradur sur glane



## rugbyken (Jan 16, 2006)

Pulled this in as part of this tour got to the village about 12o'c 1000s of gendarmes and barriers everywhere got sent on three different diversions eventually got into the aire and walked into the village , turns out the president of France and the president of Germany are dedicating the visitor center today absolutely buried in fuzz have to go tomorrow???


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## Sideways86 (Feb 25, 2009)

Well worth the visit in a funny sought of way

r.i.p. all that perished


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

A sobering place. If it wasn't for what is going on in Syria we might almost not believe it, Alan.


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## MeFeinMcCabe (Mar 28, 2009)

Well worth the visit

I was disappointed with the Aire right enough, unkempt and the facilities were manky, there was even a Danish guy washing his feet in the washing up basins


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## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

It was visited today:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-village-Joachim-Gauck-Francois-Hollande.html

tony


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## hogan (Oct 31, 2006)

One of the many must visit places (in my view )along with American cemetery Omaha Beach, Albert war memorial France,Oswiem Poland, Ypres Belgium.


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## 1302 (Apr 4, 2006)

MeFeinMcCabe said:


> Well worth the visit
> 
> I was disappointed with the Aire right enough, unkempt and the facilities were manky, there was even a Danish guy washing his feet in the washing up basins


Its free! Ask for a refund.

We enjoyed the site - the view is nice...

Admittedly the loo stinks - but so does life sometimes


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## Sideways86 (Feb 25, 2009)

1302 said:


> MeFeinMcCabe said:
> 
> 
> > Well worth the visit
> ...


You would expect higher standards surely if its free (LOL)

Demand a refund I agree!


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## GerryD (Sep 20, 2007)

We found that Oradour sur Glane is one of those places that has a profound effect on all who visit. Even young children, who would run around and make noise anywhere else, were calm and quiet whilst visiting.
Still brings a lump to the throat.
We also liked the aire.
Gerry


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## Wupert (Aug 6, 2007)

MeFeinMcCabe said:


> Well worth the visit
> 
> I was disappointed with the Aire right enough, unkempt and the facilities were manky, there was even a Danish guy washing his feet in the washing up basins


Nothing worst than a Dane washing his feet.


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## Scattycat (Mar 29, 2011)

Wupert said:


> MeFeinMcCabe said:
> 
> 
> > Well worth the visit
> ...


How very dare he? Some folks have no thought for others :lol:


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## Bob45 (Jan 22, 2007)

It is a very moving experience which everyone should visit, especially our politicians.
It seems that the fabric of the buildings is starting to crumble and needs restoration work if it is to remain a monument. Lets hope they find the money to do it.

Bob


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## oly (Jan 27, 2011)

We visited last summer. we were very impressed with the way the information centre has been constructed underneath. If you are in the area it is a 'must see' We spent a few days at www.camping-des-alouettes.com. Parking on the car park at the town was good. There were some vans there for the day with chairs out etc. We have a dog and left him in the van for the couple of hours to do the visitor centre and the old town [no dogs] then collected him for a walk and had a lovely meal in the new town. I would not stop at a place with stinky toilets or people miss using facilities I thank MeFeinMcCabe for posting the information. For those of you who think its ok to camp for free at filthy locations :lol: Deli Belly might be coming your way :wink:


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## bertieburstner (May 1, 2005)

I agree it is a vey moving place. The one thing we found odd was that there were old sewing machines in all the houses. 

It seemed strange and we later found out that they had been placed there to "symbolise" the normality of life before the tragic events.


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## oly (Jan 27, 2011)

We all come away with something different to remember. The inferno in the church! Wow!! that must have been terrible the molten bell fallen from the tower with the hammer welded into it. That hasn't been placed there after the event.


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## 1302 (Apr 4, 2006)

I wrote about oradour sur glane here:

http://paulandalisons2012tour.wordpress.com/2012/10/24/oradour-sur-glane/


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## 1302 (Apr 4, 2006)

I wrote about oradour sur glane here:

http://paulandalisons2012tour.wordpress.com/2012/10/24/oradour-sur-glane/


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## rugbyken (Jan 16, 2006)

Went round today stayed the night at the aire which I thought superb may have improved since your visit McCabe, as we went round the village my cynical side was hovering ie saying to the wife a town this side would have had more than 500 inhabitants etc, but when you read the literature it was the people there on the day that were slaughtered , petrol bombs thrown into the church and houses so people were killed by smoke inhalation rather than the flames therefore the wooden confessional and wooden altar survived but the roof burned bringing down the bell etc,


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## oly (Jan 27, 2011)

There were 642 people massacred there mainly women, children and old men who had come in by train that day for the tobacco ration. The young men were away fighting. The women and children were driven into the church and the men into various other locations shot at the knees so that they couldn't help.


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## pneumatician (May 1, 2005)

First visited many years ago when you just parked outside the gates and walked in. Now it has been tidied up somewhat and turned into a, hate the idea "Tourist Attraction".
We do however need constant reminders of how brutal "Humans" can be and indeed are still being.


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## Chas17 (May 1, 2005)

1302 said:


> I wrote about oradour sur glane here:
> 
> http://paulandalisons2012tour.wordpress.com/2012/10/24/oradour-sur-glane/


It was of course " 4 days after D Day" and not, as you wrote, "4 days after WW2 was declared over."


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## 1302 (Apr 4, 2006)

Chas17 said:


> 1302 said:
> 
> 
> > I wrote about oradour sur glane here:
> ...


I will check that out...


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## 1302 (Apr 4, 2006)

10 June 1944...

I was 'told' that it was days after the end - I will re check tomorrow and amend my blog as necessary


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## rugbyken (Jan 16, 2006)

There was a further massacre at Macre?? Not far away in the August only 100or so slaughtered there but apparently common practise to shoot the local Marie and anyone convenient if the maquis had ambushed a column etc


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## Wupert (Aug 6, 2007)

1302 said:


> 10 June 1944...
> 
> I was 'told' that it was days after the end - I will re check tomorrow and amend my blog as necessary


The massacre took place on the 10th June 1944.

The day before 99 hostages were hanged at Tulle and the day after 48 were to be killed by firing squad at Mussidan


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## Wupert (Aug 6, 2007)

Sorry


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

German president sees atrocity site

September 05, 2013

GERMAN president Joachim Gauck has visited the site of the 1944 Oradour-sur-Glane massacre with President Hollande and honoured the 642 men, women and children killed there by SS troops.

He was the first senior German dignatory to visit the Limousin site and shook the hand of one of the three remaining survivors, Robert Hébras, 88.

Mr Hébras was in his teens when his family died in the massacre and he and Mr Gluck chatted for a few moments before Mr Gluck and Mr Hollande put their arms round his shoulders as they walked out of the ruined church where nearly 400 women and children died.

Mr Gluck said: "If I look in the eyes of those who bear the imprint of this crime, I share your bitterness at the fact that the murderers were not held to account; your bitterness is mine, I carry it back to Germany with me and I will remain not remain silent."

The village ruins have been preserved as they were left by the German troops who set fire to buildings containing the village's men and the church containing the women and children.

Mr Hollande praised Mr Gluck's "dignity" in visiting the site and his ability to "look in the face of the barbarity of the Nazis" and said his visit had confirmed the friendship between the countries and was an example to the rest of the world.

Speaking of the present crisis over Syria and the deaths of 1,400 people in a chemical weapons attack, he added that the visit was more than a symbol, it was a "promise to defend the rights of man each time they are violated". 
- See more at: http://connexionfrance.com/German-p...-15018-view-article.html#sthash.AmkZdA0r.dpuf


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