When the nazi's left...

[bartje]

June 10 1944.

the war was going on for a few years now.
Despite the war this day, it was a saturday, began as any other day.
Woman doing the washes or go to the shop, man talking together or drank a Pastis in the local cafe, children playing outside.
As i said, a day like any other day.

Meanwhile in a small village 7 miles further the german Nazi's started to get ready to start their plan.
This plan was the result of an act of resistence by the Resistance of Oradour-sur-Vayres a few days before.

Around 13:30 the germans arrived at Oradour-sur Glane, having it confused with the nearby Oradour-sur-Vayres.
They sealed of the town and men were seperated from the women and children.
When that was done the germans started to kill all people.
First the men. Later, in the church, the blew up the woman and children.

At the end of that day 642 people were murdered. Men, women and children.
Only a few survived.

Walking through the village, which is in almost the same condition as the nazi's left it makes me think.
Not only about all these people who has been killed, but also about the soldiers who pulled the trigger and the military who made this plan.
Useless.. both the killing and thinking about it, because i really can't imagine what people drives to sink that low.
Is it in all of us? Can it happen again?
Probably that answer is just in the daily newspaper.

Oradour-sur-Glane has been kept the way it was. As a museum, as a reminder.
You just can walk in, and when you are in that area, just go there, walk around, stand still at the market and think.

www.urban-travel.org

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