Village martyr d'Oradour-sur-Glane

On 10th June 1944 a unit of the SS Das Reich division massacred the inhabitants of Oradour sur Glane then set fire to the village. The ruins remain more or less as they were after that day, apart from keeping the grass cut, clearing them of creeping vegetation and adding supports to the walls when necessary. No matter how busy the village is, the visitor will always be struck by the silence, and even more so when leaving the main street. In the middle of the ruined buildings you will see a rusty sewing machine; the carcasses of cars; and other humble reminders of the trades that brought to life an ordinary village in France in 1944. The tram rails and posts are still in place. The memory of this terrible drama is kept alive by preserving the Martyr village of Oradour sur Glane as it was in 1944.