Le Chambon-sur-Lignon

Le Chambon- sur -Lignon is a commune with 2649 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2011 ) in the Haute- Loire in the Auvergne region.

The Huguenot town on the high plateau of the Cevennes in the Massif Central on the river Lignon was known by the help of its inhabitants for the endangered by the Nazis and the regime of Marshal Pétain Jews.

Place and region of refuge

From 1942 to the residents took on the initiative of the minister André Trocmé, his wife Magda and other citizens, Jews who were threatened with deportation to the concentration camps. They were housed in the homes of residents in the surrounding farms, and even in public buildings. If the Germans were advancing patrols, they were hidden in the countryside outside the town. Attracted the patrols out again, the inhabitants went into the woods and sang a special song to show the Jews that the immediate danger was over.

Among other things, the CIMADE had rented the place the hotel " Coteau Fleuri " accueil as Maison d'. Here thirty-five former prisoners were housed in the Camp de Gurs in July 1942, who had to flee further in August, however.

In addition, the people of the area concerned identity papers and ration cards and supported the persecuted when crossing the border into Switzerland. Some residents have been arrested, including Daniel Trocmé, the cousin of the priest, who died in the Majdanek camp.

August Bohny founded and ran 1941-1944 on behalf of the Working Group for war-affected children (SAK ) ( from 1942 Children's Aid of the Swiss Red Cross, the children's homes abric, Faidoli, studio Cévenol and Ferme Ecole, where around 200 children each spent about 6 months. Friedel Bohny riders headed 1943-1944 the house abric. they helped pastor André Trocmé and the local refugee helpers to save many children from raids and deportations to hide or to bring to Switzerland to safety.

In the area of Chambon- sur -Lignon 3000 to 5000 people were rescued by the commitment of its people in the camps from certain death. In 1990, the Israeli government has recognized the region as " Righteous Among the Nations " because of humanitarian action and the courageous resistance in jeopardy. In memorial " Yad Vashem " honors a place in the garden of the righteous the region - the honor of a community that was able to experience only the village in the Dutch province of Drenthe Nieuwlande otherwise.

Hiding the refugees happened in the whole region, in Fay- sur -Lignon, Chaumargeais, Le Mazet -Saint -Voy, Tence, Les Tavas, Freycenet -Saint- Jeures, Chapignac, and Saint- Agrève. There were 20 known to date facilities in 12 Protestant congregations, to the Ardèche. It involved a total of 23 pastors, this came as a helper individual Catholic priests as well represented in the area, " Darbysten ". 59 people throughout the region were also excellent as individuals or couples ( married couples, siblings or parent-child pairs) as " Righteous Among the Nations ".

Personalities

The mathematician Alexander Grothendieck was one of the many children who could survive in Le Chambon the Holocaust through the help of the residents.

In 1942 Albert Camus to Le Chambon in order to cure tuberculosis here. Here he wrote The misunderstanding and worked on his novel The Plague. Camus ' thoughts in his diary of 1942 are similar to those Trocmés, the derivative action on its intimidating how dangerous "the Jews" were a Vichy functionary replied:

From 1945 to 1948, the philosopher Paul Ricoeur lived in the place where she taught at the Collège Cévenol. As a Paul Ricoeur Foundation was founded on May 27, 2010 in Paris, was given by the President of the Republic, Nicolas Sarkozy, personally the foundation approach and emphasized the spiritual resistance, with express reference to Ricœur temporary action.

In Fiction

Romain Gary leaves in the Résistance novel memory with wings one of its protagonists, the old Norman kite builders Ambroise Fleury, refer to Le Chambon:

As punishment for the yellow star Ambroise is arrested by the Germans, after lengthy negotiations, he is free again. After his return to the kite workshop

The uncle leaves soon after the village:

As an explanation Gary told then the story of the rescued Jewish children from the villagers, hundreds in number:

It is the time after the liberation by the Germans, Autumn 1944. Two old men talk about the future, the country's and their own. Related to it professes Gary in the final movement, quite abruptly, which underlines the importance of:

Caroline Piketty takes Seeking the footsteps of my mother's memory of place and person, Uncle " Auguste " on with the words: Some books can give a new strength.

Another novel that deals with Le Chambon Jews salvation is, have been published only in French: Ici, on a les juifs unpopular ones. by Philippe Boegner

Partnership

Le Chambon maintains a partnership with the community Fislisbach in the Swiss canton of Aargau.