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Key figures

Origin and history

The Memorial Center of Oradour-sur-Glane was designed to preserve the memory of the crimes committed by the SS Das Reich division on June 10, 1944, during the massacre of the village. Located close to the ruins preserved as a symbol, it functions as a museum-memorial and educational place. The establishment, managed by the departmental council of Haute-Vienne, enjoys financial and administrative autonomy.

The project was launched in 1989 by Jean-Claude Peyronnet, President of the General Council, with the agreement of the victims' families. An international competition in 1992 validates its implementation, supported by the Ministry of Culture, the Limousin region and the EEC. The architect Yves Devonne is responsible for designing a discreet building, integrated into the landscape, symbolizing the historical break by a "tear" in rusted steel.

Inaugurated on 16 July 1999 by Jacques Chirac, the Centre has welcomed some 300,000 visitors annually since 2002. His permanent exhibition contextualizes the massacre, while temporary exhibitions address various themes, such as Hitler's youth or the attacks of 11 September 2001. In 2022, a museum renovation was announced in 2024 (rescheduled to 2025), led by a scientific committee led by historian Henry Rousso.

The architecture of the Centre, partially buried, avoids overshadowing the nearby ruins. The entrance hall contrasts two strong images: Hitler harassing the crowd in Nuremberg and the inscription "Remember", taken again at the entrance of the martyr village. The interior spaces play on colour contrasts (black/red for Nazism, clear tones for everyday life in Oradour) and house a documentation centre for researchers and schools.

The site was the victim of negationist degradations in August 2020, with inscriptions as a " liar" and references to revisionist theories, quickly covered. These actions recall the continuing tensions around the memory of this tragedy, while stressing the importance of the Centre as a place of historical transmission and vigilance.

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