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Morvan Resistance Museum in Saint-Brisson dans la Nièvre

Musée
Musée de la guerre 39-45
Musée de la résistance et de la déportation
Nièvre

Morvan Resistance Museum in Saint-Brisson

    Maison du Parc
    58230 Saint-Brisson

Timeline

XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1900
2000
septembre 1944
Release of Morvan
1983
Creation of the museum
26 juin 1983
Official Inauguration
2023
Complete renovation
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Key figures

François Mitterrand - President of the Republic Open the museum in 1983.
Louise Aubin - Morvandelle resistant Female figure of the local Resistance.
Jean Vigreux - History Author of books on the Resistance in Morvan.
Marcel Vigreux - History and witness Author of *The Morvan during the Second War*.

Origin and history

The Musée de la Résistance en Morvan is located in Saint-Brisson, Nièvre, within the House of the Morvan Regional Natural Park. It was founded in 1983 by historians of the University of Burgundy and former resistors, then inaugurated by François Mitterrand. Renovated in 2023 for its 40 years, it is managed by the association ARORM, which also preserves the Dun-les-Places Memorial, an emblematic village-martyr of the region.

Through three thematic rooms (Occupation, Resistance, Liberation and Memory), the museum explores Morvan's strategic role during World War II. Its relief and isolation made it a refuge for guerrillas, opposed to the Nazi occupation and the Vichy regime. Archives, photographs, weapons and immersive projections illustrate the underground life, actions of resistance and sacrifices of the inhabitants, of which 21 maquis are referenced for the summer of 1944.

The first room deals with the German occupation: repression, STO (Compulsory Labour Service), shortages and propaganda. The second room details the organisation of the local Resistance, with clandestine leaflets, maps of the maquis and a space dedicated to their daily life (hungry, fear, solidarity). The third room evokes the Liberation of Morvan in September 1944, marked by the withdrawal of German troops, and perpetuates memory through steles, poems and letters of resistance.

The museum offers an active educational service, with workshops for schools, preparations for the National Resistance Competition, and an annual writing contest ("Letter of maquisard"). Temporary exhibitions, such as Tell Me the Resistance to Women, highlight unknown figures, while memorial routes mark the territory, including the "Memory Paths" linking 21 historical sites.

Integrated with the Morvan ecomuseum, the place is part of a process of transmission, combining local history and natural heritage. Partnerships with the National Warrior Office (ONACVG) and the Regional Nature Park strengthen its territorial anchor. The nearby Dun-les-Places Memorial completes the visit by honouring the memory of the civilian and resistant victims of this village devastated in 1944.

External links

Conditions of visit

  • Conditions de visite : Ouvert toute l'année
  • Ouverture minimum : Ouverture toute l?année pour les groupes, sur réservation.
  • Basse saison : du 31 mars au 11 novembre 2018 et est accessible aux personnes à mobilité réduite.
  • Moyenne saison : Avril, octobre, novembre : 10h-13h 14h-17h
  • Haute saison : Mai à septembre : 10h-13h 14h-18h
  • Fermeture : Fermé le mardi toute la journée et le samedi matin, sauf en juillet et août, ouvert tous les jours.
  • Tarif individuel : Tarif plein : 6,50 €
  • Contact organisation : 03 86 78 72 99