Introduction
During this summer, I had the opportunity to become, for a couple of hours, a seeker of history’s echoes. Oradour-sur-Glane, a village frozen in time, beckoned me with its silent ruins and haunting stories. I set out to capture its essence through my lens, often using a large depth of field (high aperture). The post-treatment I chose was intended to reflect the desolation and strong feeling of discomfort that pervades this place.
Arrival
Stepping into Oradour-sur-Glane was like entering a time capsule. The ruins, untouched since that fateful day in June 1944, stood as stark reminders of a brutal past. The profound silence, broken only by the whisper of the wind and the distant hum of insects, filled me with reverence and sorrow. As I walked through the streets, I carefully avoided capturing any people in my shots to preserve the ghostly solitude of the village. I often used a foreground to create a sense of intimacy and respect, as if witnessing the past of an unwanted and horrible event.
June 10th 1944
On June 10, 1944, around 1 PM, approximately 200 Waffen SS soldiers of the 3rd company, led by Captain Kahn, set out for Oradour-sur-Glane. The village was crowded that Saturday, the weather was rainy, and most of the villagers stayed at home. By the time the first vehicles entered the village, it was already methodically surrounded. The residents were herded towards the center of the village and gathered on the Champ de Foire. Orders were given to shoot those who could not make it there.
The Champ de Foire, now an open space surrounded by ruined buildings, was where the men were separated from the women and children, who were then led to the church. The men were taken to predetermined enclosed locations. A signal was given, and they were simultaneously executed. Meanwhile, the soldiers indiscriminately killed others in the streets and homes, pillaging and setting the village on fire. Burning the corpses and destroying the town, some men, still alive under the pile of burning, tried to escape from being burned alive and were shot. A few managed to escape.
What was a pleasant and vivid village that Saturday morning became a field of human drama and desolation. No warnings, no reason that can excuse such barbarism.
In the church, I thought about the distress and fear that must have engulfed the mothers and children who were locked in this very place, no less than 450 souls. The attackers had placed a wooden box with ropes in the middle of the church – a firing bomb. Realizing what was about to happen, some women were overwhelmed with distress and fear, others with denial. The attackers set the church on fire and shot those attempting to escape. The walls, scarred by bullets and fire, seemed to echo the cries of those trapped inside. I stood there, camera in hand, feeling a profound sense of loss and anger.
That ignominious day, as evening fell, part of the troop returned to their camp, while others stayed to guard the devastated village. The following day, a section returned to systematically eliminate the bodies by fire and bury them in a mass grave. This desecration made identification impossible, extending the terror by denying the victims’ families the chance to mourn. In total, 643 victims were counted.
Reflection
As I continued to explore the ruins, I saw the mother and her son in the church. The child was playing, unaware of the grim history of the place. The joy and innocence of that child struck me deeply, contrasting starkly with the cries and tears of the women and children who perished on that ignominious day in 1944. This juxtaposition of past sorrow and present innocence felt surreal, amplifying the tragedy of what happened here.
After the war, Charles de Gaulle declared Oradour-sur-Glane a place of commemoration, a symbol of the horror of war. On March 5, 1945, while unveiling a plaque denouncing Nazi barbarism, de Gaulle stated, “Si nos amis nous aident, tant mieux. Mais il nous appartient, indépendamment de toute sécurité générale, de faire justice et d’empêcher le renouvellement de tels crimes.” [If our friends help us, so much the better. But it is up to us, regardless of any general security, to do justice and prevent the recurrence of such crimes.] This visit left a lasting impression, especially since a few months earlier, he had decided to preserve the martyred village in its state, a decision validated by the Provisional Government of the French Republic on November 28, 1944. Charles de Gaulle aimed to make Oradour-sur-Glane a symbol of the sufferings endured by the French people during the four years of occupation.
Yet, as I stood there, I couldn’t help but wonder how long it takes for such horrors to be forgotten. Despite over 300,000 visitors per year, who come to remember, reflect, or sometimes, disturbingly, to take selfies, the specter of negationism lingers. Only those who lived can speak for the dead.
Robert Hebras, the last survivor of the massacre, once said, “It is clear that future generations will live this horror again.” His words echoed in my mind, a stark reminder that the lessons of history are often perilously close to being forgotten.
President Macron, during his speech in 2017, echoed this sentiment: “Ce jour du 10 juin 1944, c’est tout ce que nous haïssons qui s’est abattu sur le village d’Oradour. La vie humaine fut comptée pour rien, l’innocence fut assassinée, la souffrance des victimes fit le plaisir des bourreaux. La mort devint un jeu, le néant un but. ‘Plus jamais ça’, ont crié des générations de survivants aux guerres atroces du XXème siècle; ‘Plus jamais ça’, ont crié les familles d’Oradour, de Tulle, de Maillé, d’Ussel et de tant d’autres lieux de supplices; ‘Plus jamais ça’ ont clamé les rares rescapés des camps de la mort. Mais nous savons bien que tout recommence et que tout peut recommencer. Et ce sera votre responsabilité à vous jeunes gens de toujours y veiller, parce que jamais vous n’oublierez, parce que nous savons bien en effet qu’à nos portes cela continue.” [On that day of June 10, 1944, everything we hate came crashing down on the village of Oradour. Human life was counted for nothing, innocence was murdered, the suffering of the victims gave pleasure to the executioners. Death became a game, nothingness a goal. ‘Never again’, cried generations of survivors of the atrocious wars of the 20th century; ‘Never again’, cried the families of Oradour, Tulle, Maillé, Ussel and so many other places of torment; ‘Never again’, proclaimed the rare survivors of the death camps. But we all know that everything can start again. And it’s up to you, young people, to keep an eye on this, because you’ll never forget, because we know that on our doorstep it’s still going on.]
The barbarity that devastated Oradour still lurks within humanity. The only true defense against such madness is our collective conscience and vigilance.
Walking through Oradour-sur-Glane, I was reminded of the importance of remembering and honoring the past. This village, preserved in its ruined state, serves as a powerful testament to the atrocities of war and the resilience of human memory. It is a place where history feels painfully real, urging us to reflect on our capacity for both cruelty and compassion.
Conclusion
Leaving Oradour-sur-Glane, I carried with me a heavy heart and a deeper understanding of the weight of history. Through my photographs, I hope to convey the silent sorrow and enduring strength of this place. Oradour-sur-Glane is not just a reminder of the past but a call to remember, to learn, and to strive for a future where such tragedies are never repeated.
