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The Deportation Martyrs Memorial: A Moving Memorial in the Heart of Paris
Amidst the hustle and bustle of the busy streets of Paris, sitting within the shadow of the mighty Notre Dame Cathedral rests a small memorial. Its nondescript entrance is easily missed en route to a more famous Paris locale. It is constructed of concrete and metal. Its dimly lit corridors are cramped. It lacks the grandeur or artistic flair associated with most sites in the City of Light. Walking into its underground chambers feels eerily similar to walking into a prison from which you may never again return. Every one of these design choices was made to elicit a physical and emotional response within the visitor in an effort for them to better understand the suffering and loss represented here. This is the Deportation Martyrs Memorial, a space designed to honor the 200,000 people of France who were deported to Nazi concentration camps, many of whom never returned.
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Understanding the Past: Paris Under Nazi Occupation
In order to better understand the story being told at the Deportation Martyrs Memorial, it is important to understand how France ended up in the hands of the enemy. The French capital of Paris fell to the Nazis on June 14, 1940 and remained under occupation until Allied troops entered the city on August 25, 1944. During these four years Paris was home to tyranny and persecution as well as resistance and hope. The story of the French people’s response to occupation is one of the most moving of the entire war. From their willingness to risk certain death in the pursuit of freedom to their unwillingness to turn their fellow citizen, either Jew or gentile, over to the camps, the people of France exhibited outstanding courage during their darkest days.
Vichy vs. Free French
Following the defeat of France by Germany, the nation was divided into two political zones. The northern half of the country, including the city of Paris was controlled by the Vichy government, a Nazi puppet-state led by Marshal Philippe Pétain. The southern half of the country was to remain unoccupied. A third unofficial party known as Free France was set up in exile in England. The Free French were led by General Charles de Gaulle, who would go on to become president of France as well as a national hero following the end of the war.
As Paris fell within the Vichy zone of control, its people were particularly vulnerable to discriminations and deportation. However, no area of France was out of reach of the long arm of Nazi persecution. A map on the wall of the Deportation Martyrs Memorial reminds visitors of this fact. The map shows France divided into its administrative departments along with the number of people who were deported from each of them. It is a sobering reminder that no corner of the nation (or the continent) was safe.
Jews in Occupied Paris
Before the German invasion, France was home to an estimated 330,000 Jews. During the Nazi occupation, about 75,000 Jews were deported to concentration camps. While the Vichy government was more than willing to participate in state-sponsored antisemitism and deportations, as many as 2/3 of French Jews would survive the war. This was due in large part to the actions of everyday French citizens. French resistance fighters, religious leaders and ordinary citizens worked together to create an extensive network of hiding places and escape routes in order to protect their fellow countrymen.
Even with these efforts, many Jews in France still faced extreme persecution and violence. The Vichy French government actively assisted with the roundup of Jews. Of the estimated 75,000 Jews who were sent to concentration camps as few as 2,500 returned home.
The actions of brave French citizens has not gone unnoticed. In honor of the nation’s commitment to protecting the Jewish people, over 4300 French individuals have been recognized with the Righteous Among the Nations award. This honor was created by the state of Israel and is bestowed upon non-Jewish individuals who risked their lives to protect Jews from extermination during the Holocaust. Collectively, the nation of France has received the third most Righteous Among the Nations Awards, behind only Poland and the Netherlands.
Today, France’s Jewish population exceeds its pre-war figures with an estimated 450,000 Jewish people calling the country home. This is the third largest Jewish population in the world behind Israel and the United States, and is thanks, in large part, to the efforts of the French people during the Holocaust.
If you will be traveling around Europe be sure to check out WWII Sites in Europe: The Ultimate Guide.
The Deportation Martyrs Memorial: Creating a Place of Remembrance
The Deportation Martyrs Memorial was designed by French architect Georges-Henri Pingusson on the site of a former morgue. Pingusson had lived through the Nazi occupation of France and was personally tasked with reconstructing the Moselle and Lorraine regions of the country after the war. The Martyrs Memorial was dedicated in 1962 by President and former leader of the Free French Charles de Gaulle. The moving memorial has been encouraging visitors to remember the French deportees ever since.
A Moving Visit to the Deportation Martyrs Memorial
Great care and devotion was given to the design of the Deportation Martyrs Memorial. Walk slowly through its halls and take in each detail. Nothing was placed there by accident.
The exterior portion of the Martyrs Memorial is meant to resemble the bow of a ship with metal bars placed on a window overlooking the Seine. The entire memorial is designed to leave visitors with the feeling they are entering a prison, a deliberate choice which reflects the final destination of the deportees which the memorial honors.
As you descend the concrete staircases into the interior of the memorial you will encounter several smaller chambers as well as a central rotunda. A dimly lit hallway showcases the names of each of the people who were deported from France. In another room, the names of the main concentration camps as well as their numerous sub-camps adorn the walls. Additional walls are inscribed with excerpts from two poems composed by French poet and resistance fighter Robert Desnos. After being deported to Auschwitz, Desnos would be moved between several concentration camps before he died in occupied Czechoslovakia.
I have dreamt so very much of you,
I have walked so much,
Loved your shadow so much,
That nothing more is left to me of you.
All that remains to me is to be the shadow among shadows
To be a hundred times more of a shadow than the shadow
To be the shadow that will come and come again into
Your sunny life.
Despite its relatively small size, the Deportation Martyrs Memorial manages to incorporate numerous moving elements into its design. Take your time as you wander about the space. Take in the tiny details that were thoughtfully placed throughout. Pay your respect to those who were deported. Honor the memory of those who never returned home.
Planning a Visit to the Deportation Martyrs Memorial
The 200,000 people of France who were sent to the camps during the war included French and foreign Jews, political enemies and resistance fighters. They were young and old, rich and poor, single and married. They were everyday people raising families and living normal lives. They were taken from this world too soon. They should never be forgotten. Paying a visit to the Deportation Martyrs Memorial is a small way in which their memories can live on for generations to come. Consider a stop at this moving location on your next trip to Paris to help ensure the pleas of “Never Again” continue to be heard.
If you are interested in a more detailed travel planning tool, check out my travel guides. Each guide includes information about sites, lodging, transportation, sample itineraries and much more. Click here to get your travel guide.
Location
The Deportation Martyrs Memorial (or the Mémorial des martyrs de la Déportation) is located Île de la Cité directly behind the Notre Dame Cathedral. The address is 7 Quai de l’Archevêché, 75004 Paris, France.
Opening Hours
The Deportation Martyrs Memorial is open 7 days a week from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. The memorial itself is not very large and can easily be visited in under an hour. However, you may want to allow for more time for quiet reflection and remembrance.
Cost
The Deportation Martyrs Memorial is free to visit. Additional information about planning a visit to the memorial can be found here.
Heading to Normandy to explore more WWII sites in France? Check out my posts on Omaha Beach and Exploring Normandy.
Additional WWII Sites in Paris
In addition to the Deportation Martyrs Memorial, Paris is home to several worthwhile sites related to the Second World War. I have included a handful of the most important below. If you are planning a trip to Paris, consider looking into a WWII tour such as this one. Additionally, Paris has countless sites worth visiting. Check out some additional tour options below.
Mémorial de la Shoah
The city’s Holocaust Memorial is located in the 4th arrondissement, a neighborhood which was home to a large Jewish population before the start of the war. The museum houses both permanent and temporary exhibits which help maintain the memory of those lost in the Holocaust.
For more information visit the memorial’s official website.
The Panthéon
Built between 1758 and 1790, this monument is one of the top sites in Paris. A stroll through the stunning main level of the Pantheon is a must-do on any trip to Paris, but be sure to also visit the monument’s crypts housed on the lower level. In addition to French heavyweights such as Voltaire, Victor Hugo and Alexandre Dumas, visitors will find a special section dedicated to housing the remains of prominent and heroic French resistance fighters. These brave citizens risked it all to fight for the freedom of their nation and its people.
Find out more about a visit to the Pantheon here.
Museum of the Liberation of Paris
This immersive museum covers everything from the fall of France, Nazi occupation and the liberation of Paris. It includes exhibits on several of the nation’s most important resistance fighters, life under occupation and the arrival of the Allied forces. It also houses rotating temporary exhibits which help bring additional aspects of the occupation and liberation of Paris to life.
Visit the museum’s official website for more information.
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