Footsteps of WWII · Western France
Oradour-sur-Glane: ruined village and Centre de la mémoire
Ruins · 10 Jun 1944
The story
Four days after D-Day, the 1st Battalion of the SS Panzergrenadier Regiment 'Der Führer', part of the 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich, surrounded Oradour-sur-Glane. Its commander, Adolf Diekmann, acted after a fellow officer, Helmut Kämpfe, had been seized by the Resistance. The men were shot in barns and sheds, which were set alight; the women and children were locked in the church, which was set on fire. 642 people were killed. Marguerite Rouffanche escaped through a church window. In 1953 a Bordeaux military tribunal convicted 19 of 20 defendants, but an amnesty freed the Alsatian conscripts among them, causing lasting bitterness in the Limousin.
What to look for
The ruined village has been left as it was: burnt-out houses, the church, rusting cars, sewing machines and bicycles, tramlines along the main street, and plaques naming families. The Centre de la mémoire, at the entrance between the old and new villages, displays objects recovered from the ruins.
Plan your visit
The ruins are reached through the Centre de la mémoire. Guided visits of the village start from the car-park reception point. Hours and prices for 2026 could not be confirmed; check the website before you go.
Things change, so check opening times before you travel.
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