d'Histoire de la Resistance, Lyons

Ever since I wrote a piece called The Devil’s Wind in Traveler Tale’s Pilgrimage I have wanted to find out more about activities during WW II in France, Today I had my chance. I spent the morning at the Centre d’Histoire de la Resistance et de la Deportation housed in what once was the offices of the Gestapo and Klaus Barbie, the Butcher of Lyons. Barbie was captured in Bolivia in 1983 and got a life sentence. He should have gotten worse! The museum was so well done and had hand held recorders that were in English. The story of Vichy, Occupied France and the Résistance Movement just astounding, General de Gaulle called Lyons the, “Capital of Résistance.

Stories of treachery and heroics are given side by side, such as the tale of Abbe Bourgier from the church of St. Therese; he was shot August 20, 1944 for hiding guns and equipment in the church organ. Also learned about Jean Moulin, code named Max who helped found the movement. The deportation of the Jews in France was also covered. The museum didn’t hesitate covering collaborators either.