The bunker
We grew up in the shadow of World War II. When we first came to Paris many years ago, the scars of the war including the ruins of bombed out buildings, were still present. We've read many books and seen lots of movies about the war. Some of those stories were about the heroic efforts of the French resistance. So we had an idea what it was like during the war in France and in Paris.
On our recent visit to Paris, we went to the Musee de la Liberation de Paris (The Liberation Museum of Paris), which had recently moved to a new building. The way this museum was designed, we felt that we were stepping back in time as we followed a timeline from World War I onward. The losses in the first World War were devastating to France, which we had seen evidenced in the memorials in every little town listing the fallen in both wars. Whole families were erased in that first war, and the French had little appetite for another war so soon. They slid into denial when Hitler first started his advances, and they thought it would be possible to reach an accommodation that would avoid a war. As a result, France was late to rearm and prepare for war. After the Germans occupied France, some people actively supported Nazi ideas and worked with the occupying forces. Other people remained passive, hoping just to get by. Many others, however, realized how horrible the situation was and became part of the resistance.
The museum told the story of the war, occupation, and liberation through the lives of two individuals, Jean Moulin and Philippe de Hauteclocque, who used the alias “Leclerc.” By focusing on two minor figures not everyone knows, the museum brought the story down to a personal level. Although they came from very different backgrounds and held different political beliefs, both Moulin and Leclerc made the decision not to go along with the occupation, but to resist. Moulin had been mayor of a Paris suburb when France fell to the Germans in 1940. He quickly became active in the resistance and was captured and killed by German forces in 1943. Leclerc was an officer in the army who fled the country after the occupation, and joined the Free French forces in Africa. In 1944, he led the French troops that liberated Paris.
The museum also highlighted stories of ordinary people and what they did during that time.
When you read histories or historical novels of that era, it's tempting to imagine that you would do something heroic, out of a sense of commitment and honor. While we were struck by the heroism of these individuals, it was also apparent that their lives were threatened on a daily basis, so in a sense they had nothing to lose to take a risk. They could die anyway, even if they did nothing to oppose the occupation. You’d like to imagine you’d be the one who would be the hero, but if you’re not tested you never know.
The museum had photographs, letters, newspapers and even some films clips. One film showed a woman during the fight to liberate Paris. She was young, perhaps 21 or 22 years old, and was fearless. During a firefight, she saw a German soldier go down in the street. She rushed out and wrestled his rifle and other weapons away from him. We don’t know what happened to her or whether she even survived the war. But Judy, especially, was drawn to her because she epitomized the fearlessness that she hoped she might have had in that situation.
The new museum building has been constructed over a bunker that had served as the hub of resistance activities in the days leading up to the liberation. The Nazis knew there was an air raid shelter there. They didn’t know the resistance had dug out a bunker underneath it and made it a control center for resistance activities across Paris. As we stood In the bunker, it was possible to imagine the activities that took place there, and the incredible tension they lived under as they fought for their lives and the freedom of their country. We came away awed and inspired by the courage they showed in what had to have seemed like a hopeless situation.
No comments:
Post a Comment