Oradour Sur Glane Church

The church entrance is on the right and up the steps at the base of the steeple and the entrance to the sacristy is the opening on the left near the corner of the building.

Oradour sur glane church. A new village was built nearby after the war but president charles de gaulle ordered the original maintained as a permanent memorial and museum. Recommended viewing list present day ruins from 1953 on memorials six execution sites for the men catholic church site of execution for the women and children cemetery the village the crypt panoramic views of the village. Following the massacre the bodies were either burned by the nazi soldiers or left where they lay as the men looted the town and set it ablaze before leaving. On the afternoon of june 10 1944 642 men women and children were murdered in the village of oradour sur glane france gunned down by troops of the german army s 2nd ss panzer division.

Oradour sur glane church as can be seen the main roof of the church and that of the steeple have been completely destroyed. On 10 june 1944 the village of oradour sur glane in haute vienne in nazi occupied france was destroyed when 642 of its inhabitants including non combatant women and children were massacred by a german waffen ss company. The church was the main site for the killing of the women and children over 400 died here during the afternoon of the 10th june 1944. The main roof of the church and that of the steeple have been completely destroyed.

A fully preserved ruined village that was the site of the worst nazi massacre of civilians carried out on french soil. Virtual tour of oradour sur glane. Oradour sur glane is unique in europe. The women and children had taken refuge inside the church and died as the result of an explosion from an nearby insurgent ammunition supply dump that ignited the inside of the church.

The original village was destroyed on 10 june 1944 when 642 of its inhabitants including women. Oradour sur glane was a small farming village of around 350 inhabitants located near clermont ferrand some 15 miles west north west of limoges. Oradour sur glane the remnants of buildings in oradour sur glane france that were destroyed during world war ii. Six hundred and 42 people including.