Aux déportés juifs de France Plaque

Whispers of history echo around the Aux Déportés Juifs de France Plaque. This plaque, once located at 12 Rue Sainte-Catherine, tells a chilling tale. It commemorates a dark day in Lyon’s history, the raid of February 9, 1943. The Gestapo, led by the infamous Klaus Barbie, targeted the Lyon headquarters of the Union Générale des Israélites de France (UGIF). The UGIF, established in 1941 under German pressure, was a complex organization. It was meant to assist the Jewish population and represent them to the authorities. While Vichy laws stripped Jews of their rights and possessions, the UGIF provided crucial social aid. They distributed pensions and facilitated medical care. They even engaged in clandestine activities like escape networks and placing Jewish children with non-Jewish families. However, the Germans exploited the UGIF for their own sinister purposes. By raiding UGIF offices, the Gestapo seized vital records. These records facilitated the organization of raids, including the horrific raid on the children of Izieu. At the Aux Déportés Juifs de France Plaque, we remember the 86 people trapped in the UGIF headquarters that day. Barbie and his men laid a cruel trap. They remained on-site all day, maximizing the number of arrests. Only two individuals escaped. Of the 86, only three survived deportation. The original plaque was replaced on February 13, 2011. The new plaque bears the names of the victims. Present at the unveiling was former Minister of Justice, Robert Badinter. His own father, Simon Badinter, was among those captured at Rue Sainte-Catherine and deported, never to return. The Aux Déportés Juifs de France Plaque serves as a stark reminder of a tragic chapter in Lyon’s history and the devastating consequences of hatred and persecution.