“Forty-four souls vanished from here.” That’s the chilling truth about La Verdière. Today a residential area at 37 Bd Lagnel, 13013 Marseille, France, it was once the site of a heartbreaking event.
Let’s step back in time. Before the war La Verdière was a family hotel. It boasted modern amenities. Central heating and running water made it a comfortable place. People enjoyed tennis, ping-pong, and croquet. Families held weddings and banquets here.
But darkness descended in 1943. The Union Générale des Israélites de France UGIF rented La Verdière. They used it to house Jewish families arrested in earlier raids. These families thought they were safe here. The mothers and children felt secure.
The sense of safety was short-lived. The Gestapo grew suspicious. They noticed the UGIF’s clandestine activities. On October 20 1943 tragedy struck. The Gestapo raided La Verdière. They arrested 44 people including 30 children. The youngest was only a year old. Alice Salomon the director insisted on accompanying them.
They were deported to Drancy then Auschwitz-Birkenau. None survived.
After the raid La Verdière continued to house people. In 1944 German and French soldiers stayed here. In 1945 it housed German prisoners. Then in 1947 Jews awaiting departure for Palestine resided here. La Verdière became a clinic in 1956. It was finally demolished in 1994.
Today a pharmacy stands where La Verdière once stood.
A commemorative stele stands at 40 avenue de la Rose. It ensures we never forget. Each year the CRIF Marseille-Provence and the Comité des Enfants de la Verdière organize a ceremony. They honor the memory of those lost.
La Verdière is a place of remembrance. It reminds us of the horrors of war. It stands as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. The apartments here offer a place to live. But the land remembers its dark past.
Now the residential group La Verdière is located at 37 Bd Lagnel. It has 18 apartments. The metro stop Frais Vallon is nearby. Bus number 42 also serves this location. This La Verdière offers modern living. But it cannot erase the memory of the past.