Andre Tocme and a Village in Southern France

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Andre Tocme and a Village in Southern France

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The minister Andre Trocme and his wife Magda lived in southern France during World War two. Andre was a pacifist who preached against the war and above all against the anti-Semitism. The two began to harbor Jews after one night in 1940 when a Jewish woman knocked on their door asking for shelter. After this occurrence, Andrew Trocme encouraged the town of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon (population 5,000 and surrounding village’s population 24,000) to be a safe haven for not only Jews but also for anyone facing persecution from Nazi Germany. Andre Trocme worked with officials running internment camps in southern France to release prisoners. Once he got their release, he brought them back to the town of Le Chambon and found people willing to take shelter them. Once word of this safe haven spread, other Jews looking for safety went to Le Chambon for shelter and received it. Many of the Jews who came to the town were not French citizens so they were provided with false identity papers as well as ration cards. People in the village not only housed Jews, but they also led them to safety. Some people were hidden in the hills surrounding the village while others were guided to safety into neutral Switzerland. A lot of the Jews entering the town were children. The children were welcomed in the homes of town’s people as a member of the family. The children were also admitted into the schools of Le Chambon so that they would not fall behind on their education. Harboring Jews reached the attention of Vichy authorities as well as the Germans. They would make raids in Le Chambon. But whenever the villagers caught wind of an impending raid, they would move the Jews further in the countryside or help them escape to Switzerland. Andre Trocme was attested for his assistance in helping the Jews by the French police in February of 1943. While in custody, he refused to sign a document that stated that he would comply with the government and its rules. He was released after a month and continued his rescue activities. Later in 1943 there were rumors of his impending arrest so he went underground. His wife Magda then took over as head of the rescue operations. Overall, the Trocme and the town of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon were responsible for the rescue of 3000-5000 Jews during the war. Hallie, Philip Paul. Lest innocent blood be shed: the story of the village of Le Chambon, and how goodness happened there. New York: Harper & Row, 1979. ROBERT, McG THOMAS,Jr. 1996. "Magda Trocme, 94, is Dead; Sheltered Victims of Nazis." New York Times (1923-Current File), Oct 19, 52. https://ezproxy.uwgb.edu:2443/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/109584427?accountid=14788. The Righteous Among Nations. The Village of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon. 2014. http://www.yadvashem.org/yv/en/righteous/stories/trocme.asp (accessed April 2014 2014). United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, DC. "LE CHAMBON-SUR-LIGNON." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007518 (accessed April 17, 2014).

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Date Added
April 22, 2014
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“Andre Tocme and a Village in Southern France,” Delivered From Evil, accessed April 29, 2024, https://deliveredfromevil.omeka.net/items/show/7.