Oradour Sur Glane

[Wapping]

It’s important to remember that Oradour is far from unique. Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Poland were littered with destroyed villages and towns, culminating with the city of Warsaw itself, all but flattened with thousands murdered in violent retribution for the uprising, whose anniversary falls on 01 August.

What though Oradour has come to symbolise is the suffering of all of the countless, nameless people and places destroyed. Not because it’s a city, but because it is (or was) ‘just’ a tiny village, wiped off the map in all but unbelievable violence.

 

[Jazbee]

Very poignant place to visit, one of them places you'll never forget. First went during a bike tour, then took the missus 2 years later when touring in my Landcruiser

 

[nerg nail]

Incredible images thanks for posting.
Germans bad eggs the lot of em, wouldn't give them the time of day.
Major Gowan 1944.

 

[Wapping]

People who fly ‘patriotic flags’ typically at half mast, from lamp posts. Who turn up to far right rallies, draped in flag of choice whilst drinking beer from a can…that support far right, fascist politics..
Basically, they could benefit from a visit to Oradour. As to the penny dropping…that would assume minimum intelligence or some decency.
Probably should never have mentioned it!

OK, that’s it.

Thread edited.

For those that want to participate in the debate or comment on flags on lampposts here in the UK or anywhere else, you’ll find the posts in the ‘Contentious corner’ section of the forum.

Richard

 

[Lord Snooty]

OK, that’s it.

Thread edited.

For those that want to participate in the debate or comment on flags on lampposts here in the UK or anywhere else, you’ll find the posts in the ‘Contentious corner’ section of the forum.

Richard

Well done Richard, all we need now is for the Janitor to impose a ban on the disrespectful twat who decided to debase this thread with his ideology.

 

[Wapping]

Well done Richard, all we need now is for the Janitor to impose a ban on the disrespectful twat who decided to debase this thread with his ideology.

OK, let’s let the matter drop.

Richard

 

[Fluffmeister]

Was there again last week, some iPhone pics.

 

[Fluffmeister]

When you read the history, what happened inside here was truly shocking.

 

[Dave56]

I visited last year and found it a thoroughly thought provoking visit as a testament to man’s utter cruelty to man. It’s a must see place if you’re ever in the area.
The one image that stayed with me long after my visit was the look of utter terror on the poor child’s face in the photo which is in the entrance to the village, utterly, utterly awful.

 

[barny]

I know it quite a time since this was started, I visited a couple of years ago and the feeling of the place was amazing, so solemn and demanded respect for the people that died. One thing I noted although small, was very poignant, nearly all houses had a sewing machine as a reflection of the Lace industry that flourished there. Also the prosperity of the village pre-war and they had trams and electricity in a such a small village.

 

[JonnyBravo]

I know it quite a time since this was started, I visited a couple of years ago and the feeling of the place was amazing, so solemn and demanded respect for the people that died. One thing I noted although small, was very poignant, nearly all houses had a sewing machine as a reflection of the Lace industry that flourished there. Also the prosperity of the village pre-war and they had trams and electricity in a such a small village.

This

The village must have been quite something to behold before in terms of the layout, main street, tram, doctors surgery, church and oveall lovely place to live.
It was a wet miserable day when I visited on the bike. Almost had the place to myself and my thoughts

Great pics by Fluffmeister too.

 

[Wapping]

What is truly sobering is that destroyed towns and villages stretched from Poland’s border with Germany, through Belarus and Ukraine, to the edge of Moscow. Warsaw itself, an entire capital city, was all but totally destroyed. That destruction and the killing of millions was deliberate.

 

[leadfarmer]

When we were in Budapest, walking around the city, I looked into just a random courtyard as the door had been left open

I noticed on one of the walls was a patch covered in bullet holes, obviously a certain number of people had been executed there

There was no plaque or memorial or anything, it’s just the courtyard for a bunch of apartments

Makes you wonder how many millions of places there are like that in Europe or indeed the world

 

[ymfb]

So many places with truly awful histories not just in Europe.

When I visited Auschwitz I was at first shocked to see a coach load of German school children. Later the penny dropped but that was my first thought. I took photos, to show my children.

We took our children to Belgium as I feel all young people should understand what their great great grandparents endured.

 

[Littledumptruck]

When you read the history, what happened inside here was truly shocking.

View attachment 511072View attachment 511073View attachment 511074

The time we went that pram in the church still had its tub complete with bullet holes in it. Brought a lump to my throat seeing that.

 

[Wapping]

When we were in Budapest

Budapest was heavily fought over, Hitler having declared it a ‘fortress city’. The battle raged for nearly two months, between December ‘44 and February ‘45.

Budapest 1945: The Broken Heart Of Europe

Photos donated to a Hungarian archive reveal the devastating aftermath of the siege of Budapest, which ended 80 years ago.

www.rferl.org

 

[leadfarmer]

Budapest was heavily fought over, Hitler having declared it a ‘fortress city’. The battle raged for nearly two months, between December ‘44 and February ‘45.

Budapest 1945: The Broken Heart Of Europe

Photos donated to a Hungarian archive reveal the devastating aftermath of the siege of Budapest, which ended 80 years ago.

www.rferl.org

Interesting I’ll have a look at that

It’s a great place to visit now, I believe the ruin bars developed from buildings wrecked during the war, they’re pretty cool places for a beer

 

[Wapping]

It was a horrendous battle.

 

[KJB]

It is a very surreal place, horrendous on every level, I assume this was true and on my visit it appeare so ! There are no birds in the village and have never been !

 

[Wapping]

There are no birds in the village and have never been !

I suspect that’s imagination, mixed in with there being no (or very little) crumbs and / or berries and the like for the birds to eat. No food, no birds.