2025
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Place of worship presenting the processes of constructing memories of the Second World War and understanding repression
A medieval place of worship, then a military fortress in the 19th century, Mont Valérien was the main execution site for the German army on French territory. The men murdered because they were members of the Resistance, hostages or Jews are so many reminders of our history that the site naturally became a place of national remembrance. After the war, General de Gaulle chose the site to honor the memory of those who died for France between 1939 and 1945, and inaugurated the Mémorial de la France combattante on June 18, 1960. As a place of execution for members of the Resistance and hostages (mainly Communists and Jews), Mont Valérien is central to understanding German repressive organization on French soil. The wide-ranging backgrounds of the 1,008 men shot allow us to describe their diversity today. Among them were members of the FTP-MOI Manouchian group, known as l'Affiche rouge, as well as Honoré d'Estienne d'Orves, Boris Vildé and Gabriel Péri. In all, 17 nationalities are represented at Mont Valérien.
Inside the site, the "Parcours du souvenir" (remembrance trail) allows visitors to follow the path of those who were about to be shot: from the chapel, whose walls still bear the scars of graffiti engraved by condemned prisoners, to the clearing where the shootings took place. Now an educational and commemorative site with numerous museographic features, the Mont Valérien Memorial provides a better understanding of German repression and French collaboration, and of the lives of those "who loved life to the death".
The visit helps visitors understand repression, grasp the diversity of commitment and decipher the processes involved in constructing memories of the Second World War.
Access to the Mont-Valérien memorial will be subject to a fee in the near future. Further information is available from the memorial reception desk.
Did you know? This review was written by our professional authors.
Further information
Opening time and information on MONT VALÉRIEN MEMORIAL
Open daily for guided tours, except on certain Mondays and public holidays, and from December 23 to January 1 inclusive.
Owner's Message
In 1960, General de Gaulle, then President of the Republic, inaugurated the Memorial of Fighting France, a monument to the heroes and martyrs of the Resistance.
Mont-Valérien includes:
the historical site :
-the clearing of the shootings was used by the German army, between 1941 and 1944, as a discreet place for the execution of those condemned to death and hostages taken from the various prisons and camps in the Paris region.
-the chapel of the executed in which some of the condemned spent their last moments and where they engraved their last messages on the walls.
the place of memory :
-the path of remembrance overlooks the "clearing of the shot" and allows one to follow the path of the condemned who were to be shot;
-the monument to the shot dead bears the names of those shot dead and pays homage to "the resistance fighters and hostages shot at Mont-Valérien by Nazi troops - 1941-1944 - and to all those who were not identified";
-the Memorial of Fighting France where every June 18, a ceremony presided over by the President of the Republic on the esplanade of the Memorial commemorates General de Gaulle's appeal to continue the fight and refuse defeat.
the museographic spaces :
-the permanent exhibition "Resistance and Repression, 1940-1944
-the chapel of the executed presents the graffiti of the executed, the execution posts and the coffins used to transport the remains. The role of the German Catholic prison chaplain, Franz Stock, is explained.
-an exhibition room in the crypt of the Mémorial de la France combattante explains the creation of this place of remembrance desired by General de Gaulle.
-the information center offers archive films on the history of Mont-Valérien since the Second World War and provides visitors with interactive terminals with biographical notes and documents on the people shot at Mont-Valérien.
Members' reviews on MONT VALÉRIEN MEMORIAL
The ratings and reviews below reflect the subjective opinions of members and not the opinion of The Little Witty.
Le mémorial a été inauguré en 1960 par le général de Gaulle. Il se compose d’un mur d’honneur, de la crypte contenant les corps de 16 combattants symbolisant toutes les formes d’engagement, et de la flamme du souvenir. Une grande croix de Lorraine domine le site. Derrière le mémorial, le lieu d’exécution a été conservé dans son état d’origine, accessible lors de visites guidées.
Situé au 1 avenue du Professeur Léon Bernard, le mémorial est facilement accessible depuis la gare de Suresnes–Mont-Valérien ou en voiture. L’entrée est gratuite, mais certaines visites nécessitent une réservation.
Ce lieu est très fréquenté par les scolaires, les passionnés d’histoire et les visiteurs venus rendre hommage. Le site reste l’un des plus forts symboles de la Résistance française.