SWISS MATERNITY HOSPITAL IN ELNE - CHÂTEAU D'EN BARDOU
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The Swiss Maternity Hospital in Elne, a symbol of hope in the midst of horror, a poignant museum to visit.
If there is a place of memory in the department, a symbol of hope in the midst of an ocean of horror, injustice and misery, it is this one. In this castle from the beginning of the 20th century (the Swiss Maternity Hospital of Elne has been classified as a historical monument since 2013), a courageous young Swiss woman, Elisabeth Eidenbenz (1913-2011), allowed Spanish, Jewish and Gypsy women to give birth, with dignity, to nearly 600 children between 1939 and 1944. To be exact, from the beginning of December 1939 until Easter 1944, i.e. for four and a half years, 595 children were born in this maternity hospital. And despite the surveillance of the Gestapo, dozens of children were also hidden there and saved by falsifying their identities. On the fringes of the Argelès, Saint-Cyprien, Barcarès or Rivesaltes camps and their precarious conditions of survival, a thousand women and as many children will be welcomed. A salvific stopover of comfort and respect, in a chaotic period of history when the word "humanism" no longer had much meaning. Fallen into almost oblivion for more than 50 years, the Swiss Maternity Hospital in Elne has now become a fascinating museum. Through photos, writings, objects and videos, you can plunge back into an obscure part of our past. A strong testimony, reminding us that some, by dint of obstinacy, kindness and courage, refused to consider this human distress as a fatality. Light always triumphs over darkness!
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Members' reviews on SWISS MATERNITY HOSPITAL IN ELNE - CHÂTEAU D'EN BARDOU
Le château est magnifique également.