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 ever there was a place of remembrance in the département, a symbol of hope in the midst of a sea of horror, injustice and misery, this is it. In this early 20th century château (the MATERNITÉ SUISSE D'ELNE, listed as a historic monument since 2013), a courageous young Swiss woman, Elisabeth Eidenbenz (1913-2011), enabled Spanish, Jewish and Gypsy women to give birth, with dignity, to almost 600 children between 1939 and 1944. To be exact, from the beginning of December 1939 to Easter 1944, over a period of four and a half years, 595 children were born in this maternity hospital. And despite Gestapo surveillance, dozens of children were also hidden and saved by falsifying their identities. On the bangs of the Argelès, Saint-Cyprien, Le Barcarès and Rivesaltes camps and their precarious conditions of survival, a thousand women and as many children were taken in. A saving grace of comfort and respect, in a chaotic period of history when the word "humanism" no longer had much meaning. Almost forgotten for over 50 years, the MATERNITÉ SUISSE D'ELNE has now become a fascinating museum. Through photos, writings, objects and videos, we delve into an obscure part of our past. It's a powerful reminder that some people, through stubbornness, kindness and courage, refused to accept human distress as inevitable. Light always triumphs over darkness!
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