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01/02/2008, 9:48 dwmcn Joined on 21/04/2006 Posts 102 Re: Oradour sur Glane I was born in 1940, in the US, and my mother had a Singer sewing machine like those I saw. I know that a bit of looting probably took place, but was nobody interested in taking the sewing machines?     Report

01/02/2008, 9:58 Cendrillon Joined on 19/10/2007 S.E. England & S.W.France Posts 363 Re: Oradour sur Glane  dwmcn wrote: I was born in 1940, in the US, and my mother had a Singer sewing machine like those I saw. I know that a bit of looting probably took place, but was nobody interested in taking the sewing machines?    Probably the metal was distorted and buckled by the fires, any wooden parts would have been damaged or completely burnt and these old machines were very heavy so not easy to take. Cendrillon    Report

01/02/2008, 16:14 dwmcn Joined on 21/04/2006 Posts 102 Re: Oradour sur Glane I thought maybe they could convert them into Gatling guns. Vorsprung durch Technik.    Report

01/02/2008, 16:15 bixy Joined on 12/09/2004 Posts 268 Re: Oradour sur Glane I think the sewing machines were put there subsequently - there they sit perched on walls, clearly visible. Think about it. When the roofs and upper floors collapsed they would have been buried under tons of rubble. No, I'm quite sure that they and other artifacts were subsequently placed in the ruins to give an air of authenticity. Those who have yet to visit, when you do, see if you do not agree with me about a certain degree of "unnaturalness" about the place. Patrick    Report

01/02/2008, 23:52 fieldwalker Joined on 29/01/2008 Posts 2 Re: Oradour sur Glane Bixy, if you research the subject, you will find the majority of answers to your own questions! Look closely within the ruined shells and you'll see more than a few pans, bicycles, and the odd sewing machine. Most of the buildings have required some form of strengthening over the years, and this is evident from the large concrete frames which can be seen within the structures.In order for remedial work to be carried out to preserve the village, in many cases large amounts of rubble needed to be cleared before work could take place. These buildings were torched in an attempt to destroy everything, and there is no better evidence of the ferocity of the effects of fire than the molten mass of metal that was once the church bell. Many artifacts were in fact recovered, some of which can be seen on display in the cemetery.         Report

02/02/2008, 19:45 bixy Joined on 12/09/2004 Posts 268 Re: Oradour sur Glane But what happened to the hundreds of thousands of tiles? Patrick    Report

02/02/2008, 20:02 Hoddy Joined on 23/08/2004 .....Forum Moderator..... NW Leics/SE Dordogne Posts 2,081 Re: Oradour sur Glane I think Fieldwalker has already given an excellent answer to this. The ground would have had to be cleared in order for the strengthening work to be carried out. Most of the buildings would have fallen down by now if they'd just been left. To say that the village should be preserved just as it was does not mean that it is just left to crumble. Obviously, as I said earlier, some conservation work has to be done. If it hadn't been, then no doubt the whole place would be overgrown by now. That's why I wouldn't mind paying an entrance fee. Hoddy    Report

03/02/2008, 15:49 cowoman Joined on 08/04/2007 WR9 and 87 Posts 226 Re: Oradour sur Glane When we went I was amazed that the Brits hadnt got their scaffolding out to start renovation work.If it wasnt such a sad story,i am sure i would have seen some new roofs going on      Report

03/02/2008, 15:52 Cathy Joined on 07/03/2006 Mostly near Bordeaux; Sometimes near Bristol Posts 1,685 Re: Oradour sur Glane Presumably the message take home from Oradour is not in the detail of the buildings but the symbolism of the village?   Cathy ----- Your children won't remember you ironing their pyjamas but they will remember you reading them a bedside story.    Report

03/02/2008, 15:57 DerekJ Joined on 19/10/2007 Surrey and soon also the Lot Posts 154 Re: Oradour sur Glane  Cathy wrote: Presumably the message take home from Oradour is not in the detail of the buildings but the symbolism of the village?   I would have thought that very true. If you go to somewhere like Dachau you will find that many of the building no longer exist (just the foundations) but the sense of desolation and pain is still all consuming. Derek    Report

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France Forum » French Culture » French History » Oradour sur Glane

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