Schoolchildren in Bron learn about WWII history through local monuments and testimonies

Tuesday, May 2, the schoolchildren arrived at Fort de Bron. Coming from the Jules-Ferry and Alsace-Lorraine schools, they traveled around the city, looking for street signs and monuments evoking characters or events from the Second World War. During their stop at the town hall, where they were received by the mayor, they interpreted the Marseillaise, the chant of the Partisans and the European anthem. They then listened to the story of Christiane Babolat, testifying to the memoirs of her father deported to Buchenwald.

For Imran, Victor, Alya and their 75 classmates in CM1/CM2, this intervention was the missing link in the work they have been doing in recent weeks with their teachers.

The panels they made and exhibited in the rooms of the fort recount their discoveries: Jean-Moulin, Pétain, Hitler, the Olympic Games in Nazi Germany, armament, the role of the 35,000 women involved in the Resistance. , the Normandy landings, the children of Izieu or daily life during the occupation… everyone had chosen their field of research.

“Hitler was a bit Pétain’s boss,” says Eden, who knows how to talk about the free zone and the occupied zone. Mila reflected on information in times of war: “You had to be wary of propaganda. But it is still valid today, in times of peace. »

On their way, they stopped in front of the monument to the shot of Montluc, Adem adds: “They died at 20 years old and I thought of them. In the square dedicated to Jeanne Veses, Maryam learned of her role in the Resistance: “She was a liaison officer and gave secret information to the fighters. »

In the ranks, accompanying parents also benefit from the event. Frédéric: “We don’t pay attention to monuments and yet they speak of our fellow citizens, of what happened here. » Anne: « Today I know a lot more about Roger Pestourie, Pierre Dubœuf or Michel Lacroix! The parents agree: “It’s never too early to raise children’s awareness. »

The teachers, Mmes Barthélémy, Maillet and Mangematin, say they are satisfied with the success of this sporting and historical day: “This period of history is on the programme, we were able to experience it in the heart of our town. We are sowing seeds, the students will see this again in college. »

In East Lyon, the Chemins de la Mémoire brought together nearly 1,000 schoolchildren in Bron, Vaulx-en-Velin and Villeurbanne. They were 4,000 in the entire department. To be found on the internet: