The demolition of the old working of Marseilles
In the following weeks, in February, the district will be systematically demolished by the dynamiters of the occupying army.
Thus 25 000 people lost their house and the poor treasures that they were due to it tight... An operation which the historian Pierre Guiral will describe as " more wild than the setting with bag of Marseilles by the troops of King d' Aragon ".
Monday February 1, 1943, the German Army engineers deposit the explosive charges.
Message of January 18, 1943, Reichsführer SS to the higher head of the SS and the font in France, Oberg :
"I wish for the purification of Marseilles a radical solution and supplements...
1) Arrest of the great masses of criminals of Marseilles...
2) Radical dynamiting of the district of criminals... the under-city of Marseilles east to be dynamited by specialists, and of such a kind that the inhabitants perish under the simple pressure of the explosion... "
| "... The demolition of the district of the Old man-Port began Monday February 1. The first load of dynamite exploded at midday fifteen, in a small island of house located between the street the St. Lawrence and the street Radeau. Each day, until February 19, the air was shaken by formidable detonations which made plane a long time above the port of heavy clouds of smoke color of sulphur... "
(André Négis, "Marseille sous l'occupation") |
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"... The demolition of the district of the Old man-Port, with the statement of the Germans themselves, was a need for town planning. One spoke about manifestation of cruelty Nazi. When one considers the operations inspired by the madness hitlérienne, like the destruction of Warsaw - without speaking about Oradour, for example, there is something of absolutely illogical in the behavior of the SS with illogical Marseille.Cet holds in the fact that they are the executants of natures formulated by French... "
(Gérard Guicheteau - "Marseille 1943 La fin du Vieux-port)
Perimeter of the district which will be destroyed by the Germans
Because the municipality since step badly of years had considered this reorganization. This district which collapses is exactly that which the town planners of Marseilles wanted to destroy.
