Prior to the German invasion of France on May 10, 1940, there were about 300,000 Jews in France. Under the terms of the armistice signed at the end of June, France was divided into two zones: and occupied zone and an unoccupied zone. Of the 85,000 to 90,000 Jews ultimately deported, it is estimated that only 3,000 survived.
At the time of the armistice, there were over 30 "camps de concentration" in the unoccupied zone of which the major camps were Le Vernet (Ariege), Rieucros (Lozere), Argeles (Pyrenees-Orientales), Les Milles, Gurs, Noe, and Recebedou. The major camps established ultimately in the occupied zone were Beaune-la-Rolande (Loiret), Pithiviers (Loiret) and Drancy. It is estimated that at the time of the armistice, there were about 50,000 Jews in camps in both zones. As a result of deaths, releases and emigration, this number decreased significantly by the end of 1941. Significant deportations began in March, 1942. In the unoccupied zone, the Vichy authorities were reluctant to act against French Jews, but not against Jewish refugees from other countries. Hilberg estimates that two-thirds of the deportees were non-French Jews.
Southern France became a major haven for Jewish refugees attempting to flee to neutral countries, whether legally or illegally. Below are thumbnails of the front and back of three postcards from a Jewish refugee living in Nice, L. Pietrkowski to relatives living in New York. The first two postcards, postmarked August 12 and August 14, 1942, are written in German. The third postcard, postmarked August 17, 1942, is in English and shows the despair of the family regarding their attempts to get visas. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "General" in the left frame to return.
Barcares-- Le Barcares was the site of a camp built originally to house Spanish Republican soldiers who crossed the border in early 1939. After the German occupation of France in 1940, many of these Spanish soldiers were sent to Mauthausen. Below are thumbnails of the front and back of two covers. The first is a cover postmarked December 15, 1939, from an inmate at Le Barcares to San Francisco. The cover arrived in San Francisco on January 16, 1940. The second is a cover postmarked April 4, 1939, from an inmate at Le Barcares to Besancon. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Barcares" in the left frame to return.
Brens-- Brens was a camp in the Tarn département of the Midi-Pyrénées région, southern France. Below are thumbnails of the front and back of a cover addressed to the International Red Cross in Geneva, Switzerland and postmarked Gaillac, June 22, 1942. The double ring camp-censor is on both the front and rear of the cover. The paper seal on the lower right corner contains the following type: "CID 5512". Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Brens" in the left frame to return.
D'Agde-- D'Agde was a camp in the Herault département, of the Languedoc-Roussillon region, southern France. Below are thumbnails of the front and back of a cover to the United States from the camp at D'Agde with US censor tape. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "D'Agde" in the left frame to return.
Drancy-- Drancy was established in August, 1941, in a suburb northeast of Paris in order to receive Jews rounded up that month in Paris. Ultimately, it became the principal deportation center to Auschwitz for Jews in both the occupied and unoccupied zones. French officials administered the camp until July 1943 when the Germans took it over. Deportations began in the summer of 1942 and ended in July, 1944. It is estimated that 70,000 Jews passed through Drancy. When the camp was liberated on August 18, 1944, only 1,500 Jews remained. Below are thumbnails of a cover from Drancy postmarked March 4, 1943. The cover bears a double-ring censor-prefecture de police in the center. This cover is one of the Camille Caen covers described in the article entitled "Internment Camp Drancy (France)" by Dr. Albert Friedberg in the August, 1989, issue of The Israel Philatelist. Reproduced below with permission of the Society of Israel Philatelists are thumbnails of this article. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Drancy" in the left frame to return.
Gurs-- Gurs was located in the Basque region of France, about 50 miles from the Spanish border. It had been built in 1939 to house refugees of the Spanish Civil War. After the start of the war, many German Jewish refugees were interned at the camp. Beginning in 1942, Jews started to be deported to Drancy and from there to Auschwitz. The camp was closed in November, 1943. About 22,000 persons passed through the camp. Below are thumbnails of the front and back of two covers. The first, postmarked April 8, 1942, is addressed to New York and examined by US censors. The cover contains an oval, double-ring camp-censor seal. The second, postmarked January 1, 1941, is addressed to New York City and contains an oval, double-ring camp-censor seal. This cover also contains an inmate letter which describes the fear of things to come and emigration problems. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Gurs" in the left frame to return.
Les Milles-- Les Milles was a camp located in the Aix countryside in the south east of France. The camp was located in an old tile factory and was a major assembly point for foreign residents. Below are thumbnails of the front and back of two items sent to Les Milles. The first is a postcard from Paris postmarked June 15, 1941, to an inmate at Les Milles, Fred Kocherthaler. The second is a letter card to the same inmate postmarked July 4, 1941. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Les Milles" in the left frame to return.
Noe-- Noe was a camp 25 miles south of Toulouse in southern France. Below are thumbnails of the front and back of a postcard postmarked May 8, 1943, from an inmate at Noe to Switzerland. The card contains a large blue boxed censor cachet. The text is in German and is to a director of a waytch company. The writer describes his desperate condition and states that his arrest on October 22, 1940, was the worst day of his life. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Noe" in the left frame to return.
Recebedou-- Recebedou was a camp just south of Toulouse in southern France. Below are thumbnails of the front and back of three items from Recebedou. The first is a cover, postmarked April 21, 1942, and addressed to New York where it was opened by US authorities. The oval, double-ring camp-censor in purple is on the front of the cover. The second item is a registered postcard from Recebedou to Zurich postmarked April 7, 1942. The oval, double-ring camp-censor in purple is on the front of the card. The third item is a registered cover is addressed to New York. The oval, double-ring camp-censor in purple is on the back of the cover. The cover bears a New York arrival postmark dated June 16, 1941. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Recebedou" in the left frame to return.
Rieucros-- This camp was located in the Mende (Lozere) region. In October, 1939, it was transformed into a camp for women. It existed until February, 1942. Below are thumbnails of the front and back of a cover postmarked March 4, 1940, from Rieucros with a Surete Nationale censor cancel. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Rieucros" in the left frame to return.
Rivesaltes-- This camp, used primarily for Jews, was located in Pyrenees-Orientales area of occupied France. This camp dated back to the First World War when it was used as a transit center for colonial troops. Below are thumbnails of the front and back of a cover from Rivesaltes to Argentina postmarked June 16, 1941, with transit postmarks through New York dated July 5, 1941. The card bears an oval camp-censor. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Rivesaltes" in the left frame to return.
St. Paul d'Eyjeaux-- This camp was located near Limoges in south central France. Below are thumbnails of the front and back of a postcard from Paris to the camp at St. Paul d'Eyjeaux postmarked October 9, 1941. The card was returned to sender. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "St. Paul" in the left frame to return.
Sourioux-- This camp was located near Vierzon in southwest France. It was originally built to house refugees from the Spanish Civil War. Below are thumbnails of the front and back of a postcard from an inmate at Sourioux, R. Haas, to a relative in Paris postmarked May 10, 1939. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Sourioux" in the left frame to return.
Vernet d'Ariege-- This camp was located near Pamiers in the Ariege region of Southern France. It was built in 1939 to house Spanish soldiers after the fall of the Spanish Republic. From 1942 on it was primarily a transit camp. About 40,000 persons passed through the camp. Below are thumbnails of two covers from the camp. The first is the front of a cover (postmarked March 18, 1942) is addressed to the International Red Cross in Geneva, Switzerland. The cover contains the double ring camp-censor. The second is the front and back of a cover (postmarked March 20, 1942) is addressed to St. Gallen, Switzerland. The cover contains a triple ring camp-censor. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Vernet" in the left frame to return.
Vittel-- Vittel was an internment and transit camp located in northeast France near Nancy. It was established in 1940. Below are thumbnails of the front and back of a postcard dated September 27, 1943 from Vittel to Tel Aviv, Palestine. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Vittel" in the left frame to return.
Encyclopedia Judaica, CD-Rom Edition, Keter Publishing
Marrus & Paxton, Vichy France and the Jews, P.165-181, 252-55 (1981)
Hilberg, The Destruction of the European Jews, Volume II, P.609-660 (1985)
Silverman, French Concentration Camps, The American Philatelist, December, 1982 P. 1105-14
http://www.ariege.com/histoire/levernet/info.html
http://www.scrapbookpages.com/Mauthausen/KZMauthausen/History/SpanishRepublicans.html
http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.jsp?ModuleId=10005298
http://history1900s.about.com/library/holocaust/blcampsrives.htm
http://www.sejours-de-la-memoire.com/pages/aixmilles3.html
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/d-d.natanson/artistes_milles.htm
Copyright © 2002 Edward Victor