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French Nationalism in Martyred Village by Sarah Farmer


            
             In the book Martyred Village, the author Sarah Farmer recounts a massacre in France and it's effect on the collective memory of the French people. Martyred Village recounts a massacre, which took place in Oradour on June 10th 1944. The Ruins were preserved just as they were left. It remained a hollowed out shell of a town once bustling with life and prosperity. This event came to symbolize the destruction of French virtuousness through German cruelty. The ruins served as hard evidence of brutal crimes against humanity. This site became important to the French experience in world war two as it symbolized French suffering at the hands of the Nazis. This was used to gain the allure of the international audience. Perpetuating the idea that France had been immobilized in the visage of the Nazis. The village was made into a site of national pilgrimage in hopes of renewing French nationalism through common ideals and Religious piety. Ultimately the massacre had a huge impact on the French experience in world war two and how the rest of the world saw it. .
             The site of Oradour had once been a prosperous town even in a time of war. Many refugees had settled there because of the economy and atmosphere. The people lived serene lives where the biggest disturbance was the absence of men who were drafted. The occupation of Limoges seemed far and inconsequential (Farmer 16). People did not suspect that on that day there would be such a catastrophic event. Men said they thought it was a routine check of papers (Farmer 22). The massacre left few survivors and the town was destroyed. The French government decided to preserve the town as it was left. They made few modifications. The modifications that were made were made only to enhance the human sentiment left behind. The gut wrenching ruins were used to ignite emotion in those who visited. Leaving sites such as those preserved serves as a means to let the human imagination recreate the events based on the evidence.


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