Last Friday, I traveled with my History of France During the Occupation class to a brand new museum on the site of a World War Two Transit and Internment camp, Les Milles. The camp was located in an old brick factory. When Germany declared war on France in the fall of 1940, France began rounding up all people of German or Austrian origin. Thousands of people who had fled imprisonment in Nazi Germany were then interned in camps across France. Thousands of innocent people were forced to live in inhumane conditions, and this was all done not by the Nazis, but by the French Third Republic. Later, the French began interning not only Germans and Austrians, but many of foreign origin. Spanish, Hungarian, Czech it didn't matter. After the defeat of France in the summer of 1940, the Nazis with the cooperation of the French Vichy government used the camp to intern Jews before shipping them off. From Les Milles, they would travel by train to Drancy in Paris, and then across Europe to Auschwitz. For 4 days 100 people would be packed in cars with no food or even the ability to sit down. The museum was brand new, and very well put together. It definitely gave me a much more real picture of the horrors of the Second World War.

The only room in the factory with natural light.

In front of the factory/camp.

Pajamas from a survivor of Auschwitz.

Room for former German/Austrian members of the French Foreign Legionnaires

Only working bathroom.

Living quarters for women.

Living quarters for men.

Looking into the yard of the camp.

"Liberty, Life, Peace"

Man refusing to salute Hitler during a rally. 

Guard cafeteria painted by prisoners.

Stereotype of Americans. 

Car used to ship Jews to Drancy and then Auschwitz. 100 people would be forced into the cars.