Resist, again and again. By adopting a unique oath in France more than ten years ago, five French municipalities sealed their friendship and their sacred union. In 2019, the mayors of the five cities renewed their marriage. But Nantes, Paris, Grenoble, Vassieux-en-Vercors (Drôme) and the island of Sein (Finistère) had long been linked around a single cause. That of bringing to life the memory of the French resistance against the Nazi invader. The five territories united in this pact were among the first to respond to General de Gaulle’s appeal of June 18, 1940. This Tuesday, it is on the island of Sein that the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron will pay tribute to the soldiers and civilians who fought to free France from the clutches of Nazism.
At the end of the Second World War, the five cities were decorated with the Order of the Liberation, the second French national order after the Legion of Honor, to reward their involvement in the liberation of France. This order also brings together 1,038 companions of the liberation, eighteen combat units in addition to the five communes.
Everywhere, resistance was organized
On the island of Sein, 128 men had taken to the sea to reach England and participate in the resistance. In Paris, Nantes and Grenoble, many residents joined resistance to disrupt the German occupation, sometimes at the risk of their lives. As for Vassieux-en-Vercors, it had been one of the main parachute centers for the Allied aviation, helping the military to pick up weapons dropped from the sky. In 1944, the village was bombed, killing 72 of its residents. All the houses had been burned.
Distinguished by General de Gaulle after the Liberation, the five municipalities have been linked by a pact of friendship since December 3, 1981. “This pact is intended to ensure the sustainability of the Order and to create special links between their respective communities “, precise the Museum of the Order of Liberation.