Sheltered in one of the most beautiful "cluses" ( sunken vales) of the DOUBS, the county town of CLERVAL, with its quaint old quarters, is well worth the visit. It is a historical place where a military site and a monument remind us of the 1870 battles. In 1942, volunteers from CLERVAL set up the first "Maquis" of the region. During the Occupation period, 6 patriots were shot, and 6 sent to concentration camps. In 1944, distinguished by a mention in dispatches with the award of the Military Cross, the town was partly destroyed after a battle fought against the Germans by the paratroopers of Free France and the partisans of the district.The Museum of Memory and Peace settled in the old castle, an ancient fortified place of the Duchy of WURTEMBERG, in 1990. It developed under the aegis of the town of CLERVAL. The reconstructed scenes bring out the spirit of sacrifice shared by the actors of XXth century tragedies, the ordeals experienced by France but overcome by men and women moved by a Republican ideal inspiring hope and by the faith in their country. |
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