"occupied Versailles, the castle in the Second World War", an untold page of history
Audio 01:45
The Palace of Versailles is one of the most visited monuments in France, and yet some parts of its history are still poorly understood.
©Christian Milet / Palace of Versailles
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
It is one of the most visited monuments in France, and yet some parts of its history are still poorly understood.
Since Saturday, September 3, the Palace of Versailles has been putting a documentary series online free of charge: “Occupied Versailles, the Palace in the Second World War”.
German soldiers had taken up residence with Louis XIV for 1,533 days between 1940 and 1944. A page of history told from unpublished and fascinating archives.
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At Versailles, shelter trenches are dug on the edge of the park.
When the documentary begins, the Second World War has not yet been declared, but the anxiety grows.
Versailles hastily organizes the evacuation of priceless paintings to secret locations.
In the basins of the domain of Louis XIV, the Sun King, Apollo and his nymphs disappear under sandbags.
In June 1940, only four men remained to watch over Versailles, which saw the Nazi occupier arrive.
Bad weather damages the works
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The French flag is replaced by the swastika standard.
A canvas was torn and German soldiers had fun firing revolvers at the ducks, but it was the freezing cold that caused the heaviest damage.
The rain seeps through the roofs and the water freezes directly on the canvases of the Napoleonic battles.
The few employees suffer from hunger: they cultivate a meager vegetable garden in the gardens of Louis XIV's gardener, André Le Nôtre.
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After having endured another winter without heating, the ceiling of the Queen's guard room collapsed on the night of March 5 to 6, 1942.
" Occupied Versailles consists of original archives, photos and films of German soldiers, rare documents studied recently.
The documentary is also a tribute to the anonymous workers and caretakers, who knew how to preserve this heritage of humanity.
More than 70 years later, no one can help but think of the fate of Ukrainian museums, of the other masterpieces hidden under sandbags.
► “occupied Versailles”, with the voice of Denis Podalydès, available on the Youtube channel of the Palace of Versailles and social networks.
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