The Musée de la Libération de Paris was the main focus of our Saturday schedule in Paris. To begin the morning and take in as much of Paris as we could get, we left early to enjoy a cafe near the museum. The weather started out beautiful with sunny skies and warm temperatures making us grateful to have awoken with the day to not miss out on any of its beauty. The cafe was right next to the museum and fueled us with delicious chocolate tart before heading over to begin the tour.
Prior to this trip I was knowledgeable about the basic information of World War 2, but did not know the full details and would often get confused with them. I was nervous about this tour because I was not sure how easily I would be able to understand and follow it as there is so much information about the war. However, as soon as it began the museum painted the picture of the French resistance easily and it drew me in wondering more. The videos, explanations, and pictures provided a detailed overview of many parts of the resistance and war. One theme that stuck out to me was the perseverance of the French as they continued to fight. Especially regarding certain leaders who were motivated to keep the fight on. One of these leaders included Charles De Gaulle who gave a famous broadcast urging the French to resist. He is seen as a pivotal figure and symbol of the French resistance. Learning more about his story from the museum provided more depth and realness as they had audio of the recording. This photograph is of one of the posters at the time trying to recruit French men. Not only were the French scared of losing half their country, but also scared to accept a whole new way of life and culture. Many were determined to stop the Nazi occupation because of this. It was interesting to be able to view actual posters, pamphlets, and artifacts that were actually used during the time. There were many other types of posters and artifacts including resistance posters that encouraged defiance and unity against occupiers. From this, it seems that not only was there a physical battle going on but also a psychological battle between people and themselves. I also found interesting some of the other personal stories the museum showed. Besides the main fighters, they also highlighted other people including Madeleine Collomb. I had never heard of her before but was happy to see a woman recognized in the museum. She served as a female volunteer and helped as a driver and mechanic of the ambulance. Looking into her more I also found she played a crucial role in organizing logistics, providing safe houses, and supporting other resistance fighters with supplies and information. It is inspiring to see women so involved in the French resistance, especially at the time when they had far fewer rights and respect. She is one of many who fought against tyranny, contributing significantly to the liberation of France. At the end of the tour, we were able to go down and see the World War 2 bunker. The museum was purposely built over this bunker to show and preserve it. After taking many flights of stairs down, I was surprised to see how big it actually was. We were warned it might be tight but it exceeded the capacity I thought. They had a telephone room that still had the old equipment, a General’s office, a war room, and small living spaces. The structure of it is very robust with reinforced concrete walls so they are prepared to withstand bombings and invasions. Being able to go down here provided a surreal experience and felt even more intimate. By showcasing this bunker to people, the museum can humanize the resistance movement making it much more poignant to people. The only problem with seeing this bunker was having to take the stairs all the way back up. However, the depth it provided was worth the workout afterward. The Musée de la Libération de Paris encompassed many different aspects to view including artifacts, radios, equipment, clothing, media, and descriptions which were able to paint a much more vibrant in-depth picture of the French resistance.
