Mont Saint Odile, Fort de Mutzig and Natzweiler-Struthof Concentration Camp
Our second day in Alsace was a day of history. What was unknown to me but I learned from the boat trip in Strasbourg was that Alsace when taken over by the Germans, was annexed and therefore considered a part of Germany (as opposed to the rest of France that remained occupied). This meant that as soon as it was annexed, all the French living in Alsace and to stop speaking in French and speak in German only. Speaking or acting against the German government was punishable by death or being sent to concentration camps. Amazingly, a concentration camp was built in Alsace (but more of that later)
Our first stop was to the convent Mont Sainte Odile Convent. The convent itself is not too special but because it is situated in the Vosges mountains, the views of the surroundings are spectacular. There are a number of little chapels around the main convent, which are really worth seeing, due to the mosaics on the walls & ceilings.
Our next stop was Fort de Mutzig. This fortress is located about 30 minutes from Strasbourg. Tours are conducted mainly in French and German although there are limited tours available in English (I suggest you do a search for fort-mutzig for details). The tours last 2.5 hours and inside it is a little cool (~15 C), so you may want to bring a light jacket. There are lots of stairs and it is not recommended for those with mobility issues.
The guides are volunteers who love bringing history to life. Our guide was animated and very knowledgeable. He started the tour by explaining the big picture on why there was a German fort in France, (at that time the province of Alsace was German). The tour moves from room to room covering everything from the strategic position of the gun placements to daily life of the soldiers. Some of the rooms covered are the sleeping quarters, kitchen, bakery, medical, electrical generators, mechanical equipment, workshop, and even the toilets.... Overall a great tour and a pleasant way to spend an afternoon especially if you enjoy history.
Our next stop was Natzweiler-Struthof concentration camp just under 40 minutes from Mutzig. Firstly the drive to the camp is lovely, driving through winding mountain roads. Beautiful green scenery. And then suddenly amongst the gorgeous lush forest scenery, a huge monument appears… you have arrived at Natzweiler-Struthof….Only when I started planning our trip to Alsace did I learn that there was a concentration camp in Alsace. I have visited quite a few camps in Poland and the one in Alsace is just as horrible. It has a brilliant museum and the camp itself is very chilling . We were there in the summer and it was cold… I hate to think of what it was like in the wintertime during the war years.
The camp was used mainly for political prisoners and criminals, many from the French resistance. The work was hard, conditions typically hideous and with a very low survival rate . Later, medical experiments were performed here on Jews who were brought from other camps (including Auschwitz) for this. There was also a gas chamber nearby and a crematorium.
The camp is on a steep hillside and some walking is required to visit the solitary blocks and crematorium at the bottom. The gas chamber is a separate stop on the road to the camp and is only open for limited hours during the day. This place is well worth a visit ... a dark time in human history never to be forgotten...
From here we drove one and a half hours to Eguisheim which was our base for the next two nights…… Details about gorgeous Eguisheim will follow in my next post… but I am posting the picture below to whet your appetite :-)
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