#Monument
Stele of the Escapees and Resistance Fighters
Installed in 2004, this enamel plaque commemorates the escapees who arrived in Oloron Sainte-Marie. They were able to cross the Pyrenees thanks to the complicity of the local population and the help of smugglers.
For those attempting to cross the Pyrenees, the first challenge was to make their intentions known. Once this was done, the escape process began. It was not only a personal feat, but also put the lives of everyone involved in the network at risk: escapees, smugglers, and accomplices. Nearly 2,000 people were arrested in the Pyrenees and, for the most part, sent into deportation. More than 1,000 perished there.
Text on the plaque:
“They left their homeland, occupied by the Nazis, thanks to the help of the Resistance and smugglers. They were imprisoned by Franco's regime before joining the Free French Forces in North Africa. Coming from Italy, Provence, and Normandy, they liberated our country.”