Beaune-la-Rolande internment camp
| Beaune-la-Rolande | |
|---|---|
| Transit camp | |
Prisoners outside barracks at Beaune-la-Rolande. | |
| Coordinates | 48°04′14″N 2°25′48″E / 48.0706°N 2.4300°E |
| Location | Beaune-la-Rolande, Loiret, German-occupied France |
| Operated by | |
| Commandant |
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| Original use | Prisoner-of-war camp |
| Operational | 14 May 1941 – 12 July 1943 |
| Inmates | Foreign-born Jews living in the Paris region (primarily Polish, Czech, Austrian and German) |
| Number of inmates | 6,800 |
| Killed | 6,400 deported to Auschwitz |
| Notable inmates | René Blum, Zber, Ralph Erwin, Adélaïde Hautval, Denise Kandel |
The Beaune-la-Rolande internment camp was a transit and detention facility operated by French and German authorities in Nazi-occupied France during the Second World War. Built in 1939 to house German prisoners of war, it was later used to detain French POWs and, from 1941, foreign-born Jews living in the Paris region. In May 1942, following the imposition of direct German control, mass deportations to extermination camps, primarily Auschwitz, began. Among the victims were over 1,500 children arrested during the Vel' d'Hiv Roundup and interned at Beaune-la-Rolande before their deportation and murder.
In September 1942, the camp returned to French control and was used to intern political prisoners, particularly Communists, before its closure in August 1943. Along with Drancy and Pithiviers, Beaune-la-Rolande was one of three major internment camps in the Paris region. Approximately 6,800 Jews passed through its gates; most were deported to Auschwitz and killed. Notable prisoners included René Blum and Adélaïde Hautval. The site has since become a focus of memorial efforts and historical research into France's role in the Holocaust.