Demarcation line Tercé

Tercé demarcation line

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It was called LIGNE DE DÉMARCATION

ICI as over 1200 km, from the Swiss border to the Spanish border, the ligne de démarcationseparated Franceinto two unequal parts between June 1940 and November 1942.

A veritable internal border established by the German occupiers following the armistice of June 22, 1940, it crossed 13 départements, including Vienne over 80 km, regardless of departmental boundaries.

The part to the north and west of this line was called the "occupied zone" by the Germans. The part to the south, under the control of the Vichy government, was called the "zone libre" or "zone non-occupée".

The occupied part of the Vienne département comprised 230 communes, including the two main ones, Poitiers and Châtellerault. The "free zone", administratively attached to the Haute-Vienne prefecture, comprised 70 communes including Montmorillon, Chauvigny and L'Isle-Jourdain. 17 communes in the département were cut off by the line. Others bordered on it.

The line, marked out on either side by German and French guard posts, eliminated the free movement of people, goods and mail. French citizens were henceforth obliged to present an "Ausweis" (pass) issued by the occupier and more or less easy to obtain depending on the applicant's condition.

The demarcation line was not, however, impassable without a pass. Despite its close surveillance and the risks of arrest, imprisonment, deportation and death, many people did not hesitate to cross the line clandestinely, mainly to the "free zone". such as couriers, escaped prisoners of war, fugitives, Jewish families illustrating in this way the first acts of Resistance.

The situation changed after the successful landing on November 8, 1942, of the Allies in French North Africa hitherto loyal to the Vichy government: on the following November 11 German occupation forces invaded the "free zone"
Vienne and France were fully occupied.

However, the demarcation line did not disappear completely. The French continued to differentiate the former "occupied" and "free" zones by the terms "northern" and "southern" zone, and the Germans continued to control the movement of Jewish people.
It was only after the Liberation of the department, on September 5 and 6, 1944, that the communes of the former "free zone" were definitively attached to the Vienne prefecture.

Vienne then regained its territorial and administrative integrity

Credit photo and contribution Le Bourvellec Eric

Panel text: It was called LIGNE DE DÉMARCATIONICI as over 1200 km, from the Swiss border to the Spanish border, the ligne de démarcationseparated Franceinto two unequal parts between June 1940 and November 1942.A veritable internal border established by the German occupiers following the armistice of June 22, 1940, it crossed 13 départements, including Vienne over 80 km, regardless of departmental boundaries.The part to the north and west of this line was called the occupied zone by the Germans. The part to the south, under the control of the Vichy government, was called the zone libre or zone non-occupée.The occupied part of the Vienne département comprised 230 communes, including the two main ones, Poitiers and Châtellerault. The free zone, administratively attached to the Haute-Vienne prefecture, comprised 70 communes including Montmorillon, Chauvigny and L'Isle-Jourdain. 17 communes in the département were cut off by the line. Others bordered on it.The line, marked out on either side by German and French guard posts, eliminated the free movement of people, goods and mail. French citizens were henceforth obliged to present an Ausweis (pass) issued by the occupier and more or less easy to obtain depending on the applicant's condition.The demarcation line was not, however, impassable without a pass. Despite its close surveillance and the risks of arrest, imprisonment, deportation and death, many people did not hesitate to cross the line clandestinely, mainly to the free zone. such as couriers, escaped prisoners of war, fugitives, Jewish families illustrating in this way the first acts of Resistance.The situation changed after the successful landing on November 8, 1942, of the Allies in French North Africa hitherto loyal to the Vichy government: on the following November 11 German occupation forces invaded the free zoneVienne and France were fully occupied. However, the demarcation line did not disappear completely. The French continued to differentiate the former occupied and free zones by the terms northern and southern zone, and the Germans continued to control the movement of Jewish people.It was only after the Liberation of the department, on September 5 and 6, 1944, that the communes of the former free zone were definitively attached to the Vienne prefecture.Vienne then regained its territorial and administrative integrityCredit photo and contribution Le Bourvellec Eric

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