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Marseille: the city celebrates 80 years of its Liberation
On Tuesday, August 27, Marseille commemorated the 80th anniversary of the Liberation. In 1944, there were large crowds to celebrate the departure of the Germans. Jeannette Laggiard, who was 9 years old at the time, remembers the jubilation that swept through the city and the dark years that preceded it.
(France 2)
On Tuesday, August 27, Marseille commemorated the 80th anniversary of the Liberation. In 1944, there were large crowds to celebrate the departure of the Germans. Jeannette Laggiard, who was 9 years old at the time, remembers the jubilation that swept through the city and the dark years that preceded it.
Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône) was liberated in pain in 1944. On August 27, the city was disfigured by a week of fighting, but joy broke out. On August 29, soldiers paraded on the Old Port. This is where Jeannette Laggiard went, 80 years later. She was only 9 years old at the time. “The crowd is towards the bars, the brasseries, and all along the Canebière too. There were a lot of North Africans (and people from) the colonies”she recalls.
“I see people enthusiastic, applauding, shouting with joy. People are jumping, they are happy, you know. Marseille was resurrected, Marseille was rediscovering its joy of living.”she continues. From the street where she grew up, she remembers that some neighbors collaborated with the Germans. The sound of their boots traumatized her. “I never wear boots, even in winter. I can’t stand it.”she confides with a laugh. For many Marseillais, the Liberation marks the end of clandestinity.
