Commemorative plaque deportees

The people of Sedan suffered a lot during the three successive occupations of the Germans. But they will undoubtedly never forget that the Germans had set up an internment camp in the castle, which functioned from January 1917 to November 1918. This camp was led by camp executioners and hardly anyone got out alive. It was therefore a precursor to the extermination camps used by Nazi Germany during World War II.
The inhabitants outside this region did not know about this hell, which was called « le Bagne » by the inhabitants of Sedan. Every day Belgians and French succumbed to the consequences of abuse and exhaustion. The Germans set up several labor camps because they needed many workers for their war industry. In the occupied territories of Belgium and France, civilians between the ages of 14 and 60 were forced to work for the Germans (Zivil Arbeiter Bataillon : battalions for civilian workers). Those who opposed this were sent to the internment camp of the fortress of Sedan or to the perilous front of Bazeille or Mont Saint Martin.
The inmates worked outside the prison and were recognizable by a red band on their left arm, the big boots or bare feet, but mainly because they were so thin and looked haggard. The terribly high number of deaths in this camp was caused by the reign of terror of the camp commander Denzin, the doctor Michelsohn, and the chief guard Holz. Many prisoners also died from deprivation, oppression, malnutrition, poor hygiene, dysentery and heavy forced labour. Moreover, the 500 to 600 prisoners were very close together, there was only room for 400 people.
The exact number of casualties is unknown, but in less than two years more than a thousand have been killed and probably many more. The commander and doctor of this camp have been wanted since 1919 to answer for their acts of war, but in vain….!
On the wall of the fortress of Sedan hangs a memorial plaque, with the last words:
« Effaçons la haine, mais conservons le souvenir » (Let us slowly forget the hatred, but keep the memory forever). It is an honor to the prisoners, but also to the 100,000 deportees to German camps, 30,000 dead and 8,000 executed in the First World War.

Willem Vandenameele