1939 - 45: Memoirs of war

To mark the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of the town of Sélestat, the Humanist Library has joined forces with the Ville d'art et d'histoire and the municipal archives to bear witness to the resilience and courage of an occupied territory, and to the fragility of heritage in times of conflict.
Using oral testimonies, set against the backdrop of the city's archives and those of the Humanist Library, the exhibition retraces the key episodes in this troubled local history: from the uncertain anticipation of the "phony war" to the challenges imposed by the protection of cultural assets and the possibility of evacuations.
But it also evokes the Nazi administration's control of the population and the tragedy of forced conscription, right up to the city's Liberation, which took place against a backdrop of violent fighting.