Le Creusot: 80 years after the Liberation, a book retraces the history of Creusot at war

Directed by the new editions of Creusot, it was presented on Saturday April 26 by the association’s volunteers.

An exhibition had been organized for the occasion.It was before a faithful and committed audience that the new editions of Creusot presented their latest work on Saturday, April 26: Le Creusot during the 1939-1945 war. The ceremony was held at the Maison des associations Guynemer, a place marked itself by the dark hours of the second world conflict.

At the initiative of this book which was not initially planned, the success of the exhibition organized at the Alto in September 2024, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of Creusot. Porty in particular by the TV barrack, the exhibition had aroused strong emotion and many requests from the public for a testimony to write the day. The challenge was met in just a few months by teams of association volunteers.
Much more than a simple summary of volumes III and III-2 already published in 2005 and 2006, this work offers a dive enriched in local history during the Second World War. Unpublished testimonies, rare documents, unknown anecdotes and a rich iconography nourish collective memory. The book also highlights the personal collections of Gilles Moreau and Pierre Henri Guillet, without forgetting the external contributions which made it possible to enrich the content.

A report on all the demonstrations that took place during this commemoration week is also included at the end of this work: the liberation column crossing the city, the intergenerational ceremony in the war memorial or the rehabilitation of the anti-bombardment shelter of the Saint-Charles gate.

The very place of the presentation of the book is not trivial: the Maison des Associations Guynemer, formerly a school of boys in the Cross-Menée, was directly affected by the war. Requisitioned by the occupier in 1940, it was completely destroyed during the bombing of June 20, 1943 before being rebuilt in 1952. A story in its own right, told in the work, which echoes that of a whole bruised city and then reconstructed.

In conclusion, the new editions of Creusot have reaffirmed their commitment: preserving, transmitting and making local history live. An objective in which readers are invited to take part by discovering this book, the fruit of passionate collective work and a fierce desire not to forget.