Camp Vernet facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Camp Vernet
Transit camp
Aerial photograph (1945)
Location in France
Coordinates	43°11′43″N 1°36′30″E / 43.19528°N 1.60833°E / 43.19528; 1.60833
Location	Le Vernet, Occitania Vichy France
Operated by	French Police German authorities
Original use	Troop camp
First built	1918
Operational	to June 1944
Inmates	Spanish refugees, Jews, former members of the International Brigade
Notable books	The Invisible Writing, Scum of the Earth

Memorial marker

Camp Vernet was a special kind of prison camp, called an internment camp, located in Le Vernet, France. It was near the town of Pamiers in the French Pyrenees mountains.

The camp was first built in 1918 as a place for soldiers to live. After World War I, it became a camp for prisoners of war. From 1939 to 1944, Camp Vernet was used to hold many different groups of people.

First, it held people fleeing the Spanish Civil War. These were mostly soldiers and families who opposed General Franco. Later, during World War II, the French government (known as the Vichy government) used it. They sent people they thought were dangerous there. This included members of the French Resistance and those who opposed the Nazi and Fascist governments. From 1942, it also held Jewish families. They were waiting to be sent to other, more terrible camps. The last group of prisoners left Camp Vernet in June 1944, going to Dachau concentration camp.

History of Camp Vernet

Camp Vernet was first built in June 1918. It was meant to house French colonial troops during World War I. But when the war ended, it was used to hold German and Austrian prisoners.

Between the two World Wars, the camp stored military supplies. In February 1939, near the end of the Spanish Civil War, it got a new purpose. It became a camp for Spanish Republicans. These were people escaping Francisco Franco's armies. French officials sent those they thought were "a danger to public safety" to Camp Vernet.

Many of these prisoners were former soldiers. They came from groups like the Durruti Column and the 26th Division. About 150 members of the International Brigades were also held there. They were kept in a separate area. The camp covered about 50 hectares (123 acres). It had three sections, all surrounded by barbed wire fences.

When World War II began, the camp's role grew. It was used to hold foreigners who were considered "undesirable." This included thinkers who opposed fascism and former members of the International Brigades. Often, these were older or more influential veterans.

Today, there is a small museum at Le Vernet. The camp is also mentioned in some books. These include Field Grey by Philip Kerr and Citadel by Kate Mosse.

Camp Operations Under Vichy France

After France was defeated in June 1940, the pro-Nazi Vichy France government took over Camp Vernet. They used it for "all foreigners considered suspect or dangerous." Later, German authorities took control. They rebuilt parts of the camp to fit their own concentration camp rules.

Arthur Koestler, a writer, was held there. He said that Camp Vernet was "worse than a Nazi concentration camp" in terms of food, facilities, and cleanliness.

Some notable people held at Camp Vernet include:

• Leo Valiani, an Italian historian
• Friedrich Wolf, a German writer

See also

In Spanish: Campo de internamiento de Vernet d'Ariège para niños