On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Liberation of the camps, more than a hundred personalities attended the unveiling of the Wall of the Deported, on François Aragon Avenue on Castle Hill.
This brand-new monument, standing 3.22 meters high and 5.88 meters long, modeled after the Shoah Memorial in Paris, will pay tribute to the Jews deported between 1942 and 1944 to concentration camps from Nice train station, among whom were Simone Veil and Arno Klarsfeld.
On this wall, the list of the deported, consisting of 3,603 names, is now inscribed, established under the moral authority of Serge Klarsfeld and the Shoah Memorial.
The construction of this wall is part of a series of actions honoring the duty of remembrance undertaken by the City of Nice, such as participation in the Memory trips to Auschwitz initiated by Christian Estrosi since 2004, and also the inauguration of the Wall of the Righteous in 2014, bearing the names of the Righteous from the Alpes-Maritimes who saved Jews during the Second World War.
The mayor of Nice was present and expressed “his deep emotion on this special day.” He also stated that “this wall will bring dignity to our city, which should be ours. It is a long work of memory; this wall is intended to be a place of reflection, respect, and memory.”
He then addressed current events and antisemitic acts, explaining that “every retreat of antisemitic hatred is a benefit to the nation.”
A speech full of emotion concluded with strong words “in the face of hate, we have hope, the one that carries us, supports us, comforts us.”
Bernard Gonzalez, the prefect of the department, explained that “this wall was a revenge on barbarism and allowed to restore humanity to all the deceased or those present today.”
