Description :
This radio programme is part of Radio País and was produced within the framework of the European Rede Tramontana (Réseau Tramontana / Tramontana Network) project, co-funded by the European Union. The project contributes to the preservation and dissemination of Europe’s oral heritage by collecting personal testimonies, local memories, and cultural narratives that reveal the experiences of communities and their inhabitants throughout history.
In this episode of Reality and Humanity, recorded in the Semin Palaï studio, Fabrice welcomes Jean-Paul Ferré to present another testimony from a pedagogical resource created from local historical research. The programme focuses on the Marsoulas massacre of 10 June 1944, a tragic event that took place in the Couserans region, near Betchat, during the German repression at the end of the Second World War. Jean-Paul introduces the testimony of Amédée, born in 1935, who was nine years old at the time and who experienced the atmosphere of fear, confusion, and violence that followed the arrival of German troops.
Through Amédée’s account, the programme reveals the uncertainty and panic that affected local populations during wartime, including rumours, attempts to escape, and encounters with armed forces and resistance groups. Jean-Paul Ferré highlights the importance of these testimonies in understanding not only historical facts but also the human experiences behind them. The episode closes by announcing future discussions on other aspects of wartime history, including the persecution of Jewish populations, while reaffirming the importance of preserving memory and humanity through oral history.