Why is the château de la Hille historically significant?

Between 1940 and 1944 it sheltered around a hundred Jewish children under the protection of the Swiss Red Cross during the Second World War.

Where did the children at the château de la Hille come from?

They came from Germany, Austria and Poland, having first been housed in Belgium before fleeing to southern France.

What happened at the château de la Hille in August 1942?

Forty-five Jewish youths over sixteen were arrested by French police and taken to the Le Vernet camp before being allowed to return thanks to Swiss Red Cross intervention.

When was the château de la Hille built?

The building dates from the early sixteenth century.

Château de la Hille

Hille Castle

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The château de la Hille stands in Montégut-Plantaurel, in the Ariège department, not far from Toulouse. Built in the early sixteenth century, it stood empty for around twenty years before being rented in 1940 by a Swiss organisation to shelter refugee children during the Second World War. A hundred Jewish children from Germany, Austria and Poland, who had passed through Belgium and an earlier makeshift home in Seyre, lived there for several years under the care of the Swiss Red Cross. This history, marked by arrests, a collective escape attempt and flights toward Switzerland or Spain, gives the place a strong commemorative weight.

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Why is the château de la Hille historically significant?: Between 1940 and 1944 it sheltered around a hundred Jewish children under the protection of the Swiss Red Cross during the Second World War.
Where did the children at the château de la Hille come from?: They came from Germany, Austria and Poland, having first been housed in Belgium before fleeing to southern France.
What happened at the château de la Hille in August 1942?: Forty-five Jewish youths over sixteen were arrested by French police and taken to the Le Vernet camp before being allowed to return thanks to Swiss Red Cross intervention.
When was the château de la Hille built?: The building dates from the early sixteenth century.

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