A Mont-de-Marsan teacher releases a book on the liberation of the city

The blanket photo, in black and white, shows a little girl in the middle of a crowd, perched on a man’s shoulders, perhaps his father. She embodies, flowers in hand and bonnet with cockade on her head, Marianne. A Marianne which symbolizes the reborn republic at the time of liberation. “It’s a photo that marked me. We feel a real joy. Like many other documents of this type in the book, we touch through them the state of mind of that time. »»

Cyril Delmas-Marsalet is passionate. Professor of history-geography at the Lycée Victor-Duruy for twenty-seven years, he now chairs the educational center of the Resistance and the deportation in Mont-de-Marsan. And although it knows full well that it was on the night of August 20 to 21, 1944 that the city was released, it was in this month that he decided to publish a new opus (1) on this theme.

A trace for future generations

The book, entitled “The Liberation of Mont-de-Marsan, 1944”, published by the Association Archives et Patrimoine des Landes (2), returns to these crazy days that started in the party and ended with one of the most violent fights that the department has known. “The crowd had taken out the flags and was already cheering. And yet, it will be a day full of dramatic strokes during which we went through all the emotions. Indeed, everyone is unaware that a German column of 300 soldiers arrives from Dax and that the Bats bridge will be, in the afternoon, the place of fatal fights. Four resistance fighters will leave life there, ”says Cyril Delmas-Marsalet.

Undoubtedly as a good supporter of Lavoisier, the historian made his motto “Nothing is lost, everything is transformed” because this work takes up a good part of the elements that the Montoises and the Montois were already able to read during the exhibition “80 years ago: the liberation of Mont-de-Marsan” which had taken place, last August, to the Halles de la Madeleine and who had attracted many people (read in addition). “The book is part of this memorial cycle that we started on the occasion of the 80^e anniversary of the liberation of France. By editing it, it is also a way of keeping a trace of this exhibition and this story for future generations, ”he explains.

Another book already in preparation

“The liberation of Mont-de-Marsan, 1944” compiles numerous testimonies, but also completely unpublished and never published vintage photographs. “We bring much more details on these days compared to what had been written before,” says the professor. And above all, these iconographic documents act as a small report that we would have made from start to the end of the day. To help himself, Cyril Delmas-Marsalet was obviously based on the various funds of the Landes Departmental Archives.

By editing this book, it is also a way of keeping a trace of this exhibition and this story for future generations

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Above all, the opportunity to return, over the pages, to the issues linked directly to the release: the reconstruction of the country, the restoration of republican power, the resistance in its multiple forms, but also on the purification which follows, even if the Department of Landes was rather spared by this phase. “There was only one sentence to death,” he notes.

Cyril Delmas-Marsalet, always surprised to see how this period is of interest and still sometimes weighs in families, has not said his last word. He who came during this period through the persecution of the Jews in the Landes, should still have new pages to write soon …

(1) He had already published-with two other colleagues-a work on the origins of rugby rugby in Mont-de-Marsan, “The Saga of golden buttons”, in 2023. (2) It is available at the Maison de la Presse (3, rue Laubaner) at a price of 10 euros or on order by sending an email to friends [email protected] (15 euros, shipping costs).

Several highlights

Beyond this work, several meetings are offered on this same theme. First of all, a traveling exhibition “Les Landes in the Second World War” at the hall of the Hôtel du Départe des Landes (free and free entrance). Then, another exhibition produced by the educational center of resistance and deportation, with the support of the museum of 34^e Infantry regiment, on the initiative of the city of Mont-de-Marsan, “80 years ago: the liberation of Mont-de-Marsan”, in the Departmental Archives of Landes (free and free entry).
The day of Saturday May 17 will be marked by two highlights: a round table at 3 p.m. on the last years of the Second World War, led by Jean-Pierre Brèthes, Doctor of Letters, Associate Professor, member of the Association of 34^e RI (free, within the limits of available places, duration: an hour and a half). With the participation of Cyril Delmas-Marsalet and Stéphane Weiss, doctor of letters, specialist at the Médoc front. Sleeping will follow behind the scenes of the archives, from 5 p.m. Free by reservation at 05 58 85 75 20 or [email protected]. The route will also be offered on Friday May 23 at 5 p.m.