Thénezay. A new book by Jean-Claude Giraud

Jean-Claude Giraud is well known in the region, this former radio and television repairman who lives in Parthenay has written several works: “A Summer of 43 in Gâtine”; “A painful victory 1944-1945 Parthenay and la Gâtine”; “The Freemasons of Deux-Sèvres under the occupation 1939-1945” and “They were 22 years old… two tragic days in Poitiers, Parthenay and Azay-sur-Thouet June 12 and 13, 1944”.

In 1995, the departmental archives of Vienne and Deux-Sèvres opened files to the public, allowing research to write a new work, “Thénezay 1939-1945, a village under the Occupation” which will be on sale at the market of Thénezay Christmas Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 November. The 242-page work edited by Vincent Peignon costs €20.

He explains how the inhabitants of Thénezay and its canton experienced the arrival of the Germans and the four years of occupation that followed. This whole story is told in several chapters, for example political life; the latest fighting in the region; the Germain Rallon affair; the Polish army at Thénezay; the black market; resistance in the canton of Thénezay; the collaboration in Thénezay. In the introduction, it is written that Thénezay had 1836 inhabitants in 1936, there were 136 businesses. 17 residents were at the hospice managed by five nuns. Numerous photos from the period illustrate the texts.

The book will also be on sale in bookstores and supermarkets in Deux-Sèvres. Jean-Claude Giraud is working on other writings, some should be published in the short term.