the book on the liberation of the Colmar Pocket

On the occasion of the 80^e anniversary of the liberation of the Colmar Pocket, Colmar Agglomération wanted to collect the living memory of the territory. A book of testimonies, produced by the community, will be distributed to residents in the 20 municipalities in December 2024, as an end-of-year gift.

Eighty years after the liberation of the Colmar Pocket, it was necessary to question the last witnesses of this dark period of our history because they are increasingly rare. Throughout these pages, readers will discover portraits and testimonies of residents who experienced this historic moment. They will discover how each of the 20 communes of the agglomeration experienced the liberation, some having suffered considerable damage, others having been spared by the bombings, all having experienced moments of joy and outpouring. During the Battle of the Colmar Pocket, which lasted three long weeks, from January 20 to February 9, 1945, 1,600 French soldiers and more than 500 American soldiers lost their lives.

A tribute to their sacrifice

Residents are invited to contact their municipality of residence to find out how this book will be distributed.

In Colmar, the book can be collected from the traditional Christmas chalet, Place de la Mairie, using the collection voucher inserted in the November issue of the Colmar point. The chalet will be open from December 10 to 20, Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, December 14 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The series on the liberation of Alsace, offered by DNA and L'Alsace, have the label Liberation Mission. Under this official label are brought together the projects carried out across France to perpetuate the memory of the Liberation. The series proposed in the columns of our two daily newspapers, on the sites and applications, were produced with the assistance of authoritative historians on the subject; they give an important place to testimonies. The use of digital formats such as videos, podcasts and interactive content to tell the story of the liberation of Alsace responds to the wishes of the Liberation Mission to reach young audiences.