From March to September 1944, the Citadel of Doullens, the city's heritage, served as a place of confinement and forced labor for thousands of deportees, under the direct authority of the infamous Buchenwald concentration camp. It is in this little-known context that the exceptional conference proposed by the Departmental Archives of the Somme takes place, entitled “The Citadel of Doullens and the shadows of Buchenwald”.
The research of archaeologist Gilles Prilaux
The SS-Baubrigade N°5, a work unit of the SS, took possession of the Citadel of Doullens in March 1944. Made up of more than 2,500 deportees, mainly from Buchenwald, this camp was part of the Nazi organization of concentration and work camps. These men, often political prisoners or resistance fighters, were forced to work in inhumane conditions, notably on V1 missile launch sites, symbols of a merciless war.
The history of this labor camp, long forgotten, is now being brought to light thanks to research carried out by Gilles Prilauxarchaeologist and head of the Somme Patrimoine scientific center. During the conference, Gilles Prilaux will detail this dark page of local history, while placing it in a broader context, that of the organization and extension of the Nazi concentration camp system, with Buchenwald in the background.
A conference to discover the heritage of the Somme
Gilles Prilaux's conference is part of the Archives Tuesdaysa series of monthly conferences offered by the Departmental Archives of the Somme. These meetings are an opportunity to revisit local history, sometimes forgotten, and to link it to archive documents which bear witness to significant events in the department. In January, after a busy month of December with the conference on “Richard de Fournival and his library”, it is the history of the Citadel of Doullens which will be highlighted.
The event, which will be held on Tuesday January 7, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. at the Departmental Archives of the Somme, rue Saint-Fuscien in Amiens, is accessible without reservation, subject to availability. This will be an opportunity for the curious, historians and history enthusiasts to discover a little-known facet of the Second World War and to deepen their understanding of the impact of this period on the region.
The Departmental Archives: a place of memory and sharing
The Departmental Archives of the Somme offer a unique place of memory and knowledgewith an annual program that highlights local history through conferences led by professional historians, researchers, and archivists. The January 2025 conference will enrich this series of meetings, by shedding new light on an aspect of the Second World War that many still ignore.
For those who cannot attend in person, the lectures are now available on video on the Departmental Archives YouTube channel, allowing a wider audience to access this rich historical content.
The conference program for 2025
- In January (January 7): M Gilles Prilaux “The citadel of Doullens and the shadows of Buchenwald”
- In February (February 25): Mr. Guillaume Wroblewski “I protest against the tyranny of merchants” (18th-19th centuries)
- A March (11 mars): Mr. Bernard “Let’s investigate this child soldier in Cagny lès Amiens”
- In April (29 avril): M. Joliveau “The challenges of coherent development… A practice, Samarian SAILING practices”
- A May (May 6): M. Skupien
- In June (June 17): Ms. Elise Bourgeois “History of logistics, from gribanes to Amazon”
- In September (September 30) : M. Régis Schlagdenhauffen
- In October (October 7): Mr. Rigaudeau
- In November (November 18th): M. Luken “Richard de Fournival and his library”
- In December (): Mr. Alain Trogneux
Also read: Somme – History: 80 years after the end of the Second World War, the city is being rebuilt
Somme – Orientation: Find your training at the 2025 high school student fair
Somme – Urban planning: A new play area for children in the Platanes district
