The 50 Hostages Square

The Square named le cours des 50 ottages, the fifty hostages in English, and its commemorative monument remind us of a sad story, but one that must to be told. As with all the atrocities that men have been capable of committing and the suffering inflicted on so many, it’s our duty to remember in order not to repeat. In 1941, Karl Hotz, a German lieutenant-colonel, was shot dead by a Communist resistance commando. Hitler was alerted and with the help of Vichy France, demanded the execution of a 100 to 150 hostages. The commander of the army in occupied France therefore had this terrible notice published: “In expiation for this crime, I have earlier ordered fifty hostages to be shot (...) a further 50 hostages will be shot if the guilty parties are not arrested by midnight on 23 October 1941”. Lists were drawn up of leaders who were to be symbolically shot. In a group of 27 nantais was the young Guy Môquet, who left a heart-rending letter to his parents which is still studied in French schools to this day. The 50 hostages, eventually reduced to 48, sent shock waves through France. It was the first mass execution in occupied France. From then on, rejection of the occupying forces seriously began to be felt. De Gaulle awarded the town the insignia of the Order of Companions of Liberation and today, in front of this memorial, we pay your respects to those who have allowed us to live in peace.