In the context of the exhibition *Chagall politique, Le Cri de la libertรฉ*, an exceptional conference is set to take place. Titled *La Provence des annรฉes noires*, it will be led by historian Jean-Louis Panicacci. This conference will take place on Saturday, September 7, 2024, at 3 PM, at the Musรฉe National Marc Chagall in Nice.
The conference will be held on Saturday, September 7, 2024, at 3 PM at the Musรฉe National Marc Chagall in Nice. Led by historian Jean-Louis Panicacci, a former lecturer at the University of Nice and a recognized specialist of the Second World War, it is part of the exhibition *Chagall politique, Le Cri de libertรฉ* and the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of France. It will explore life in Provence under the Occupation, highlighting the challenges faced by the local populations, including artists like Marc Chagall. Admission is free, subject to availability.
What aspects of life in Provence under the Occupation will you address during the conference?
“I will mainly address the three principal periods, namely Vichy, the Italian occupation, and the German occupation. I will highlight the artists and writers who, starting in July 1940, settled in Provence, particularly around Marseille and Nice. Since everyone wishing to depart for the New Worldโwhether to Mexico, Argentina, or the United Statesโgathered around Marseille where Varian Fry’s network for exfiltrating artists and writers threatened by Nazism was located.
How did the war in Provence affect Marc Chagall and other artists?
The Nazis threatened artists, often foreigners. Even Marc Chagall, though he was naturalized, was in danger due to his Jewish and Russian origins. The Germans would arrest those they deemed dangerous to public order, especially Jews. From June 1941, when the Germans attacked the Soviet Union, they cracked down on all Russians, even White Russians in France. Marc Chagall wanted to stay peacefully in Gordes, Vaucluse. Thanks to American journalist Varian Fry, tasked with exfiltrating as many artists and writers as possible, Chagall was able to leave for the United States, where an exhibition on thirty years of his work was in preparation. Fry told him not only that they wanted him to come, but also that he should bring all his paintings. Therefore, around 1941, he reached the port of Lisbon, where a ship awaited to take him to New York. There, he found great success and remained in the United States until the end of the war.
What are the lesser-known or most surprising elements you will share about this dark period in Provenรงal history?
This may not be unknown, but many foreign Jews sought refuge between Marseille and Nice following the establishment of Vichy. Nice thus became a commune where French and foreign Jews made up 10% of the population. There were between 20,000 and 25,000 Jews in July-August 1943 for 250,000 permanent inhabitants. So, it’s an important fact to remember, and it’s what motivated the Nazis, especially the commander of the Drancy camp, SS captain Alois Brunner, to come to Nice from September 10, 1943, to organize what was called the great roundup, lasting several months. It was the second largest in France after that of Vel dโhiv in July 1942.
What parallels do you draw between the challenges faced by the inhabitants of Provence during the war and contemporary issues?
This is a complex subject, but across France, people desire the reestablishment of republican institutions. Itโs not about creating Vichy without Vichy. In Algeria, General Giraud had kept resistance fighters and Jews in prison. We must avoid repeating this mistake. A peaceful revolution was necessary. Stรฉphane Hessel, an ambassador under the Fifth Republic, wrote *Indignez-vous*, a short book published at the end of his life. This book met with great success among young people.
Can you tell us more about the importance of the Musรฉe de la Rรฉsistance Azurรฉenne and its role in the memory of this period?
It will be easy for me to answer! The Musรฉe de la Rรฉsistance Azurรฉenne, installed at the Arรฉnas since April 2023, now receives 3,000 visitors annually. This is remarkable, as when it was at Cimiez or Nice la Plaine, it only received 700 visitors! It is in an ideal location, served by the TER station Nice Saint-Augustin and two tramway stations: Grand Arรฉnas and Parc Phลnix. Foreigners, notably Anglo-Saxons, British, Canadians, and Americans, frequent the museum a lot. But we also have quite a few Europeans, Germans, Italians, and Scandinavians. Visitors are often surprised by two panels, two display cases, and a mannequin dedicated to the Italian occupation. This surprise is understandable because history books and collective memory have largely erased this period. Indeed, Menton was occupied from June 1940 before being annexed to the Kingdom of Italy. Additionally, the rest of the Mediterranean department was occupied from November 11, 1942, to September 9, 1943.
How does the legacy of the Second World War continue to influence culture and society in Provence today?
Two departments that managed to turn the situation to their advantage and brought value to the experience of resistance: the Var and the Basses-Alpes. Both were less tied to Marshal Pรฉtain or his ideology compared to the Alpes-Maritimes or the Bouches-du-Rhรดne. They also adopted a path of radical resistance against the abandonment of human rights and especially against anti-Semitic persecutions.”
