À l'intérieur du camp de Drancy

A history of the camp of Drancy, based on eyewitness testimonies, especially by Paul Zuckermann, Nissim-Noël Calef, and Georges Kohn, as well as material from newly opened archives. Between 1941-44, 67,000 of the 75,000 Jews deported from France, most of them foreigners, passed through Drancy. 80,000 additional Jews spent shorter or longer periods interned there. Describes the organization of the camp and daily life. The first Jews were rounded up and sent to Drancy in August 1941 as part of a series of repressive Nazi measures to prevent communist actions. Between November 1941-July 1942, Drancy only housed men and served as a pool for hostages that were shot or deported by the Germans in retaliation for attacks perpetrated by the resistance. The Vél d'Hiv roundup initiated a new phase, turning Drancy, between July 1942-July 1943 into a transit camp, including women and children. Traces the cycles of deportation and their interruptions. During the last year of its existence, Drancy was reorganized as a concentration camp by Alois Brunner. Internal control, which was previously handled by the Vichy government, was taken over by the SS. In July 1943, when the camp at Beaune-la-Rolande was closed, many of its "non-deportable" prisoners were transferred to Drancy or its satellite camps in Paris. The Allied invasion of Normandy did not slow the pace at which Jews were arrested. In summer 1944 thousands of Jews were sent from Toulouse, Montpellier, and Grenoble to Drancy; most of them were deported with the last convoy in August. Includes bibliographical references (pages 349-369) and index. 382 pages : illustrations ; 21 cm