On 25 August 1944, German soldiers killed 124 people and razed the village.[3] The resultant massacre was the second-largest in France of World War II, after that at Oradour-sur-Glane.[3]
On the same day that Paris was surrendered to the Allies, an estimated 80 Waffen-SS soldiers of the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division entered the village of 600 people in the morning, and killed 124 residents, including 46 children under the age of 14, and 42 women. Many of the victims were shot; the remainder bludgeoned, bayoneted, or burned. The village was then shelled until it was in ruins. Survivors later found a handwritten message on several corpses: "This is punishment for terrorists and their assistants."[4]
The reasons for the massacre are still unknown, although on the previous day a group of French resistance fighters had killed several German officers travelling in a car,[3] and in a separate incident ambushed a Waffen-SS column to the north; the district was also at the time safeguarding a United States Army Air Forces pilot who had crash-landed in the area.[4]
Only one person has ever been held accountable, when in 1952 former German army lieutenant Gustav Schlueter was tried in absentia by a French court and found guilty. He remained living in Germany until his death in 1965.[4]
Although France has a 30-year limit on war crimes prosecutions, Germany does not. After the massacre featured in a German newspaper article in 2004, Dortmund-based prosecutor Ulrich Maas, who specialises in hunting down war criminals, started an investigation. After a television documentary on the massacre, Maas visited the village in July 2008 to collect more information, and laid a wreath at the memorial.[3]
^ abcdDavies, Lizzy (16 July 2008). "64 years after massacre, villagers of Maillé may get some answers at last". The Guardian. p. 21. Retrieved 17 July 2008.
^ abc"64 years later, France and Germany delve into shrouded WW II massacre". CBC Canada. 15 July 2008. Retrieved 18 July 2008.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Maillé (Indre-et-Loire).
Website of Maillé
The forgotten French village massacre - BBC News article
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maillé, indre, loire, maillé, french, pronunciation, maje, listen, commune, central, french, department, indre, loire, maillécommunecoat, armslocation, maillémailléshow, francemailléshow, centre, loirecoordinates, 0536, 5822, 0536, 5822countryfranceregioncentr. Maille French pronunciation maje listen is a commune in the central French department of Indre et Loire MailleCommuneCoat of armsLocation of MailleMailleShow map of FranceMailleShow map of Centre Val de LoireCoordinates 47 03 13 N 0 34 56 E 47 0536 N 0 5822 E 47 0536 0 5822CountryFranceRegionCentre Val de LoireDepartmentIndre et LoireArrondissementChinonCantonSainte Maure de TouraineGovernment Mayor 2020 2026 Bernard Eliaume 1 Area115 67 km2 6 05 sq mi Population Jan 2020 2 563 Density36 km2 93 sq mi Time zoneUTC 01 00 CET Summer DST UTC 02 00 CEST INSEE Postal code37142 37800Elevation43 110 m 141 361 ft 1 French Land Register data which excludes lakes ponds glaciers gt 1 km2 0 386 sq mi or 247 acres and river estuaries Contents 1 History 1 1 World War II massacre 2 Population 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksHistory EditWorld War II massacre Edit Main article Maille massacre On 25 August 1944 German soldiers killed 124 people and razed the village 3 The resultant massacre was the second largest in France of World War II after that at Oradour sur Glane 3 On the same day that Paris was surrendered to the Allies an estimated 80 Waffen SS soldiers of the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division entered the village of 600 people in the morning and killed 124 residents including 46 children under the age of 14 and 42 women Many of the victims were shot the remainder bludgeoned bayoneted or burned The village was then shelled until it was in ruins Survivors later found a handwritten message on several corpses This is punishment for terrorists and their assistants 4 The reasons for the massacre are still unknown although on the previous day a group of French resistance fighters had killed several German officers travelling in a car 3 and in a separate incident ambushed a Waffen SS column to the north the district was also at the time safeguarding a United States Army Air Forces pilot who had crash landed in the area 4 Only one person has ever been held accountable when in 1952 former German army lieutenant Gustav Schlueter was tried in absentia by a French court and found guilty He remained living in Germany until his death in 1965 4 Although France has a 30 year limit on war crimes prosecutions Germany does not After the massacre featured in a German newspaper article in 2004 Dortmund based prosecutor Ulrich Maas who specialises in hunting down war criminals started an investigation After a television documentary on the massacre Maas visited the village in July 2008 to collect more information and laid a wreath at the memorial 3 Population EditHistorical populationYearPop 1793492 1800473 3 9 1806426 9 9 1821450 5 6 1831507 12 7 1836503 0 8 1841548 8 9 1846552 0 7 1851595 7 8 1856551 7 4 1861529 4 0 1866530 0 2 1872578 9 1 1876525 9 2 1881502 4 4 1886515 2 6 1891466 9 5 1896456 2 1 YearPop 1901456 0 0 1906474 3 9 1911478 0 8 1921470 1 7 1926491 4 5 1931482 1 8 1936490 1 7 1946449 8 4 1954542 20 7 1962602 11 1 1968587 2 5 1975518 11 8 1982580 12 0 1990594 2 4 1999653 9 9 2006619 5 2 2009609 1 6 See also EditCommunes of the Indre et Loire department Oradour sur Glane French Resistance The Maquis Waffen SSReferences Edit Repertoire national des elus les maires data gouv fr Plateforme ouverte des donnees publiques francaises in French 2 December 2020 Populations legales 2020 The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies 29 December 2022 a b c d Davies Lizzy 16 July 2008 64 years after massacre villagers of Maille may get some answers at last The Guardian p 21 Retrieved 17 July 2008 a b c 64 years later France and Germany delve into shrouded WW II massacre CBC Canada 15 July 2008 Retrieved 18 July 2008 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Maille Indre et Loire Website of Maille The forgotten French village massacre BBC News article This Indre et Loire geographical article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Maille Indre et Loire amp oldid 1168443655, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
