Merignac – Beaudésert

In the western outskirts of Bordeaux, a detention camp for unwanted foreigners was established in November 1940. Initially, the camp consisted of only seven barracks. In March 1942, political prisoners from central Bordeaux began being transferred to the camp and the camp was extended to 32 barracks with a capacity of between 500 – 600 prisoners. These were followed by Jews, Spanish republicans, resistance men/women, prostitutes and black market traders. The prisoners were divided into different parts and the parts were separated by fences. The camp became an official detention camp and was under the French interior ministry. In October 1941, 50 prisoners were executed at Camp de Souge, about ten kilometres west of the camp. From the camp about 800 Jews were sent to Drancy transit camp in northern Paris and then on to eastern Europe, mainly Auschwitz.