Resistance

The history of which Burgundians are most proud is fairly recent.  Burgundy, with its immense forests and rolling fields of tall grass, served as the backdrop for the heart of the Resistance during World War II.  Many of the local population are direct descendants of brave men and women who valiantly stood against tyranny:

We learned about the Resistance at a local museum, and the kids participated in a memorial ceremony held annually for a group of men who were massacred by desperate German soldiers at the end of the war.  Those killed were chosen for their affiliation to a village with ties to the Resistance.  At the ceremony, the choir sang the french national anthem.  After the service, the kids joined local villagers as they walked by each grave and gave thanks for their sacrifice.

Perhaps most touching of all was the morning the choir spent with Agnes, a Dutch woman who grew up on the Dutch/French border.  She was in early elementary school when the Nazi's invaded Holland, and she remembers clearly the day when 5 of her Jewish schoolmates were removed from her classroom and were never seen or heard from again.  Agnes shared what it was like to live in an occupied country at war, and for a few hours I think that the kids caught a glimpse of the hardship and hopelessness that comes with war.

At the end of her story, the kids sang to her an old slave-era spiritual entitled "Freedom Is Coming."  It was an incredibly moving experience for all, and there wasn't a dry eye in the room.  We can only hope that this was an experience that will stay in the hearts and minds of the children for a long, long time.