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Dijon: Then and Now

The first thing that comes to mind when I hear Dijon is mustard, but to the French it played an important in World War 2, when it was held under occupation by Nazi Germany for 4 years. Located in eastern France, this city was heavily armed and its liberation in 1944 allowed the Allies to head towards Germany. A local resident recently found photos of the city from that period and went about photographing how the sights have changed in 70 years.

 

CLICK on any of the images to see what it looks like now

 
 
The fountain at Parc Darcy, with German officers posing in front of it.
 
Dijon Changes
Dijon Changes
The Allied troops enter the city on 11 September 1944. 
 
Dijon Changes
Dijon Changes

German Troops gathered near  the Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy on 17 June 1940, when France surrendered to the Germans.

Dijon Changes
Dijon Changes

Everywhere you looked there were German guards asking locals for IDs. Nowadays this is just an ordinary street.

Dijon Changes
Dijon Changes
 

Luftwaffe Headquarters. The Luftwaffe was the Nazi air force.  Today the building houses a florist.
 
Dijon Changes
Dijon Changes
 
 
The city was full of soldiers. The house in the back used to be a butchery. 
 
Dijon Changes
Dijon Changes

 

The post office hasn’t changed a lot. The 1940s photo shows a large flag, hung after the Liberation. 

Dijon Changes
Dijon Changes

 

This is one of the main streets of Dijon. You can see Guillaume’s Gate in the background.
 
Dijon Changes
Dijon Changes
The Free French Forces arriving on Sherman tanks, near the Palace. The square is now known as Liberation Square, because of this event. 
 
Dijon Changes
Dijon Changes

Nowadays the Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy is used as the Town Hall and attracts many tourists.

 
Dijon Changes
Dijon Changes
H/T: www.reddit.com
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