Mémorial de l’Internement et de la déportation- Camp de Royallie

This internment and deportation camp held POWs and Jews in France. Today it contains a museum and three of the original buildings. To my understanding, the majority of Jews deported to Auschwitz and other concentration camps from France came through this camp. As you enter the museum, you see the names of those who passed through here are etched in glass.
The museum was created to be experiential. As you walk through the grounds, there are «historical friezes», which contain text (in French) and images, as well as images of documents. Overhead you hear voices of interviews with survivors, or poems. Some rooms have videos projected on the walls and floors. You carry a device around your neck which, in theory, can be pointed at displays and then gives an audio summary in English or French. It can also, in theory, be pointed at videos on the walls to make them start.
In 2007, an underground escape tunnel was found under the camp, and you can see it in one of the rooms today. Powerful.
There is more to see here than meets the eye, and if you were to read and listen to everything it would take hours. I believe there are others things to see in this town related to the Holocaust, so research before you go.
Overall a good museum, but less so if you are not fluent in French. The historical information given is very detailed. The museum is a blur of specific historical facts and artistic representations of people’s stories.
My main complaint is that things were not well labeled. The museum was clearly meant to be experienced in a specific progression and order, which was not clearly marked (or marked at all). The staff stayed at the front desk and were not super helpful. The audio guides did not work for the majority of the tour, and often the audio did not sync with what we were looking at. Very much a go-​at-​your-​own pace kind of place. Difficult to stay with other people.
Some simple labeling and tweaks could vastly improve the educational value of this place. I want so badly to understand the Holocaust, and being in Europe is giving me a unique opportunity to do so. I am grateful for this museum, which was on the right track to being good, but I think more work is required for it to be fully moving and a place where future generations can truly wrap their heads around things and never forget.
3 euros or less to enter. A must-​see if you are in the area.