i first visited the deportation memorial in the mniddle or late 80s. i have been going back to paris each june since 2008 and each time this memorial is not open but padlocked up. it is one place, when i enter, i weep. all those points of light. all those unreturned, for no apparent reason except for hatred and bigotry.... More

Last fall, I was in Paris for a few short days. Having visited before and seen the BIG stuff, I asked my friend Sylvie (a Parisian) what I must see while in town. "Absolument~Memorial des Martyrs. C'est formidable," she replied. I strolled down thru the Marais, crepe in hand...found my way to what looked like an abandoned building. There were... More

This is located behind the Notre Dame. It is small and little known to most Paris visitors. It is however Paris's memory of the war and holocaust. Don't miss it if you are at Notre Dame or visiting Ile St Louis.

This moving memorial to the French that were deported to Nazi camps during World War II is a worthwhile stop on your trip to Paris. The memorial is located right behind Notre Dame in a little park on the end of the island. It is a somber reminder of the personal role that France had during World War II. Tip:... More

On my third trip to Paris, I finally wandered back to this memorial on Île de la Cité behind Notre Dame. It is tucked away at the point of the island. The surrounding gardens and view of the Seine are peaceful. I would follow other people's advice and only enter the memorial at a calm time - one without a... More

The memorial is a rather simple, stark, bleak,cold, crushing, and unfeeling way to honor the 300,000 that were deported. You feel the walls closing in upon entry. The approach is a 180 from the humanity of the Ann Frank House, but both approaches are horribly effective in driving home the point.

Tucked away in a park at the far end of Nôtre Dame the memorial is appropriately stark and jarring. However if it's busy then you lose much of the effect and can end up just trailing around behind noisy people who are only there to tick it off some list.

This memorial is not very well known but it's very powerful in its small space. It honors the lives of the 200k French citizens who were deported to the camps. It has a personal meaning to me which is why I wanted to experience it. It is a quick visit and worth seeing. Take time to read the quotes and... More

This memorial is on the Île de la Cité behind Notre Dame. If you have any interest in memorials it is worth a short visit.