Maison d'Izieu, Memorial to the Exterminated Jewish Children

Description

Upon your arrival, a striking scene awaits you.
At the end of the road, you can see the house with blue shutters—the one where Sabine and Miron Zlatin took in more than a hundred Jewish children to protect them from anti-Semitic persecution. It was in this very house that, on the morning of April 6, 1944, on the orders of Klaus Barbie, one of the leaders of the Lyon Gestapo, 44 children and 7 of their caregivers were rounded up and deported. Only one of the counselors, Léa Feldblum, returned.

A museum and memorial since 1994, the Maison d’Izieu welcomes more than 40,000 visitors each year, including 18,000 schoolchildren. Through the history of the camp, it aims to convey a universal message of vigilance and the fight against all forms of discrimination.

Located on a protected site designated as a Historic Monument, this house perched on a hill in southern Bugey is a must-see destination in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, on the border of Isère and Savoie.

Visitors can explore the house on a guided tour that brings the children’s lives to life through letters, drawings, and photos.

The museum, housed in the former barn, is divided into three sections designed to explore and delve deeper into the historical context of World War II, the networks that rescued Jewish children, international criminal justice, crimes against humanity, and the construction of memory.

Since 2022, a section of the museum has been dedicated to exhibiting its own collections—documents and artifacts preserved by the Maison d’Izieu itself—in the Zlatin Gallery. Each year, a temporary exhibition is scheduled to allow visitors to discover “authentic” archival documents!


Services for cyclists:
The Maison d’Izieu is located just 2 km from the ViaRhôna. A covered area allows cyclists to leave their bikes safely. You can recharge your bike’s batteries, cell phone, or GPS. You can also store your belongings while visiting the Maison. The Maison has restrooms and a repair kit.