City of Refuge

Waging Nonviolence

This 10-part series from Waging Nonviolence explores a little-known WWII rescue story, showing what happens when ordinary people won’t ignore the horrors surrounding them.

  1. 10/08/2019

    TRAILER: City of Refuge

    A 10-part podcast series from Waging Nonviolence that explores a little-known World War II rescue story, showing what happens when ordinary people refuse to ignore the horrors that surround them. New episodes every Tuesday starting October 15.

    3 min

  2. 10/15/2019

    Part 1: We will do our best to hide them

    Refugees are fleeing, hate groups are rising, the far-right is winning elections around the world. Those who want to do something about it are going to need a model for resistance. And there may be none better than the story of a small French community that rescued around 5,000 refugees from the Nazis. For show credits, a list of sources, photos and transcript go to the Part 1 episode page. Support this podcast with a membership or donation at WagingNonviolence.org/support.

    31 min

  3. 10/22/2019

    Part 2: A fight against the traditional

    Born into wealthy families, Magda and André Trocmé weren’t raised to resist authority. Events both personal and historical caused them to cast off their privilege and choose unconventional life paths, ultimately leading them to their crucial roles in one of the greatest resistance and rescue operations of the 20th century. For show credits, a list of sources, photos and transcript go to the Part 2 episode page. Support this podcast with a membership or donation at WagingNonviolence.org/support.

    30 min

  4. 10/29/2019

    Part 3: We could not be brainwashed

    Magda and André Trocmé immersed themselves in struggles against militarism and fascism throughout the 1930’s, but chance brought them to the village of Le Chambon — a place steeped in its own history of resistance. There, they launched a progressive school and laid the groundwork for the daring rescue effort that would soon take shape. For show credits, a list of sources, photos and transcript go to the Part 3 episode page. Support this podcast with a membership or donation at WagingNonviolence.org/support.

    40 min

  5. 11/05/2019

    Part 4: She loved me enough to let me go

    Who were the refugees that came be sheltered in Le Chambon and its surrounding communities, and how did they get there? Hear from a few of the people who managed to escape persecution and imprisonment to arrive in a real life city of refuge. For show credits, a list of sources, photos and transcript go to the Part 4 episode page. Support this podcast with a membership or donation at WagingNonviolence.org/support.

    36 min

  6. 11/12/2019

    Part 5: Are you hiding any Jews?

    As Le Chambon’s refugee population increased, so too did unsettling visits to the community by Vichy police. Meanwhile, raids and roundups were becoming a growing threat throughout unoccupied France. All this meant that escape to Switzerland became a necessary — and daring — part of the rescue operation. For show credits, a list of sources, photos and transcript go to the Part 5 episode page. Support this podcast with a membership or donation at WagingNonviolence.org/support.

    36 min

  7. 11/19/2019

    Part 6: That’s it, I’m under arrest!

    For the first couple years of the war, Le Chambon was able to protect itself and the refugees it was sheltering from roundups and other reprisals. But in 1943, the dangerous work of resisting Nazism finally caught up with the people on the plateau, including the Trocmés. For show credits, a list of sources, photos and transcript go to the Part 6 episode page. Support this podcast with a membership or donation at WagingNonviolence.org/support.

    27 min

  8. 11/26/2019

    Part 7: These coming tests will tell us who we are

    As Germany began to lose the war, France’s armed resistance movement swelled in ranks, threatening not just the Nazis but also the nonviolent spirit of Le Chambon and the refugee haven the area had become. Facing pressure from all sides, André Trocmé had to make a crucial decision regarding both his safety and that of the plateau region. For show credits, a list of sources, photos and transcript go to the Part 7 episode page. Support this podcast with a membership or donation at WagingNonviolence.org/support.

    36 min
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About

This 10-part series from Waging Nonviolence explores a little-known WWII rescue story, showing what happens when ordinary people won’t ignore the horrors surrounding them.

Information

  • Creator
    Waging Nonviolence
  • Episodes
    14
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Waging Nonviolence - Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
  • Show Website
    City of Refuge