Stéphane Galan, Édith Herman-Raulet, Stéphane Grillas, Maria Montes, Patrice Herman,

Évelyne Cuenet and Hervé Le Hyaric.

Associations , Maureillas-las-Illas Published on 03/19/2024 at 9:20 p.m. Plouvin Éric

Based in Las Illas, the association wishes to highlight the history of the territory and perpetuate the duty of cross-border remembrance.

It was after two years of work that Patrice Herman, a resident of Las Illas, took a step forward in his project on the theme of history and more specifically the Retirada, during the constitutive assembly of the new association Cami of hope, at the Hostal dels trabucayres. Its purpose is to highlight the history of the territory by establishing active and participatory links, particularly on the Retirada and the Republican exile of 1939, and wishes to contribute to the transmission of the cross-border duty of remembrance.

"Every year, several hundred students and their teachers make the Retirada journey. Many anonymous people, grandchildren, children of exiled parents and grandparents come to discover this path of exile, such an important place, trodden by their ancestors. Las Illas is an important stopover for these people, as well as for hikers who walk the GR 10 and also take this path full of history. This site is crossed by 4,500 to 5,000 people per year, not counting associative and tourist groups. Today, there is a strong demand for educational materials on this path stripped of its history and which leaves without answers those who come to seek a part of their past", indicate the managers.

The association has an ambitious project to set up visual supports along the paths of exile, relating the successive periods of history, associated with modern, visual and sound, multilingual means of communication. Supports that will also offer testimonies from exiles, children and grandchildren in the form of photos and videos. In a second phase, conferences and testimonies may be organized in order to share this past. The association intends to establish partnerships and collaborations with communities territorial, associations, historians, artists and also schools and in particular the University of Perpignan.

Information from Patrice Herman at 06 75 22 42 64 or camidelespoir66@gmail.com