Interned artists at the camp, including surrealists like Max Ernst and Hans Bellmer, decorated the walls of the factory with murals that are still visible today.
The site housed over 10,000 people from more than 35 countries during its operation as an internment camp.
In 1942, the camp transitioned from a civilian internment center into a transit point for the deportation of Jewish detainees to Auschwitz via Drancy.
The factory architecture is preserved largely as it was during the war, including the clay-firing ovens and heavy industrial machinery.
The site was officially converted into a memorial museum in 2012, seven decades after its most active period.
The exhibition space specifically analyzes the 'three pillars' of the camp's history: its industrial origins, its internment period, and its role in the deportation process.
The camp's civic education wing provides training for public officials and educators on identifying early warning signs of systemic discrimination.
The Camp des Milles is the only large French internment and deportation camp that remains intact and accessible to the public today. Located in a former tile factory, it served as a holding site for thousands of artists, intellectuals, and political refugees fleeing Nazi persecution before being converted into a transit camp for the Holocaust. The site functions as a memorial and a center for civic education, focusing on the psychological and social mechanisms that lead to genocide and hate crimes. Visitors explore original graffiti and paintings left by detainees on the walls of the factory buildings. The exhibition path integrates historical artifacts with interactive modules analyzing human behavior in extreme circumstances. It stands as a significant site of memory in the Aix-en-Provence region, documenting the period between 1939 and 1942. The site emphasizes the transition from democratic collapse to institutionalized persecution.
The original graffiti and artwork created by detainees in the dormitory areas.
Read the provided guide materials before entering the factory to better understand the industrial context of the space.
Allocate enough time to read the detailed panels throughout the three distinct levels of the exhibit.
The site is largely indoors and follows a specific path; follow the floor markers to ensure you do not miss any rooms.
Do not treat the site as a casual industrial heritage tour; recognize the gravity of the historical events that occurred within the factory walls.
Closed on certain public holidays; check official site for holiday-specific closures.
Maintain a respectful, quiet demeanor suitable for a site of remembrance and tragedy.
