A Grey Site of Memory: Le Chambon-sur-Lignon and Protestant Exceptionalism on the Plateau Vivarais-Lignon
Between 1940 and 1945, in the midst of the Holocaust, the citizens of the small town of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon rescued several hundred Jewish refugees from certain death. Historians, ethicists, witnesses and participants have pondered the reasons for this altruistic behavior, and have pointed in part...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
|
| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Cambridge Univ. Press
2013
|
| In: |
Church history
Year: 2013, Volume: 82, Issue: 2, Pages: 317-352 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (JSTOR) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Parallel Edition: | Electronic
|
| Summary: | Between 1940 and 1945, in the midst of the Holocaust, the citizens of the small town of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon rescued several hundred Jewish refugees from certain death. Historians, ethicists, witnesses and participants have pondered the reasons for this altruistic behavior, and have pointed in particular to the faith of the rescuers as the source of their exceptional courage. By examining the theological, economic, and cultural diversity of the region, this article evaluates these claims and challenges in particular traditional narratives of Protestant exceptionalism. This work also seeks to explain why these particular narratives emerged and eventually conflicted with one another. It seems that the rescue on the Plateau resulted from a unique convergence of means, individual and institutional convictions, and cultural habits. In probing the exact role of religious commitment and culture during World War II, a more complex and dynamic picture emerges—and what becomes apparent challenges traditional visions of Huguenots as constant and unequivocal supporters of their Jewish neighbors. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1755-2613 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Church history
|
| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1017/S0009640713000103 |