In the main Natzweiler camp and its satellite camps, Europeans from 30 nations met. The prisoners, mostly resistance fighters, were persecuted because of their opposition against the Nazi regime. The camp sites testify to the worst negation of democratic values in the history of Europe – and at the same time to the courage of those who resisted it. People from all over Europe met there; some succeeded in embracing solidarity – a key value on the path to a democratic Europe. Many, like the former prisoner Pierre Sudreau, say: “In the camp, I became a European.”

Some biographies are presented on the following pages.