About
The Centre d'Histoire de la Résistance et de la Déportation is a museum in Lyon dedicated to the French Resistance and to deportation during the Second World War. It sits at 14 Avenue Berthelot in the 7th arrondissement, on the Lyon side of the Rhône, and is also known in English as the Center of History of Resistance and Deportation.
What the visit is like
The museum preserves the memory of one of the darkest periods in French history through testimonies and artifacts. Its setting adds weight to that purpose: the building itself once served as a Gestapo prison, so the visit is as much about the place as about the displays. Many visitors come to understand how resistance groups formed, how people were arrested and deported, and what those years meant for ordinary families in and around Lyon.
The atmosphere is serious and reflective. It is a good choice for visitors who want history told through personal stories rather than only through dates and maps, and it suits adults and older students with an interest in twentieth-century history. Allow time to take in the material at your own pace.
Planning your visit
- Address: 14 Avenue Berthelot, 69007 Lyon, France
- Phone: +33 4 78 72 23 11, if you want to check details before you go
- Area: the 7th arrondissement is a residential and student district, and it is an easy base for exploring the rest of the city
Because the museum deals with difficult material, it is worth setting aside a calm part of the day for it, and perhaps pairing it with a walk or a meal afterwards. Lyon has a long and well-documented role in the Resistance, so the museum sits naturally within a wider journey through the city's wartime history.