Mémorial du camp de Rivesaltes

The Rivesaltes plain, spanning 640 hectares, was identified by military authorities in the interwar period as suitable for training and exercises. A barracks was constructed on the site at the onset of World War II. In 1940, nine zones were designated for the Ministry of the Interior to establish a lodging center, with the first convoys arriving in January 1941. The site thus served dual purposes as both a military camp and a detention center. Following the decree on the administrative internment of "undesirable foreigners" on November 12, 1938, many Spanish refugees fleeing the civil war were also interned, necessitating the opening of several camps.