The cooperative and the demarcation line
⑧ The cooperative and the demarcation line
A look at the Bléré winery cooperative founded in 1924, one of the earliest in the department. The “ligne de démarcation” is materialized by a black, white and red pole, located on the sidewalk a few meters away. She recalls the presence, at this location, of a German guard post during the Second World War.
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To go to stage ⑨ → You are on the alley leading to the entrance of the cemetery. Head to the cemetery. The panel indicates the remarkable tombstones to you. |
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The Bléré cooperative, one of the first in the department, was founded on 11 April 1924 by a few winegrowers and with the enouragement of Charles Simon, the mayor and Paul Racault, head of the school and promoter of cooperative and mutualist movements in the department. The cooperative was originally set up to provide wine-making facilities for the grapes harvested by the shareholders.
There was a merger with the cooperative in Athée-sur-Cher in 1977 and with that of La Croix-en-Touraine in 1980. A company was created in 1984 to ensure the continued development of commercial activity and a property company took part in restructuring the vineyards of the canton existing since 1991.
© Photo : médiathèque de l’architecture
During World War II, the cooperative served as a landmark for the demarcation line on the land of the commune during the German occupation from July 1940 to March 1943. The town was in occupied territory and a security post was placed right opposite the cooperative on the present Avenue du 11 novembre 1918. The position of the post is shown today by a striped marker, the German colours. Markers have been placed all the way along the demarcation line where security posts (of both armies, black-white-red for German and blue-white-red for French) were present on the commune.
© Photo : droits réservés
