European Heritage Day Ι History of Lille Suburb Ι septembre 2016  Ι Faubourg de Béthune, Lille

The action proposed by Histoire de Savoirs on The European Heritage Day took place in Lille, the 17th and 18th of September 2016, in the “Faubourg de Béthune” and more precisely in the “Concorde”district. It was an outdoors exhibition. The pictures were exhibited on the facade of the building of the “Concorde” district.

As a testimony from the past, the pictures shown cows, childhood memories, family meetings, wooden sheds and other makeshift shelters constructed in between the two World Wars and after as this area was empty after the destruction of the fortifications … All pictures were based on the testimony of local inhabitants before the construction of the “Concorde” district – social houses from the 1960s. These stories were writen by the participants – curent or former residents of the “Faubourg de Béthune” coming to the “memory group”, collected and shaped by the group Histoire de Savoirs.

The peak of this exhibition was from  2p.m to 6p.m in the “Concorde” district. Sharing coffee and memories around a model crafted of the future district, created by a local association named”La vie en Chantier”, the residents, old as young, could discuss on the past, present and future of the “Concorde” and “Faubourg de Béthune” districts. The younger could fill a paper chase about the district. The 70 participants like this moment.

For Mrs Robart, former french teacher in the secondary school “Albert Camus” and participant of the memory group, it was a the perfect moment to meet some old pupils. According to her, it was the perfect happiness. She is really waiting for a new event next year.