Château d'en Bardou: A refuge for mothers and babies

The Château d'en Bardou, known as the Maternité suisse d'Elne, sits in Elne in the Pyrénées-Orientales region. It was built in 1901-1902 by Eugène Bardou, who was related to the industrialist of the JOB brand of cigarette paper. This chateau has a significant history as a refuge for mothers and babies during the period of 1939 to 1944.

Following the Retirada, refugees were held in camps where conditions were harsh and high mortality rates occurred among both mothers and newborns. In response, humanitarian organizations created maternities to provide better care. The charity Ayuda Suiza helped purchase and restore the château, which was then used as a maternité suisse. The first pregnant women arrived at the maternity in December 1939.

While initially established for Spanish refugees, the maternity also welcomed Jewish women and children. The facility was staffed by Swiss nurses who provided care to the mothers. From 1942, the maternity was overseen by the Secours aux enfants de la Croix-Rouge suisse. It remained in operation until 1944.

Between 1939 and the closure in April 1944, 595 children of 22 different nationalities were born at Elne. Today, the chateau is owned by the commune of Elne, and a museum is maintained within its walls to commemorate this history.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons