Located in the former Gestapo headquarters of Lyon, the CHRD is France's most significant museum of the Resistance and deportation. Original interrogation rooms and cells survive intact alongside extensive archival collections documenting the actions of Jean Moulin, Klaus Barbie's crimes, and the survival stories of deportees.
The Centre d'Histoire de la Résistance et de la Déportation (CHRD) at 14 Avenue Berthelot in Lyon's 7th arrondissement is widely regarded as France's most important museum dedicated to the French Resistance and the deportation of civilians under Nazi occupation. The building carries its own historic weight: from late 1943 to August 1944 it served as the Lyon headquarters of Klaus Barbie, head of the local Gestapo and one of the most feared Nazi commanders in occupied France. Original interrogation rooms and prison cells used during this period survive largely intact and form a central element of the museum visit.
Lyon was the capital of the French Resistance — the city where Jean Moulin worked to unify the fragmented Resistance networks under de Gaulle's authority, and where the clandestine press, intelligence networks, and escape lines were most densely organised in southern France. The CHRD tells this story across multiple thematic galleries covering the fall of France in 1940, the Vichy regime, the emergence of Resistance organisations in Lyon and the Rhône-Alpes, the clandestine press, the fate of the city's Jewish community under Vichy anti-Semitic legislation, the role of Jean Moulin, and the liberation of Lyon in September 1944.
Jean Moulin — former prefect and the iconic unifier of the Resistance — was betrayed and arrested following the catastrophic meeting at Caluire-et-Cuire in June 1943. He died under torture, almost certainly at the hands of Barbie's operatives, while being transported to Germany. The CHRD holds significant archival material relating to Moulin, including photographs, documents, and objects from his resistance work.
The deportation galleries document the systematic removal of Jewish, Roma, and other persecuted groups from Lyon and the Rhône-Alpes, tracing individual families through Vichy administrative records to transit camps and death camps. Klaus Barbie was extradited from Bolivia and tried in Lyon in 1987 — one of the most significant war crimes trials in post-war European history — and the CHRD documents the trial comprehensively, completing the narrative of occupation, atrocity, and eventual legal accountability.
Location
14 Avenue Berthelot, 69007 Lyon
45.7455, 4.8362 View on map
Highlights
- Original Gestapo interrogation rooms and prison cells — the building was Barbie's headquarters in 1943–1944
- Extensive archival holdings on Jean Moulin, unifier of the French Resistance, captured in Lyon in 1943
- Deportation galleries tracing Lyon's Jewish community through Vichy administration to the death camps
- Documentation of the 1987 Klaus Barbie war crimes trial in Lyon
- Comprehensive collection on Resistance networks across the Rhône-Alpes region
Tips for visiting
- Allow at least two to three hours — the collection is extensive and emotionally demanding throughout.
- The original cells and interrogation rooms are among the most affecting spaces in any French history museum.
- Audio guides in English are available and are recommended given the density of archival French-language material.
- The CHRD is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays — confirm current hours before visiting.
- Free admission for visitors under 18; content is appropriate for older teenagers with adult guidance.
Accessibility
The CHRD is housed in a historic building; the main galleries are accessible to wheelchair users via a lift. The preserved cell areas involve narrower historic corridors — contact the museum in advance to plan the most accessible route through the full collection.
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Frequently asked questions
Is the museum English-language friendly?
Audio guides are available in English and major exhibit panels carry English translations alongside French. The depth of primary archival material is largely in French but key interpretive texts are bilingual.
How long does a full visit take?
A thorough visit takes two to three hours. Budget additional time if attending temporary exhibitions.
Is the content appropriate for children?
The museum covers Nazi atrocities, deportation, and torture. It is appropriate for older teenagers with adult supervision but is generally not recommended for younger children.