The Accordeon and Heritage museum

It has been two years since we were last in Tulle, and at the time they were talking excitedly about the new town accordeon and heritage museum that was being built in an old bank building.   It has been finished, so we went to take a look.  Well worth the visit.

There is an excellent display of the history of accordeon making, plus a more general history of the development of the town.   There is even a real accordeon that you can play (in the vault so no-one outside can hear)

The accordeon and town histories are brought together by the following story:   The town was one of those taken by the military wing of the german national socialists, but was retaken for a while by the resistance.  Retribution followed in the shape of the schutzstaffel who rounded up the menfolk and murdered some 900 of them by stringing them up.   These same thugs went on to Oradour-sur-Glane where they killed the populace by shutting them in the church and setting fire to it.   One of the Tulle residents was taken prisoner and while at Limoges was able to steal back an accordeon made in Tulle, and escape.   This device is exhibited in the museum.