Until now, UNESCO has refused to classify arenas of war as World Heritage Sites – but the institution has now changed its mind and said it is ready to study a new application.
On 6 June, 1944, 150,000 men landed in just a few hours on the beaches of Omaha, Juno or Gold Beach in Normandy, France.
They arrived as part of Operation Overlord, which marked the beginning of the liberation of Europe from the Nazi yoke.
10,000 men did not make it.
On the eve of the celebrations for the eightieth anniversary of the D-Day landings, this UNESCO listing is all the more relevant given that these beaches will soon be the only first-hand witnesses to a day etched into Europe’s memories.
The news from UNESCO is welcomed by the Normandy region and all those who pass on the memory.
