The Drancy deportation camp was an infamous temporary prison camp in the city of Drancy, north of Paris, France. Drancy is a town of France, in the north-eastern suburbs of Paris. ... The Eiffel Tower has become the symbol of Paris throughout the world. ...

Following the German occupation of France during World War II, a large complex originally planned as a large public housing project was converted for use as a major detention centre primarily for Jews but also homosexuals and others labelled as "undesirables" who were seized by Nazi orders pending shipment to Auschwitz and other German concentration camps. Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... Homosexuality is a sexual orientation characterized by esthetic attraction, romantic love, or sexual desire exclusively for another of the same sex. ... The Nazi party used a right-facing swastika as their symbol and the red and black colors were said to represent Blut und Boden (blood and soil). ... Auschwitz is the name loosely used to identify three main Nazi German concentration camps and 45-50 sub-camps. ... A concentration camp is a large detention centre created for political opponents, aliens, specific ethnic or religious groups, civilians of a critical war-zone, or other groups of people, often during a war. ...

Like many other detention centres throughout France, Drancy was created by the Vichy government of Philippe Pétain in 1941 and was under the control of the French police until July 1, 1943 when Nazi Germany took day to day control as part of the major stepping up at all facilities for the mass exterminations. Vichy France, or the Vichy regime (in French, now called: Régime de Vichy or Vichy; at the time, called itself: État Français, or French State) was the French government of 1940-1944. ... Philippe Pétain Marshal Henri Philippe Pétain (April 24, 1856 - July 23, 1951), generally known as Philippe Pétain or Marshal Pétain, was a French soldier and Head of State of Vichy France. ... 1941 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1943 is a common year starting on Friday. ...

The camp at Drancy was in a multi-storey complex designed to hold 700 people, but at its peak in it held more than 7,000. There is documented evidence and testimony recounting the brutality of the French guards in Drancy and the brutal conditions imposed on the people including the small children who, upon their arrival, were immediately separated from their parents. Many French Jewish intellectuals and artists were held in Drancy, including Max Jacob, philosopher Tristan Bernard and the choreographer René Blum. Max Jacob (July 12, 1876 - March 5, 1944) was a French poet, painter, writer and critic. ... Tristan Bernard (September 7, 1866 - December 7, 1947) was a French playwright, novelist, journalist and lawyer. ...

On January 20, 2005, arsonists set fire to some railroad freight car in the former camp; a tract signed "Ben Laden" with an inverted svastika was found on the place. A railroad car (or, more briefly, car), also known as an item of rolling stock in British parlance, is a vehicle on a railroad or railway that is not a locomotive - one that provides another purpose than purely haulage, although some types of car are powered. ... The swastika is a cross with its arms 90° to either right or left. ...

Of the 120,000 persons processed through the Drancy deportation camp nearly 65,000 were Jewish. Of these, 63,000 were murdered including 6,000 children and only 2,000 were alive when Allied forces liberated the camp on August 17, 1944. In general, allies are people or groups that have joined an alliance and are working together to achieve some common purpose. ... August 17 is the 229th day of the year (230th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1944 was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ...

In 1976, the Memorial to the Deportation at Drancy was created by sculptor Shelomo Selinger to commemorate the French Jews imprisoned in the camp.

Until recently, the official point of view of the French government was that the Vichy regime was an illegal government distinct from the French Republic. While the criminal behavior of Vichy France and the collaboration of French officials were acknowledged, and some former Vichy officials prosecuted, this point of view denied any responsibility of the French Republic. However, on July 16, 1995, president Jacques Chirac, in a speech, recognized the responsibility of the French State for seconding the "criminal folly of the occupying country". [1]  (http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-3224,36-395520,0.html) July 16 is the 197th day (198th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 168 days remaining. ... 1995 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jacques René Chirac (born 29 November 1932) is a French politician. ...