Memorial Octave Baron Vézelay

There is a memorial plaque for Octave Baron on the side wall of the hotel-restaurant "Relais du Morvan":
"This is where citizen Baron was murdered by the Germans on August 24, 1944."

On August 24, 1944, Captain Georges Moreau, leader of the Nivernais maquis Le Loup, encountered a powerful German column at the exit of Clamecy during a reconnaissance. The German trucks, armored vehicles and guns were on their way to Vézelay. Georges Moreau turned back and decided to fight this column with the maquisards.
The German convoy came within sight of Vézelay in the early afternoon and a fierce battle broke out between the Germans and the maquisards, reinforced by a small local resistance group. After several hours the maquisards were forced to withdraw and leave Vézelay. There were deaths and injuries on both sides.

The angry Germans then occupied Vézelay in the evening and set fire to several houses by throwing grenades into the cellars. Octave Baron, owner of the café and member of the local resistance fighters, was killed by a German with a bullet in the back of the head as he emerged from his cellar.

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