Centre Berthelot, Educational complex in 7th arrondissement of Lyon, France
Centre Berthelot is a multi-building complex arranged around a central courtyard at 14 Avenue Berthelot, with structures connected by covered walkways. The layout includes several distinct wings and spaces designed to accommodate multiple independent institutions operating within the same property.
Built in 1888 as a military health school, the complex became the central headquarters of the Gestapo during 1943-1944. After the war, it was transformed into an educational facility hosting various academic institutions.
The complex houses the Resistance and Deportation History Center, Sciences Po Lyon, and the Institute of Human Sciences, which together shape the city's academic life. Visitors can observe how these different institutions and their programs function as part of daily activity.
The complex can be accessed through two gated entrances on Avenue Berthelot with regular hours Monday through Saturday. The multi-building layout may feel confusing on first visit, so it helps to ask staff at the entrance for directions to specific institutions.
The central courtyard was renamed in 2017 to honor a general from the Resistance era, while the former weapons storage room now serves as the Lucie and Raymond Aubrac amphitheater. These transformations preserve the site's connection to French Resistance and Deportation history.
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