Mémorial du camp de Rivesaltes, Memorial museum in Rivesaltes, France

The Mémorial du camp de Rivesaltes is a museum housed in a modern concrete structure that sits within the grounds of the former internment camp north of Perpignan. Inside, exhibition areas display documents, multimedia presentations, and personal objects that document the experiences of those imprisoned there.

The camp opened in 1938 for Spanish Republicans and later held Jewish deportees, Roma, and Harkis. The Mémorial project began in 1998 when Christian Bourquin, president of the Pyrénées-Orientales council, cancelled plans to raze the site and acquired îlot F, 42 hectares. Construction started in November 2012; Manuel Valls inaugurated the memorial in 2015.

The exhibition spaces contain personal accounts and artifacts from those held within the camp, showing their daily struggles and stories. These materials help visitors connect with the human reality behind this painful chapter of history.

The memorial occupies Îlot F, a 42-hectare parcel acquired by the Département in 2005, so allow time for both the building and the open ground around it. The site lies across the communes of Rivesaltes and Salses-le-Château, north of Perpignan; the building opened to the public in 2015. Parts of the camp were first opened for the European Heritage Days in 2005, when over 2,000 visitors came.

The architect Rudy Ricciotti won the design competition in 2005, and construction began in November 2012 on îlot F, a 42-hectare parcel bought by the department in 2005. The building was inaugurated by Manuel Valls in 2015. Its long, low concrete form has a flat roof with a single dark rectangular opening recessed near the centre.