The preservation of the ancient camp and especially of the camp chapel of the barbed wire seminary in Le Coudray near Chartres has been, for a long period of time, an aspiration of the three Franz Stock committees in Germany and France. It has been their aim to purchase the premises, to restore the old camp chapel, a monument to be protected, and to create an European Meeting Place in the spirit of the German-French friendship treaty. The project was deadlocked for a longer period of time pending clarification of the future ownership title for the (former) military area as well as the question of a joint concept for its use and in particular its overall financing:

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During 1945 Franz Stock accepted a new task: the establishment of a seminary of unique nature, in which German speaking priests and seminarists were brought together in a former military depot, which the occupation authorities had used as transit camp for north African captives in Le Coudray near Chartres. In this way the “Seminary behind barbed wire” came into existence, where commencing in 1945 until 1947 about 1000 young men were made ready for their future tasks in a new Europe.

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SÉMINAIRE DES BARBELÉS / CENTRE EUROPÉEN DE RENCONTRE

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