A statue of General Charles de Gaulle stands near the Champs Elysées in Paris, France. During the Second World War, the German forces in Paris surrendered on August 25, 1944. The next day de Gaulle paraded on the Champs-Elysées.

The Museum of the Order of the Liberation in Paris documents the history of the Free French Forces, the government-in-exile led by General Charles de Gaulle during WWII. The permanent exhibition presents more than 2,000 pieces retracing the journey of the Companions. The exhibit features three galleries: Free France, The Inner Resistance, and The Deportation.

In the desperate days of June 1940 captain Philippe de Hauteclocque made his way to London and adopted the war-name of “Leclerc”. As a great tactician and outstanding leader, he enjoyed a blistering career. His name and that of his 2nd Armored Division are associated with the liberation of Paris in August 1944.

The Shoah Memorial in Paris city centre can be found in the district of Le Marais, where a large Jewish population lived at the beginning of WWII. The Memorial was inaugurated by President Jacques Chirac in 2005. The permanent exhibition examines the history of French Jews during the Holocaust. On display are authentic documents, photographs, video and audio recordings.

The Shoah Memorial in Drancy was inaugurated in September 2012, opposite to the Cité de la Muette, about 10 kilometers from the centre of Paris. During WWII the Cité de la Muette served as an internment camp for the Jews of France before their deportation towards extermination camps. Drancy Shoah Memorial retraces the history and function of the camp as well as the daily lives of those interned there.

The Mémorial des Martyrs de la Déportation can be found at the eastern tip of the Île de la Cité in Paris. The Memorial was inaugurated by Charles de Gaulle in 1962 and is dedicated to the 200,000 people who were deported from France to Nazi concentration camps during the Second World War.

The liberation of Paris didn’t have Allied priority, but an uprising of the population against the Germans on 19 August made it necessary. Thus the 2nd French Armoured Division was sent to Paris and entered the city on 24 August. On 26 August a huge triumphal parade was held on the Champs-Élysées.

The Musée de la Libération de Paris – Musée du Général Leclerc – Musée Jean Moulin was reopened into its new location at place Denfert-Rochereau on August 25, 2019, to mark the 75th anniversary of the Liberation of Paris.