Mémoire de Soye

Created in 2002, the Mémoire de Soye association aims to set up and maintain a global cultural action of a philanthropic nature, based on animation, knowledge, transmission, education, preservation, rehabilitation and maintenance of the heritage whether artistic, architectural, archaeological, historic, natural or human, in particular on the site of Soye-en-Ploemeur (Morbihan). The association inscribes its project in a dimension of general interest, by opening to all the public, in particular the most fragile, by preserving to its activities a non-profit, secular and apolitical character. This group revolves around four areas of interest: the castle, the barracks, the gardens and the youth.

The association owns two witness houses for the temporary “Les baraques”, which it entrusted in 2014 with visits to the city of Lorient, City of Art and History. They welcome the memories, including photographs, of the former inhabitants of these former emergency cities.

Since 2010, with the help of the Kerdiret medico-educational institute in Ploemeur, it has undertaken the rehabilitation of an 18th century fruit garden belonging to the urban community, in a shared associative vegetable garden with a conservation vocation of a local vegetable species. .

The objective

The objective of the association is to promote and promote the rehabilitation of the heritage present through projects respecting the economic development of the high-tech park, sustainable development, culture and popular education. The association's volunteers, most of whom are "former barracks", or beneficiaries of vegetable gardens, meet regularly during picnics and meals and actively participate in the restoration of heritage accessible to all!

Thus, the action of the association makes it possible to perpetuate a presence on a rapidly evolving site, to preserve the richness of the living environment by creating a link between memory, heritage, culture, education and the park. of activity s.

The origins

Owned by Laurent Esnoul Deschateles, a shipowner of the powerful Compagnie des Indes, cradle of the engineer Dupuy de Lôme, the Château de Soye and its wooded park are directly from the 18th and 19th centuries.

In 1925, Soye was bought by the city of Lorient and witnessed the creation of the social work dedicated to childhood, before the occupier transformed it into a fortress during the Second World War.

When the estate was liberated, it welcomed the largest barracks city in the country of Lorient and was the scene of a provisional life for 40 years.

In the 1980s, before the creation of the high-tech park, the castle and part of the heritage was abandoned and fell into disrepair.

The action

The Soye Park preserves this rich past a heritage that allows a reading of the entire history of the country of Lorient. The Buildings of France service calls Soye "an important witness to the history to be preserved".

Since 2002 the association has collected nearly 3000 photos of the provisional cities.

In 2007 the association received the label of the Fondation du Patrimoine for the restoration of a French barrack, which has since become its headquarters.

In 2009 she was recognized by her peers and joined the REMPART association and created the Union Natioale des Cités Provisoires.

In 2010 she obtained the vegetable garden of the castle to begin its rehabilitation.

Alongside the UTL of the IME of kerdiret and the Coherence network, it is setting up a conservatory garden for Lorient cabbage.

In 2012 and 2013 she organized the in-extremis rescue of the last American barracks in the Pays de Lorient and was again labeled by the heritage foundation.