A place steeped in history
The Aincourt sanatorium was a cure center specializing in the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis (phthisis) located in the village of Aincourt (department of Val-d'Oise) in France.
The sanatorium, currently located in the regional natural park of French Vexin, was built by architects Édouard Crevel and Paul Decaux between 1931 and 1933. It is one of the largest complexes of this category built in the 20th century. It was also a concentration camp between 1940 and 1942.
The old sanatorium of Aincourt has been in ruins for more than 30 years.
Before being a popular place for young people and photographers, it was above all a place steeped in history.
Built in 1933, the buildings were designed to fight against epidemics of tuberculosis.
The buildings were then requisitioned by the German army in 1940.
The latter used it to establish an internment camp for communist, trade unionist or elected activists.
In total, nearly 1,500 people were parked in this camp, before deportation to concentration camps.
From 1942 to 1943, the place was transformed into a training center for the militiamen of the Mobile Reserve Groups, the Vichy police.
It was not until 1946 that care could again be provided on the site.
The cases of tuberculosis being in decline, the establishment became multidisciplinary a few years later.
A situation that will lead to the gradual abandonment of the Tamaris and Peupliers buildings, since the activity of the site is concentrated on the Pavillon des Cèdres, restored in 1975 and then became the Center Hospitalier du Vexin.
A luxury housing project was to see the light of day by 2023, but thwarted by the pandemic.