Chateau Lumière

One of my all time favorite spots I explored!

An abandoned Néo-Baroque style villa somewhere in France.

Built in the early 20th century.

The chateau was owned by a wealthy tobacco magnate, politician and philatelist.

Mr. B was born in 1882 with a Swiss nationality, because his family fled to Switzerland after Napoleon  decided to nationalize the production of tobacco in 1810.

 In Switzerland, the family established a new tobacco factory in a village bordering France. Convenient for smuggling tobacco and smoking rollers...

In 1911 he and his cousin moved to his family's native village to take over the tobacco factory that they once owned, and it immediately became the largest in the region.

During WO I he was sentenced to 8 months in prison and exiled from his village for refusing to deliver tobacco to the German armies and for "manifestation of anti-German sentiment".

His villa was taken over by the german forces while Mr. B took refuge in Switzerland.

In 1918, he went through the German lines to search and treat French wounded soldiers. he was later arrested by the Germans who threaten to shoot him. He was saved thanks to a customs officer

After the end of the war, he was honored with the War Cross and the medal of fidelity.

In addition he received the Medal of the Proscribed of the region which he was in charge of.

Over the years, due to his heroism during the first war, he became very popular and a public figure in his native village.

From 1934 to 1940, he became the General Councilor of the Township.

But the Second World War catches up with him very quickly.

In 1944 he was once again exiled from his village by the German authorities and fled to Lyon.

His castle was transformed into a training center for SS officers.

After the second war, he was suspected of collaborating with the enemy, which lost the faith of the people.

It deeply affected Mr. B who decided retire to Geneva where he died in 1959

 He was known worldwide as a philatelist. His collection was sold from 1962 to 1964. He also owned a library of alsatians, works of art and furniture from various eras, some of which are in a museum