Malpasset Dam

The Malpasset Dam: history and memory of a tragedy in Fréjus

On December 2, 1959, in the middle of the night, the Malpasset dam gave way, causing a gigantic wave 40 meters high to crash down on the Reyran Valley, devastating everything in its path up to the city of Fréjus. This dam, designed in the hope of contributing to the prosperity of the department, was at the origin of one of the worst civil tragedies of the XNUMXth century. The Malpasset site, nestled in the heart of the Reyran Valley, remains today a frozen witness to this disaster, the structure of the dam still being visible, although ruined.

The design of the dam is a crucial project for the future of Fréjus

At the end of the Second World War, the Var General Council faced many challenges, including that of hydraulic equipment. The southern region, in full tourist and agricultural boom, particularly in Fréjus, famous for its fruits and early vegetables, was particularly in demand. On August 3, 1950, the Ministry of Agriculture approved the construction of a dam on the Reyran, in the Malpasset area. The name “Malpasset” refers to a place that was difficult to access, where travelers were often attacked by bandits. The term “Reyran”, deriving from “Raio” (torrent) and “Ran” (abundance), refers to the valley, which is dry most of the year but subject to violent flooding during periods of heavy rain.

The idea was to control the Reyran, to provide a water reserve for the growing populations, irrigate the land, support the development of tourism and protect the Esterel forests from fires. The dam would be built by the General Council of Var, with the support of Professor Corroy, a geologist, who approved the site.

The story of a catastrophe

Sixty-three years ago, the Malpasset dam disaster devastated Fréjus and its surrounding areas, claiming 63 lives, including 423 children—a tragedy the town and its survivors refuse to forget. On the night of December 151, 2, as torrential rains pounded the valley, a tremendous crash sounded shortly after 1959 p.m.: the dam's arch burst, releasing a 21-meter-high wave that, traveling at nearly 30 km/h, engulfed Fréjus and the surrounding farms. The water and electricity networks, as well as 80 meters of railway, were torn out, and hundreds of people died in their sleep—the greatest civil tragedy in France since World War II.

Built a dozen kilometers upstream to alleviate the Var's water shortage and irrigate the Reyran agricultural plain and the eastern communes of the department, the "modernity dam" showed signs of weakness five years after its commissioning, cracking before collapsing. Despite examining all the hypotheses—technical failure, human error, even malicious acts—no liability was found during the trial, the investigation concluding that there was no construction defect.

Faced with the scale of the disaster, solidarity was organized on an international scale: nine billion old francs were collected, and the American army provided support for the supply of water and food, as well as for vaccination and rodent control campaigns. Fréjus recovered, planting 300 fruit trees eight years after the disaster.

Every year, the city honors the memory of the victims during commemorative ceremonies traditionally held on December 2 and 3 at the foot of the recumbent statue of Malpasset — a solemn tribute to ensure that this tragedy is never forgotten.

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TO US FRÉJUS!