Clermont-de-l'Oise's "smaller kin" or "relatives"
In the picturesque town of Clermont-de-l'Oise, France, the Isère Hospital Center holds a rich and complex history that stretches back centuries. Today, the hospital serves as the public mental health facility of the Oise, but its past is far from ordinary.
The hospital's history is deeply intertwined with the local community, as evidenced by the Clermont cemetery, where more than 3,000 patients are buried. This somber reminder of the past is referred to locally as the "little sewn-ups," which contain all the clothes a patient wore upon entering and leaving Clermont.
One of the most intriguing aspects of the Isère Hospital Center's history is the collection of these "little sewn-ups" housed in the attics of the Henri-Theillou Museum. Timea Jankovics, an artist, has used some of these artifacts in her installation at the museum.
The museum's website offers free online access to the bulletin of the Cultural Association of Friends of the Isère Hospital Center in Clermont, providing valuable insights into the hospital's history and exhibits. Emmanuel Bellanger, the director of cultural and heritage services at the town hall of Clermont-de-l'Oise, plays a significant role in preserving and promoting the hospital's history.
The hospital's past is marked by various notable events. Constance Pascal, one of the first female psychiatrists in France, directed the hospital at the beginning of the 20th century. During this time, the hospital also hosted a bakery and a carpentry shop.
The Estoret affair, involving Joseph Estoret and a patient named Alexandre Appert, took place in Erquery in 1880. However, further information about Joseph Estoret or the Estoret affair is not readily available.
The hospital also played a role during World War 1, treating soldiers suffering from shell shock. One of the victims of the abandonment of patients during the Occupation was Séraphine Louis, known as Séraphine de Senlis, who is buried in the Clermont cemetery. During this period, the number of patients in Clermont and its "colonies" rose to over 4,400, with many patients suffering from cachexia, or dying of hunger.
Today, the hospital continues to evolve, with Fitz-James now housing an Arts and Therapy workshop. Several works from this workshop were exhibited last spring at the Séraphine-Louis Space in Clermont. The hospital's past may be troubled, but its legacy lives on, serving as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.
- The rich history of the Isère Hospital Center in Clermont-de-l'Oise, France extends beyond its role as a public mental health facility, touching aspects of science as seen in the Estoret affair, health-and-wellness through its wartime treatment of shell shock victims, and mental health with the work of the first female psychiatrist in France, Constance Pascal.
- The preservation and promotion of the Isère Hospital Center's history is not limited to the hospital itself; it also includes cultural endeavors such as art installations by Timea Jankovics at the Henri-Theillou Museum, and the Arts and Therapy workshop at Fitz-James, whose works were exhibited at the Séraphine-Louis Space in Clermont.
