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Beauduc-The cabins of beauduc to disapear?
Fishermen built cabins in the bay of Beauduc in the 18th century. Since then, salt producers, holiday-makers and permanent residents have been living in them, defying the law. Partly destroyed in 2004 and 2005, their inhabitants and two associations are now fighting to defend those that are still standing.
There have been cabins in Beauduc since the beginning of the 18th century. From about 1750 to 1850, they were built by fishermen from Martigues or Saintes Maries de la Mer who appreciated this moorage. It should however be avoided during strong southerly winds but is a welcome shelter against the wind and swell from the east.
These fishermen built the cabins on the montilles, which are the young dunes on the edge of the water. They generally whitewashed them and covered them with the sagne, which is the marsh reed.
In the 50s salt producers joined the fishermen. The salt industry, which was at its heights since the middle of the 19th century in this south-eastern region of the lower Camargue, expanded very rapidly with the creation of the Salin de Giraud (Giraud salt works) and the industrialisation of salt production. At that time Beauduc was adjacent to 15,000 hectares of salt marshes. On Sundays, the workers went hunting and fishing on this huge lagoon which was the breeding ground for an abundant quantity of fish and birds. All these people lived peacefully with each other until the 1950s.
After the Second World War, fishermen from Port Saint Louis of the Rhone and from the Giraud salt works rebuilt the cabins which had been destroyed by the Germans. The traditional constructions from the Camargue were replaced by huts made with sheet metal and planks. In addition to the fishermen and salt producers, a new type of population invaded the place, local sea bathing fanatics, who were closely followed by those who had begun to benefit from paid holidays from all over France. In 1952, improvements in the salt production company’s water network resulted in an increase in new cabins. There were 101 in 1967.
The Prefecture looked disapprovingly on the creation of this seaside holiday resort which had no permits or authorisations, on an area where constructions were normally forbidden. These "unauthorised" dwellers created the Association of Cabin Owners of Beauduc and reached an agreement with the Prefecture. The Prefecture accepted to tolerate the presence of the cabins provided that no others were built and that the cabin owners agreed to clean and maintain the village.
But more cabins were built. In 1995, there were 273 fixed cabins and 184 vehicles which were stationed there permanently (caravans, buses, vans…). The total number reached 400. This was intolerable for the Prefecture. In 2004, it ordered that 17 cabins be pulled down which were followed in 2005 by another three. The cabin owners themselves pulled down ten under pressure from the local authorities. The two restaurants which had made the area known throughout the region had to close down. "Today, out of the 80 cabins which are defended by the Association of Cabin Owners of Beauduc, five are located on maritime public property with lawsuits in progress." explained Gérard Barbusse, President of the Association of the Cabin Owners of Beauduc. Another association, Association to Safeguard the Heritage of Beauduc, is dealing with the other sixty cabins which have been built on the maritime public domain. And which are also likely to be destroyed.
But what is the problem exactly? Is it the site which has been damaged by the aesthetic presence of these cabins or the fact that the inhabitants are living on the fringe of society? The miniature society formed by the cabin dwellers, which has been in place since the 50s, continues today and it is intent on defending its values. Besides a somewhat undefined architectural style, its social organisation is not much appreciated by political decision-makers despite the fact that it has been the subject of numerous university studies as the example is most interesting. Beauduc is an egalitarian community which lives on the fringe of society: frugality, anonymity and absence of ownership. This renouncement of one’s property is disturbing in a society where consumption and home ownership make up everybody’s dreams. Finally, the cabins symbolise a place of refuge, which is further emphasised by the immense spaces between the sand and water. A universe which is also on the edge of the world.
