Our history

A former military camp transformed into a CNRS research centre

Discover the incredible story of the CEBC in this film directed by Wild Talks, on the occasion of the laboratory’s 50th anniversary in 2018.

A short history of the CEBC

On February 26, 1951, the present location of the Chizé Centre for Biological Studies was proposed by the French government to be made available to the Americans within the framework of NATO agreements. In December 1953 the construction of the camp began, and was completed six months later. Half of the Chizé forest massif is enclosed and 200 ammunition storage sheds are distributed along asphalt roads.

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