Fort du Hâ Prison was originally built in 1846 within remains of the 15th century Chateau du Hâ. The prison was taken over by German forces soon after the June 1940 occupation of France and used to incarcerate political prisoners.
On 23 October 1941, 20 political prisoners were taken from Fort du Hâ to Camp de Souge and shot in retaliation for the killing of a German military advisor in Bordeaux. The prison continued to operate after the war and was finally closed in 1967 and demolished in 1969 to make way for the French National School for the Judiciary. All that remains of the old prison now are the two towers and parts of the wall from the 15th century chateau. A memorial plaque on the site is dedicated the memory of the deported internees and resistants of Gironde who died in the Nazi concentration camps 1940–1945.
References:The Château de Foix dominates the town of Foix. An important tourist site, it is known as a centre of the Cathars. Built on an older 7th-century fortification, the castle is known from 987. In 1002, it was mentioned in the will of Roger I, Count of Carcassonne, who bequeathed the fortress to his youngest child, Bernard. In effect, the family ruling over the region were installed here which allowed them to control access to the upper Ariège valley and to keep surveillance from this strategic point over the lower land, protected behind impregnable walls.
In 1034, the castle became capital of the County of Foix and played a decisive role in medieval military history. During the two following centuries, the castle was home to Counts with shining personalities who became the soul of the Occitan resistance during the crusade against the Albigensians.