Evian: A Town of Springs, Peace Deals, and Weight of History

Evian-les-Bains, a small town on the shores of Lake Geneva in France, has been the stage for significant historical events, including the Evian Conference of 1938, the Evian Accords of 1962, and the global brand of bottled water Evian. The town hosted the Evian Conference, where 32 nations participated, but only two agreed to take in Jews fleeing Nazi Germany. The conference's failure to devise a plan to provide refuge to Jews led to the Holocaust. In contrast, the Evian Accords successfully ended the war and formalized Algeria's independence. The Evian brand of bottled water has also evolved, being acquired by Danone in 1967 and becoming a global leader in the market.