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Soissons
Aisne
Picardie

Place Fernand Marquigny

Monument aux morts de 1914-18

War Memorial 1914-18

 Albert Bartholomé & Raoul Lamourdedieu
1926

Soissons / Monument aux morts de 1914-18   Soissons / Monument aux morts de 1914-18

Description

Large stone column surrounded by four stone statues. The statues are by Albert Bartholomé and the bas-reliefs by Raoul Lamourdedieu

The column has three parts:

TOP SECTION

Four allegorical figures carrying a flame.

MID SECTION

WEST SOUTH EAST NORTH
a
soissons immortelle
a ses enfants
tombes glorieusement
pour la patrie

1914 [relief with leaves] 1918

offert a sa ville natale
par
Madame Louis PETROT
nee Helene LABARRE
19 nov. 1861 - 3 mai 1942

Relief with soldiers

 leurs SACRIFICE a sauve
la PATRIE et la LIBERTE

Relief showing Victory (a winged woman) with two soldiers, one of them wounded.

large tablet:
la ville de soissons
reconnaissante a ses morts
victimes des guerres et conflits
seconde guerre mondiale 1939-1945
theatres d'operations exterieures
afrique du nord
liban

with list of names.
(click on thumbnail for an enlargement in a separate window)

LOWER SECTION

WEST SOUTH EAST NORTH

Relief The King and Jeanne d'Arc entering the town, 23 July 1429

Relief 'Le Vase de Soissons' (see below), showing a soldier crushing a vase under the eyes of Clovis and the messengers of St. Remigius

List of names

Relief evacuation?

(click on thumbnail for an enlargement in a separate window)

The four statues around the monument are:

  1. NW: Citizen with a scroll, on the pedestal the text:

    1181
    abolition des servitudes feodales
    a soissons
  2. SW: Knight with sword, on the pedestal the text:

    923
    carolingien defenseur de soissons
    capitale franque
  3. SE: Soldier of the First World War
  4. NE: Soldier of the First World War


1
2
3
4

Inscription(s)

Signed (on the relief on the north side): Raoul LAMOURDEDIEU sculpr

Annotation

The monument was designed in 1914 to commemorate the history of Soissons. When it was finished, in 1926, it became the war memorial for the First World War. Originally, there was a seated woman, the 'Dame Blanche' by Bartholomé on top, which was not accepted by the veterans, and the statue was replaced by the present four flame-carriers, executed by a student of Lamourdedieu. Bartholomé's statue was replaced to the St. Crépin park.

The Vase of Soissons

According to Gregory the vase was of marvelous size and beauty and was stolen (along with other holy ornaments) from a church in the pillage that followed the Battle of Soissons (486), a battle which the Franks led by their king Clovis I (who was at that time not yet Catholic) won.
Saint Remigius, the bishop of Reims sent messengers to Clovis, begging that if the church might not recover any other of the holy vessels, at least this one might be restored. Clovis agreed to do so and therefore claimed the vase as his rightful part of the booty. One soldier however disagreed and crushed the vase with his battle-axe. Clovis at first didn't react to this event and gave the broken vase to Remigius. One year later however he personally and publicly killed the crusher of the vase, using the soldier's own throwing axe and exclaiming, "Just as you did to the vase at Soissons!" (Wikipedia).

Old Postcard(s)

   
Click on the thumbnail for an enlargement.

Sculptors

Sources & Information

Tags

  • Country: France
  • Bartholomé, Albert
  • Charles VII (King of France)
  • Jeanne d`Arc, St.
  • Knight
  • Lamourdedieu, Raoul
  • Soldier
  • Victory
  • War Memorial (France - WWI)

    • Location (N 49°22'51" - E 3°19'37")

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    Item Code: frpi024; Photograph: 26 May 2011
    Of each statue we made photos from various angles and also detail photos of the various texts.
    If you want to use photos, please contact us via the contact form (in Dutch, English or German).
    © Website and photos: René & Peter van der Krogt

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