A castle was built here by the count of Hainaut in the 12th century. The entrance door and the sandstone cellars remain. The first strongholds, built by order of Charles Quint, date from 1528. After the city was taken by Turenne in 1657, Vauban began to modernise it in 1668. He created four pools with which to flood the ditches and remodelled the southern flank. The Saint-Martin and Gard strongholds are representative of Vauban's first system. In the 18th century, a large hornwork structure was erected to the east of Porte Fauroeulx.

In 1881, the fort was further strengthened.

The well-preserved enclosure has the shape of an irregular octagon. It is defended by eight bastions and has been fully restored. There are two walking circuits open to the public:

- The ramparts: hiking card available from the Conseil Général du Nord.

- Discovery of the trees on the ramparts of Le Quesnoy: Circuit designed by the Parc Naturel Régional de L'Avesnois.

As you walk around the fortifications, stopping to read the educational panels, you can admire the eight bastions and seventeen outwork constructions in the ditches. Worthy of mention are the 18th century gunpowder store, the medieval tower of Count Baudouin, the Porte Fauroeulx, the Fauroeulx hornwork from the 18th century and five bastions: royal, imperial, green, Gard and Saint-Martin. Outside, the Pont-Rouge pool which was used to fill the ditches is now a watersport site.

Every year during the Heritage Days, a military encampment of the revolutionary armies, animates the fortified site for two days, with over 400 participants. An association called "Le Cercle Historique Quercitain" is researching the past of Le Quesnoy and its two cantons. It has premises in the Cernay centre, or the Château Marguerite de Bourgogne, where it welcomes groups to look around two exhibition rooms covering the history of the fortification. Since 1987, the fortified cities have had a regional day on the last Sunday of April, and some citadels, which are now military barracks, regularly open their doors to the public. Lastly, the route of fortified cities, launched in 1993, gives the public the chance to discover these cities, armed with a map and explanation cards available from the Association des villes fortifiées and in the tourist offices of Ambleteuse, Arras, Avesnes-sur-Helpe, Bergues, Boulogne-sur-Mer, Calais, Cambrai, Condé-sur-Escaut, Gravelines, Le Quesnoy, Lille, Maubeuge, Montreuil-sur-Mer and Saint-Omer.

This war memorial commemorates the victory of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade, which liberated Le Quesnoy on 4 November 1918 from the German garrison which had occupied the town for four years. The New Zealanders climbed the fortifications with ladders, just like in the Middle Ages.

In 1999, Le Quesnoy opened the "Centre de documentation relatif à la libération de la ville en 1918", a documentation centre concerning the town's liberation in 1918. Le Quesnoy has become the main site for World War 1 commemorations for New Zealand in France, with a ceremony organised by the ambassador of New Zealand in Paris, the local authorities and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. During these ceremonies, a parade including the mayor and local authorities, war veterans, visitors and people from the region crosses the town up to the ramparts and the New Zealand war memorial of 1923 to lay a wreath. The procession then moves towards the French war memorial to lay another wreath. The ceremony ends at the town hall, where a tribal sculpture "teko teko maori" perpetuates the memory.

New Zealand is still officially represented at Le Quesnoy during commemorations for the Armistice, on 11 November. New Zealand parliament officials and other groups, such as the New Zealand rugby team, have been to this town several times. Le Quesnoy and Cambridge in New Zealand were twinned in 1999.

Association des villes fortifiées

Hôtel de Ville Rue Maréchal Joffre 59530 Le Quesnoy

Tel.: +33 3.27.47.55.54
 

Le Quesnoy Tourist Information Office

Tel.: +33 3.27.20.54.70

e-mail : OTSI.le.quesnoy@wanadoo.fr

Quizz : Forts and citadels

L’esprit de Saint-Cyr

Situé au cœur des écoles de Saint-Cyr Coëtquidan, creuset unique de formation des officiers de l’armée de terre, le musée du Souvenir retrace les évènements majeurs qui ont construit la France à travers les destins croisés des officiers qui l’ont servie. Hommes de conviction et de décision, beaucoup d’entre eux ont incarné des valeurs telles que le courage, la bravoure, le panache, l’exemplarité, la loyauté, le sens du service, du devoir et de l’honneur, l’amour de notre Patrie... Certains ont par leur seule présence pesé sur l’issue de batailles décisives, d’autres ont fait des choix condamnés par l’Histoire, d’autres encore ont rétabli l’honneur de la France et nombreux sont ceux qui ont fait le sacrifice de leur vie dans l’accomplissement de leur mission.

Un lieu de mémoire unique

S’ouvrant sur la Cour Rivoli, place d’honneur où se déroulent les cérémonies de Tradition qui rythment la scolarité des élèves officiers, le musée du Souvenir est un lieu d’enracinement et d’identité où ils se retrouvent et se ressourcent. Mais il est également un lieu de mémoire et d’histoire ouvert au grand public, un endroit privilégié d’éducation à la citoyenneté ainsi qu’un espace de partage et d’échange entre les Français et leur armée où se tisse l’indispensable lien armées-Nation.
Le visiteur est invité à parcourir un vaste mémorial, qui rappelle le sacrifice des officiers de toutes origines tombés au champ d’honneur, avant de découvrir les riches collections du musée. Présentées de façon chronologique, elles illustrent la lente maturation qui a conduit à la création d’écoles dédiées à la formation des officiers et met en exergue les grands personnages et les figures de légende qu’elles ont formés.

Un patrimoine inestimable ouvert à tous

En un siècle d’existence, les collections du Musée du Souvenir se sont enrichies de plusieurs milliers d’objets : Tableaux, bronzes, armes, uniformes, emblèmes, trophées et souvenirs émouvants évoquant un destin exceptionnel, héroïque ou tragique se répondent et plongent le visiteur dans une atmosphère unique. Par leur intérêt esthétique, leur pouvoir d’évocation historique ou par la simple « charge émotionnelle » dont ils sont porteurs, ces objets nous touchent, nous interpellent et nous instruisent.
 

Sources : ©Musée du Souvenir des écoles de Saint-Cyr Coëtquidan

The museum consists of 12 halls: the hall dedicated to World War I, the hall dedicated to post-war France, the hall dedicated to the France 1940 campaign, two halls on World War II (the Allies - the Axis), the hall devoted to the Warsaw Pact, the curiosities hall, the cannon hall, the engines hall, the contemporary hall, the models hall and the historical hall. The museum has also received monuments from the Berry-au-Bac museum, in particular those of General Estienne, the "Father of Tanks", whose name has been given to the Musée des Blindés.

The museum retraces the history of armoured vehicles and their technical development throughout the world from 1917 to the present day. There are 200 tanks on display. The museum contains almost all of the prototypes tested as well as armoured engines used by the French armed forced since 1917. Almost all of the tanks from 1940 are displayed at the museum: the AMD 178 Panhard and AMR 35 armoured cars, the FCM tank (Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée), the Renault R 35 and R 39, the Hotchkiss H 35 and H 39, the famous SOMUA tank (Société d'Outillage Militaire et d'Usinage d'Armement), which created havoc for German tanks due to its mobility and weaponry, and the B1 bis tank, which was used by part of the 4th Reserve Armoured Division of General de Gaulle in Moncornet on 17 May 1940 and later in the first counter-attack in Abbeville. All of the US tanks that played a role in the victory of 1945 are also there: the Lee-Grant, Stuart, Sherman and its different versions, the Tank-Destroyer, Chaffee, the M8 and M20 armoured cars, etc. The museum also has a display of German tanks dating from World War II to the present day: the Panzer II, III, IV, Panther, Jagdpanther, a Royal Tiger weighing 70 tonnes, a unique and fully restored model, up to the most recent examples, the Leopard I and Leopard II, not to mention numerous models developed during the war. England is also represented by numerous tanks, such as the Churchill and more recent additions to the museum's collection, the Mathilda and the Valentine. Finally, the museum contains all tanks designed in France since 1944, not to mention the "Leclerc".
- Opening hours: Spring - Summer: 9:30 to 18:30 Autumn - Winter: 10:00 to 17:00 - Prices: Adults: €5.50. Children 7 to 13 years of age: €3. Group (more than 10 people): €4. - Spacious parking area for cars and light vehicles - Souvenir shop - Large reception hall with a rest area (drinks machine) - Duration of visit - around 1h30. Open or guided tours for groups led by members of the armed forces on appointment - Map of the museum provided at the entrance; a book on the museum collection is available for €6.10

The museum was created in 1959 in the birthplace of Georges Clemenceau. It establishes a parallel between Clemenceau and Jean de Lattre de Tassigny by showing the links between their destinies: both were born in Mouilleron-en-Pareds, both played a role in the world wars, both signed on behalf of France to bring the two conflicts to an end and to declare the 'two victories', both had the same recognition and respect for France: each of the two men 'deserves well of his country'. The museum was renovated in 1998. It contains personal objects, documents, engravings and photographs evoking the life of Clémenceau and Marshal de Lattre de Tassigny and their respective roles in the two world wars.

Musée National des Deux Victoires Clemenceau-de Lattre 1 rue Plante Choux 85390 MOUILLERON EN PAREDS Tel: 33/ (0)2 51 00 31 49 Choice of museum audio guide possible 1) Fax: 33/ (0)2 51 00 34 31 E-mail: musee-2victoires@culture.gouv.fr Opening times The museum is open daily all year round except 25 December and 1 January. If intending to visit the museum on other public holidays it is recommended that you phone in advance to check that it is open. Duration of visit: 1h30 - 2 hours From 15 April to 15 October: from 9:30-12:00 and from 14:00-18:00 From 16 October to 14 April: from 10:00-12:00 and from 14:00-17:00 Admission Individual visitors : Adults: ?3 Concession: ?2.30 for the 18-25 age group, holders of a 'large family' card and for everyone on Sundays Free for under 18s, educators with groups, members of the association 'L'Institut Vendéen Clemenceau-de Lattre' and journalists with a press card, and for everyone on the first Sunday of every month Group visits : (minimum 20 people) By appointment only. Tel.: 33/ (0)2 51 00 38 72 Visit of Clemenceau's home and the museum (duration 1h30 - 2h): ?2.30 La Halte privilégiée - Visit of de Lattre's home followed by tea in the garden (duration 1h30 - 2h): ?4.60 An organised walk around Mouilleron and the surrounding area (duration 2h - 2h30): ?3.85 Audio guides in French, English, German, Spanish and Italian Bookshop-giftshop

The fortifications of Saint-Malo encircle the enclosed part of the town for almost 2 km. From Saint Vincent Gate (which dates back to 1709) to the Saint Thomas Gate, each curtain is steeped in history and has a multitude of panoramic views over the Bay of Saint-Malo.

The fortifications of Saint-Malo have a particularly rich history. 1) The city only began to develop in the 12th century, with the fortifications dating back to medieval times. Saint-Malo was highly sought-after: under the reign of Duchess Anne, this town surrounded by ramparts was already a fortress. At the time of Jacques Cartier, the fortifications of Saint-Malo would be developed even more. The 17th and 18th centuries mark a period of great prosperity for the city, thanks to the healthy growth of commerce, and the city became even stronger. Vauban built new ramparts and many forts sprang up around the bay to defend the port. These fortifications would later help thwart the English landings of June and September 1758, at the time of the battle of Saint-Cast. 2) Saint-Malo is particularly badly hit in August 1944. Under orders from Hitler, Colonel Von Aulock transformed the glacis of Saint-Malo into a veritable fortress from 1942. For one week in August 1944, the city is caught in crossfire between German and American troops and is almost totally gutted by fire. 80% of the town is destroyed. Chateaubriand Square and the Magon de la Lande Hotel are the only districts that escape the flames. In fact, once the fire is finally extinguished, the only parts of the city still standing and almost completely intact are the 2km of ramparts.
This pirate city is the starting point of some of the most famous nautical competitions, such as the "Route du Rhum", and is renowned for its literary festivals, including "Etonnants Voyageurs" and "Quai des Bulles" and art festivals such as "Si Tous Les Ports du Monde". As well as hosting these important events, Saint-Malo is a town with a very special character where everyone can find the role that suits them best: spectator, actor, or just a person out for a stroll. Practical information Saint-Malo Tourism Office Esplanade Saint-Vincent, 35400 Saint-Malo Tel: +33 (0)8 25 16 02 00 Fax: +33 (0)2 99 56 67 00 E-mail: info@saint-malo-tourisme.com

Musée de la Résistance en Bretagne

Les Hardys Behelec - 56140 Saint-Marcel

Tel.: +33 (0)2 97 75 16 90

Contact form

Emm Church is the Parish church of Metzeral-Sondernach, an ancient place of pilgrimage dedicated to the Virgin and a Memorial dedicated to soldiers of World War One (Haut-Rhin) who fell in the Vosges, notably at the Battle of Metzeral in June 1915.

Historical overview

The current Emm church and memorial is built on the site of a 15th-century chapel, which was destroyed during the Battle of Metzeral. It was built by Abbot Martin BÉHÉ(1887-1963).

From 1922 to 1923, a committee dedicated to the "Memory of Alsace" was formed, under the patronage of Mgr RUCH, Bishop of Strasbourg and General de POUYDRAGUIN, former major of the 47th division and former military governor of Strasbourg, members of which came from all over France. Charity sales were organised in France's large cities (Paris, Lyon and Bordeaux) and abroad (notably in Switzerland).

The building was consecrated on 4 October 1931 and the bells were consecrated on 3 July 1932. Both ceremonies took place in the presence of Mgr RUCH, General de POUYDRAGUIN, Madame la Général SERRET and many other well-known people.

Description

The main material is pink sandstone from the Vosges, from Rauscher d'Adamswiller quarries; this is the same material used for Strasbourg cathedral. A dedication in capital letters stands out on the harmonious façade: "A nos vaillants soldats, l'Alsace reconnaissante" (To our brave soldiers, to whom Alsace is grateful).
The bell tower is inspired by the tower on the old chapel of Fourvière, in memory of a charity sale in 1926 and has four listed bells. Along the nave, in the arcades which are 1.80 m high, there are plaques in yellow marble from Sienna on which the names of soldiers who fell in the Vosges are engraved. One window in particular recalls the sanctuary's vocation: above the side chapel, the stained-glass window known as the "Souvenir" window shows a soldier dying in the arms of a chaplain, to whom an angel brings the crown of the chosen.
A memorial mass is celebrated on the Sunday before 11 November with the participation of war veterans and their standard-bearer.

Emm Church

Colline de l'Emm (rue de l'Emm) 68380 METZERAL - SONDERNACH

Les Amis de l'Emm

18 rue du Hohneck 68380 METZERAL

Situated at the Belgian border and facing England, the port town of Dunkirk has been a historic strategic position through the centuries. The first fortifications were erected around the city in the 10th century. Over the centuries, the town changed hands several times before Louis XIV bought it back from the English in 1662 and asked Colbert to turn it into a fortified town. Between 1818 and 1848, a series of structures was built to establish a bastioned wall surrounding the town. The system was improved between 1869 and 1879. It was during this series of renovations that the bunkers and curtain walls of Bastion 32 were constructed, in 1874. The law of 8 March 1921 decommissioned Dunkirk’s fortifications and the majority of the ramparts were destroyed in 1930. However, the fortifications looking out to sea were preserved.

Website: www.dynamo-dunkerque.com

Mémorial du Souvenir

Inaugurated in March 2011, in Marseille, the memorial of La Marseillaise traces, in a unique setting, the history of one of the strongest symbols of the Republic of France: La Marseillaise national anthem.

It spread as far as Montpellier, and the song, called "Chant de guerre des armées aux frontières" (war song of frontier-based armies) was sung in Marseille by a delegate of the Club des Amis de la Constitution, François Mireur, a future general. He coordinated the departure of volunteers from the Midi region for the front; he began singing the song during a banquet and it was received with great enthusiasm. The song was published and printed the following day and adopted by the federates of Marseille as a marching song.

These soldiers sang it triumphantly all the way to the Tuileries, on 30th July 1792. Parisians, without a care for the official title, gave the song a name, which would stick: La Marseillaise. This name expresses the unity of the fighting nation, from Strasbourg to the Midi, passing through Paris. On 14th July 1795, although rivalled by another song, "Le Réveil du Peuple" (the awakening of the people), La Marseillaise was declared the "national anthem" by the Convention.

It was banned under the Empire and the Restoration, but was revived and honoured during the 1830 Revolution. The fate of La Marseillaise is thus closely tied with the history of the French Republic. In 1879, Jules Grévy, President of the 3rd Republic, made this well-known and patriotic song the national hymn for France once and for all. The official version was adopted in 1887.

It was banned in the occupied zone in the Second World War, but La Marseillaise was reinstated as the national anthem under the 4th and 5th Republics, and written into article 2 of the Constitution.

Beyond its political posterity, La Marseillaise had a significant musical influence. In 1830, Berlioz composed an orchestral arrangement which he dedicated to Rouget de l'Isle, with the dedication "For everything which has a heart, a voice, and blood in its veins". In 1872, Franz Liszt composed a fantasy for piano to the tune of La Marseillaise. Igor Stravinsky made a transcription for the solo violin and Dimitri Chostakovitch used it for the music of the film, The New Babylon. Pierre Dupont, chief of music of the Republican Guard between 1927 and 1944, composed the official arrangement of the national anthem and it is version which is still in use. A number of artists, from opera singers to variety singers, have given their voice to this song and invented many different interpretations.

By creating a Memorial, the city of Marseille wanted to trace the history of the French national anthem from its origins and recall the active role of the people of Marseille in the French Revolution. The former Club des Jacobins was chosen for the site, as it wasn't far from here that Marseille federates left for Paris, in 1792, singing the revolutionary song.

The site covers an area of 300 m2 and is based on three themes. The Salle des Marseillaises shows visitors some of the different versions or variants of the revolutionary song and its interpretations (there are over 600), from its origin to the present day. In the Salle des Doléances, nine sculptures representing historic or fictional characters come to life one by one in a lively dialogue. Mirabeau, Moisson, La Cayolle, etc., comment, from Marseille, on the French Revolution and the role played by the city's residents during these events. Lastly, in the Salle du Jeu de paume, visitors are plunged into the time of the revolution thanks to multimedia equipment with images and sound. They can experience the march of the federates to Paris, to the rhythm of La Marseillaise.

In December 2013, the town council voted for the Memorial of La Marseillaise to be attached to the Musée d'Histoire de Marseille.

Memorial of La Marseillaise

23-25 rue Thubaneau 13001 Marseille

Tel.: +33 (0)4 91 91 91 96

Open daily from 10 am to 7 pm

 In 2009, Montluc Prison was closed in favour of new facilities built outside Lyon.

On the demand of the prefect for the Rhône-Alpes region, the state services then protected a large part of the Montluc site as historic monuments, responding to the long-standing hope of remembrance and veterans associations and in particular the Montluc survivors association.

In addition to plans to protect the building, discussions were started in order to find ways to use the building to bear witness to the violence of the Nazi regime in Lyon and to open up the site to visitors.

Built in the 1920s, Montluc military prison stands opposite the fort of the same name in an industrial district of Lyon. After the armistice in 1940, the prison welcomed ordinary prisoners, soldiers and perpetrators of “anti-national activities”, essentially Gaullists and Communists. Following the invasion of the southern zone, in November 1942, the German requisitioned the prison and placed it under exclusive control. Montluc then became the place for the internment of resistance fighters, hostages and victims of “racial measures”, awaiting their departure for Drancy and deportation to the concentration and extermination camps. Montluc was managed with daily contact with the Gestapo headquarters on Avenue Bertholet – in the premises of the army medical school, where interrogations took place (currently occupied by the History of Resistance and Deportation Centre).

Close to the prison, a competent military court for the southern zone was set up in 1943. The capital sentences were likely pronounced at the shooting range in Doua (today the national necropolis). Other convicts were shot inside the actual prison, on the covered way at a point now known as the “Wall of the Executed” and still visible today. After the landing in June 1944, a number of massacres of prisoners took place in the towns surrounding Lyon, in retaliation to the Allied advance and resistance actions. Between April and August 1944, over 600 prisoners were executed thus in Saint-Didier de Formans, Toussieu, Bron and Saint-Genis-Laval, the main locations of the exactions. The massacre of Saint-Genis-Lavel on 20 August 1944, where 120 prisoners were murdered in abominable conditions, ignited a vigorous protest of Cardinal Gerlier by the German authorities. At the same time, Yves Farges, commissioner of the republic still living undercover, threatened to execute the same number of German prisons if the massacres continued. On 24 August, the prisoners were released both by the intervention of the resistance and the departure of the jailers, a week before the liberation of Lyon on 3 September.

The Memorial of Montluc Prison, inaugurated by France’s Prime Minister on 21 June 2010, joined the other sites managed by the Ministry of Defence, qualified as a major memorial site, and opened its doors to the public on the occasion of the European Heritage Days in 2010. Since then, the site continues to attract more and more visitors, making it a credible and complementary member in the network of regional places of remembrance alongside the History of Resistance and Deportation Centre in Lyon and the Jean Moulin Caluire Memorial, as well as, on a larger scale, Maison d’Izieu, a memorial to the murdered Jewish children. The Montluc Memorial contributes to the discussions introduced by the problems specific to remembrance sites, both scientifically and historically and in terms of hosting and educating the public.

Memorial to Montluc Prison
1 rue Jeanne Hachette 69003 Lyon