Memorials
Bohaterรณw Getta- Krakow
what was once Plac Zgody is now a square commemorating the Krakow Ghetto in which many many perished and even more suffered an unknown fate.
Chapter 1
In France
Jardin du Luxembourg This a monument to pay a tribute to student resistants (*resistence*) during the 2nd world war. This monument is in the parc du Luxembourg in the Quartier Latin and near la faculté de la Sorbonne. It was inaugurated on April 29th 1956. A ceremony take place every years (* that takes place every year*) between the 20th and the 30th may. This statue symbolize the sacrifice of student (*symbolises the sacrifices of students*) during the germain occupation. Students sabotages (*sabotaged*) Nazi’s installation and of them were executed. We can see two students, one of them is standing. He is helding an other student probably dead or hurt (*holding another student, probably dead or hurt*). The artist named Gaston Watkin entitled his sculpture « Ami si tu tombes, un ami sort de l’ombre à ta place. » (« Friend if you fall, a friend get off the shadow at your place »). This title is inspired of the « chant des partisans » by Joseph Kessel and Maurice Druon. It underlines the solidarity between students despite the danger.
The Colonne VendĂ´me
Where is the memorial located? It is located n the centre of the "Place VĂŞndome", in Paris. When was it first unveiled? In 1810 it was unveiled at the end of it's construction by Napoleon under the name ""colonne de la grande armĂŠe". What does it commemorate? Initially, the column should commemorate (*was meant to commemorate*) the battle of Austerlitz and Napoleon's victory. Over the course of history, the memorial was replaced and changed several times, (*no comma*) when the regime changed and the message of the memorial did not fit the current state. But since 1875, (* however, since 1875*) the statue is back to it's original construction and purpose. How and why are these events commemorated? The column shows battle scenes from the battle of Austerlitz and there is a statue of Napoleon on top of it. As an important leader of France, he of course wanted to leave a mark by (*comma*) for example (*comma*) putting up statues and memorials. I think it is interesting that the memorial was changed several times: This is a point we discussed in class. As a memorial expresses certain values, it might be changed or destroyed when the structure of society changes and other values are important. Should this memorial be kept? I think that Napoleon played an important part in French history and should therefore be remembered. Also, a memorial is like an artifact and should not be simply discarded. Zoe
This is the photo of the plate commemorating the victims of the 4
Nawel / Axara
Pont- Neuf
Saint-Barthelemy. It was apposed in the 1st arrondissement of Paris at the bottom of the Pont-Neuf:
• The marriage between Henry III of Navarre and Margaret of Valois on 18 August 1572.
This commemoration plate was unveiled the 13th april 2016 10.30 AM during a ceremony , it's purpose is to remember 444 years later the slaughter that happened the 24th august 1572 during the SaintBarthelemy massacre. The targeted people were the protestants chiefs and afterwards all protestants , the reason to this is that the government thought that the protstants were comploting against them which in consequence made +12K victims and +1K exiles. Religiously talking tis day is important to commemorate because innocent people were killed just of there way of religion.
• The failed assassination of Admiral de Coligny on 22 August 1572, who is the principal adviser of the king, Charles IX and the leader of all the protestants living in Paris.
T.Monyrachsmey Well done! Just a little additional information from my side: The Hugenottes - also because of Massacres that are commemorated here - fled to other European countries. In Berlin there was something like a mass immigration. They assimilated very quickly, but you can still tell that a lot of people in Berlin have Hugenotte ancestors because of their name. The current minister of the interior, Mr Thomas de Maziere, for instance. Again: Very well done! •
What is it?
In fact, to seal the peace treaty between protestant and catholics, the protestant king of Navarre, Henri de Navarre, married with the protestant Margaret de Valois, sister of the king of France Henri IX. This wedding wasn’t approuved by the population, mostly catholic. But the trigger of this massacre was the attempt of killing the Admiral Coligny, a high-posted protestant, in fear of reprisals, the mother-king decided to take the lead and assassinate the protestant leaders. III-What really happened ? Following the king’s order, guards entered Coligny’s house, killed him and defenestrated him. After that they tracked down all the protestant nobles who came with Henri de Navarre (who btw was spared by the king’s order). When, at the morning, the catholic population saw that, they started in their turn to kill all the huguenots and throw their dead bodys in the Seine. The massacre continues during many days despite the king’s order to stop it. The slaugther propagated all across the France and takes the number of victims from 3000 to 15000 IV- Is there any commomeration of this event ?
The 24 august 1572 King Charles IX of France, under the sway of his mother, Catherine de Medicis, orders the assassination of Protestant leaders in Paris, setting off an orgy of killing that results in the massacre of tens of thousands of Huguenots all across France.
There is only one commemoration of this event, a plat, which is in Paris; in the square of Vert Galant. It was placed by Anna Hidalgo in april 2016.
II-Why did that happen?
Kieffer Anatole and Bhardwaj Manan
The Massacre of Saint Bartholomew's Day was the culmination of a series of events that are compulsory to know before talking of the st barth: • The Peace of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, which puts an end to the third War of Religion on 8 August 1570. 7
War memorial.
In the middle, we can see a sculpture with a child who is simbolising (*symbolising*) and angel. In each side of the monument, is written names of the young war names victims (*on each side of the monument names of some young war victims are written*). In the background, there is a wall in which it is written names of adults victims (*on which names of some adult victims are written*). The memorial was created by Waroquiez Paul,a sculptor (*comma*) in 1922. This carving was made in bronze. This sculpture was realized for contest, organized in 1921 by Aulnay's municipality. The memorial was inaugurated on August 06 1922. It is located in Aulnay's former cemetry. She was completed in 1945 by the wall in the background. This memorial honors victims of the First and Second World War. In fact, during these two World War, there has been a lot of victims that many soldiers, civilians and children. Aulnay-sous-bois have lost 10% of its male population and most were less than 35 years old.
What is being commemorated? In the foreground, there is a sculpture of a child, symbolizing an angel. This sculpture was designed for a contest in 1921 by Waroquiez Paul. On the pillar behind the sculpture, the names of young war victims from the first world war are written in stone. Behind that, a larger wall has been built after World War II to commemorate its victims, too. The town where this memorial is standing lost many people, especially young men, because of the war. Do you think the memorial should be kept? Yes, I think it should be kept, because it is terrible that so many children of this town lost their lifes in the two World Wars. This should not be forgotten, aside with the French soldiers that died. In Germany we also have memorials like that, but I have not seen one for children yet.
By Marvin Drotleff Christophe Dias and CĂŠlia Sid
Where is the memorial? This memorial is located in the old cemetry in Aulnay-Sous-Bois. When was the memorial first unveiled? It was first unveiled in 1922, to commemorate the children that died because of World War I. In 1945, the wall in the background was added for the names of the local victims of World War II. 9
Place du Géneral De Gaulle , Aulnay sous Bois
Location The memorial of Charles de Gaulle is located in Aulnay-SousBois, a French commune (suburb of Paris) in the Seine-SaintDenis department. Moreover, it is placed near to a train station, w h i c h t u r n s i t i n t o a h i g h l y f r e q u e n t e d p l a c e . What is being commemorated? General Charles Andre Joseph Marie de Gaulle (22.11.1890-9.11.1970) or just Charles de Gaulle is often commemorated for his heroic actions as he is regarded to as the saviour and liberator of France that saved the country and mainly P a r i s f r o m t h e i n v a s i o n o f t h e N a t i o n a l s o c i a l i s t s . An airport, many streets and places are named after him, not only in France but all around the world, leaving us with the question: are these memorials and the way of commemoration legitimate? Charles de Gaulle shaped the French Republic sustainably since he was the first Minister President after the Second World War and as he is said to be one of the most important French p o l i t i c i a n s i n t h e 2 0 t h c e n t u r y . During the First World War Charles de Gaulle fought at Verdun, was three times wounded and spent two years and eight months as a prisoner of war and during this time he made five u n s u c c e s s f u l a t t e m p t s t o e s c a p e . When World War two broke out, de Gaulle became the undersecretary for defence and war for French leader Paul Reynaud in June 1940. But shortly after, Reynaud was replaced by Pétain whose government (also called Vichy government) worked out a deal with Germany and therefore became infamous for collaborating with the Nazis. As a dedicated patriot he could not accept France’s surrender to Germany in 1940. He fled to England where he became a leader of the Free French movement. In London he broadcasted a message to his countrymen encouraging them to continue to resist the German
occupation and not to give up. He also reorganized soldiers from French colonies to fight alongside the allied troops. This brought him national recognition and also by his allies after the liberation of Paris in August 1944. Beside his function as resistance figure against the German " e n e m y " , Charles de Gaulle got appointed Minister president in 1958, the last one of the fourth republic, and set up a new constitution which gave the President more power and declared the fifth republic. He remained President of the new republic until 1969 and in the 10 years of presidency de Gaulle was part of not only national but also international conflicts and actions that e.g. made him popular in Germany, too. 1962 he presented the solution of the Algerian conflict and became an important figure in the French German conciliation. De Gaulle is therefore worth being commemorated for his total devotion to France and his passion to fight for his country. Moreover, his participation in international affairs/issues make him an important authority in various countries all around the world. By Vi and Marie 1)Introduction: "La place Charles de Gaulle” has a very central role and an important meaning in the city of Aulnay-Sous-Bois. It recently had a few new facilities following a new city plan, making the most of the place: it got greener and has a modern design. The commemorative Stone of the General de Gaulle had also been moved during the urban development work, to a more visible area, highlighting its importance. What's more, thirty-five seats have been added, so it also became resting place which gives even more importance to the central place. 2)Location and date of the implantation; What's commemorated? 11
The "Place du General de Gaulle" is located in front of AulnaySous-Bois's main RER B train station, a town of the department Seine-Saint-Denis in the suburbs of Paris. The train station has been created on August the seventh in 1875 during the expansion of the line T4. The place is also known for being a de beginning and ending point of many transport networks, like busses and trains as well as bystanders. A very frequented and busy place, full of people on a daily basis. Here the commemoration is directed towards General de Gaulle, his heroism, bravour and important role in history(WW2). Because he is the savior and liberator of France (mainly Paris) from the Nazi invasion. 3)Historical context Charles De Gaulle has been the French president during 10 years: from 8th January 1959 to 28th April 1969. Therefore, he was the president during the WW2. Biggest war of all Time which happened between 1939 [September 1st 1939], when the Poland is attacked by the Germany, and 1945 [September 2nde 1945], the Day when the Japan surrender/give in. Charles De Gaulles has been an excellent president for French people, by protecting them, and fighting for them. All of his actions were guided by his love for his country. Charles de Gaulles is particularly known for his famous speech on June 18th 1940. On this day, Charles de Gaulles was in London. He heard that the Marshal Petain has confessed the defeat of the country (France). But he didn't want to let France in this situation. So, he pronounced a speech which has been broadcast in the BBC radio. In this speech, De Gaulles said that the war was not finished yet. He called all the French people to resist to the German occupation in France, and to join him in his fight. Thanks to him, and his speech, French people to ok confidence to fight again and again, until the victory. 4)Biography Charles De Gaulle was born on November the 22th in 1890 in a catholic family. He chose the military career and in 1908, he went to the military school of Saint-Cyr. He was wounded and was taken prisoner
by the Germans during the First World War. Charles De Gaulle was released after the armistice. In 1921, he married Yvonne Vendroux with whom he had 3 children. While Pétain asked the French to "stop the fight" and negotiated an armistice with the enemy, General de Gaulle launched his famous call for resistance on 18 June 1940, from London, on the BBC. A new Constitution was created by him, the 5th Republic was born. He became the first President of the 5th Republic in December 1958 and was re-elected in 1965 this time following an election by direct universal suffrage. In May 1968, in Paris, the Quartier Latin revolted and France was paralyzed. He proposed, in April 1969, a referendum on regionalization and the reform of the senate. The "no" won then General de Gaulle immediately resigned and retired from political life. On November 9 in 1970, Charles de Gaulle died in Colombey-les-deux-églises.
5)The meaning of the commemoration: How is it commemorated? How is this a way to commemorate? THE PRO'S: Many events occur around the commemorative stone throughout the year, such as the birthday of Charles de Gaulle's famous call directed to the French on June the eighteenth 1940.A celebration where flowers are put on its feet and speeches are made. This year will be its 77th birthday. The stone is a great way to catch everyone’s attention since it’s not temporary, so pedestrians can either give a quick glance or stop by and read the engravings on stone to pay tribute. The name of the central place is also displaying and paying tribute to the famous leader, as it became a geographical reference more and more people acknowledge DE Gaulle's importance without noticing. THE CONS: There is not much to complain about the commemoration as it doesn't offend anyone or prevents people to go on with their lives, nevertheless we could maybe say that its a little too small(stone and celebration) but that's the administration choice. Zara METIN, Joanye SORCE and Nilhani RAVICHANDRAN 12
Tribute from the city of Aulnay
The plaque is located in the "parc Dumont d´Aulnay-sous-Bois" close to Paris. We do not know exactly when it was unveiled, probably in the late 1940s. On the plaque there´s a fern engraved and a text next to it. The engraving says: "Ici sont tombés le 18 août 1944, Louis Barrault 23 ans et Pierre Gustaud 20 ans, lâchement assassinés par les Allemands. Liberation" With the help of my humble french skills I tried to transalte this into English: "At this very place on the 18th of August 1944, Louis Barrault 23 years old and Pierre Gustaud 20 years old fell after they were cowardly assassined by the Germans. Liberation." What is being commemorated?: The Tribute from the city of Aulnay commemorates how the allied troops liberated western Europe from the german occupation in 1944. France was humiliated after it had been occupied by Germany in June 1940 and Germany´s annexation of the disputed AlsaceLorraine. As a result of this bitterness some french people were eager to support a resistance by military and politically means. This resistance movement then supported the allied troops, which landed in the Normandie in July 1944. On the 25th of August 1944 Paris, being an important political symbol, was freed after the german general had to capitulate. As a result the German occupation of France ended and the first french government after the war could be established.
liberated their capital and the allied troops only played a minor role. So that´s probably also why the plaque only commemorates the french countrymen and honour their support but not the other soldiers from the allied troops. Do you think this memorial should be kept?: I think this memorial should definetely be kept, because the way the French commemorated the liberation refelcts a lot about the political und cultural situation in France at that time. From my point of view the writing points out in a very good way that the French faced a real test by honouring their fellow countrymen but at the same time making a clear statement ("cowardly") about Germany and the relationship between them. I´m pretty sure that if this memorial would not be kept or replaced, this important value of the source would be gone. Simply because I feel like the French govenment would feel compelled to change the used terminology because of "political correctness". Further more it should be remembered because the libaration initiated a new period in France as national pride retourned and the first provisional government was established. However if you see the plaque you should not forget that not only the French earn credit for this liberation.
The first president of the provisional governemt was general Charles de Gaulle. On the same day of the liberation (25th August) he gave a powerful speech. He stated that France was "liberated by its people with the help of the French armies, with the support and the help of all France, of the France that fights, of the only France, of the real France, of the eternal France!" By this speech he wanted to reestablish national pride but also emphasize on the fact that particularly the French people 14
Location: - Place du Panthéon, 75005 Paris, Latin Quarter Construction: - 1758- 1790 - architects: Jean-Baptiste Rondelet, Jacques-Germain Soufflot
What is being commemorated? The Panthéon was originally commissioned by Louis XV. as a church commemorating St.Genevieve, the patron of Paris in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox tradition. King Louis XV. wanted to build the church as thanks after recovering from illness. It is decorated with statues and paintings, which portray the life of Genevieve and marks the beginning of the french monarchy and Christianity. Since the death of Victor Hugo it is used as a mausoleum with 79 people lying there, the amongst them Voltaire, Marie & Pierre Curie, Rosseau, Braille, one of the architects (Jacques-Germain Soufflot) and of course Victor Hugo. Therefore it commemorates important french personalities and their contribution to the French nation. Henrik, Isabel & Hanna
What is being commemorated? The Panthéon is a church in Paris dedicated to the patron saint of Paris, Saint Genevieve and was built to contain her relics. After
multiple changes throughout history it was remodelded into an mausoleum for prominent french figures. Genevieve was a french christian and lived from around 420AD until 510AD, her most remembered actions were an "prayer marathon" which is said to have "saved" the parisian people from the feared Attila, ruler of the Hunnic Empire, by diverting his attention from the city of Paris trough the former marathon and thus kept Attila's Huns from raiding Paris. A few years later Genevieve is said to have been an intermediary between Paris and Childeric I who had conquered Paris and kept many prisoners. Genevieve managed to convince Childeric I to release his prisoners and helped collect food for the parisian people. Later on she was named the patron saint of Paris in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions. Although the two previously mentioned heroic deeds were her most memorable, Genevieve lived an life devouted to God and her beliefs, becoming a nun at the young age of fifteen and spent her life spreading the Christian belief and was respected to her piety and dedication to works of charity. How is it being commemorated? The life of Saint Genevieve was/is being commemorated through the construction of the Panthéon and it's symbolic meaning, the by Luis XV commissioned church is currently being used as an mausoleum for remarkable french people. Albeit the Panthéon is no longer limited to it's commemorational purpose of remembering Saint Genevieve, the fact that the building was later on used as an mausoleum for other "great" french figures brings new respect to St. Genevieve as the french people used her commemorational building to remember other distinguished people, as she is put on the same level as the latter. Why is it being commemorated? The life of St. Genevieve was/is being commemorated as she was a hero of oldern Paris and saved many people from calamities, her 16
life also represented the ideals of a very pious person as she was later on appointed by the Bishop of Paris to look after the welfare of "virgins dedicated to god". St. Genevieve was also viewed as the patron saint of Paris, which points to her great deeds as a patron saint was an essential part of any city/religion in oldern times. Patrons/Saints were very important to solidify the religious beliefs of the general people, which is why Genevieve was an important person to remember when building the general principles of religious traditions. PROS: Commemorating St. Genevieve was very beneficial towards establishing religion as the major principle of life for people, furthermore it also encouraged people to believe in themselves and help others, as even an peasant born girl could turn into something "great". St. Genevieves life is an great example of living through making good deeds, this also highlights the importance of behaving in line with the bible, as one is able to become a prominent character if one is truly pious and devout to the church. By using the PanthĂŠon as an mausoleum for prominent figures later on also "refreshes" the relevance of living a "good" life, as other people managed to be "worthy" to be commemorated in a similar way as Genevieve, a saint. This way people won't think of "Genevieve" (as an event) as a standalone case, which makes the commemoration of these multiple distinguished cases, starting with St. Genevieve even more important. CONS: If the commemoration of Saint Genevieve was only meant to be as an example for an perfectly devout person who helps the people, the modernification of the PanthĂŠon by using it as a mausoleum for others would possibly destroy its original purpose and could lead to conflicting ideals. Fabian Suri-Payer 17
Place du Commandant L'herminier, Aulnay (+ excerpt from a poem by Louis Aragon)
During the secondworld war, France was occupied by the Nazi. There was a fight that consisted in sabotage of military operations, writing illegal papers and even liberating the prisoners of war, to make France free again. In France the resistance only represented 2 or 3% of the population, but they were helped by the “maquis” that were everywhere. The Principal militant resistance group and the most known group is FFI (Force française de l’intérieure). This memorial was placed to remember them, and pay homage to the people that fought illegally and risked their life for France to be free again.
Louis Aragon is a major figure in French poetry . He is also a controversial figure for his support of Staline during and after the second world war ( he only condemned the crimes commited by the USSR in the late 60s). The monument was errected at the when the elected mayor of Aulnay was a member of the Communist party . Hence the choice of the poem/ poet.It was a lso a way to pay a tribute to the French communist party , which had played an important role in the Resistance and paid a heavy toll for its commitment against the Nazi oppression. I/ Introduction : 19
The Place de la Bastille
Where is the memorial? The Place de la bastille is where the Bastille prison stood. The memorial is for one (*comma*) the July column (Colonne de Juillet) in the center of the square, but also the square itself. When was it first unveiled? The July column was unveiled in 1840. The square exists since (*has existed since*) the destruction of the Bastille prison between 1789 and 1790. What is being commemorated? The Place de la Bastille commemorates the Storming of the Bastille on the 14th of July 1789 and is a symbol for the French revolution. The July column on the other hand (*comma*) commemorates the events of the July revolution in 1830, which was the overthrow of the old monarch King Charles X. Do you think this memorial should be kept? I think that it is important to remember the French revolution because it is one of the most influential events of French history. However I think that it is a bit confusing to have two memorials commemorating separate events in one place. In my opinion a memorial should have a clear message that is easy to understand. Maybe it would have been better to put the July column on another square. by Lena Janczuk
By Juliane, Axel and Julie
MONTMARTRE, THE «MOUNT OF MARTYRS
From the dawn of time Montmartre has been a place of worship :
Montmartre).
from the Druids of ancient Gaul, through the Romans with their
THE ORIGIN OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE
temples dedicated to Mars and Mercury, to the Church of Saint
BASILICA, A “NATIONAL VOW”
Peter, the oldest in Paris, rebuilt in the 12th century next to the
In 1870 the war broke out between France and Germany. The
Royal Abbey of Montmartre by Louis VI and his wife Adélaïde de
Council that was being held in the Vatican at the time was
Savoie.Finally, the Basilica of the Sacré-Coeur, erected at the end
suspended and the Pope, no longer under the protection of French
of the 19th century. Today, this shrine of prayer remains faithful to its tradition: God is well and truly present! Through Saint Geneviève, who lived in the 5th century, we learn of the existence of Saint Denis. Thanks to her this first Bishop of Paris entered the annals of history, for in the life story of Saint Geneviève written by one of her contemporaries in 475 it is related that she
troops, considered himself a prisoner within the Vatican. France was defeated and partially occupied by German troops. The initiative of Alexandre Legentil and Hubert Rohault de Fleury was a spiritual one. They vowed to build a church dedicated to the Sacred Heart “as reparation” (i.e. as penance for infidelity and sin) for they
persuaded the people of Paris to erect a chapel on the site where
held that the misfortunes of France had spiritual rather than political
he was martyred. Saint Denis, first Bishop and Martyr of Paris, as
causes.
well as his legend, illustrate this period when the disciples of Christ
At the end of 1872 Cardinal Guibert, Archbishop of Paris, approved
triumphed “not by fighting, but by dying”.
the vow and chose Montmartre. At the end of 1873 he got the
The original chapel built on the mound in honour of Saint Denis fell
French Parliament to pass a law declaring that the Basilica was in
into ruin in the 9th century. It was subsequently rebuilt, as the hill of
the public interest, thereby making the land available for the
Montmartre was a popular place of pilgrimage. Apart from Saint Denis, the remains of a large number of anonymous Christians martyred during the persecutions were venerated, thus contributing to the hill being called the Mount of Martyrs (Mont des Martyrs –
construction of a church. At the time the construction of a Basilica dedicated to the Sacred Heart contrasted with a series of Basilicas dedicated to the Virgin Mary during the same period in Lourdes, Notre-Dame de Fourvière in Lyon and Notre-Dame de la Garde in Marseilles. The work was funded from donations - in many cases 25
modest - collected throughout France, the names of the donors
•Outer Dome : 83 metres high.
being carved in the stone.
•Inner Dome : 55 metres high, diameter 16 metres.
SOME DATES:
•The entire city of Paris is visible from the forecourt of the
December 1870 : following the military defeat of France by Prussia,
Basilica. From the dome, over 200 metres above the River
beginning of the project to build a church in Paris dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, as a sign of penitence, trust, hope and faith
Seine, one can see the surrounding countryside for 50 kilometres. It is the highest point in Paris after the Eiffel Tower, built in 1889.
(Alexandre Legentil and Hubert Rohault de Fleury).
AT ITS CONSECRATION THE CHURCH RECEIVED
• January 1871 : drafting of the “National Vow”.
THE TITLE OF BASILICA, OR PLACE OF
•18 January 1872 : approval of the Vow by Cardinal Guibert,
PILGRIMAGE:
Archbishop of Paris, who insists on its purely religious nature.
The Sacred Heart of Christ is adored in the mystery of the
•1873 : Vote on the construction project at the French
Eucharist (Mass). The prayer of adoration is both a preparation and
Parliament. INTERIOR: The interior architecture, also in the Romano-Byzantine style, gives
prolongation of the Eucharistic mystery. This prayer of intercession for the Church and the world is offered up to God day and night.
this “house of God” an atmosphere of harmony and peace. The
CONSTRUCTION:
light and architectural details focus attention on the apse, the place
The Basilica was designed by Paul Abadie. Six other architects
of liturgical celebration and adoration of the Holy Sacrament. •The mosaic was done between 1900 and 1922. •The stained glass windows, fitted between 1903 and 1920, were destroyed by bombing in 1944 and replaced in 1946. •The grand organ was built by Aristide Cavaillé-Coll. DIMENSIONS: Basilica : 85 metres long, 35 metres wide.
succeeded him to complete the building. STYLE : ROMANO-BYZANTINE: In contrast to the Gothic churches of the Middle Ages like NotreDame de Paris (1163-1240), the style is inspired by churches such as Saint Sofia in Constantinople and San Marco in Venice. STONE: The exterior travertine stone, known as ‘Château-Landon’, comes 26
from the Souppes-sur-Loing quarry in Seine et Marne and is particular in that it is extremely hard with a fine grain and exudes calcite on contact with rainwater, making it white. DURATION OF WORKS: 1875 : First stone laid followed by several months of foundation works. Pits 33 metres deep had to be dug which when filled in became pillars that supported the building. Without these pillars the Basilica would have sunk into the soil. •1878 : Work begins on the crypt. •1881 : Work begins on the Basilica proper. •1914 : Everything is ready for the consecration, including the bell tower that houses the Savoyarde, a 19-tonne bell, but the breakout of World War 1 in 1914 puts it on hold. •1919 : The consecration takes place on 16 October Yvemarline , Luca , Alexandra and MélissaHistory
27
Triumphal arch
The Triuphal Arc was built between 1806 and 1836. It's stands at the centre of Paris of the "Place des Étoiles", and located at the western end of the Champs-Élysée. The Triumphal Arc is in honor of those who fought fo France, particuliary those who fought during the Napoleonic Wars. Inside anc at the top of the arc are engraved all of the names of generals and soldiers. Since 1896 the Triumphal Arc is listed "historical monuments". Nowadays The journalist Gabriel Boissy suggested in 1923, a meomorial's flame stay all nights and days on the sacred grave which located under the Triumphal Arc to remember the anonymous soldiers In November 11th 1923, the flame was lighted by André Marginet, minister of the war. Since, the flame never died and every evening at 6:30 pm a solemn ceremony was organized to ravive the flame. The celebration never stopped. The memorial's flame and the gravestone of the soldiers are today the sacrifice symbol of all of the war's death.
Marine R. 29
Where is the memorial located? The Arc de Triomphe is located at the center of Place Charles de Gaulle, in the middle of the juncture between 12 avenues radiating away from it.
When was the memorial first unveiled? The Arc was first unveiled in the year 1836 after 30 years of construction time.
What does the memorial commemorate? It commemorates those who fought in the Napoleonic and French Revolutionary wars by the engravings of their names on the stones at the top of the arc. This resulted in the spread of revolutionary principles all over Europe. It also honours the people and soldiers that fell during the First World War who could never be identified by the “Tomb of the unknown soldier� beneath it.
Do you think the memorial should be kept? Yes, because firstly it reminds of the thousands of soldiers that died in the First World War, the Napoleonic and French Revolutionary wars and keeps our memory of them alive in the present time. Secondly, because it is one of the most famous monuments in Paris and can now be considered a historical artefact. Lastly, it has a very central and often visited location (at the juncture of 12 radiating avenues). This makes it even more valuable because hundreds of people pass it everyday and are reminded of the tragic cause for which it was built. As a result, it is not only remembered as a memorial of the fatalities, but also as a memory of what the horrible outcomes of wars can be. Aaron Schwietring
30
Chapter 2
In Germany
Stumbling Stones in Hannover
Location: It's located in Hannover but there are many other similar stumbling stones everywhere in Germany and even, but less, in other european countries (18) as Austria, Russia, France and so on. When were they first unveiled?: Their first unveilment was in 1992 What is being commemorated: These stones commemorate victims of the Second World War (WW2) and concentration camp, persecuted or murdered by the Nazis. The small brass plaques in the pavement in front of houses of which the residents were persecuted or murdered by the Nazis,mention the name,date of birth and place (mostly a concentration camp land date date of death)
What, do you think, is "typically German" about this ? In many cities in Germany thousands of these plaques and their numbers is are couting. In addition all stolpersteine/ stumbling stones are laid by the German artist, Gunter Deming.
Do you think the commemoration should be kept or left? I think it's a good thing that the Germans commemorate the victims of the WW2: It shows that they are concious about what happened and what was done by the Nazis and that they're against it. But in spite of that, the war took place a very long time ago and there're already a lot of commemorations about it and thus it's not necessary to keep installing stumbling stones. However that kind of monument could be used as an interpretation of an invitation to support an idea of extreme nationalism.
William, Ananna. Alexandra,Yvemarline, Luca L, Melissa
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"Bismarckschule" (school's name) h t t p s : / / w w w. g o o g l e . d e / m a p s / p l a c e / B i s m a r c k s c h u l e / @ 5 2 . 3 1 9 0 4 6 3 , 9 . 6 1 9 7 1 7 4 , 11 . 0 5 z / d a t a = ! 4 m 5 ! 3 m 4 ! 1s0x47b00b32eec80a99:0x9dc7fc8c902e493d!8m2!3d52.3553465!4d9.7475435
by: Julia, Nele, Vi, Marie, Alexandre, Assim, Nawel, Axara
Location: Hannover, street: An der Bismarckschule 5 When were they first unveiled?: Founded in 1906 as "Reformrealgymnasium" (for boys) Bismarckschule is a school which was unveiled in 1906, and is located in the city of Hannover, in Germany. In the 1860s he engineered a series of wars that unified the German states, significantly and deliberately excluding Austria, into a powerful German Empire under Prussian leadership. With that accomplished by 1871 he used balance of power diplomacy to maintain Germany's position in a Europe which, despite many disputes and war scares, remained at peace.
What is being commemorated: Bismarckschule commemorates Otto von Bismarck who was a German-Prussian statesman who dominated German and European affairs from the 1860s until 1890s. In the 1860s he engineered a series of wars that unified the German state, significantly and deliberately excluding Austria, into a powerful German Empire under Prussian leadership. With that accomplished by 1871 he used balance of power diplomacy to maintain Germany's position in a Europe which, despite many disputes and war scares, remained at peace. Commemoration - the Bismarckschule in Hanover Today, many streets, places and schools are named after Bismarck, known as the “iron chancellor”. Even in Hanover, Germany, there is a Bismarckschule. However, we wanted to find out what he is commemorated for, taking a look at his actions and motives.
We can all agree that he was one of the most enigmatic German authorities of the past being politically active from 1862 until 1890. Bismarck was Minister-President and Foreign Minister of Prussia in the years until 1871 pursuing his aim to create a unified Germany with his famous blood and iron speech which became symbolic of Bismarckian Power politics (back then, the unification of the Southern states with the so called “Norddeutscher Bund” was considered impossible). He is thus referred to as the iron chancellor. Besides, he saved his country from inner constitutional conflicts that could have ended in a military coup in 1862. Some historians state that Bismarck made Germany a great power in Europe both politically and economically by building up the Second German Empire and making sure that everything that was achieved was maintained and safeguarded through a rather defensive foreign policy after becoming chancellor in 1871. He therefore set up a complicated system of alliances trying to isolate France as he feared that the country may unite against Germany. In effect new leagues were successfully created. What is more, Bismarck established multiple social reforms such as the health insurance creating a social welfare system that made a tremendous change for the people. He also was a popular mediator in European affairs and was thus often asked to host c o n f e r e n c e s o f i n t e r n a t i o n a l i m p o r t a n c e . However, Bismarck also had a dark side: he was a great supporter of monarchy and the cruel and violent abatement of riots connected to the March revolution. Moreover, he considered war a good way to gain more power and well-calculated provocations eventually led to war against Austria and France pursuing a rather aggressive foreign policy as a Minister-President and Foreign Minister of Prussia. Bismarck may have united Germany but his aggressive intention to achieve unity or “Weltpolitik” completely destroyed e.g. Britain’s usually romantic, good view on Germany and made them think differently about it like many other countries. In addition, he strongly disliked the Catholic Church and therefore introduced the “Kulturkampf”. He claimed that the Catholics could only give some of their loyalty and not all of it to the Second Reich as they reserved most of their loyalty to the Pope. He therefore 35
called them “a state within a state” endangering German unity. When the Catholic Centre Party was founded his anxiety increased because he believed that they gave more allegiance to Rome and not Germany. In 1873 he established Anti-Catholic Laws undermining the power of the pope in Germany and Bishops were now appointed by the state. During the “Kulturkampf” numerous Bishops and priests were imprisoned and exiled. Furthermore, he was not a great fan of socialism either. In his eyes socialism was a threat to political and social unity and accused them of being “un-German” as he saw it as an international movement. When in 1878 there were two attempts to assassinate the Kaiser, Bismarck used this as an excuse to pass the buck to the socialists and introduced anti-socialist laws which abolished their freedom of assembly and publication. So socialist organizations and meetings and numerous newspapers were b a n n e d i n 1 8 7 8 . Summing up, there is no doubt that Bismarck contributed a lot to Germany’s status as a united nation that was feared and respected by many other powers and shaped the German State sustainably with his great influence on politics and his positive contributions to society (e.g. by introducing the social welfare system). However, people who are being commemorated in form of naming schools or streets after them (like Bismarck) did not always have a c o m p l e t e l y c l e a n s l a t e . In this example, Otto von Bismarck was not the perfect prototype chancellor he is often deemed. His motives and actions against opponents and minorities were rather questionable as violence today should not be considered a possible method for solving c o n f l i c t s . Important authorities should be commemorated, but definitely not for only one good act in their whole lifetime. Therefore, it is necessary to take both sides, including positive and negative "factors" of someone's life, into consideration when creating a monument.
What, do you think, is "typically German" about this? Do you think the commemoration should be kept or left? We think that Bismarck should no longer be commemorated because Bismarck provoked three short, decisive wars against Denmark, Austria, and France, , aligning the smaller German states behind Prussia in its defeat of France and that influenced badly the Unification of Germany. Feedback: Of course he did provoke wars and his behaviour towards the Catholics and Socialists was unacceptable so I do understand your opinion. But still he contributed a lot to German society for example by establishing a social welfare system that included various insurances for the German citizens. What I am trying to say is that you could also take his "good deeds" into consideration when elaborating on the question if someone deserves being commemorated or not. There is no doubt that Bismarck's actions against the Catholic and Socialist people were really bad and that he started wars. But who did not? There are so many politicians in the past whose behaviours were flawed. I think we can all agree that nobody is perfect. So if the condition for someone to be commemorated is that they only contributed good things and that they are totally flawless (in terms of of behaviour and actions) no one would be commemorated today as everyone, no matter how virtuous they may seem, has a "dark side". What do you think about this? And all in all, thank you for your feedback, I really appreciate it. :)
Greetings from Germany, bisous! Vi
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Langensalzastrasse (street name) Location: Southern part of Hannover, near the "Maschsee"
painting of the battle of Langensalza left : Hannover , right: Prussia
Langensalzastrasse (street name) Location: Southern part of hannover, near the "Maschsee"
the king fled to Vienna after awarding a medal to the commander of the forces of Hannover. These facts show that even though Hannover won one battle they did not succeed in defending themselves at the end. As monuments go, they remember only one side of events and one particular part of history which suits their values and purposes. Side fact: there are also propaganda posters from that time which promote the same ideas.
When were they first unveiled?: The date is unknown to us What is being commemorated?: The LangensalzastraĂ&#x;e refers to the battle of Langensalza which was fought on the 27th of june 1866, as part of the German war. The prussians attacked the army of Hannover but were defeated and had to retreat. This victory was however not very long-lasting as the army of Hannover was surrounded shortly afterwards and had to capitulate. As a result, Hannover, which had been a kingdom before the war, became part of prussia. The street was named not directly afterwards but later when Hannover was already under the prussian reign. In that time the wish for indepence had begun to grow amid the people and they used the battle of langensalza to commemorate their short-lived succes against the prussians. The confidence and the rebellious feelings in the population increased afterwards as they remembered that they had already won once and "could do it again" even though prussia was a superpower compared to the kingdom of Hannover (David against Goliath). What they did not commemorate about this battle was that the victory of Hannover lasted approximately a day and that they had to capitulate afterwards because of lack of ammunition, huge losses and the soldiers' exhaustion. Also the battle of Langensalza was the time when Hannover stopped being an independent kingdom and became part of prussia. As a result of this humiliation
By Hanna F, Katharina G, Zoe J
What, do you think, is "typically German" about this? What is typically german about this is that Germany named a street after a battle , the battle Langensalza , which for exemple in France this type of commemoration doesn't exist. Do you think the commemoration should be kept or left? In my opinion this commemoration should be left , because it was just a one day victory. Even if the army of Hannover fought bravely and deserves a tribute , by logic loses aren't a thing to commemorate. T.Monyrachsmey
Feedback-comment:
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If this is not typically german, what do you see as typically German? Are there streets in France named after famous battles? Of course the Battle of Langensalza kind of represented the values you named, but what do you think about the fact that Hannover lost the status of a kingdom one day later as a result of the exhausted soldiers who were then outnumbered? Should this have an influence on the way the battle is seen? Thank you for your comment and we hope that you will also think about the other questions and send some more Feedback. Greetings from Germany!
Thank you for this feedback it helped me a lot. Shout outs to you from France!
WE can say that is tipically German because the street is in Germany. It's an old city and there are old traditions. The commemoration should be kept because the city is linked to t h e h i s t o r y o f G e r m a n y . Laura & Camille Le Coz \ Marine Cigoja
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Stauffenbergplatz (streetname)
Location: MĂźhlenberg, 30457 Hannover
When were they first unveiled?: it was named "Stauffenbergplatz" in 1966. w w w. h a n n o v e r. d e / . . . / f i l e / A n l a g e - 1 Beizubehaltende+StraĂ&#x;ennamen_29.09.2015.pdf
So he did try to remove Hitler in spite of (being aware of) the dangers, which would have changed the course of history dramatically and possibly could have saved millions of lives, but his reasons were not all that heroivc and selfless.
What is being commemorated: the German army officer and leader of a resistance movement that very nearly assassinated Adolf Hitler in 1944.
He tried to do the 'right' thing (by todays's standards), but partly for the 'wrong' reasons (more egoistic and simple: not believing Hitler was a good military leader and refusing to totally submit to him due to pride).
The Stauffenberg square commemorates Claus Schenk von Stauffenberg (1907-1944) for his attempted assassination of Hitler.
by Isabel W-J
Originally a supporter of Nazism and Hitler, welcoming the renewed conscription (/duty to join the military), remilitarisation of the Rheinland and joining with Austria he later turned against him.
Photo / weblink: http://www.dw.com/en/germany-remembers-stauffenberg-onexecution-anniversary/a-5820912
Although he was not a democrat, he had problems with totally submitting to Hitler, since he was very proud and believed his social status/class did not allow him to bow to a "mere civilian". This was one of the first points where he disagreed with Hitler.
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The turning point came later, when the war had started.
What, do you think, is "typically German" about this?
There is evidence of von Stauffenberg agreeing with Hitler's negative opinions of forrenors and Jews (according to Roger Moorhouse: '' A Good German? Roger Moorhouse takes issue with the secular sainthood bestowed on Claus von Stauffenberg'' in 'History Today', January 2009, he 'described the Poles as 'an unbelievable rabble' of 'Jews and mongrels' ''), but still his main and primary reason for the later attempt was his horror at the Holocaust and the increased brutality of Nazism.
It's a typical German place because the two persons are German. Hitler, a really known dictator and Stauffernberg who wanted to kill him. It is German history that happenned in Germany.
However, he also viewed Hitler's removal as a necissity for winning the war, which was also very important to him. According to him, Hitler was not a good leader of the military and steering the nation to a great defeat.
Do you think the commemoration should be kept or left? We think that this commemoration should be kept because it is kind of important for history. Somebody tried to kill a man that was racist and started war. It was really significant because nobody had the courage to stand and face Hitler for all the bad things that he did. by Lovasoa Gogibus , Wiktoria Kraszewski , Christophe Dias and Celia Sid 41
Public celebrations: 3 October
Location: Germany When were they first unveiled?:
day-off work , and a lot of them gather to attend big public celebrations. Therefore, many businesses such as post offices and banks are closed. Germany's flag( the darkness of servitude (black); bloody conflict (red); and the light of freedom (gold)) is displayed everywhere, particularly on public buildings, on German Unity Day.
It was first commemorated on October the 3rd 1990. What is being commemorated: German Unity Day ( Tag der Deutschen Einheit ) is annually held on October 3 to mark the anniversary of the nation's unification. Indeed, German Democratic Republic The Federal Republic of Germany or FRG was separated by building a wall from the Democratic Republic . One year after the destruction of the wall on November the 9TH 1989, they commemorated the German Unity Day for the first time on October the 3rd 1990. We earlier saw how France and other European countries celebrate their national days, and how they commemorate important moments and figures, but what about Germany? The nation of sausages, beer and schnitzels. How and when does the black red and yellow flagged country celebrate its national day? We investigated on this German patriotic day, here’s the result. After World War 2, germany was left divided in four different areas or millitary sectors controlled by France, United Kingdoms, United States and the Soviet Union. Then Germany parted in two areas because the zone belonging to the Soviet Union became the DDR(Deutsche Demokratische Republik), and this separation officialy came to an end the October the 3rd 1900.
During those festivities, speeches, concerts, communal meals, traditional German food and culture presentations, and fireworks are organized.For example, in Berlin near the Bradenburg Gate various stages host live bands and artists and there are lots of stands selling food, drinks and sweet. Many of the activities are suitable for families like horseback riding and other fairground attractions. There are also s p e c i a l t v b r o a d c o a s t a b o u t G e r m a n h i s t o r y. The German national day, October the 3rd is a little patriotic vacation for a lots of families and friends , but its also a way to discover the cultural background of this beautiful country and not to forget the ones who fought for freedom and peace. By Zara METIN,Joanye SORCE et Nilhani RAVICHANDRAN According to what we read, we should commemorate this because it is a big part of German history but we should also forget it because it is a dark part of German history. by Lalya, Noor & Shynna
That's why on October the 3rd, many German people have a 43
people were executed") and distance markers were used to show that the Terreur was being treated in a critical light ("[...] a law was passed which made it
Commemoration in school - The "Terreur" in British and (East) German textbooks Another way of commemorating the past is teaching it at school, in the medium of textbooks. We compared two textbooks: One was an English textbook published in 2007, the other was a textbook from the GDR, published in 1968. We looked at the way they portrayed the Reign of terror under Robespierre. There were marked differences between the way the Terreur was portrayed in those two textbooks. In the English textbook facts were supported by numbers ("During the revolution, around 17000
possible for anyone to be executed just on suspicion of being an 'enemy' of the Revolution."). The overall message was that what happened during the Terreur was bad.
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The German GDR-textbook on the other hand very clearly put the Terreur into a good light, portraying it as 'necesarry' and 'demanded by the people'. By asking the question: Why is it good what Robespierre did? it didn't even leave the students a chance to disagree. This is because the GDR had a very similar system to Robespierre's during the Terreur and the children were raised to believe in this system - brain-washing.
Of course we have to keep in mind that the English textbook is biased as well, promoting our values like freedom of speech and rule of law. But this shows that portraying and commemorating the past in a particular way can also be a way to influence people in the present and also, that we always have a certain perspective when looking at the past and nothing is ever unbiased. by Lena Janczuk An interesting point of discussion: At the moment there are still emergency laws in France due to the terror attacks. Can you tell us something about whether this situation alters the way that Robespierre is portrayed in France at the moment? We would be really interested!
  (In the picture it says : "Robespierre about the revolutionary Terror: "One or the other must be defeated. To punish the oppressors of humankind is lenient,to forgive them is inhuman." (in the box). Explain Robespierre's words! Why is it right to punish those severely that want to restore an old and old-fashioned system? relate your conclusions to the present!(exercise below the box).")
To be honest neither my students nor see any link between Terreur and the State of Emergency due to terrorism . But you may help us understand why it should alter our perception of Robespierre .
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Martin Luther
What is being commemorated? During the 15th Century the Catholic Church was the most dominant confession in Europe and there was no other competing confession besides it. The perception of the catholic church of their own god was a rather deterrent one, saying that god punishes people and that humans are servile to him. In order to dodge this heavy punishment after death in the so called “purgatory”, people had to pay a lot of money to the church to receive a “letter of indulgence”. This letter would lower the time that will allegedly be spent in the purgatory or even suspend it. Of course, seen from nowadays it seems ridiculous, but a lot of people at that time believed in it. Luther, born in northern Germany and living as a monk in a monastery found his own interpretation of the bible in the beginning of the 1510’s. According to his interpretation god loves everyone and offered his son as a sacrifice to “free” the humans. For the majority of the believing people this idea was too abstract and too uncommon to be true. Luther didn’t start his actual Reformation with the 95 Theses, though they had the biggest impact on the turn of the influence of the Catholic Church. He began with open protests and on October 31st, 1517 he nailed a list with 95 Theses on the door of
the Wittenberg church. These included all his points, where he did not agree with the Catholic Church or where they were contradicting themselves. During the time he spent on the “Wartburg”, trying to escape the prosecution of the church, which followed his uproar, Luther dedicated most of his time translating the bible from Latin into German (most of the citizens in Germany were only able to read German or were even illiterate). When Luther is commemorated, most people think of his positive contribution to religion and leave out the fact, that Luther developed strong anti Semitist believes during his lifetime. In 1523, he accused the Catholic Church of unfair treatment towards the Jews. This was, because Luther wanted to “help” the Jews by converting them to Christians. “I would request and advise that one deal gently with them [the Jews],” he wrote to the Catholic Church. However, as he became older, he noticed Jews trying to convert Christians, which upset him. He concluded, that it was hopeless to try and convert Jews. Furthermore, it seemed to him that “God had deserted the Jews” and “rejected them” because of their stubbornness not converting to Christians. In 1543, he started implementing and suggesting the treatment of Jews that German princes could take. He said “(1) burn their schools and synagogues; (2) transfer Jews to community 47
settlements; (3) confiscate all Jewish literature, which was blasphemous; (4) prohibit rabbis to teach, on pain of death; (5) deny Jews safeconduct, so as to prevent the spread of Judaism; (6) appropriate their wealth and use it to support converts and to prevent the lewd practice of usury; (7) assign Jews to manual labor as a form of penance”(christianitytoday.com). Although this was not implemented by everyone in power, it shows us Luther’s racist mindset toward Jews just because they did want to become Christians and abandon their believes.
areas are left out when looking at his history and evaluating if he really was a brave person or what his standpoints and opinions were in the Reformation and lastly, how much he actually valued and supported the normal people or peasants.
Another example that is mostly left out during Luther’s commemoration is his dealings with peasant revolt during the Peasant’s War going on in Germany. Although he is seen by many as one of the causes of the revolt of the people, he did not support them. Instead, he turned his back on the people even though he had been one of the main reasons peasants felt exploited by the rich landowners who taxed them and who they had to work for. As a result of this injustice, the German peasants started to revolt against the “godless nobility”. The revolt started to frighten him and he urged rulers of the higher classes to put down this revolt. They achieved this by putting killing 100000 people in cruel ways. In summary, we can see that Luther is commemorated in a much more positive light than he should be, because many
International Reformation Day, which is held on October 31st every year, shows the recognition of Luther’s work and the impact on the society at that time until today. Besides this special day, which is stated a national holiday in some German states, there are lots of other ways to honor and value the founder of the new confession. In 2017, the Reformation Day will celebrate its 500th anniversary.
Martin Luther died February 18th, 1546 due to a heart malfunction. By that time, the support he had gained from several landlords increased until especially in the north of Germany, there was a major tendency towards Protestantism.
In Hannover, the “Lutherkirche” is the best-known example for commemoration of Luther. Another example is the Lutherschule, a high school including grades 5 through 12 in the northern part of Hannover (bottom left picture).Furthermore, there is also the “Lutherdenkmal”, a memorial 48
especially for Martin Luther (bottom right picture). Sources: Lutherkirche: https://upload.wikimedia.org/ wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/20/Lutherkirchehannover.jpg/220px-Lutherkirche-hannover.jpg Lutherdenkmal: https://upload.wikimedia.org/ wikipedia/commons/8/82/Hannover__Martin_Luther.jpg https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther http://www.luther.de/ https://www.heiligenlexikon.de/BiographienM/ Martin_Luther.html http://www.biography.com/people/martinluther-9389283#spiritual-anguish-and-enlightenment http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/issues/ issue-39/was-luther-anti-semitic.html http://www.christianity.com/church/church-history/ timeline/1501-1600/german-peasantrevolt-11629931.html  by Jakob and Aaron
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Hinrich Wilhelm Kopf worthy of commemoration?
were chosen to be renamed by the current government. The current prime minister of Lower Saxony, Stephan Weil, stated that Kopf ¨lied to the parliament¨, and is therefore not worthy of commemoration. There used to be a ¨HinrichWilhelm-Kopf Elementary School¨ and a ¨HinrichWilhelm-Kopf-Square¨ in Hannover, they now have different names.
Hinrich Wilhelm Kopf (1893-1961) is remembered as the first prime minister of Lower Saxony in the Post-War years (1945-1961). He was a "founding father" of the new federal state of Lower Saxony and a member of the SPD (Social Democrats). For this he was commemorated in road and school names, for example. In 2010, the Historian Theresa Nentwig wrote her doctoral thesis about Kopf and especially his involvement within the National Socialist regime in Germany.
We can just agree on this decison because Germans shouldn't commemorate People who were involved in the Nazi regime of terror. Even if he wasn't a National Socialsist by belive he still can't be retained because he earned money by working for those.
It came out, that between 1939 and 1942, Hinrich Wilhelm Kopf helped the National Socialist regime with the distribution of stolen Jewish and Polish property by acting as a trustee. Thereby he supported the expropriation of Jews and even received financial provisions. Kopf was on a put on a list of war criminals by the Allies after the war, but he never faced a trial. With this further knowledge of Kopf's past, a debate was started, and a number of public places
By Florian Herrmann and Marvin Drotleff >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> What, do you think, is "typically German" about this? It is typically german because the Nazi party is a German party Do you think the commemoration should be kept or left? He should propably still be commemorated even if he was involved in the nazi regime (in the name of the nazi government, he is considered as a 50
criminal of the war ) because we think that we should'nt forget anything. We shouldn't have to commemorate him as a good person but still remember what he did.
nazis those are not really good memorys anymore. Bad people don't get commemorated anyways, even if they were not the worst. Just events like the holocaust which demanded the lifes of millions (or less) are commemorated to honor and not forget the dead.
By Lovasoa and Wiktoria.
Florian Herrmann
Feedback: Of course, you should not forget anything, but don't you think naming a school after someone is a bit too much? Usually people that places get named after have done something good, and Hinrich Wilhelm Kopf has done good things, but his past is just not justifying a commemoration like that. By the way, he was not a member of the NSDAP. By Marvin Drotleff To be added to Marvin's feedback: I can just agree with Marvin. In our today's world people and events get commemoriated because they changed history in a extraordinary good or bad way. The German places named after Hinrich Wilhelm Kopf were supposed to be to commemorate the good things he did during his lifetime. But if those memories get covered by the shadows of Wilhelmkopf's past working with the 51
Memorial of Verdun
1 : When were they first unveiled ?
•
In 1967
2: What is being commemorated?
•
The history of the battle, the violence of this battle and the dead soldiers.
3: What do you think is “typically German” about this? • We think that it’s “typically German” because they commemorate the battle of Verdun and their dead German soldiers. 4: Do you think the commemoration should be kept or left?
• We think that it should be kept because it’s a great thing to remember the history about billions of people. It’s symbolic because it was a massacre and the monument symbolized to never repeat this. What is being commemorated - German-French relations and the battle of Verdun:
The relationship between France and Germany had always been a bumpy one. The Napoleonic Wars only increased the enimity between the regions.
During the Napoleonic Wars Germans fought on both sides, Napoleon’s side eventually winning. The years of Occupation under Napoleon gave birth to german nationalism in opposition to Napoleon’s occupation. After Napoleon's defeat, several german states (Prussia, Bavaria and the Duchy of Hesse) soon formed into one state and replaced France as the biggest nation (population-wise) in Europe. Soon after this, The Franco-Prussian war was won by Prussia (Germany) and France was forced to let go of more territory and was also forced to pay a large sum of money (5 billion Francs). This left a great need for revenge in the population of France especially over the loss of the region of Alsace and parts of Lorraine. This desire for revenge was one of the main reasons for France to join the first world war. They wanted to regain their lost territory and get revenge on the german people. Furthermore, they wanted to restore their status as the leading land power in Europe. Now to the Battle of Verdun. It was first intended to bleed the french army dry as they could not give up the area due to morale. The german generals believed that the forts in the area were of too much historical importance to be given up and therefore the french army would pour in troops to support it. They did not, however, consider that the french army would be able to mount much of a resistance. Over the total course of the battle (more than 300 53
days) more than 360 thousand french soldiers died and up to 340 thousand germans lost their lives. This massive loss of life changed something in the relationship between the two countries. The french still pushed for harsh punishments for Germany after them losing the first and second world war, but this mutual loss of so many men bonded the countries. After the end of the second world war the cold war started to develop. Germany and France had to get closer to become the center of today's Europe. The two countries developed a strong relationship and are now the backbone of the European Union.
Do you think the commemoration should be kept or left?
Also by commemorating the crucial battle together, the French-German relations had improved leaving no more of the former rivalry of "arch enemies". Still the commemoration of the battle of Verdun is not only acting as a remembrance for the lost soliders, but also as reminder against the cruelty of war to never let something like this terrible and senseless global war happen again. Angela Merkel herself described Verdun as a:"terrible tragedy (...) but also as something to draw lessons from and to represent the reconciliation between the two states.” (Angela Merkel 29.5.16)
By Emma, Marine and Terry
it's typically German because the battle of Verdun was fought in world war 1 and it's France against Germany but they didn't win the world war 1 it's France win the world war 1 against germany and they commemorate the man who lost their lives during the battle and I think they should be kept because it's a good thing to remember this battle and try to avoid the mistakes of the past. On the other hand it would be a pity if the French German friendship only relied on such commemoration.
Frederick and Henrik What, do you think, is "typically German" about this? 54