Memorial of Verdun honors fighters from around the world
The Memorial of Verdun pays tribute to fighters from around the world who participated in the 1916 battle. The exhibition “Worlds in Battle: Verdun 1916,” inaugurated 110 years after the confrontation, offers an “innovative look” that goes beyond the traditional view of a Franco-German “paroxysmal” duel, according to Nicolas Barret, director of the memorial.
The exhibition aims to “take a step back” and adopt a “global” vision of this battle which “has been appropriated by a very national history, not to say nationalist,” explained the director. It presents artifacts and watercolors by artist Timo Bechert illustrating individual destinies.
Soldiers from all over Europe
The remains of the Danish soldier Erik Petersen Skütt, discovered near the memorial four years ago, are a “quite rare” find. “There were a lot of Danes, Poles,” said Nicolas Barret. These soldiers fought “mainly in the German army, but also in the French army. There may have been fratricidal fights.”
Thousands of Belgian civilians or Russian prisoners also took part in the battle. The exhibition particularly highlights the Senegalese riflemen: around 200,000 fought during the Great War, including 4,000 at Verdun.
