Commemorating the Great War 1914-1918
Nov 6, 2014 20:16:58 GMT
Post by Deleted on Nov 6, 2014 20:16:58 GMT
For the next 4 years, there are going to be millions of testimonials about the horrifying period of 1914-1918. I wasn't thinking about it too much until I went to Dinant in Belgium recently, which was one of the first cities to be destroyed in 1914. Most of us tend to think of the later years. Anyway, even though they are not our own "travel tales," I am pretty sure that many of us will come across information and stories about this period, some of them from our families, and others just from our countries, which were mostly all touched one way or another by this war.
On the evening news in France tonight, there was a horrifying commemoration of the destruction of Reims all through the autumn of 1914, starting on September 4th. Anyway, the city of Reims was destroyed 85% in 1914, and the cathedral was hit by 288 shells. The lead roof plates melted in the fires and actually ran out through the gargoyles, the stained glass windows were completely destroyed and most of the statues were reduced to rubble. Actually, it was photographs of the aftermath published in newspapers around the world that caused thousands of artists and intellectuals to join their national armies in the hope of saving what could be saved of the historical treasures of Europe.
My own personal history of the Great War lies with my French grandparents. I am so sorry that I don't know the whole story of their lives, but when we are young we just don't think of asking the important questions, either of our living grandparents (if we are lucky) or even our own parents. However, I do know that my grandfather was made a prisoner of war very quickly, living just 1 kilometre from the Alsace-Lorraine zone annexed by the Germans in 1871. He was extremely lucky because the opening days of the war were still "nice" and he was just sent to Germany to work on a farm with some other French soldiers. They probably fathered quite a few Franco-German bastards all through the war, because my grandfather always got a silly grin on his face whenever that period of time was mentioned. My grandmother had much less fun during the war. I don't know much of what happened, but she was a refugee with so many others, having to wander from refuge to refuge, and eventually ended up becoming a barber in Brussels. I don't have the slightest idea of the circumstances of either of them returning to their homes after the war. I don't even know how they met, just that my grandfather promised to take my grandmother to live in Paris because she was so tired of village life, and then she lived in the tiny village of his birth for more than 60 years.
Anyway, I thought it might be interesting to link this report of what happened to Reims as seen through the postcards of the time. There is absolutely no need to understand the French commentary. The images speak for themselves.
On the evening news in France tonight, there was a horrifying commemoration of the destruction of Reims all through the autumn of 1914, starting on September 4th. Anyway, the city of Reims was destroyed 85% in 1914, and the cathedral was hit by 288 shells. The lead roof plates melted in the fires and actually ran out through the gargoyles, the stained glass windows were completely destroyed and most of the statues were reduced to rubble. Actually, it was photographs of the aftermath published in newspapers around the world that caused thousands of artists and intellectuals to join their national armies in the hope of saving what could be saved of the historical treasures of Europe.
My own personal history of the Great War lies with my French grandparents. I am so sorry that I don't know the whole story of their lives, but when we are young we just don't think of asking the important questions, either of our living grandparents (if we are lucky) or even our own parents. However, I do know that my grandfather was made a prisoner of war very quickly, living just 1 kilometre from the Alsace-Lorraine zone annexed by the Germans in 1871. He was extremely lucky because the opening days of the war were still "nice" and he was just sent to Germany to work on a farm with some other French soldiers. They probably fathered quite a few Franco-German bastards all through the war, because my grandfather always got a silly grin on his face whenever that period of time was mentioned. My grandmother had much less fun during the war. I don't know much of what happened, but she was a refugee with so many others, having to wander from refuge to refuge, and eventually ended up becoming a barber in Brussels. I don't have the slightest idea of the circumstances of either of them returning to their homes after the war. I don't even know how they met, just that my grandfather promised to take my grandmother to live in Paris because she was so tired of village life, and then she lived in the tiny village of his birth for more than 60 years.
Anyway, I thought it might be interesting to link this report of what happened to Reims as seen through the postcards of the time. There is absolutely no need to understand the French commentary. The images speak for themselves.