War memorials

The construction of monuments to the dead was at a level equal to the trauma endured, the hardship of the occupation, the open wound of the battle fields, the bombings and destruction in the Free Zone, and the disappearance of the fighters. The monuments to the dead write a history which idealizes the country’s heroism in facing the invaders.
The cities wanted original monuments different from the styles proposed by companies, different from standardised styles. In Armentières, the monument held a central place in the reconstruction plans as 90% of the city was destroyed. It evokes the soldiers, the defenders, and the civilians, shot and asphyxiated by the mustard gas bombings.
In Lille, the monument was set against the ruins and remains of the former city hall.