Neuville St Vaast, Monument des Fraternisations

Historical Information (Source: Wikipedia)

The Monument des Fraternisations was built in Neuville-Saint-Vaast, rue de Maroeuil, on the road connecting Arras to Béthune, surrounded by the important sites of the Great War in Artois.

It adjoins the La Targette National Cemetery and the 11,500 French soldiers buried there testify to the violence of the fighting between 1915 and 1917. Adjacent is the La Targette British Cemetery and, in the distance, the White House German Military Cemetery and its 45,000 soldiers, the largest German cemetery in France. The three main warring parties are represented there. From here you can see the towers of the abbey of Mont Saint-Eloi.

First one must walk through a symbolic trench, then, after reading Barthas' words engraved in the floor, one must move on to the two groups of glass symbols that symbolize the fragility of fraternization – where the silhouettes of French, British and German soldiers catch the eye.