German War Cemetery of Langemark
Discovered one of the showers has an extractor - joy.
Mid morning the air was filled with the gentle hum of modern farm machinery. The maze field adjacent to us was harvested with remarkable speed and efficiency. Proved nice to have our horizons lowered.
Our bakery order was delivered also so it was pain du chocolats for the non celiacs. Fresh baguettes for lunch with local brie and tomatoes - fantastic.
First stop of the day was the staggering German War Cemetery.
 |
| Plaques yet to be installed. Laminated info sheets taped to the concrete |
It is my third visit and the German Cemetery stuns the senses; three thousand schoolboys desperately pressed into service take only a small area. Disappointingly the mass grave (thirty thousand in the area less than a tennis court) has been altered, the end walled off and the Four Mourners have been moved. Hard to reason why? I asked a tour guide that was there and he didn't know why but agreed that it diminishes the impact.
We ended up staying a long time and it was great to be able to do so.
We ended up staying a long time and it was great to be able to do so.
 |
| Each grave may have up to 20 names / bodies |
On the way home we called in at the beautiful Canadian Memorial on the site of the first gas attack where so many died horribly at St Julian.
 |
| The Brooding Soldier is facing the German lines from where the gas came. |
THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PEACE MEMORIAL
ReplyDeleteBlacksmithing is one of the few crafts that in World War One played a vital role in sustaining the war efforts of all combatant nations. Today blacksmithing also has a well founded reputation for being highly collaborative and international in it's outlook. It was against this backdrop that 200 blacksmiths from around the world came together in Ypres in September 2016 to construct this cenotaph.
This major international blacksmithing event was the brainchild of Luc Vandecasteele of the Belgian Guild of Blacksmiths (ASG). Working close collaboration with The British Artist Blacksmiths Association (BABA) and international groups of helpers he gained sponsorship from many companies and the approval of Ypres City Council to stage the International Blacksmithing Event in the Grote Markt as part of the Flanders centenary commemorations of World War One.
The focus of the event was the creation of a contemporary cenotaph in memory of all of those, military and civilian, involved in and affected by, the conflict. The 1 1.5 tonne solid steel plate at the centre displays the Flanders Field poppy which is the internationally recognized symbol of the war. The positive shape of the poppy projecting from the side of the plate represent those millions of lives lost and the negative profile of the poppy within the plate suggests the brighter future that stemmed from their sacrifice.
The steel plate and it’s machining, along with the concrete base and many other services were provided by the companies listed in the sponsorship section of this document. The cenotaph plate and surrounding concrete dome segments were set up in the Grote Markt in Ypres and 2016 forged steel poppies, manufactured by blacksmiths from around the world, were delivered to Ypres and set into this concrete base.
Arranged around the cenotaph plate and field of poppies now erected here at Langemark are 26 individually designed panels. These were built at the event in Ypres in temporary forging workshops set up for the event from 1st to 6‘h September. The designs for the panels, each of which evokes a memory of an event linked to the war or tells a story associated with the conflict, were created by 26 master blacksmiths from many countries. These are all listed in this document. Teams of approximately six delegate blacksmiths, under the direction of the master blacksmith, constructed the panels at the International Blacksmithing Event in Ypres.
This creative process was carried out by blacksmiths from around the world in a spirit of friendship to create this beautiful and meaningful sculpture which is now rightly called The Peace Memorial.
Following the completion of the Forging Event in Ypres the panels have been rust proofed and painted, the cenotaph plate and poppies have been transported to this site at Langemark‘s German Military Cemetary and all erected on to massive concrete foundations on this newly landscaped site which has been provided by the Langemark Poelkepella authorities.
As Terrence Clark, designer of the sculpture, commented: "in past wars metals and decorative ironworks were removed from properties to be melted down and recycled into weapons. In this project we shall be reversing it to create a memorial in homage to all those who were involved"
I'm so glad you're sharing your trip, I'm enjoying reading it. We are missing Fyfe in the morning, it's not quite so calm here!
ReplyDeleteHi Kirsty
DeleteFyfe missing his friends also. Thank you again for including him in his your school runs, it was a big part of his positive school experience at Holyport College.
Regards Philip