Franco-Prussian War Memorial Belfort

This memorial (called Quand-même) commemorates the heroic struggle that the French army, under the command of Pierre Philippe Denfert-Rochereau, and with the help of the people of Belfort managed to resist the German attacks. Furthermore, it is thanks to the newly appointed French Prime Minister, Marie Joseph Louis Adolphe Thiers, that during the peace negotiations in Frankfurt, Belfort was not transferred to Germany. The faces of both are placed in the base of the monument. Quand-même means "still going on" and refers to the wish that the battle does not stop to get Alsace back to France.
By the way, the image, made by Antonin Mercié, came under a lot of criticism.
In the eyes of the inhabitants of Belfort, Thiers and Denfert-Rochereau were heroes, who were hardly shown in this image. Furthermore, the female figure was dressed in specific clothing from Alsace, to which Belfort did not count. Eventually the 3.8 meter high statue was placed in Belfort in 1883.

Do you have more information about this location? Inform us!

Source

• Text: Dick de Bruijne
• Photos: Dick de Bruijne