War Memorial Epernay

The war memorial for the two world wars stands in front of the Hôtel de Ville, formerly a mansion of Mr Auban-Moët, built in 1858 and taken over by the municipality in 1919. For the front facade, the terrace was cleverly used as a buttress of the war memorial, designed by architect Giraud and M.J. Déchin, winner of the Grand Prix de Rome de Sculpture. It was inaugurated on July 6, 1924.

The monument is an allegory of the city of Epernay.
In the center is a winged Victory with helmet and belt, with open arms.
She holds the palms of martyrdom above the lists of the dead of 1914-18, killed "for the law" and "for freedom".

At the foot of the statue on the left: "To our defenders" and on the right: "To our dead"
In 2 medallions: left "Marne 1914 Yser", right "Verdun 1918 Reims"

On the wall of the stairs hang two plaques with the names of the victims of the Second World War.
Bottom left: "France – Overseas Territories" – right: "Rhine – Danube".
There is also a small plaque with the name of a soldier who died in the Algerian war.

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Source

• Text: TracesOfWar
• Photos: Marie-Christine Vinck