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144:. The monument consists of 500 metal panels that are arranged in an ellipse pattern, each 3 meters (almost 10 ft) in height. Each panel contains approximately 1200 names of fallen soldiers, listed alphabetically by last name. The 500th panel remains blank so that any newly discovered names may be inscribed. The most noteworthy aspect of the Ring of Memory is that it is the first memorial to list alphabetically, with no regard to rank nor nationality.
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the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region, and who today are brought together all in one place." The elliptical shape of the monument captures this sentiment and evokes a sense of "posthumous fraternity" and unity among countries that were once enemies. It draws no lines, makes no distinctions, and instead recognizes a common and inclusive humanity. The memorial invokes a sense of
European loss rather than strictly national loss.
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Nord-Pas-de-Calais between 1914 and 1918. Each of the 500 panels is 10 feet in height, and is engraved with the names of approximately 1,200 men, with the 500th panel remaining blank so that any newly discovered names may be inscribed. The names are listed alphabetically, rather than by nationality, starting with "A, Tet" and concluding with "Zschiesche, Paul". It resides around 550 feet away from France's largest
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On the source of his inspiration, Prost explains, "I was thinking about the rings you make when you're a child, or a human ring when everyone holds each others' hands in a sign of fellowship, and that seemed to me like the image, the form best suited to speaking about these 600,000 soldiers killed in
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The ring symbolizes eternity and the continuous cycle of birth and death. The materials used to construct the ring, stainless steel and concrete, are materials that will withstand the passing of time, which further reinforces the sense of eternity. While the ring is a symbol of the current peace in
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The Ring of Memory is the only memorial that lists names alphabetically with no distinctions in rank, nationality, or allegiance. Prost stresses, "No ranks, no nationalities: just a dizzying list of the human stories that ended on France's northern battlefields." The names of friends and foes are
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The memorial consists of an 1132-foot perimeter ellipse (about the length of 3.75 football fields) constructed out of stainless steel panels and concrete, with a 200-foot portion elevated off of the ground. The panels are arranged facing inwards on the ring and list the 579,606 casualties in
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war memorial, is distinctly different from the Ring, as it only lists high-ranking officers from the French army according to their rank, and not any enlisted men. The Arc de
Triomphe also only denotes a casualty by underlining the dead soldier's name.
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The monument was built in Nord-Pas-de-Calais, on a plot of 5.4 acres of land on a hill 541 feet high, which was commonly referred to as the "bloody hill". Nord-Pas-de-Calais is historically a strategic military location in both
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393:"Battles of Artois 1915 | Nearby: Notre Dame de Lorette French Cemetery and Memorial | VC Corner, Fromelles | Australians on the Western Front 1914-1918"
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The monument was chosen in a public contest and was set to be built on 13 April 2011. It was designed by French designer,
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In its design, the Ring of Memory is both similar and different to other famous war memorials. Like the
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engraved together in order to establish a theme of forgiveness and reconciliation after the conflict.
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474:"Remembrance Day: Memorial Pays Tribute to the Fallen of All Sides in the First World War"
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515:"ARMISTICE DAY CELEBRATIONS - RING OF MEMORY INAUGURATION - NOTRE-DAME-DE-LORETTE"
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448:"Ablain St-Nazaire French Military Cemetery "Notre Dame de Lorette", France"
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310:"14-18 : "l'Anneau de la Mémoire" réunit les ex-ennemis dans la mort"
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Mémorial international de Notre-Dame-De-Lorette: l'Anneau de la Mémoire
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French 'Ring of Memory' memorial – an expression of fellowship
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New French WWI memorial focuses on individuals, not nations
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Prost, Philippe; Ortiz, Aitor; Le Maner, Yves (2014).
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L'Anneau de la Mémoire in Ablain-Saint-Nazaire, 2014
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World War I memorial in Ablain-Saint-Nazaire, France
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569:Mémorial International de Notre-Dame-de-Lorette
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426:. Les édifiantes éditions. pp. 11–156.
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225:Hanging over a slope © Carolin Hahnemann
501:"Agence d'Architecture Phillippe Prost"
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582:Williamson, Lucy (11 November 2014).
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571:. Paris: Les Édifiantes Éditions.
252:Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red
258:to commemorate the centenary of
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539:Sim, David (9 November 2014).
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397:www.ww1westernfront.gov.au
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171:World Wars
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59:2°43′09″E
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315:euronews
279:See also
108:Material
103:monument
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