Draft:Monument à la gloire des infirmières françaises
The content of this article is translated from the existing French Wikipedia article at fr:Monument en hommage aux infirmières du monde; see its history for attribution.
| Monument à la gloire des infirmières françaises | |
|---|---|
 Monument to the Nurses | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Town or city | Reims |
| Country | France |
| Coordinates | 49°15′27″N 4°02′21″E / 49.25738°N 4.03915°E |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Charles Girault |
The Monument in Tribute to the Nurses of the World is located in Reims in the department of Marne and the region Champagne-Ardenne.
It honors the civilian nurses of the Great War (1914-1918).
It was designed by architect Charles Girault in collaboration with sculptor Denys Puech.
History
[edit]At the end of World War I, Juliette Lambert, wife of Adam, launched an international subscription for the erection of a monument to the memory of these women nurses whose names never appear on war memorials.
On March 10, 1922, the Reims City Council, by 17 votes to 7, adopted the proposal for the location of Esplanade Cérès (future Place Aristide-Briand) for the Nurses' Monument Committee[1].
Erected in 1924 in Reims, the monument "in glory of the French and Allied nurses who fell victim to their devotion" honors the nurses who fell under enemy fire between 1914 and 1918.
According to François Cochet, a historian from Reims, "The city of Reims was chosen because it paid the highest tribute in France to the First World War with nearly 800 civilian victims killed following the incessant bombardments of the German enemy. For four years, the city was bombarded for 1100 consecutive days."
On November 11, 1924, the monument was inaugurated in the presence of civil, military, and religious authorities of Reims, including Juliette Adam[2].
After World War II, a commemorative plaque was added to the monument in honor of the nurses and stretcher-bearers who died in the American allied bombing on May 30, 1944, which killed 52 people in Reims[1].
On July 13, 2020, a plaque in tribute to the healthcare workers mobilized during the Covid-19 health crisis was unveiled by the mayor of Reims[3].
Description
[edit]The monument is located at the center of Place Aristide Briand (formerly the Esplanade Cérès), at the intersection of Boulevard Lundy, Boulevard de la Paix, Avenue Jean-Jaurès, and Rue Cérès. The stele represents two nurses with a wounded soldier.
Inscription facing Boulevard de la Paix (The Nurses' Golden Book is kept in the Municipal and Community Archives of Reims): "At the generous call of Juliette Adam, this monument was erected by international subscription in memory of all the nurses of the allied nations who perished as victims of their devotion - The city of Reims piously keeps the Golden Book of the noble women fallen on the field of honor in its archives."
Inscription facing Boulevard Lundy (names of the nations allied with France during World War I): France - United Kingdom – Italy - Japan - Australia – Canada - Poland - Greece - Portugal
A plaque at the foot of the stele pays tribute to the healthcare workers who were on the front lines during the coronavirus crisis: "Committed to the service of everyone's health, thanks to the healthcare personnel for their exemplary mobilization 13/07/2020"
It should be noted that this monument, which is of great symbolic significance, is not unique, as there is another nurses' monument in France, in Pierrefonds, erected in the park of the Hôtel des Bains. Unlike Reims, this one concern military nurses[4].
External Link
[edit]- ^ a b "Le monument aux infirmières de Reims". cndp.fr (in French)..
- ^ "Coronavirus: Monument érigé à la gloire des infirmières victimes de leur dévouement". france3-regions (in French)..
- ^ "Monument érigé à la gloire des infirmières victimes de leur dévouement à Reims". france3-regions (in French)..
- ^ le chamois (30 January 2008). "Le monument national aux infirmières à Pierrefonds (Oise)". canalblog.com. Retrieved 27 April 2023..
