The War to end all Wars

18 November 2004, 14:35 genre:    by mickael

11 November is the anniversary of the end of WW1.
86 years seems a long way back in history, and these events are bound to be lost in oblivion as time passes. The last conscript here in Belgium died last September aged 107, only 7 survivors in France. 11 November is also Veterans day in the US.

It seemed an occasion for a world wide pano of remembrance. A message of peace across borders, in times of war.

Here’s what fellow panoramists were kind enough to share with this project from their location across the world. Many thanks to all of them.

-mickael


“It was time for war to come and resurect in France the sense of ideal and divine“.

General Rebillot, Libre Parole, 13 Dec. 1914.

 

Austria

Bernhard Vogl

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Heldendenkmal (heroes’ monument), Vienna. 11-11-04

“First it has to be said that there are no celebrations on Nov. 11th commemorating the victims of WWI. When looking for something WWI-related for the 11th of November i came across the “Heldendenkmal”, located at the entry to the “Heldenplatz” in Vienna.“

“The Heldendenkmal was originally built as an outer gate to the Hofburg and was converted 1934 into a monument by R. Wondracek. Today, the monument is not only dedicated to WWI but to all victims of WWI and II. Inside is a chapel with 10 books holding the names of the sodiers killed between 1914 and 1918. Every day the pages of the books are advanced by one page, so that every name can be read once in a year.“
B.V.

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Belgium

Alain Hamblenne

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Le Mémorial Interallié de Cointe, Liège. 11-11-04

“Liège, en tant que première ville à  s‘être opposée efficacement aux envahisseurs en 1914, fut choisie en 1925 par la Fédération Internationale des Anciens Combattants comme lieu d‘édification d’un monument interallié, financé par des souscriptions publiques et privées dans les pays alliés. Sa conception fut confiée à  l’Architecte anversois, Joseph SMOLDEREN et les travaux qui débutèrent en septembre 1928, s’arrêtèrent, inachevés, en 1935. L‘édifice religieux, le premier, fut béni et consacré au Sacé-Coeur en 1936 ; le monument civil, lui, fut inauguré le 20 juillet 1937 en présence de sa Majesté le Roi Léopold III.
Le mémorial civil compte, dans son enceinte, plusieurs monuments offerts à  Liège par les Nations alliées ; 7 pays sont actuellement représentés : l’Italie, la France, la Roumanie, l’Espagne, la Grèce, la Grande-Bretagne, la Pologne et la Russie.“

 

Mickael Therer

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Hill 62, Sanctuary Wood. 11am 11-11-04

“The dearest and most dreadful spot in the whole of that desolation of abomination called the firing line”. Noel Chavasse.

“At Sanctuary Wood Museum, near the village of Passendaele, a section of the British trenches has been preserved. For the soldiers in the War this was Hill 62 (referring to its slightly elevated location, which made it deadly when the attack uphill towards the German lines was launched). Some of the heaviest fighting of the First World War took place here in 1915-16.“

“In October 1914 the wood was in a quiet area – hence it became known as ‘Sanctuary Wood’. But by 1915 it had become part of the front-line. In the summer of 1916 the Germans launched a number of attacks in the area, but were eventually driven back by the Canadians who retook Hill62, close to the site of the museum. Today the trees at the site are new – but there are remains of some original trees – blasted and full of bullet holes and shell fragments.“


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Sanctuary Wood – Hill 62


“In 1917, the area of Flanders to the east of Ypres had great strategic importance because it was dominated by a German occupied ridge from the East to the South of Ypres. This was the only high ground in a flat, featureless plain.“

“The Battle of Passendaele cost over half a million lives over its 3 months. The Germans lost about 250,000 lives and the British 300,000 of whom 36,500 were Australian. 90,000 British or Australian bodies were never identified, 42,000 were never recovered; these had been blown to bits or had drowned in the dreadful morass. “

“Many of the drowned were exhausted or wounded men who had slipped or fallen off the duckboards and were unable to escape the filthy, foul-smelling glutinous mud, sinking deeper to their deaths as they struggled. The name of Passendaele has been synonymous with all that is loathsome in war, it symbolises the futility and stupidity of war.“
from: liv-coll.ac.uk

 

Egypt

Waleed Nassar

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Commonwealth War Cemetery (Heliopolis). 2004

“The pavilions at the entrance to the cemetery house the HELIOPOLIS (PORT TEWFIK) MEMORIAL to almost 4,000 men who served and died with the Indian Army during the First World War in Egypt and Palestine, and who have no known grave. The original memorial at Port Tewfik was destroyed during the Israeli-Egyptian fighting of the 1970s. The pavilion at the rear of the cemetery houses the HELIOPOLIS (ADEN) MEMORIAL to more than 600 men of the Commonwealth forces who died in the defence of Aden during the First World War and who have no known grave. The original memorial in Aden was destroyed in 1967.“
from: cwgc.org

 

France

Guillaume Fulchiron

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Monument aux Morts, Valence. 10-11-04

 

Laurent Thion

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Fort de la Pompelle. 19-11-04


Ce fort est le plus célèbre de la ceinture de Reims, il est aussi celui qui a le plus souffert de la première guerre mondiale. Il était à  une centaine de mètres seulement des premières lignes.

En effet, repris le 24 septembre 1914 par la 5^ème^ compagnie du 138^éme^ RI, le fort de la Pompelle sera le pilier de la défense de Reims pendant toute la guerre. Subissant pendant 4 ans les plus violents assauts et bombardements Allemands.

Au prix de 10.000 morts pour les alliés, le fort restera toujours aux mains des Français. C’est actuellement un musée en témoignage du sacrifice des soldats de la grande guerre.

extrait de: Betheny 14-18

 

Romuald Vareuse

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Remembering 11 november 1918 armistice, in the year 2004. Reunion Island 11-11-04

“Reunion island, today a french department, was a colony populated with around 150.000 inhabitants. The war news arrived with 48 hours of delay. 14.000 voluntaries were sent on the different lines of fight. More than 1.000 never went back. The last living witness of these times in the island died in 1997.“

L‘île de La Réunion, aujourd’hui département français, était alors une colonie qui comptait environ 150.000 habitants. La nouvelle de la guerre arriva par télégraphe, avec 48 heures de décalage. 14.000 volontaires furent envoyés sur les différents fronts. Plus de 1.000 n’en revinrent pas. Aujourd’hui, il ne reste aucun survivant de cette époque sur l‘île, l’ultime étant décédé en 1997.
R.V.

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11 November Reunion Island

 

Harald Walker

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Nécropole Nationale La Targette in Neuville-Saint-Vaast and
La Maison Blanche” German war cemetery in Neuville-Saint-Vaast. June 04

 

Thomas Schwenger

These panoramas are showing the ossuary in Douaumont, one of the “villages detruits” close to Verdun. This memorial holds the bones of about 130.000 unknown soldiers who died during WW1. Remarkably is the fact, that almost every stone in the ossuary has an engraving with a name of a soldier, a destructed village or a eradicated battalion.

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Douaumont

 

Slovenia

Bostjan Burger

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Austrian cemetery Ljubljana. 11-11-04



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Italian cemetery Ljubljana. 11-11-04

Sarajevo, 28th June 1914 at 11:30 AM … 19 years old grammar school boy Gavrilo Princip draws out the revolver type Browning , which was given to him by the Serbian secret military inteligence “Black hand” and shot to death Austro-Hungarian crown prince Franz Ferdinad and his wife Sofia…

23rd May 1915 … Idyllic Valley of Isonzo River in Slovenian Alps… from that date, the killing of soldiers from the opposite army was not a crime but the act of Patriotism… the Isonzo front was “open”.

28th October 1917 … after the twelve offensives and more than 300.000 fallen soldiers, guns the Isonzo Valley and Slovenian Alps became silent… the damaged nature needed many years to recover “wounded land”.

In Slovenia it is a remembrance and a commemoration to that war at the Krn lake every year on 11th November.
B.B.

 

USA

Landis Benett

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Veterans Day Parade in Petaluma, California. 11-11-04

Veterans Day Parade in Petaluma

A costumed WWI doughboy takes a picture of some Civil War Reenactors while a WWII veteran “steams” by waving to a group of Korean War Veterans in the Staging Area for the Petaluma Veterans Day Parade.

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The Parade Center where the WWI doughboy and nurse parade by a “Peace is Patriotic” sign.
L.B.

 

Edward Fink

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Veterans Ceremony in Minneapolis. 11-11-04

Veterans Day

This panorama was taken during an emotional rendition of “God Bless America” at the Minneapolis, Minnesota VA Home on Nov. 11, 2004.

In the U.S. Nov. 11th isn’t just remembered as the end of World World One, it’s known as Veterans Day, and it marks the sacrifices of those who have served in all wars. (Such as my father, Lee S. Fink, who served in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam).

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In Minnesota the official ceremony was attended by Gov. Tim Pawlenty and U.S. Sens. Mark Dayton and Norm Coleman, along with Marland Ronning, MN American Legion Commander, and Maj. Gen. Doyle Larson, USAF (retired).
E.F.

 


“La mémoire est l’avenir du passé“.

Paul Valéry


 

  1. Whoa… Bravo !
    — Eric Rougier    Nov 18, 06:24 PM    #

  2. Great work, good theme, impressive pictures. Obviously it was realized in a short time with international contributes. Very motivating for further engaged projects.
    — Joachim Ott    Nov 19, 02:33 AM    #

  3. C’est merveilleux. Bravo.
    — tito    Nov 19, 10:06 PM    #

  4. Very moving tribute, guys. Thank you.
    — Brooks Leffler    Nov 20, 12:03 PM    #

  5. Great panos, a good way to exihbit this tragic moment in human history.
    — Henry Jebe    Nov 21, 10:48 AM    #

  6. I was extremely touched by this impressive tribute and exhibition of photographic excellence. Thank you! I also can’t help but express my sorrow considering the current state of world affairs and wish that the title ‘War to end all Wars’ had been a bit more prophetic.
    — Alaa Ahmed    Nov 21, 11:30 AM    #

  7. Beautiful work!!
    — Mark Houston    Nov 23, 07:53 AM    #

  8. thanks
    — Ron    Dec 1, 07:05 PM    #

  9. I was really touched that you have so much infomation and pictures that will show our generation of children what ww1 was really about
    — Ornella    Mar 2, 07:36 PM    #

  10. great work!
    — ichigo    Jun 2, 10:54 AM    #

  11. Most impressive! Would that more reflect upon the great losses of war, perhaps we would learn to “war no more.”
    — Kevin Brintnall    Sep 10, 07:23 PM    #

  12. Kevin,
    we’re aiming for that here
    — mickael    Sep 11, 02:56 PM    #

  13. Deurienaide skangaga move!!!
    Bravo!!!!
    — Kadakels    Oct 25, 04:59 AM    #

  14. bravo
    mon pere qui avait fait comme jeune aspi la guerre en Champagne m’a toujours enmenée aux ceremonies du 11 nov devant les monuments aux morts souvent ornes d’un poilu.qui a realisé des statues?(elles semblent être l’oeuvre d’un même homme…)d’avance merci
    — michèle    Jan 22, 02:06 AM    #

  15. LOOKING FOR A RELATIVE
    FROM wwI who would’ve
    been my Grandfather. He
    met my Grandmother in
    London england when he was stationed ther. Her
    name was Gertrude Bridson. I don’t know hi
    s first name. My Grandmother was 31 0r 32
    years of age then. She
    arrived in Boston, Ma.
    in 1920 and was expecting
    a child. She had a little girl named Lillian
    who always wanted to know
    more or anything about her Father. I did come
    across what looks like a
    wedding picture of them.
    Today is Feb. 16 2006. I
    have a niece who is marrying an Australian boy she met in college and she is coming over there to visit his Mother
    and see the country in 3
    weeks from now. If anyone knows anything about Soldier MacPherson
    I can be reached @
    www.canalfishing.com. I’d appreciate hearing from anybody with any inf
    ormation about him or lists of MacPhersons from WWI. Not only would
    we like to learn of him
    but perhaps my neice, rebecca could meet any family that is over there. Gertrude had 2 sisters named Elsie &
    Lillian. Also, 3 brothers named Ernie, Edd
    ie and I CAn;t remember the third. the two older
    brothers were in the war
    and their last name was
    Bridson. Thank you and
    I hope to hear from someone from Australia.
    xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo Jill


    — MACPHERSON    Feb 15, 10:35 AM    #

  16. I wanted to know why the WW1 was called the war to end all wars for my soical studies assignment


    — Daisy Barnes    Mar 15, 10:54 AM    #

  17. The phrase "War to end all wars" was in part a reaction to the horrors of the conflict with many believing that with the full cost of modern war so evident no nation would fight one again. It was partially an outgrowth of the original reasons for going to war seeming insignificant as the conflict dragged on, and the notion was adopted as an explanation for why continued sacrifice was needed
    from wikipedia


    — mickael    Apr 27, 09:53 AM    #