#2025-10

2025/10/18

滝の近くってなんか癒される

World: 大樹のそよ風

In anticipation of Remembrance Day

As a border city between France and Germany, Strasbourg had a rough first half of the 20th century, alternating between French and German control. As such, remembering the war dead isn't done the same way as in most places in France. Almost every town or village has a monument "aux Morts pour la Patrie" - "to those who died for the motherland". But in the case of Alsace, which motherland would that be? In 1936, thus narrowly pre-dating World War II and another traumatic episode of Alsacian history, in the middle of Place de la République which bears one of the words dearest to French geopolitics, all the while being located in the area built up by the German Empire, a sculpture was unveiled that aims to put all this ambivalence to rest.

Two fallen men, facing in opposite directions as if they had fought on opposite sides, are consoled by the same motherly figure. Brothers divided by war, united by the outcome.

2025/10/13

World: Shaded Cynd