Ossuary with Cemetery

History

During the 300 days lasting fight for Verdun (21 February 1916 - 19 December 1916) approximately 300.000 missing men died from a total of 700.000 casulaties (dead, wounded and missing). The total battle field was not even a square ten kilometers. The German General Erich von Falkenhayn has the idea to bleed the French to death (In German: weissbluten), because the Germans outnumbered them. When the French lost their army, the British, in his mind the most important enemy of the Germans, would also collapse. The French General Maréchal Pétain made his famous quotation Ils ne passeront pas ! (They shall not pass!). The battle of the Somme started to relieve the pressure on Verdun and the French giving the Germans another spearhead. Verdun (German: Wirten, official name before 1970 Verdun-sur-Meuse) is a city and commune in the Lorraine région, northeast France, in the Meuse département, of which it is a sous-préfecture. ... Erich von Falkenhayn Chief of the General Staff Erich von Falkenhayn (11 November 1861 - 8 April 1922) was a German soldier and Chief of the General Staff during World War I. Falkenhayn was a career soldier. ... Combatants United Kingdom France Canada India Newfoundland New Zealand South Africa Australia German Empire Commanders Douglas Haig Ferdinand Foch Max von Gallwitz Fritz von Below Strength 13 British & 6 French divisions (initial) 51 British divisions (final) 10. ...

Ossuary Information

The ossuary contains the remains of the soldiers who died on the battlefields in order to preserve their memory. In front of the monument lies the largest cemetery of France with 15.000 graves. The ossuary official inauguration date is 7 August 1932 by the president of the French Republic Albert Lebrun. An ossuary is a chest, building, well or site made to serve as the final resting place of human skeletal remains. ... Albert Lebrun (August 29, 1871 - March 6, 1950) was a French politician, President of France from 1932 to 1940, and as such was the last president of the Third Republic. ...

Architecture

The tower is 46 meters high and gives a panoramic view on the battlefields. The death-bell Bourdon de la Victoire resonates at official ceremonies, the lantern of the death shines on the battlefields. The cloister is 137 meters long and contains 42 tombs. On the first floor is the war-museum with remaining of the destroyed villages, 3D-photos and arms.

See also

• Thiepval

This article is about the Thiepval village and memorial, for other uses see Thiepval (disambiguation) Thiepval is a village in the Somme département, Picardy region of Northern France. ...

External Links

• Douaumont Official Site
• Tourism Verdun (English, German and French)