VERDUN. BATTLEFIELDS & MEMORIAL SITES
From Triumph to Reconciliation.
p
Rituals and Tourism in Verdun
Sandra Petermann, PhD • University of Mainz, Germany
Argonne Forest
Saint Mihiel
Verdun
Eparges
G
German
F
Frontt
S
Sacred
d Way
W
Battlefields & Memorial Sites z Rituals z Tourism
z
Results & Statements
Results & Statements
1/14
VERDUN. RITUALS
VERDUN. BATTLEFIELDS & MEMORIAL SITES
Battlefields & Memorial Sites z Rituals z Tourism
z
2/14
Battlefields & Memorial Sites z Rituals z Tourism
z
Results & Statements
3/14
VERDUN. RITUALS
Battlefields & Memorial Sites z Rituals z Tourism
z
Results & Statements
VERDUN. RITUALS
3/14
VERDUN. RITUALS
Battlefields & Memorial Sites z Rituals z Tourism
Verdun: Place of Triumph
z
Results & Statements
Capital of Peace
Places as Carrier of Meaning
Disarm
ament
Alge
rian
War
I I
Internaational A
Affairs
Human
D
Domestic
c Affairs
Treaty of
Versailles
Spaces of Remembrance
z
Results & Statements
5/14
W a r
F/B
Policy of
Alliances
Construction of Europe
F/GER Friendship
USSR Hegemony
F Role in International
P liti
Politics
W o r l d
Political Spaces of Ideology
Battlefields & Memorial Sites z Rituals z Tourism
4/14
Pétain
Unity
Unity
National Honor/Vichy
State Reform
Reconstruction
1920
26
36
Reconstruction
46
56
66
76
86
96
2006
Verdun: Place of Triumph
VERDUN. RITUALS
… of Reconciled Europe
Capital of Peace
Places as Carrier of Meaning
Disarm
ament
I I
Internaational A
Affairs
Alge
rian
War
D
Domestic
c Affairs
Treaty of
Versailles
F/GER Friendship
W a r
USSR Hegemony
Political Spaces of Ideology
F Role in International
P liti
Politics
W o r l d
F/B
Policy of
Alliances
Construction of Europe
Human
Historical Spaces of Knowledge
Pétain
Unity
Unity
Sacred Spaces of Faith
National Honor/Vichy
State Reform
Reconstruction
1920
26
36
Spaces of Remembrance
Reconstruction
46
56
66
76
86
96
2006
Battlefields & Memorial Sites z Rituals z Tourism
VERDUN. TOURISM
z
Results & Statements
7/14
VERDUN. TOURISM
Tourists‘ Motives
Formerly: Family members and comrades – commemoration of the fallen
Organized battlefield tours partly criticized: emotional hyenas of battlefields ((“Gefühlshyänen
Gefühlshyänen der Schlachtfelder
der Schlachtfelder”))
(ZIESE, M. & H. ZIESE‐BERINGER (1928): Das unsichtbare Denkmal. Zehn Jahre an der Westfront. Berlin: 62.)
(KRAUS, K. (1921): Reklamefahrten zur Hölle. – Die Fackel 12 (577/582): 96‐98.)
Battlefields & Memorial Sites z Rituals z Tourism
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Results & Statements
8/14
Battlefields & Memorial Sites z Rituals z Tourism
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Results & Statements
9/14
VERDUN. TOURISM
VERDUN. TOURISM
Tourists‘ Motives
Formerly: Battlefield tourism
Family members and comrades – commemoration of the fallen
Organized battlefield tours partly criticized: emotional hyenas of battlefields ((“Gefühlshyänen
Gefühlshyänen der Schlachtfelder
der Schlachtfelder”))
(ZIESE, M. & H. ZIESE‐BERINGER (1928): Das unsichtbare Denkmal. Zehn Jahre an der Westfront. Berlin: 62.)
„[…] die interessieren sich dafür. Oder haben ein Buch gelesen, [einen] Film [gesehen] g
[ ]
ß
oder haben davon gehört […] Jeder weiß davon. Und dann sind sie halt daran interessiert, zu sehen, wie das vor sich ging. Und deswegen kommen die Leute hierher.“
« On vient tous les ans parce que je suis passionné par la période de 14/18 et que ça fait partie de la partie du ligne du front. […] Donc ça fait partie des lieux de mémoire et on vient tous les ans pour ne pas oublier »
on vient tous les ans pour ne pas oublier.»
Battlefields & Memorial Sites z Rituals z Tourism
z
Results & Statements
Tourisme de Mémoire
10/14
Histtory & M
Memory
transceendent &
& immaneent
Dark Tourism
General, historic, and cultural interest
in memory of historic events and fallen soldiers
sometimes: attraction of death and disaster
Death
h
transceendent &
& immaneent
Nowadays: „Authenticity“ of place
Battlefields & Memorial Sites z Rituals z Tourism
VERDUN. TOURISM
z
Results & Statements
11/14
VERDUN. TOURISM
Expectation „Authenticity“ Battlefield tourism
VERDUN VERDUN
« Ce qu'ils attendent, c'est d'ailleurs leur grosse déception quand ils arrivent […] cc'est
est qu
qu'ils
ils croyaient que il y avait que de la terre, ils ont une vision croyaient que il y avait que de la terre, ils ont une vision
qui est la vision photographique des avions ».
Tourisme de Mémoire
Zone Rouge/
p
landscape
cemetery
…
monuments
fortifications
Memorial
„Authenticity“ of place
Histtory & M
Memory
transceendent &
& immaneent
« Et puis quand on promène des gens, quand vous avez visité la Citadelle Basse, quand E
i
d
è d
d
i i é l Ci d ll B
d
vous avez visité le Fort de Vaux, le Fort de Douaumont. Vous faites un tour à l'Ossuaire où on vous explique rien et que vous avez lu que l'enfer de Verdun, les gens vivaient dans des trous, ils avez des boules, il y avait tous ces bombardements, que les blessés on ne pouvait pas les évacués etcetera, etcetera. […] Ils [les touristes] se disent 'c'est des g ,
f
[ ]
blagues, c'est des farceurs' […] ».
Death
h
transceendent &
& immaneent
Dark Tourism
I
Important: war marked places. Cumbersome: missing interpretations on site
t t
k d l
C b
i i i t
t ti
it
Battlefields & Memorial Sites z Rituals z Tourism
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Results & Statements
12/14
Battlefields & Memorial Sites z Rituals z Tourism
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Results & Statements
13/14
VERDUN. TOURISM
VERDUN. FROM TRIUMPH TO RECONCILIATION
Battlefield tourism
VERDUN
Dimensions of Commemoration (Ideology, Faith, and Knowledge)
provide certainty based on different spheres
provide certainty based on different spheres
Tourisme de Mémoire
Zone Rouge/
p
landscape
cemetery
R I t
Re-Interpretation
t ti
off “historical
“hi t i l facts”
f t ”
Capital of Heroic Resistance & Triumph – Capital of Peace – Capital of Reconciled Europe
…
monuments
fortifications
Memorial
„Authenticity“ of place
…
rituals
it l
„re‐enactment“
myth/
y
media
„aura“
Battlefields & Memorial Sites z Rituals z Tourism
z
Results & Statements
Thanks!
Histtory & M
Memory
transceendent &
& immaneent
Death
h
transceendent &
& immaneent
Dark Tourism
Tourism
between dark tourism & tourisme
between
dark tourism & tourisme de mémoire
de mémoire
“authenticity” constructed by artifacts, narratives, and human practices
13/14
Battlefields & Memorial Sites z Rituals z Tourism
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Results & Statements
14/14
VERDUN. COMMEMORATIVE CEREMONIES
VERDUN. TOURISM
600000
500000
Tourissts
400000
300000
200000
100000
0
1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Years
Number of Tourists (Memorial and Fortifications: Citadel Vaux Douaumont) 1971‐1977 and 1990‐2009
Number of Tourists (Memorial and Fortifications: Citadel, Vaux, Douaumont) 1971‐1977 and 1990‐2009
(DOMANGE, G. (1979): L‘évolution: du pèlerinage au tourisme de loisirs. – Dossiers documentaires meusiens: Verdun aujourd‘hui 1946‐1978 (14): 52, Comité Régional de Tourisme)
PLACES AND SPACES OF REMEMBRANCE IN GERMANY:
PLACES OF OFFENDERS AND PLACES OF VICTIMS
PLACES OF PERPETRATORS: Places where violent crimes were planned and organized (DAHM 2002)
organized (DAHM 2002)
Places with a high political value (RUTENBECK 2006)
“Rational
Rational‐objective
objective” approach. Dominating dimension: KNOWLEDGE
approach Dominating dimension: KNOWLEDGE
PLACES OF VICTIMS: Places where violent crimes were committed (DAHM 2002)
Emotional approach. Dominating dimension: FAITH