Picardy: A land of memory

Between Flanders and Paris, Picardy was for a long time a border region which was constantly on alert and which was relied upon by the entire kingdom and Paris in particular, for which it was the last line of defence. A neverending place of battles and invasions, it was forced to develop a vital fortification culture (like the fortified churches in Thiérache and the Vauban fortifications); the region experienced pillaging, looting and destruction.
This culminated with the two world wars, particularly the Great War, which saw the front line establish itself in the Somme and l'Aisne. All of these testing moments have given the 'Picard' a specific character: mistrust and an inward-looking nature but also sophistication, considerable generosity, faithfulness and a great ability to keep things to themselves; 'the temperament of an underground cathedral...', as Sophie de Paillette summarises so well in her book 'Picardy body and soul'.
"We can't understand the Picards if we don't take the wars and suffering they had to endure into account", states the historian Philippe Nivet. Picardy, a scene of massacres, became, against its will, Europe's tomb. This is where the word 'respect' takes on its full meaning. Transmitting memories means having great respect for what happened. "There's a desire to educate future generations with the concern of not betraying anyone", explains Yves Fohlen, a guide at the Caverne du Dragon in the Aisne department.

"When I was offered the chance to work here, I accepted straight away. I love this region which offers a discrete form of beauty, far away from clammering tourist sites. (…) It's very moving to see these trenches and to imagine what superhuman force encourage the soldiers to climb out and fight", says Arlène King at the Beaumont-Hamel memorial in the Somme.
Numerous circuits and sites have been developed to perpetuate the remembrance of the battles. The account given by the guides, whose vocation it is to pass this history on, is always moving. This is the case for the Chemin des Dames, in Aisne Department, and the main battle scenes of the Somme (Thiepval, Froissy, Villers-Bretonneux, La Boisselle, Pozières and The Museum of the Great War in Péronne which is the pride and joy of the Circuit of Remembrance…).
In Compiègne Forest, the Armistice train wagon has been faithfully recreated. It lets us better understand what November 11 means to the world. These places are a testimony to what happened. They embody everlasting recognition and the respect of an entire region. A museum, a monument, a gravestone, a cross, a name which is engraved... the memory of those men who sacrificed themselves for the freedom of future generations is duly honoured and forms part of the immensity of time.

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