The historian Grégory Viguié discusses the armistice on France Bleu Gard Lozère”

On the occasion of the November 11 commemorations, Olivier Devic receives the historian and genealogist Grégory Viguié. in front of the war memorial, the main place of contemplation dedicated to the soldiers of the First World War. This monument, imposing in its size, represents a major point of memory, but it is not the only one in Nîmes. The city has in fact three war memorials: that of Saint-Césaire, Courbessac and the main monument on the Esplanade.

The War Memorial, a Place of Memory

The Nîmes war memorial is rich in history and symbolism. It bears the names of 12,866 Gard soldiers who fell during the Great War, a number which represented approximately 3.5% of the department's population at the time. This place recalls the scale of the losses and the importance of the mourning which struck the region. Built thanks to fund collections organized during bullfights, it saw its first stone laid in 1923 and was inaugurated in October 1924 by President Gaston Doumergue.

Duty of Memory and Tradition

The duty to remember remains essential, particularly for the younger generations. The tradition of selling blueberries on November 11, a symbol of solidarity with veterans, still continues today. Grégory Viguié shares memories of his own childhood, evoking the importance of this practice. He also mentions the existence of commemorative plaques throughout the city, testifying to the sacrifice of the Nîmes during the conflict.

Reading recommendations

For those who wish to delve deeper into the history of the Nîmes war memorials and the biographies of the 1313 Nîmes deaths for France, Grégory Viguié recommends his work entitled “Poilus Nîmes, the accent of sacrifice” . This book offers a detailed and moving account of local memory, essential to understanding the impact of the Great War on the Nîmes community.