You may have noticed it if you went to Place du 11-Novembre in Laval. A large scaffolding has been installed around the war memorial, square Foch. From next week, the gigantic building will be dismantled, for a move near the town hall (place du 18-Juin) scheduled between February 14 and March 1. In France, moving a war memorial is not common.
150 tons to move
That of Laval will be 100 years old on October 28, 2023. It’s a part of the history of the city that moves. In 1919, the building was mentioned for the first time with the vote of a municipal credit of 10,000 francs. At the time, the city had also launched a subscription and created a tax of 12 cents per inhabitant. More than 50,000 francs were collected for its construction.
One hundred years later, the current municipality wants the war memorial to be ready on the Place du 18-Juin in four months. The first ceremony is scheduled for May 8, the tribute date of the Nazis’ capitulation in 1945.”The building weighs 150 tons, it has many bronze pieces. They will be cleaned by the Eiffage company and subcontractors“, explains Bruno Bertier, first deputy of the city of Laval.
Several steles will be moved: the stele of the Red Cross, the stele of the Military Medal and the stele in memory of the victims of persecutions and deportations. The latter has three plates, but a fourth will see the light of day “in homage to those Mayenne who saved Jews at the risk of their lives“, continues Michel Neveu, municipal councilor delegated to patriotic actions.
Culture on Square Foch while waiting for the gourmet hall
On square Foch, the monument to the dead and the steles will give way to a gourmet hall in 2025. Until then, the town hall of Laval wishes that the space be used in particular for ephemeral urbanization: “We want to host cultural and associative events there. With the Trois Éléphants festival and for the Fête de la Musique for example“, declares Lucie Leduc municipal councilor delegated to the heart of the city.
For this gourmet hall, the city will launch an architectural competition in a few weeks: the winning project will be announced in July, and shopkeepers from the city center, as well as elected officials from the municipal opposition, will be part of the jury.