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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The monument to the dead of Poix-du-Nord, designed by sculptor Jean-Georges Achard, is distinguished by an original pyramidal composition. A polygonal base in sandstone and granite supports the names of 58 civilians and 63 soldiers who died during the First World War, engraved on black marble plates. The bronze coats of arms of the city, offered by the English city of Keighley, are affixed with the war cross awarded on June 5, 1922. The monument represents a hairy and a woman, symbolizing respectively the military and civilians, while an allegory of the Victory the laurel crowns. A rare feature in France: real rubble of war is integrated into the structure, materializing the ruins of the conflict.

The history of this monument is related to the massive destruction suffered by Poix-du-Nord during the First World War, where 95 soldiers and 58 civilians (victims of gas shells) died. As early as 1920, the city council referred to a commemorative project, but the works did not begin until 1923, after the partial reconstruction of the city. Unlike the standard monuments, the commune entrusted the creation to Jean-Georges Achard, an award-winning Parisian sculptor at the Salon des artistes français. Funded by subscription (70,000 francs), the monument was inaugurated on 28 September 1924, marking the collective memory of the podean sacrifices.

Jean-Georges Achard, trained by his father sculptor and Alexandre Falguière (price of Rome), prints at work a striking realism, without excessive pathos. The choice to represent both civilian and military highlights the equivalent impact of the conflict on the population. The ruins integrated into the monument, combined with the Victory dominating the whole, create a powerful symbol of resilience. This monument, entirely classified in 2021, remains a unique testimony of local history and Franco-English collaboration, illustrated by the gift of the coat of arms of Keighley.

Located in Place Aimé Joveniaux, the monument is now protected under the title of Historic Monuments (record of 25 February 2021). Its location, although noted as "a priori satisfactory" (level 6/10), makes it a central point of the collective memory of North Poix. Commemorative plaques and symbolic elements, such as the cross of war, recall the tribute paid by the city and its attachment to the Hauts-de-France, a region marked by the conflicts of the twentieth century.

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