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Origin and history

The Monument to the Dead of Villeurbanne is a memorial building located in the former cemetery of Cusset, 15 Rue du Cimetière. Built in the first half of the twentieth century, it is part of a period marked by the aftermath of the two world wars, where the French communes erected monuments to honor their dead. Its registration as a Historic Monument by decree of 13 March 2019 underlines its heritage and memorial importance for the city.

The monument is the work of two artists: Jean Chorel, sculptor, and Louis-Eugène Lambert, architect. Their collaboration gave rise to a structure now owned by the municipality of Villeurbanne, reflecting the artistic styles and memorial issues of the inter-war period. The location, although considered passable (note 5/10) in terms of accuracy, remains a symbolic place in the heart of the city, as evidenced by GPS coordinates and the official address recorded in the Merimée base.

In the wider context of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, this monument is one of the many memorial buildings built after the First World War. These monuments played a central role in local life, serving as a gathering point for remembrance ceremonies and strengthening the collective identity in the face of the traumas of conflict. In Villeurbanne, then in the midst of industrialization, such a monument also recalled the sacrifice of workers and soldiers from a territory undergoing economic and social change.

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