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Origin and history

The monument to the dead of Aix-les-Bains is dedicated to the victims of the First World War. Originally planned as a commemorative plaque, the city eventually chose a larger monument after the 1919 law on building monuments to the dead. In 1921, the municipal council revived the project and entrusted its realization to the sculptor Alfred Boucher, chosen after the cancellation of a contest. The monument is inaugurated in the square of Gigot, later renamed Square Alfred Boucher, in homage to its creator.

The monument is distinguished by its artistic composition: a barrel surmounted by soldiers and symbolic figures, including hairy figures emerging from the ground, representing the four weapons (infantry, cavalry, artillery, aviation) and groups sitting in the form of Alsace, Lorraine and Savoie. Alfred Boucher, summer resident of Aix-les-Bains, uses a cement modeling technique, also visible in another of his local works, the monument to Alsace and Lorraine, located rue Claude-Seyssel.

Since May 24, 2019, the monument has undergone several restorations, including in 1964, 2006 and 2014. However, the last intervention, in 2014, was criticized for its hydrogum and polychromy considered unsuitable, altering the original details of Boucher's modeling. This monument is part of a set of 40 protected monuments in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes for their heritage value.

The choice of Alfred Boucher is explained by his close ties to the city, where he had a summer residence. The mayor even cancelled the initial competition to entrust him directly with the realization. The monument, located in a very passing place, symbolizes both victory and mourning, with a realistic representation of soldiers and regional allegories. Its initial location, planned in the Thermes floral park, was finally modified for the current square.

Another group sculpted by Boucher, representing Alsace and Lorraine, was originally offered to a friend before being placed in the public space, rue Claude-Seyssel. Unrestored, this group still bears witness to the original texture of the sculptor's works. It is proposed that this second monument be also protected, although it currently belongs to an SCI (Société Civile Immobilière).

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