Registration Historic Monument 23 février 2022 (≈ 2022)
Official protection of the entire cemetery.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The German military cemetery, in its entirety, situated no. 14 rue du 8 mai 1945, appearing in the cadastre, section ZA, parcel No. 40 and section C, parcel No. 533, as delimited on the plan annexed to the decree, comprising the individual gravefield and its entire land right-of-way, the foreyard and the facades and roofs of the administrative building, the court of honor with the rotunda and its wall of enclosure and the monumental statue "The Mother" of Gerhard Marks, the monumental cross, the fence walls and the facades and roofs of the two pavilions of angle: inscription by order of 23 February 2022
Key figures
Gerhard Marcks - Sculptor
Author of the statue "The Mother".
Origin and history
The German military cemetery in Bourdon, located at 14 rue du 8 mai 1945, is a historical monument inscribed by decree of 23 February 2022. It includes a field of individual graves, a forecourt, an administrative building, an honorary courtyard with a rotunda, and a monumental statue entitled "The Mother", carved by Gerhard Marcks. This memorial site is surrounded by fenced walls and corner pavilions, forming a coherent architectural and symbolic ensemble.
The cemetery is located in the commune of Bourdon, in the department of the Somme (code Insee 80123), in the Hauts-de-France region. Although the exact period of its creation is not specified in the available sources, its recent listing as Historic Monument underscores its heritage and memorial importance. The exact address, confirmed by the Merimée data, is 14 rue du 8 mai 1945, with an approximate GPS location nearby.
The major work of the site, the "Mother" statue of Gerhard Marcks, is a central element of this cemetery. Marcks, a well-known sculptor, helped to give this place of memory an artistic and human dimension. The cemetery is delimited by specific cadastral parcels (ZA section, Parcel 40 and C section, Parcel 533), which attests to its territorial anchoring and legal protection.
The location of the cemetery is assessed as 'passable' (note of 5/10) according to the available precision criteria. This may reflect minor uncertainties about the exact coordinates, but the postal address remains clearly identified. The site also includes a monumental cross, reinforcing its commemorative character and its link to German military history.
Although the practical information on visits is not detailed in the sources, listing the cemetery as a Historic Monument suggests that it is accessible to the public at least partially. This type of place plays an important role in the preservation of collective memory, especially for the conflicts of the twentieth century, and offers a space for recollection and reflection.
In the Hauts-de-France region, marked by the two world wars, military cemeteries are poignant testimonies of past conflicts. They recall the human impact of wars and serve as places of peace and remembrance. The presence of a work of art such as "The Mother" adds a universal dimension to this monument, inviting a meditation on the consequences of wars for families and societies.
