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Origin and history

The Ornans Memorial to the Dead was commissioned by the City Council on December 28, 1918 to honour the 95 Ornanais who died in combat during the First World War. Unlike other monuments, it does not bear the names of the disappeared, but embodies their sacrifice and victory through a statue of hairy bronze, brandishing grenades and singing La Marseillaise. This artistic choice is directly inspired by François Rude's famous sculpted group on the Arc de Triomphe (Le Départ des volontes de 1792), creating a symbolic link between revolutions and modern conflicts. The monument was designed to remind passersby of the importance of collective memory, as Arthur Giroud stressed in his opening speech: "As the spectre of war sinks into the past, some are tempted to forget [...] this bronze hairy will remind them that one must not forget. »

The construction of the monument was entrusted to the bisontin sculptor Georges Laethier (1875–1955), formed in Besançon and Paris, whose project was approved by the Prefect on 4 August 1920. Laethier first created a model on earth, probably after a living model, before the statue was melted in bronze in October 1920 (the founder remains unknown). The stone entourage was executed by Jules Guillin, a marbrier sculptor from Mouthier-Hautepierre. The monument was installed Granvelle Square (now Robert Humblot Square), along the Loue, in a landscaped setting marked by fir trees and plane trees. It was inaugurated without the exact date being specified in the sources, but its style and iconography make it an emblematic testimony of the peace monuments of the inter-war period.

The monument to the dead of Ornans was inscribed in the Historical Monuments by decree of 19 December 2022, thus recognizing its heritage and memorial value. It is distinguished by its artistic approach, blending individual homage and collective symbol, while subscribing in a French sculptural tradition inherited from the 19th century. The decision to move and restore the War Memorial of 1870-1871 to include the names of the dead of 1914-1918 also shows a desire to create a unified place of memory for past conflicts.

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