Initial project 1916 (≈ 1916)
First cellar proposed by the *Souvenir français*, adjourned.
1919
Relaunch of the project
Relaunch of the project 1919 (≈ 1919)
Mayor's proposal for a memorial.
décembre 1920
Rejection of the first project
Rejection of the first project décembre 1920 (≈ 1920)
Maurice Boutterin submits a monumental ballot box, refused.
1921–1922
Construction
Construction 1921–1922 (≈ 1922)
Monument work and cemetery layout.
11 novembre 1922
Inauguration
Inauguration 11 novembre 1922 (≈ 1922)
Official ceremony of the memorial to the dead.
1930
Regrouping of graves
Regrouping of graves 1930 (≈ 1930)
66 bodies repatriated around the monument.
19 décembre 2022
Classification
Classification 19 décembre 2022 (≈ 2022)
Registration of the monument and military square.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The monument to the dead, in total, including the military square built in the 1930s, located at the cemetery, Place du Souvenir Français, on Parcel No. 1, shown in the cadastre section AI, as delimited in red on the plan annexed to the decree: inscription by order of 19 December 2022
Key figures
Georges Laethier - Sculptor
Author of the two hairs in sentinel.
Maurice Boutterin - Architect
Designer of the monument, Grand Prix de Rome.
Émile Lepine - Mayor of Pontarlier
Sponsor of the monument in 1919.
Origin and history
The Pontarlier Memorial to the Dead, inaugurated on November 11, 1922, is a commemorative work dedicated to the 330 soldiers of the city who fell during the First World War. It is presented as a stylized fortress surrounded by half-circle graves, symbolizing the protection of the remains of repatriated soldiers. The two sculptures of hair, made by Georges Laethier, frame the building, reinforcing its solemn and defensive character. This monument is part of a larger cemetery development project, with a monumental driveway leading to a central roundabout.
The origin of the project dates back to 1916, when French Remembrance proposed a first cellar, postponed until the end of the war. In 1919, Mayor Émile Lepine revived the idea and entrusted the project to architect Maurice Boutterin, Grand Prix de Rome, after cancelling an initial competition. Boutterin, originally from Besançon, submitted two projects: the first, a monumental ballot box, was rejected in December 1920; The second, inspired by an order for Besançon, is retained. The work, carried out between 1921 and 1922, included the expansion of the cemetery to accommodate the 66 bodies of deceased soldiers in local hospitals, grouped around the monument in 1930.
Georges Laethier (1875–1955), a bisontin sculptor trained at the Beaux-Arts de Paris, signed the two hairs as sentinel. A professor at Besançon, he also realized other monuments to the regional dead (Ornans, Baume-les-Dames, etc.). The monument, entirely classified in 2022, includes the military square of the 1930s, where each tomb is decorated with a cross of French Remembrance. Its location, at the entrance of the cemetery (place du Souvenir Français), makes it a central place of memory for the city, combining commemorative function and necropolis.
The artistic choice reflects the expectations of the time: a warrior symbolic (the fortress) and fraternal (the hairy looking after their comrades). Local newspapers point out at the inauguration that the monument, with its whiteness and dominant position, still seems to protect the bodies of the soldiers. This project is part of a national commemorative movement, where each city seeks to honour its dead while creating a collective gathering space.
Finally, the legal and administrative aspect of the monument is marked by its classification in 2022, covering both the structure and the adjacent military square. Owned by the commune, it remains an open place to visit, anchored in the memorial landscape of Pontarlier and the Burgundy-Franche-Comté region.
