Opening of the monument 1927 (≈ 1927)
Work of Robert Delandre publicly unveiled.
Fin XIXe siècle
Establishment of military school
Establishment of military school Fin XIXe siècle (≈ 1995)
Origin of the site commemorated by the monument.
18 octobre 2018
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 18 octobre 2018 (≈ 2018)
Official protection by the French State.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The monument to the dead of the former military school of Saint-Hippolyte-du-Fort in total, as delimited in red on the annexed cadastral plan, located on the square of 8 May, cadastral section AX plot 999: inscription by order of 18 October 2018.
Key figures
Robert Delandre - Sculptor
Author of the allegorical statuary group.
Origin and history
The monument to the dead of Saint-Hippolyte-du-Fort, located in 8-May Square, pays tribute to the 302 soldiers of the former military preparatory school who died mainly during the First World War. It consists of a winged Victoire guiding a child in uniform, carved in stone, on a base bearing the names of the disappeared. The set, 4 meters high, is surrounded by a wrought iron gate and shaded by two trees.
Inaugurated on May 29, 1927, this monument is the work of sculptor Robert Delandre. Originally, it was in the heart of a quarter of barracks, commemorating the students of a disused military school since the early twentieth century. His allegorical style, combining symbols of victory and sacrificed youth, reflects the artistic codes of monuments to the deaths of the interwar period.
Ranked a historic monument on October 18, 2018, it is one of the 42 monuments to the dead protected in Occitanie for their heritage value. Its initial location, close to the barracks, highlighted its link to local military history. Today, there remains a poignant testimony of the impact of the Great War on small communes, such as Saint-Hippolyte-du-Fort, where the military school played a major social and educational role before its closure.
The monument is distinguished by its dual vocation: memorial (list of 302 names) and artistic (sculptural composition). Unlike the neighbouring communal monument, it is dedicated specifically to former students of the school, including even deaths prior to 1914. This particularity makes it a rare case among monuments to the French dead, often centered on the victims of 1914-1918.
