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Origin and history

The Saint-Claude Cemetery, located in Besançon in the area of the same name, is the second largest in the city after that of Chaprais. It includes graves of soldiers who died during the two world wars, including colonial Muslim soldiers. A space dedicated to civilian Muslims and a crematorium are also present. In 1990, an extension of the cinematic cemetery was decided by the municipal council.

The monument to the dead of the Saint-Claude Cemetery was commissioned in 1921 by the Soldier's La Gerbe committee, founded in 1914 to maintain the graves of deceased soldiers in Besançon hospitals. Inaugurated on November 11, 1922, he was the work of sculptor Albert Pasche, who represented a hairy in uniform erecting a cross on a grave. The monument, executed in marble, is installed in the center of a roundabout distributing four alleys leading to military squares. He bears the inscriptions "To our glorious dead - Remembrance of the soldier's wreath", "For our heroes a prayer a flower of remembrance" and "To widows and orphans victims of war".

The cemetery housed 1,435 graves of soldiers in 1921, mainly victims of World War I battles treated in bisontin hospitals. The monument, offered by Pasche, whose wife was a member of the sponsoring committee, was listed as a historical monument by order of 19 December 2022. It is part of a monumental ensemble designed to inspire contemplation, with complementary statues like a crucified Christ and a soldier standing near a cross.

Albert Pasche (1873–1947), a sculptor trained in Besançon and Paris, has produced several notable works, including Ariane Abandonnée (1903) and the Funeral Monument of Clarisse Bourdeney (1909). Professor of Fine Arts in Besançon from 1896, he exhibited at the Salon des artistes français and won several distinctions. The monument to the dead of Saint-Claude, by its realism and symbolism, pays tribute to the soldiers buried on site, while stressing the role of memorial committees such as the Soldier's La Gerbe.

The cemetery also houses the graves of resistance fighters and local personalities, such as André Brenot, Adrien Ferrandon, Louis Fontaine, Antoine Kneisky, Julien Prétot and Jean-Pierre Sartin, Compagnon de la Libération. These burials recall Besançon's commitment during World War II and complement the commemorative dimension of the site.

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