Logo Musée du Patrimoine

All French heritage classified by regions, departments and cities

Thiepval Memorial Museum à Authuille dans la Somme

Musée
Musée de la guerre 14-18
Somme

Thiepval Memorial Museum

    Mémorial de Thiepval
    80300 Authuille
State ownership
Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Musée-Mémorial de Thiepval
Crédit photo : Benîot - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1900
2000
1929–1932
Construction of the memorial
1er août 1932
Official Inauguration
1931–1932
Creation of the French-British cemetery
27 septembre 2004
Opening of the interpretation centre
1er juillet 2016
Inauguration of the museum 14-18
14 septembre 2016
Historical monument classification
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

The British memorial called "Memorial to the Missing" in its entirety, including the monument with the Stone of Remembrance, the Cross of the Sacrifice, the arched bench, the entrance walls and the general composition of the memorial (cf. Authuille: A 118; Thiepval : X 32) : registration by order of 14 September 2016

Key figures

Edwin Lutyens - Architect Designer of the memorial in triumphal arch.
Prince de Galles (Édouard VIII) - British Representative Present at the inauguration of 1932.
Albert Lebrun - President of the French Republic Inaugurate the memorial in 1932.
François Hollande - President of the French Republic Inaugurate the museum in 2016.
Prince William, Catherine Middleton et Prince Harry - Members of the British Royal Family Participants at the inauguration of 2016.

Origin and history

The Franco-British memorial of Thiepval, located in the communes of Authuille and Thiepval in the Somme, is a tribute to the Franco-British armies and to the 73,367 British and South African soldiers who disappeared during the Battle of the Somme (July 1915–March 1918). Designed by architect Edwin Lutyens, this 45-metre-high triumphal arch monument was erected between 1929 and 1932 under the aegis of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. It consists of sixteen pillars symbolizing the great battles of the First World War, on which are engraved the names of the disappeared, surmounted by laurel crowns and the names of the battle.

Inaugurated on 1 August 1932 in the presence of the Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII) and French President Albert Lebrun, the site includes a French-British military cemetery of 600 graves (300 French and 300 Commonwealth soldiers), located on the front lines of 1 July 1916. The memorial, classified as a historical monument in 2016, was completed in 2004 by a reception and interpretation centre, and in 2016 by the museum 14-18 Battles of the Somme, managed by the Historial of Peronne. The latter exhibits artifacts, a 60-metre frieze reconstructing the battle, and multimedia archives.

Thiepval Memorial, the world's largest British memorial, attracts more than 160,000 visitors annually. Its monumental architecture, combining bricks and stone from Portland, aims to perpetuate the memory of the 1916 fighting, where soldiers aged 15 to 60 (average age: 25) died. The Stone of Remembrance and the Cross of Sacrifice, protected elements, recall their motto: "Their Name Liveth for Evermore".

A nearby obelisk paid tribute to the 18th British Infantry Division, which was engaged in the Battle of Thiepval Ridge. The site, maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, is part of the Somme Remembrance Circuit, alongside other memorial sites such as the Peronne Historial or the Ulster Tower. Its teaching and memorial role is reinforced by permanent exhibitions, projections and a boutique-library.

Collection

Un centre d'accueil et d'interprétation a été construit à l'entrée du site.

External links

Conditions of visit

  • Conditions de visite : Ouvert toute l'année
  • Ouverture annuelle : Centre et musée ouverts tous les jours de 9h30 à 18h du 1er mars au 31 octobre et de 9h30 à 17h le reste de l'année.
  • Fermeture : Fermeture annuelle de mi-décembre à mi-janvier.
  • Tarif individuel : Adulte 6€ - Enfant 3€
  • Contact organisation : 03 22 74 60 47