press kit - Le Mémorial de Caen

1944 - 2014
70 ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF NORMANDY
th
PRESS KIT
2014
ARROMANCHES
CIRCULAR CINEMA
360
1944-2014
70 YEARS
OF HISTORY
AT THE MÉMORIAL
de Caen
The Mémorial de Caen and
the Arromanches 360 circular
cinema comprise today the
leading memorial centre of
THE MÉMORIAL
DE CAEN
FROM THE ORIGINS OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR TO THE END OF THE
COLD WAR, MÉMORIAL PATHS TAKE YOU THROUGH THE EVENTS AND
EXPLAIN WHAT BECAME THE TERRIBLE STORY OF THE 20 TH CENTURY.
THE WORLD BEFORE 1945
THE CONFRONTATION
EXPlORING THE FIRST HALF OF THE 20th CENTURY
Europe, with 630,000 annual
FRANCE IN THE DARK YEARS
visitors. Constantly renewed
over the past ten years, today’s
Mémorial is at the heart of
THE COLD WAR CRISIS
reflection on the role of History
in society.
Caen, a
martyred
city
of
liberation,
bombed
in
the
THE FAILURE OF PEACE
summer of 1944, undoubtedly
Jean-Marie Girault deserved a fitting tribute for the
FOUNDER OF THE
suffering it endured. Homage
was indeed paid, but done
Mémorial de Caen
in a spirit of Reconciliation,
The extraordinary success of the
which remains the running
THE WORLD
AFTER 1945
FROM THE END OF WWII TO THE FALL
OF THE BERLIN WALL, AN INTERPRETATION
OF HISTORY
BERLIN AT
THE HEART OF
THE COLD WAR
Mémorial can be traced to the initial
theme of the Mémorial. This
resolve of its founder, Jean-Marie
spirit, unique to the Mémorial
de Caen, guides you through
WORLD WAR, TOTAL WAR
Girault, senator and mayor of Caen for
the different stages of the
31 years. On 6 June 1944, Jean-Marie
museum, plunging you into the
Girault, at age 18, joined a volunteer
core of 20th century History.
emergency team of the French Red
Cross,
responsible
for
rescuing
COLD WAR
WEAPONS
civilian bombing victims in Caen.
Directly confronted by the horrors of
THE D-DAY LANDINGS AND THE BATTLE OF NORMANDY
WE ARE all70
PRESS KIT
war, he learned about human nature,
be it heroic, ordinary, or cowardly.
2014
LOGO DU 70’ ANNIVERSAIRE - Cession du Conseil régional de Basse-Normandie du 14 février 2013
THE MÉMORIAL
1944-2014
70 YEARS
OF HISTORY
AT THE MÉMORIAL
de Caen
NEW EXHIBITION
THE COMMAND
BUNKER
THE CENTRAL COMMAND POST ON D-DAY
The bunker, an underground tunnel 70 metres
long, dug in the autumn of 1943, served as the
1944 headquarters of German General Wilhelm
Richter, commander of the 716th division of the
German infantry, comprised of 7800 men.
The main tunnel contained twelve offices for the
general staff, a transmission centre, and maps.
General Richter was responsible for defending the
beaches of Calvados in 1944, from the estuary of
the Orne to Grancamp-Maisy.
On 6 June at 0040 hours, General Richter is informed
by telephone of the presence of paratroopers and
gliders east of the Orne, in the area of Ranville.
Convinced of an imminent invasion, he puts his
division on alert. Five hours later, D-Day begins
as the first assault troops land on the Normandy
beaches. The 716th infantry division, until then
totally inexperienced in combat, will be on the front
lines.
The bunker, an emergency command post, played
a key transmission role between the Norman front
and Berlin, owing to its strategic position in the
heart of the operations (15km from the closest
beach at Ouistreham). The bunker was a centre
of incessant activity since General Richter and
his superior, General Marcks, were to launch the
first counter-attack on 7 June. Due to the Allied
forces offensive, the command post was finally
abandoned on 23 June 1944.
LOCATED IN THE MÉMORIAL UNDERGROUND, THE FORMER HEADQUARTERS OF GERMAN
GENERAL WILHELM RICHTER PLAYED A CRUCIAL ROLE IN THE DECISIVE FIRST WEEKS OF
THE BATTLE OF NORMANDY. THIS HISTORICAL, STRATEGIC SITE WAS ENTIRELY RENOVATED
TO BETTER SHARE ITS HISTORY AND OFFER VISITORS NEW KEYS TO UNDERSTANDING THE
GERMAN OCCUPATION AND THE RESISTANCE. IT HAS BEEN OPEN TO THE PUBLIC SINCE
OCTOBER 2013.
A NEW PERSPECTIVE
REPRESENTATION
Entirely restored, the bunker provides new sobering
insight, underlining the truth of the site.
80 German objects from the Mémorial collections and
three archive films enlighten visitors on the Occupation
of Normandy, the Resistance, and the German defence
strategy, the Atlantic Wall. The sound environment has
been subtly reconstituted to include sounds of footsteps,
security doors, typewriters, or coded message machines.
The visit concludes with a series of photographs of
remains of the Atlantic Wall by Philippe Delval; remains
still visible today on the Norman coastline.
WE ARE all70
2014
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LOGO DU 70’ ANNIVERSAIRE - Cession du Conseil régional de Basse-Normandie du 14 février 2013
THE BUNKER
1944-2014
THE
70 YEARS ARROMANCHES 360
OF HISTORY
AT THE MÉMORIAL
circular cinema
de Caen
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC SINCE 2 FEBRUARY 2013, THE NEW FEATURED FILM IS
PROJECTED ON 9 SCREENS IN HD. COMMISSIONED BY THE RÉGION BASSENORMANDIE, IT WAS PRODUCED BY LOUIS VAUDEVILLE AND DIRECTED BY DANIEL
COSTELLE AND ISABELLE CLARKE, WRITERS OF THE SERIES, “APOCALYPSE,
LA 2 ème GUERRE MONDIALE.” FRÉDÉRIC LUMIÈRE, PASCAL VANNIER, MARTIN K.A.
MORGAN, AND JEAN QUELLIEN PROVIDED HISTORICAL INSIGHT.
The Arromanches 360° circular cinema is one of
the most visited sites of the Battle of Normandy
tourism circuit. It benefits from the influx of
tourists who come to discover the remains of
the artificial harbour at Arromanches.
A BIT OF HISTORY
ARROMANCHES
CIRCULAR CINEMA
360
“NORMANDY’S
100 DAYS”
This 19-minute film, projected on 9 screens,
tells the story of the 100 days of the Battle
of Normandy that enabled the rapid liberation
of France, exhausting the German army until
its crushing defeat in the battle of the Falaise
pocket.
This film shows the terrible suffering of
civilians of Lower-Normandy, whose towns and
villages were crushed by allied bombs. This
film is a spectacular technical and artistic feat,
comprised of many previously unseen archives
from Canadian, American, German, English and
On 8 June 1944, two days after the liberation
of Arromanches, the first Phoenix caissons were
submerged off the beach to form a dam, allowing
ships to discharge while being sheltered from the
swell. Floating roadways and platforms along the
tidal movements completed the breakwaters. On
14 June, the first operations began. In 100 days,
«Port Winston» was able to unload 400,000 soldiers,
4 million tons of equipment and 500,000 vehicles. It
remained in service until 1 December 1944. Dozens
of Phoenix caissons are still visible today and continue
to provide a calm and sheltered stretch of water in
Arromanches.
THE NEW
FILM
“Normandy’s 100 days” tells the story of the
Landing and the Battle of Normandy, which
took place from 6 June to 21 August 1944.
French collections.
This film is a tribute to veterans of all nations and
to the 20,000 civilians killed during the battle for
the liberation of Western Europe, which gave rise
to so much hope. This film is a tribute to Robert
Capa, whose 11 pictures, saved from the D-Day
Landings, are presented to the audience in an
unprecedented manner. This film was funded by
the Région de Basse-Normandie on the initiative
of the Mémorial de Caen. This film is the first
joint precursory action of the 70th anniversary of
the Battle of Normandy: a European battle.
WE ARE all70
2014
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LOGO DU 70’ ANNIVERSAIRE - Cession du Conseil régional de Basse-Normandie du 14 février 2013
arromanches 360
SCHEDULE OF
EVENTS AT THE
MÉMORIAL DE CAEN
70 YEARS
OF HISTORY
AT THE MÉMORIAL
de Caen
Y,
RY
NUAR
31 JA 2 FEBRUA
D
1 AN
PRIL
4-5 A
THE INTERNATIONAL
HUMAN RIGHTS
COMPETITION
FOR LAWYERS
From
4TH ANNUAL
INTERNATIONAL
FESTIVAL OF
PRESS CARTOONS
EVENING
GATHERINGS
2014
Return
to peace
10 evening
gatherings in
Lower Normandy
on the theme of
the Franco-German
Reconciliation
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, TAKE PART IN VARIOUS EVENTS INCLUDING
LECTURES, WORKSHOPS, OR FORUMS. TEMPORARY EXHIBITS, BOOK
FAIRS, AND FILM SCREENINGS ARE ALSO ORGANISED AT THE MÉMORIAL
ON A REGULAR BASIS.
MAY
mai
8 8APRIL
21-23
EUROPEAN
YOUTH
PARLIAMENT
INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM
Y
30 MA
EXHIBITION
Shots of war
PHOTOGRAPHS
BY TONY VACCARO
JUNE
UNE
-7 J
Y
A
M
29
MAY
THE D-DAY LANDINGs:
from event to epic
70th Anniversary
Events
1944-2014
Y
28 MA
MONUMENTAL
FRESCO BY JEF
AÉROSOL AND
DECAROLINE
150 European
students and the
historical heritage
of the Battle of
Normandy
4-5 JUNE
5 JUNE
freedom solidary forum
BRITISH CEREMONY
AT THE MÉMORIAL
INTERNATIONAL FORUM
ORGANISED IN PARTNERSHIP
WITH THE AMERICAN CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE IN FRANCE
4-8 JUNE
VISIT OF 300 AMERICAN VIP’s
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE
NATIONAL WORLD WAR II
MUSEUM OF NEW ORLEANS
6 JUNE
INTERNATIONAL
OFFICIAL CEREMONY
IN OUISTREHAM
4 JUNE - 10 p.m.
The armed man KARL JEnKINS
CONCERT playED BY THE ORCHESTRE
RÉGIONAL DE BASSE-NORMANDIE by
invitation only
7 JUNE
CANADIAN CEREMONY
AT THE MÉMORIAL
7 june
ril
30 ap
EXHIBITION
THE 100 OBJECTS
OF THE BATTLE
OF NORMANDY
LAUNCH
OF THE SMARTPHONE
AND TABLET
APPLICATION
“THE 100 DAYS
OF THE BATTLE
OF NORMANDY”
© Tony Vaccaro /
Galerie Bilderwelt
The Kiss of liberation,
St. Briac, August 1944.
Dec. 1943
1944
1945
1946
1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954
Since 19 December 2013 on
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2002
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
follow the adventure of Louis Castel in 1944…
2014
LOGO DU 70’ ANNIVERSAIRE - Cession du Conseil régional de Basse-Normandie du 14 février 2013
70 YEARS
OF HISTORY
AT THE MÉMORIAL
de Caen
EXHIBITION SHOTS OF WAR
100 PHOTOGRAPHS BY
GRAND CORRESPONDENT
TONY VACCARO,
FROM 30 MAY
THE BBC RANKED HIM AMONG THE GENIUSES OF PHOTOGRAPHY,
along WITH ROBERT CAPA OR HENRI CARTIER BRESSON. TONY VACCARO
CHRONICLED THE DAILY LIFE OF HIS REGIMENT FROM 1944 TO 1945,
THE 100 PHOTOS
1944-2014
BETWEEN THE LANDING BEACHES AND BERLIN. HIS UPCOMING
EXHIBIT IS FITTING TRIBUTE TO THIS BATTLEFIELD SOLDIER.
Producer of the exhibition: galerie bilderwelt
Tony Vaccaro,
“THE SOLDIER
WITH THE CAMERA”
TONY VACCARO
AT THE MÉMORIAL
DE CAEN
When he lands on Omaha beach on 21 June 1944,
Tony Vaccaro, a simple 21 year-old foot soldier, is
holding an M-1 rifle in one hand, a 35mm Argus C3
camera in the other. He had succeeded in convincing
his superiors to let him photograph the offensive of
the 83rd division of the American infantry.
Grand photographer Tony Vaccaro,
often compared to war reporter
Robert Capa, will exhibit 100
photographs of the Liberation of
Western Europe, taken during the
offensive of the 83rd division of
the American infantry, between
Normandy and Berlin (1944-1945).
For this exhibition, Tony Vaccaro,
now 91 years old, has accepted
make the transatlantic crossing again
and to share his extraordinary story
at the Mémorial de Caen.
helmets serving as makeshift darkrooms that contain
His first perspective is of a Norman coast ripped to the developer and fixing chemicals. He follows the
shreds and of thousands of corpses lining the road quotidian of his unit. He chronicles unrelenting
leading to Vierville (Calvados). Thereafter come combat combat such as the Hûrtgan forest battle, as well
and fear- a wounded Tony Vaccaro is cared for in as utter destitution and atrocities, like the photo
Isigny-sur-Mer (Calvados). He rejoins his unit and they of a raped German woman with a knife stabbed in
her vagina, a shot taken on 8 May
participate in the liberation of
1945, Armistice Day.
Brittany. On 15 August 1944, he
“Bullets, shells, German
Discharged in 1945, Tony Vaccaro
finds himself in Saint-Briac in the
city streets full of rubble
will remain in Germany for four
midst of the jubilatory celebration,
on one hand, and on the
years, working for the U.S. Army
depicted in his photo, “The Kiss”.
other hand the display
newspaper Stars and Stripes .
of raw human emotion
However, overwhelmed by years
“And we never danced again”,
(fear, hatred, arrogance,
of war and reconstruction, he
he confides, because the war
regret, hunger, shame,
chooses to return to the United
leads them from Normandy
anguish, despair, delusions
States and tr y his luck as a
eastward, then to Luxembourg,
of grandeur, corruption
fashion and news photographer in
Belgium, and Germany. Tony
and finally cooperation
magazines such as Flair, Look, Life
Vaccaro captures a total of
and friendship)- have
and Venture. His photo portraits of
8000 photos during the 300
taught me everything.”
artists and stars have earned him
days across Europe. The photos
Tony Vaccaro, Sept. 2000.
an international reputation.
are developed at night, with
KEY BIOGRAPHY DATES
1922: Tony Vaccaro is born in Greensburg,
Pennsylvania, USA.
1944: He lands on Omaha Beach on June
21, becoming “the soldier with the camera.”
1944-1945: He follows the advancement
of the 83rd US infantry division, a long
journey that takes him from Brittany
to Berlin.
1945: Demobilised, he is hired as a photo
reporter for the Army review, Stars and
Stripes.
From the 1950s: Tony Vaccaro starts a new
life as a fashion and cinema photographer.
Today Tony Vaccaro lives in New York.
© Tony Vaccaro / Galerie Bilderwelt - The Kiss of liberation, St. Briac, August 1944.
WE ARE all70
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2014
LOGO DU 70’ ANNIVERSAIRE - Cession du Conseil régional de Basse-Normandie du 14 février 2013
70 YEARS
OF HISTORY
AT THE MÉMORIAL
de Caen
THE CRYSTAL
RADIO SET OF
ANDRÉ HEINTZ,
A MEMBER
OF THE CAEN
RESISTANCE,
ALLOWING HIM
TO EAVESDROP
ON THE BBC
The “100 objects of the battle” recount the terrible
combats that led to the liberation of Normandy, a major
step in reconquering Western Europe.
THE 100 OBJECTS
EXHIBITION
THE 100 OBJECTS
OF THE BATTLE
OF NORMANDY
FROM 7 june
1944-2014
6 June: Over 150,000 men land on the beaches of
Normandy. Supported by 7,000 warships, 10,000
aircraft, and 20,000 vehicles, Allied soldiers
launch an assault on “Fortress Europe.” On 7 June,
the Battle of Normandy begins. It will be crucial
to the success of Operation Overlord that will lead
the Allies to Berlin.
MARSHALL ROMMEL’S
EPAULETTE
The 100 days of battle involving 3 million men
in combat in Normandy will be marked by violent
clashes, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths
on both sides. Trapped by the war, Norman civilians,
crushed by the bombs, will also pay a heavy price
for the liberation of France.
How do we discuss the subject of the Battle of
Normandy without writing the usual chronological
account of events? How can we bring back the
human dimension of the battle? How can we
understand the experiences of soldiers and civilians
who were trying to survive in a Normandy in ruin?
A PARADUMMY,
“RUpPERT,”
USED AS
A DECOY
OR LURE
To present another way of looking at this major
episode of the Liberation, the Mémorial has chosen
to present 100 objects, both civilian and military,
from the 100 days of the Battle of Normandy.
Emblematic, odd, surprising, or moving… each
object has a story to tell.
CLASSIFIED BIGOT
FILES: “TOP SECRET”
DOCUMENTS
LIBERATION
APRON
WEDDING
DRESS MADE
OF PARACHUTE
MATERIAL
“SHELTER”
SIGN FOR
CIVILIANS
WE ARE all70
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2014
LOGO DU 70’ ANNIVERSAIRE - Cession du Conseil régional de Basse-Normandie du 14 février 2013
A MONUMENTAL
70 YEARS FRESCO ON THE FAÇADE
OF HISTORY
OF THE MÉMORIAL
AT THE MÉMORIAL
FROM 28 may
de Caen
THE VINTAGE
UNIVERSE OF
VISUAL ARTIST
DECAROLINE
Decaroline is known for her vintage collages. The visual artist,
based in Arromanches, a D-Day
landmark, enjoys gathering, tearing, and pasting press articles
and advertisements dating from
the 1920s to the 1960s.
In June 2013, she paid tribute
to the heroes of D-Day in Arromanches by covering a concrete
wall with her collages, creating a
patchwork of portraits and texts,
where one can spot Churchill, de
Gaulle, or images of pretty pin-ups
from the era.
URBAN STENCIL ARTIST JEF AÉROSOL HAS BEEN INVITED BY THE MÉMORIAL TO CREATE TWO
ENORMOUS IMAGES ON THE THEME OF THE LIBERATION OF WESTERN EUROPE. JUST BELOW,
ARROMANCHES VISUAL ARTIST DECAROLINE WILL CREATE A COLLAGE BASED ON THE 100
DAYS OF THE BATTLE OF NORMANDY. THESE TWO WORKS, IN AN UNPRECEDENTED ARTISTIC
DISPLAY, WILL COVER THE FAÇADES OF THE MÉMORIAL FROM JUNE TO SEPTEMBER 2014.
(THE PROJECT IS FUNDED BY THE EUROPEAN UNION AND WAS INSPIRED BY A COLLABORATION
WITH THE “FESTIVAL DE LA PLUIE” OF ARROMANCHES).
Jef Aérosol,
URBAN STENCIL
GRAFFITI
ARTIST
AN ARTISTIC AND
TECHNICAL CHALLENGE
Jef Aérosol is a French stencil
graffiti artist, born in Nantes in
1957. Having grown up on images
of pop, psychedelic and punk
Portraiture has become the urban artist’s
music, on the culture and counter-culture of rock, on folk music, Anglo-Saxon
favourite subject. Though he has created
literature, alternative comic albums and American comics, Pop Art and Op
famous portraits of his idols - Elvis Presley,
Art, he created his first photo-graphics from the 1970s.
Daniel Darc, Gandhi, Lennon, Hendrix, Dylan,
One night in 1982, then a teacher in Tours and a self-confessed “brat,” he
Serge Gainsbourg - he also creates anonymous
decides to spray paint a (non-authorised) stencil series on the walls of the
portraits. “These figures I paint, who ‘watch’ the
city. The result is a revelation! “The sensation of deflowering a virgin city
city are all ‘silent witnesses’ who can observe
to do something completely new, original, and unprecedented, will always
the street and communicate with passers-by
remain in my memory,” he states in his biography.
when I’m gone.”
His creations serve as his calling card- the proposals roll in, the exhibits,
displays, press articles, and radio shows multiply. The street art fan enters
into “The Art Market.” Today, his works cover the walls of many cities in the
world, including “Sitting Kid,” which graces the Great Wall of China.
“What excited me about this project
is, working from a set theme,
transforming it into a personal work.
I also like the idea of this creation
having a universal dimension,
transposable to other contexts.”
Jef Aérosol
The original creation of
Jef Aérosol will consist of
two images, one referring
to D-Day and the despair
of war, the other reflecting
the joy of the people and
the future. The two themes will share a single
common humanity. For Jef
Aérosol, the project represents a double challenge,
both technical and artistic.
Working in digital printing is the technical challenge, creating without stencils or spray paint. The project represents
a new adventure for the artist who has loved to explore
new techniques for the past 30 years. The images will be
printed on two giant canvases, 12 meters high and 33
meters wide, covering the main facade of the Mémorial.
The artistic challenge arises from the fact that Jef Aérosol,
who is decidedly anti-war, will have to deal with a historical
theme related to the war for the first time. His work will be
composed of a dozen photographs from the collection of
the Mémorial. Below the work of Jef Aérosol, Decaroline will
apply her talent to a creation dedicated to the 100 days of
the Battle of Normandy. Through newspaper clippings and
magazines, her work will feature highlights of this historic
episode.
This project has been selected in the
context of the INTERREG IV A France
(Channel) – England European
cross-border co-operation programme,
which is co-financed by the ERDF.
2014
LOGO DU 70’ ANNIVERSAIRE - Cession du Conseil régional de Basse-Normandie du 14 février 2013
THE FRESCO
1944-2014
1944-2014
70 YEARS
OF HISTORY
AT THE MÉMORIAL
de Caen
EVENING GATHERINGS 2014
THE FRANCO-GERMAN
RECONCILIATION
Return to peace
FROM 8 APRIL 2014
In order to commemorate the D-Day landings of 6 June 1944 and the
Battle of Normandy, radio station France Bleu,
television network France 3 basse-Normandie, newspaper Ouest-France,
and the Mémorial de Caen are working together to organise historical
encounters with residents of Lower-Normandy.
The aim of these evening
testimonials is to give the
residents of Lower-Normandy
a chance to share their own
stories and memories.
The 10 evenings, based on
the theme of Reconciliation,
Cherbourg
will be held in various cities
Argentan
Saint-Lô
the Orne on Tuesdays and
Thursdays from 8pm to 10pm.
In 1994, to mark the 50th anniversary of the D-Day
landings, Radio France, Ouest-France and the
Mémorial launched the «evening gatherings.» During
these evenings of recollection, thousands of people
came to share their experiences in dozens of towns
and villages in western France. The initiative was
repeated in 2004 (on the theme of Liberation), and
in 2009 (on the theme of Reconstruction).
In 2014, Ouest-France, France Bleu, France 3 BasseNormandie and the Mémorial will focus on the theme of
Franco-German Reconciliation. «After five years of war,
how can we forgive each other? How can we talk about
these events again? Under what circumstances, before
and after the “Élysée Treaty, have women and men
decided to temper their resentments and attempt to go
toward one another, to create twinning committees and
resume a difficult dialogue? ... Europe had to be built».
Ten evening gatherings will be organised in April and
May. An event with key international speakers will be
held on Tuesday, 8 April 2014, at the Mémorial.
ary
r di
r you
o
f
e
a dat
Make
Ouest-France, Evening gatherings 2009.
P 8 April, 8 pm: Mémorial de Caen
P1
5 April, 7 pm: Deauville, salle des fêtes
P1
7 April, 7 pm: Avranches, salle Victor Hugo
P 22 April, 7 pm: Cherbourg, Cité de la Mer
P 24 April, 7 pm: Alençon, Conseil général de l’Orne
P 13 May, 7 pm: Flers, lycée Jean Guehenno
P 15 May, 7 pm: Ouistreham, grange aux Dîmes
P 20 May, 7 pm: Saint-Lô, salle Allende
P 22 May, 7 pm: Vire, lycée Marie Curie
P 27 May, 7 pm: L’Aigle, salle Verdun
Avranches
Alençon
This project has been selected in the
context of the INTERREG IV A France
(Channel) – England European
cross-border co-operation programme,
which is co-financed by the ERDF.
2014
LOGO DU 70’ ANNIVERSAIRE - Cession du Conseil régional de Basse-Normandie du 14 février 2013
THE EVENING
GATHERINGS
EVENING GATHERINGS OF SPRING 2014:
BRINGING ABOUT FRANCO-GERMAN RECONCILIATION
of Calvados, the Manche, or
EUROPEAN YOUTHS
70 YEARS
AT THE MÉMORIAL
OF HISTORY
DE CAEN
AT THE MÉMORIAL
de Caen FROM 29 MAY TO 7 JUNE
DATES OF THE
EUROPEAN FORUM AT
THE MÉMORIAL
DE CAEn
Youth Parliament for a grand forum on a European scale. 150 students
from 36 European countries will participate. The event will allow the historical
heritage of the Battle of Normandy to be shared with the younger generation.
Planned events include debates and committee work, participation
in commemorations, encounters with key historical speakers.
in education for young people, aged 15
to 25.
The EYP is one of the largest platforms
for discussion of ideas and intercultural
encounters, representing 36 European
countries. The EYP includes 5000 active
members, young adults, and high school
students, who participate in 200 events
annually. Parliamentary sessions, organised
at various levels (regional, national,
European), along with the Forums, are the
highlights of the EYP.
Saturday 31 May
This day of discussion and
debate on shared history will
focus on the memory of D-Day
and the Battle of Normandy.
The strength of these meetings
lies in the importance given to
the memory of the Battle of
Normandy, one of the conditions
for the emergence of the area
of peace that is the European
Union. So that this memory
can stimulate reflection on
the future, 150 youths will
have the opportunity to visit
the Mémorial, the landing
beaches, and participate in the
commemorations of 6 and 7
June 2014.
From 29 May to 7 June 2014, the Mémorial de Caen will welcome the European
Wenesday 4 June and
Thursday 5 June,
150 young people, divided into
14 committees, will recreate the
workings and tasks of the real
European Parliament. The European
Forum will provide an opportunity to
discuss common European History
and write resolutions for the future of
Europe, with the support of experts
and European personalities. The
resulting resolutions will be presented
to the European leaders in attendance
on 6 June 2014. The Forum, on an
initiative of Ouest-France, IAE (the
School of Business of the University
of Caen) and the Mémorial de Caen,
is co-organised by the European Youth
Parliament - France, in partnership
with the European Parliament,
WE ARE all70
PRESS KIT
the European Commission, the
Ministries of Foreign Affairs, National
Education, Youth, Research and
Higher Education, Veterans, the
City of Caen, the General Council
of Calvados, the Région de BasseNormandie, the Maison de l’Europe
de Caen, the European Movement,
Young Europeans, and the information
website dedicated to young people,
«jactiv».
THE EUROPEAN
YOUTH PARLIAMENT
Founded in 1987, the European
Yo u t h Pa r l i a m e n t i s a n o n partisan, not-for-profit association
of education and European
citizenship. The EYP seeks to
promote the European perspective
ANSWERS
3 QUESTIONS
Malo
Mofakhami
The 22 YEARS
old PRESIDENT
OF THE
EUROPEAN
YOUTH
PARLIAMENT
OF FRANCE
THE EUROPEAN FORUM
OF CAEN AT A GLANCE
» 150 young people representing 36 countries,
10 days of interaction
» An unprecedented and innovative format for encounters
» Youth involvement in commemorations
emphasising Europe and the future
» 14 resolutions for a new European impetus,
submitted by young European leaders
» The participation of key speakers of Europe
What is a European Youth Forum?
More flexible than a parliamentar y session
of EYP, the format of the Forum, which holds
discussions and exchanges, will allow us to fit
into the key European speakers program more
freely and to consecrate more time on visits
and commemorations. The EYP methodology,
however, will remain the same: learning about
ourselves through socialisation games (teambuilding), and working in commissions to achieve
resolutions which are then debated and voted on
in plenary sessions.
Who will participate?
We will have 5-10 young people per countrystudents or young professionals. We will try to
open the forum to all profiles, not just youths
directly interested in European issues, but also to
young people from other spheres of society, such
as scientists.
What does the fact that the European forum
will be held in Caen represent to you?
The Forum will mark our memories and will remain
a part of the history of the association. This is the
first time we are bringing together young people
from across the EU in a territory that has a history
directly related to the European construction.
The debates will be rich because World War II is
taught differently in different European countries.
The Normandy of June 2014, with meetings
of veterans and key speakers, will nourish the
thinking of these young people. The scope of the
Forum will be all the more symbolic, since Europe
is in crisis. The Forum will provide an opportunity
to show that young people are committed to the
Europe of transmitted values, and are willing to
go further.
2014
LOGO DU 70’ ANNIVERSAIRE - Cession du Conseil régional de Basse-Normandie du 14 février 2013
THE EUROPEAN
YOUTH PARLIAMENT
1944-2014
OF HISTORY
AT THE MÉMORIAL
de Caen
“THE D-DAY LANDINGS:
FROM EVENT TO EPIC”
Whether we call it «D-Day», «Le Jour J», «June 6th»,
or «The landings», no fur ther explanation is
necessar y to evoke the Allied offensive in
Normandy in 1944, despite the fact that many
military operations of this type were conducted
in the Mediterranean and the Pacific during
World War II; despite the fact that the fate of
Nazi Germany was undoubtedly played out on the
Eastern Front.
How was this battle - one among so many others
during WWII - elevated so quickly to an epic event?
Why is this specific military operation now regularly
commemorated by many heads of state? What
explains the unique status this event has acquired
over decades- to the extent that there are requests
to declare the landing beaches a Unesco World
Heritage Site?
These are the issues to be discussed at the
international symposium, organised by the Centre
for Research of Quantitative History (CNRS /
Université de Caen) in collaboration with the
Mémorial de Caen, with the participation of the
German Historical Institute of Paris, and the support
of the Conseil Regional de Basse-Normandie.
themselves, but on the representations that were
made of them, starting with the intense war of
nerves lasting nearly three years, which significantly
heightened the stakes of the landings, even before
6 June 1944.
The symposium will also seek to determine the
political, ideological, psychological, economic,
and cultural consequences that contributed to
the elevated status of this military operation
after the war. It will consider the image of each
of the countries involved and the consequent
representation of the event over the decades: from
the symbolism of Good vs. Evil, to the affirmation of
the American technological and military superiority
during the Cold War, to the enhanced image of a
liberated France after having been defeated. Each
of the nations that participated in this «crusade»
has largely been able to find, in this more or less
distorted image of history, a reassured identity and
a satisfying sense of national pride.
Finally, in order to better understand the progressive
phasing out of the violence of war in favour of postwar representations of sacrifice, peace and freedom
(which are both based on general consensus and
simplistic), this symposium will place the individual
- soldier or civilian – back in the heart of the
experience of violence and trauma.
In order to answer these questions, historians,
geographers and sociologists will look back on the
battle by focusing not on the military operations
ANSWERS
3 QUESTIONS
How do you, a historian, see the date of 6 June
1944 in the history of the end of WWII?
6 June is an important date in the history of the
Second World War. The Landing made the liberation
of France rapidly possible, all things considered,
and facilitated the collapse of the Third Reich, a
Reich then put on the defensive and forced to fight
on three fronts: in the East, West (and South, if
we include Italy). That being said, it is clear that
the war was first and foremost won in the East, a
reality that the context of the Cold War has long
hidden from the West.
Olivier
Wieviorka
HISTORIAN,
SPECIALIST
IN THE
HISTORY OF
THE FRENCH
RESISTANCE
The symposium is entitled «The D-Day Landings:
from Event to Epic.» Would you also use the word
«Epic» to describe 6 June?
6 June was undeniably Epic, to cite the definition
of the term: an extraordinary and heroic operation.
We must nevertheless be wary of any idealisation
of the event. All the soldiers were not heroes, and
Operation Overlord, as amazing as it was, also had
its failures. It is best to remember that the Landing
was first and foremost a military operation, and
study it as such.
This symposium will place the individual- the
soldier, the civilian- back into the heart of the
violence. Is this a new approach to WWII?
For obvious reasons, historians of WWII, like those
of WWI, have long favoured a top-down approach,
one that highlights political and military leaders.
Memoirs left by the top leaders, like archives,
partially explain this phenomenon. Today, however,
historians are interested in history from the bottom
ranks, to include those doubtless neglected
by great authors. From this point of view, the
symposium’s approach is new, since the Landings
have rarely been studied “down at sea level,”
so to speak. It nevertheless drifts in a broader
historiographical current, where the individual
takes precedence over the masses, where the
everyman takes precedence over the great man.
Jean-Luc Leleu, HISTORIAN
CENTRE DE RECHERCHE D’HISTOIRE QUANTITATIVE
(CNRS/UNIVERSITÉ DE CAEN)
WE ARE all70
PRESS KIT
“THE D-DAY LANDINGS:
FROM EVENT TO EPIC”
2014
LOGO DU 70’ ANNIVERSAIRE - Cession du Conseil régional de Basse-Normandie du 14 février 2013
INTERNATIONAL
SYMPOSIUM
INTERNATIONAL
SYMPOSIUM
21-23 MAY
70 YEARS
© bruno klein
1944-2014
70 YEARS
PRACTICAL
INFORMATION
OF HISTORY
AT THE MÉMORIAL
de Caen
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TICKET PRICES
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The Mémorial de Caen would like to thank its
first partners in the preparation of
the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Normandy:
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Europe 1
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© 2014 – Le Mémorial de Caen – maquette : aprim – Print by Le Revérend (50) – photos : Aleshin – Fotolia – Le Mémorial de Caen – S. Colomyès – M. Quemener – NARA – US Army – F. Decaëns – Tony Vaccaro / Galerie Bilderwelt
JF Pahun – Collections Mémorial de Caen – Jef aérosol – Decaroline – Bruno Klein – DR – Kazanevsky – Kroll – Archives Nationales du Canada – Collections particulières Le Mémorial de Caen – Ouest-France - Translation : Alona
1944-2014