Statue by J. Edwards in remembrance of 1914 Christmas Truce in the trenches near Saint-Yvon hamlet close to Messines (Mesen).
(Browse the collection : West Flanders Province time lapse and video stock footage
Near the Tourist Info Point a special life-size bronze statue will get your attention. Andrew Edwards’ artwork in which two soldiers reach out to each other with a football between them symbolizes Christmas Truce. At Christmas 1914, the British and German troops actually left their trenches here to celebrate Christmas Day together and exchange gifts. They played a game of football amongst themselves. For a moment the weapons of war were silent.
A number of truces had taken place between the opposing forces and can be dated back to early November. But it is the truce that began on Christmas Eve 1914 in the trenches around Saint-Yvon (called Saint-Yves, in Plugstreet/Ploegsteert) in the region of Ypres, Belgium, that everyone remembers and refers to.
On December 23 German soldiers began placing the trees outside their trenches. They sang hymns such as “Stille Nacht” (“Silent Night”), and voices from the Allied lines responded with Christmas carols of their own.
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mestru01_fhd | mestru01_5K+ | mestru01_web |
Mov ProRes 422 HQ | Mos ProRes 422 HQ | H264 Mp4 |
206 Mo | 1,86 Go | 11,2 Mo |