Monument to the Enfants of l'Aube - Troyes

Monument to the dead of the war of 1870 consisting of a column with a group on it: a woman and 2 children . The column shows the coat of arms of the city, the names of the dead arranged alphabetically by district and a battle scene in high relief. Height: 13.10 m.

It was made with the help of two artists: Alfred BOUCHER for the sculpted group at the top and Désiré BRIDEN for the bronze high relief at the foot of the column. The pedestal supporting the monument was designed by the architect Paquin and the column by the marble mason Billon L. Jeune.

The Monument des Enfants de l'Aube was inaugurated on 22 June 1890. It is located on the Avenue du Maréchal Joffre, opposite the station.

The shaft of this cylindrical white marble monument contains the names of 937 people who perished in that terrible year . At the top is a crown of battlements to indicate that the city is no longer fortified, but was once fortified. Above, the frieze is interrupted by the coats of arms of the capital and the 4 sub-prefectures of that time. The whole serves as a support for the white marble group by Alfred Boucher, with the heroic motto: "Win or die". The Patrie dominates this group in the fierce attitude of the enraged mother . She clenches her fist and supports her mortally wounded son, whose sword has been shattered . Another son, still an ephebe, prepares to take the place of his eldest , while in the background a crouching craftsman forges the weapons of vengeance. These symbolized figures are concentrated in these grimly truthful attitudes.

The shaft of this monument is surrounded at the base by a bronze frieze in high relief, trembling with zeal. It shows a large number of combatants (infantrymen, artillerymen, dragoons and cuirassiers, cleverly combined in lifelike poses) and tells with desperate zeal of the charge of Reischoffen and the death of the Count de Dampierre, who commanded the Aube Mobiles at the battle of Bagneux, during the siege of Paris.

Today, this monument commemorates not only the unfortunate victims of 1870, but also those of the two other wars that have taken place since then.

The creation of the Monument des Enfants de l'Aube aroused strong opposition . It was already being discussed in 1881, but it took a long time before this tribute carved in stone was welcomed by everyone. The opening took place on 22 June 1890. Discussions were held to find a title for the monument that would not evoke defeat or sacrifice. A name was decided upon that simply indicated that it belonged to the department, which did not shock anyone: "Le Monument des Enfants de l'Aube" ("The Monument to the Children of the Aube").

A restoration campaign was carried out in 1990 to engrave and paint the missing letters, and again in 2009. On 19 September 2017, the Communauté d'Agglomération had the monument, which weighs 125 tonnes, moved 13.57 metres towards the rue Général de Gaulle, as part of the redevelopment of the station.

Willem Vandenameele