Mémorial des batailles de la Marne

About the museum

The Mémorial des batailles de la Marne was built at the highest point of the Dormans château park, on the spot chosen by Marshal Foch as the symbolic meeting point of the two Battles of the Marne, in 1914 and 1918. It grew out of a committee set up in 1919 around the Duchess of Estissac, Monsignor Tissier, Bishop of Châlons, and Marshal Foch. The first stone was laid on July 18, 1920; construction began in 1921, was largely completed in 1926 and finished in 1931, thanks to a public fundraising campaign.

In Gothic and Romanesque style, the building evokes a rampart with its square tower crowned by a wall walk. A monumental staircase of 52 steps leads to the forecourt and to the Lantern of the Dead. Beneath the monument, the crypt bears engraved names of soldiers, schools, societies and military units; the ossuary holds the remains of about 1,500 soldiers, of whom only a few could be identified. A cloister links the ossuary to the upper chapel, whose large choir window draws the eye.

The site, restored between 2015 and 2018, is one of the four national monuments dedicated to the Great War. It is run and opened to the public by the association Mémorial de Dormans 1914–1918, with the agreement of the owning commune, and welcomes more than 19,000 visitors a year. Two exhibition rooms, regularly renewed, present objects from the Great War: mannequins, combatants’ equipment and trench craft.

Highlights

• Crypt, ossuary, cloister and upper chapel of the monument
• Monumental staircase of 52 steps and the Lantern of the Dead
• Site chosen by Marshal Foch to commemorate the two Battles of the Marne
• Exhibition rooms: mannequins, combatants’ equipment, trench craft
• 26-hectare château park around the memorial

Permanent exhibition

• Expositions de la crypte : les soldats identifiés et l'histoire du Mémorial – Panels devoted to the soldiers identified among the bones in the ossuary and to the history of the monument’s construction.

Operated by

Association Mémorial de Dormans 1914-1918 (commune de Dormans, propriétaire)

Admission & discounts

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

A monumental staircase of 52 steps leads to the forecourt and the upper part of the memorial.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

Access is via the rue du château, through the park gate on avenue des Victoires; coaches can drive up to the foot of the memorial.

Amenities & dining

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Events & venue rental

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