Cities & territories
The Fraternisations Memorial
On 10 December 1915, in the middle of the Battle of Artois, an episode of fraternisation took place between French and German soldiers at Neuville-Saint-Vaast. To revive the work of remembrance, particularly among younger visitors, the Arras urban community inaugurated a Timescope kiosk in December 2017 at the memorial commemorating that moment.
The film plunges visitors into the heart of the trenches, in a 3D reconstruction created with Alain Jacques, the Arras archaeologist and Great War specialist: the places are faithfully restored as they were during the First World War.
Free to use, day and night, the kiosk was the first of a virtual visit trail designed by the Arras urban community to reveal the region’s heritage in a new way, since extended to the citadel and the Place des Héros.
In a land shaped by remembrance, the kiosk does more than tell a story: 95% of the memorial’s visitors try the experience, with 97% positive reviews, and site visits have been multiplied by 3.5.
