The Hartmannswillerkopf Franco-German Historial of World War I

The Hartmannswillerkopf Franco-German Historial of the Great War is a multifaceted tool, having both historical and a tourist elements, as well as being a memorial, and above all an educational resource.

The Historial offers a broad view of events during the 1st World War, nevertheless leaving centre stage to Hartmannswillerkopf – Vieil Armand, in order to act as a link with the site and the neighbouring national monument and to enable visitors to understand it better.
Going beyond the local perspective, the presentation always keeps a focus on duality, and above all Franco-German friendship, at an individual level, starting from the post-war period, when combatants of both sides met on the battlefields, through to the international ceremonies, and in particular that of 3 August 2014 to commemorate the centenary of the start of the war between the German Empire and the French Republic.

The historical commentary has been drafted with the help of a scientific committee made up of specialists from both sides of the Rhine, co-chaired by Mr Gerd Krumeich and Mr Nicolas Offenstadt. The general wording will therefore be largely based on people speaking, with this being enhanced by visual and audiovisual media, along with some artefacts with a strong symbolic dimension.