"Connaissance de la Meuse" ("Knowledge of the Meuse", Meuse is one of the four departments which compose the region Lorraine), is a cultural association which cares about the animation and valorisation of the Meusian heritage.
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european institute of cultural routes |
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| Laurie HOLZER |
| 15 March 2010 |
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The history of the association
Everything begun 1982, with a small group of friends living in the "Barrois" (in the southern part of the Meuse) and caring a lot about knowing and protecting the heritage of this area. They founded the association "Connaissance du Barrois" ("Knowledge of the Barrois). During the three years that followed, the young association multiplied its activities, which encountered a great success. That's why it became soon requested by some inhabitants of the northern part of the department to organise different events in their villages and towns. On January 15th 1985, the association "Connaissance du Barrois" became officially "Connaissance de la Meuse" : it changed its statutes in order to enlarge its field of activity to the whole department of Meuse. Since 1991 and for 30 years, the association is tenant of the Castle of Thillombois. After important works of restoration, it was transformed by the association into a lively place and into a real touristic and cultural centre. This prestigious setting is perfect to accomodate for example seminars, conferences, weddings...
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The castle of Thillombois
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Objectives and activities of the association
The association aims at making known the department of Meuse and at contributing to the protection and setting-off of its heritage.
To reach its goals, the association publishes books, organises lectures, animations, shows, exhibitions, historical evocations and proposes thematic tours to its members.
Between 1982 and 2003, it organised:
• 30 exhibitions
• 18 concerts
• 46 conferences
• 4 slide shows
• 21 day trips
• 23 different "Son et Lumière" displays:
- in Jeand’Heurs from 1985 to 1989 (2 different shows)
- in Louppy-sur-Loison in 1986 and 1987
- at the bishop's palace in Verdun in 1988
- in Avioth from 1988 to 1991 (2 different shows)
- in Thillombois in 1991 and 1992
- "Des flammes… à la lumière" ("From flames... to light") in La Valtoline in 1993
- "Feu d’artifice en folie" ("Crazy fireworks") in Thillombois in 1994
- "Madame de Saint-Balmont" ("Mrs de Saint-Balmont") in Thillombois in 1994 and 1995
- in Mont-devant-Sassey in 1994 and 1995
- "Des flammes… à la lumière" ("From flames... to light") since 1996 in the former quarries of Haudainville
- "Les Soirées du Terroir" ("Rural evenings"), stroll with tales, in Marville in 1997 and 1998
- at the Ossuary of Douaumont, for the70th anniversary of the bones' translation in 1997
- in Montfaucon d’Argonne in 1998
- "Son et Lumière" display at the Marguerre Camp in 1999
- Course with show in La Haute-Chevauchée in 1999
- Show at the battery of Duzey in 1999
- Son et Lumière display "La Soupe au Lait" ("Milk Soup") in Méligny-le-Petit in 2000
- Historical evocation "Villages détruits / Villages reconstruits" ("Distroyed villages / Reconstructed villages") in 2000
- Historical evocation about the "Garibaldians" in Lachalade in 2000
- Historical evocation about the Vauquois mound in 2001
- "D’un jour… à l’autre, la campagne se raconte" ("From a day... to another, the countryside talks about itself") in the Thillombois' castle in 2003
• 22 historical animations (Festival of the Ramparts in Montmédy, Capuchins ' Festival in Saint-Mihiel, The Little Florence, 500th anniversary of the church of Rembercourt-aux-Pots, historical evocation in the Rozelier's Fort…)
It also did:
• 6 audiovisual realisations (Poincaré in Meuse, a participation at Bertrand Tavernier's movie "La Vie et rien d’autre" - "Life or nothing else", Birth of a department, …)
• 16 publications
• 38 shows and various animations (galas,Mermoz's commemoration in Damvillers, thematic days with exhibitions, Saint-Nicholas in Verdun and Bar-le-Duc, Film Festival "De la Guerre à la Paix" ("From war to Peace") in Verdun, the "Rendez-Vous du Goût" ("Taste's appointments"), the "Rendez-Vous du Conte" ("Tales' appointments"), "Visitez un jardin" ("Visit a garden"), Gardens and plants Festival, event for the 80th anniversary of the Hutin's cheese dairy…)
• 5 competitions
• Guided tours (organisation in several departmental sites, heritage days, open doors in Haudainville, …)
• permanent actions for the heritage protection (participation at the Departmental Commission for Sites, participation at the restoration of Meusian monuments,…)
• Publication of a quaterly review since 1986
The association also organises the Jeand'heurs Price in collaboration with the Conseil Général de la Meuse (Departmental Council of Meuse). Finally, it is the tenant since 1991 and for 30 years of the Thillombois' castle. It allows to turn it, after restoration works, into a lively place and into a touristic and cultural centre.
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| THE NEW ASSOCIATIVE PLAN 2003/2007 |
For the association's 20th birthday, its work has been assessed. After a huge consultation, an associative plan has been worked out for the period 2003/2007.
In 21 years, more than 800.000 persons have been welcomed for the different events organised by "Connaissance de la Meuse". They had a strong cultural impact. The numerous media consequences have developped the fame of the whole region.
On an economic point of view, 15 equivalents of full-time jobs have been created and some twenty indirect jobs have been perpetuated. Last important characteristic - key of the various activities' success -, more than 1.000 volunteers are involving themselves in the projects with passion and competence.
The main objectives defined in the associative plan for 2003/2007 are:
- the knowledge of the department of Meuse
- the setting-off and animation of its heritage
- the democratisation of the access to culture
- popular education, especially for young people
- the development of cultural tourism
Thanks to the mobilisation of these volunteers of all ages and social origins, the association undertakes lot of actions to reach these objectives.
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The scenario
A young Belgian girl, Sandrine, a young French boy, Jean-Michel, and a young German boy, Frederick - the three of them about twenty or so - are encountering today in Verdun. This encounter is not fortuitous: the three of them are descendants of 14/18 combatants and they are there in order to participate voluntarily to a show dealing with the Battle of Verdun. During this event, which is an evocation and not a reconstruction, they evocate the life of their ancestors during the war and wonder about the issue of peace.
Hélène, the great-grandmother of Sandrine, was accused like a lot of Belgian people to help the Frenchs. She runned away from the German troops with her family.While her parents continued along their way, she stopped in Verdun and worked as a nursing auxiliary at the hospital of Vadelaincourt. She told about her life on the postcards she sent.
Jean, the great-grandfather of Jean-Michel, was a teacher and came from Brittany. He was - just like a lot of others- mobilised in 1914. From this time on until the end of the war, he wrote in his diary the events, feelings and thoughts of the life of an ordinary sergent, face to face with the horrors of war.
Karl, the great-grandfather of Frederick, German lieutenant enlisted in front of Verdun, wrote to his wife. His letters traduced his despair in the face of the killing frenzy of men: he asked his wife to tell one day to their daughter the drama of this conflict and its trail of inhumanities...
Through their points of view, the spectator assists to the implacable chain of events that led to World
War I. Their testimonies are relating a whole period that went from 1914 to 1918. then, the years fall one by one: 1927, 1936, 1986, until nowadays. From war to peace, from flames to light...
The spectator is living the powerful moments of the war with them, in the heart of the fights, but also the endless waiting times and the daily life scenes. In the rear, men and women are suffering from the same sorrow and they asked themselves the same questions about the sense of what they were just living.
At the end of the Battle of Verdun, in December 1916, Karl and Jean were both seriously injured. Picked up on the battle field, they were brought to the hospital of Vadelaincourt. A few days later, Karl died from his terrible wounds while Jean, who survived, kept the left leg paralysed. In the hospital, both of them had closed bonds with Hélène, who kept up a correspondence with Karl's wife and with Jean. She carried on with her nursing auxiliary job until the end of the war and she only went back to Belgium in 1920.
During the inauguration of the Ossuary of Douaumont in 1927, Hélène introduced Jean to Karl's wife, Ingrid. In 1936, for the 20th anniversary of the Battle of Verdun, she also introduced him to Karl's son-in-law, who was at that time opponent of Hitler.
Then, in 1986, taking the occasion of a pilgrimage to Verdun, Jean and his great-grandson Jean-Michel talked about peace.
In 2004, 90 years have gone since the beginning of the Great War: the time of three generations. The encounter of Sandrine, Frederick and Jean-Michel in these places and for this show, is yet a whole symbol.
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Why has this show to be performed ?
Verdun - today the world capital of Peace - was one of the more awful battle fields of the Great War.
On 21st February 1916, one of the biggest battles of humanity started in Verdun. From February until December 1916, during 300 days and 300 nights, French and German soldiers lived a real life of hell in this place. Hundred of thousands men were mobilized into this crual face-to-face, in which 300.000 have died, burried in this Meusian soil. The survivors would testify from the horror, the unimaginable... from brotherhood too.
"From flames to light" is an historical evocation which aims at focusing on 14/18 war and at giving something to think about the present. Years fly, the horror blurs; ancient combattants disappear ones after the other ones. New millenium turns this Battle of Verdun, which symbolises World War I, from the commemoration into a global cultural approach. In 2004, only the memories and the wish not to forget, the wish to understand and to work for peace, remain. The duty of memory becomes a duty of History, a duty of reflexion in front of the conflicts.
The event-show "From flames to light" is a strong demonstration of this. Its message is also the one of hope, the one of refusing indifference, the one of commitment.
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| From a day... to another, countryside talks about itself |
In the park of the castle of Thillombois, 300 passionate volunteers are relating the great adventure of rurality, from the origins until nowadays. Families succeeding in a Lorraine countryhouse let the spectators live again this unchanging history from the Middle-Ages until the 19th century, then the agricultural revolution and the topical stakes in rural society.
The scenario
The main thread is a ploughmen's house (the scenery is life-size), which was successively occupied by four families:
- from the origins until the disasters of the Thirty Years War
- from the middle of the 17th century until 1919
- from 1919 until 2000
In 2000, the house is bought by a young couple, who restores it and fits up a bed-and-breakfast room. For the first time, it welcomes tourists from Paris and starts to explain them the history of this ancient farm.
The objectives of the show
It aims at:
- the setting-off of the history of rurality in Lorraine
- involving the inhabitants of the surroundings of Thillombois
- at developing tourism in partnership with the event "Le Vent des Forêts" ("The wind of the woods", event dealing with contemporary art), the farm for kids in Wombey, Benoîte-Vaux Accueil...
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This article has been written after the press kits of the association "Connaissance de la Meuse" and its website.
The pictures also have been sent by the association or they figure on its website.
Thanks to Ms Aurélia Derischebourg, representative of the association.
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