DESTROYED VILLAGE OF FLEURY DEVANT DOUAUMONT

The village of Fleury-devant-Douaumont, situated on wooded heights, often escaped capture during invasions following the French Revolution of 1789, notably those in 1792, 1814, and 1870.

However, with the construction of the Séré de Rivières line of forts along the heights of the Meuse after the 1870-71 war, its fate soon turned tragic. Its central location between the forts of Douaumont, Souville, Vaux, and the work at Froideterre became highly precarious during the great German offensive of 1916.

Initially, the construction of the surrounding forts brought a measure of prosperity to the village due to the influx of workers and military personnel. By 1913, the population reached 422 inhabitants, allowing small businesses, inns, and artisans to develop alongside traditional rural agricultural activities.

In September 1914, the Battle of the Marne established the front line several kilometers north of Fleury, and its inhabitants once again hoped to avoid a new German invasion. Indeed, in 1915, the village remained completely intact, teeming with combat or logistical troops preparing for the front or resting after their rotation.

On February 21, 1916, at the onset of the massive German offensive, French military authorities evacuated the inhabitants to Bras-sur-Meuse and Verdun. On February 24, 1916, the fall of Fort Douaumont to the north and the advance of German troops and their heavy artillery marked the beginning of the bombardment and progressive destruction of the village. However, it was not until the fall of Fort Vaux to the east on June 7, 1916, that the village became fully encircled and found itself on the front line.

From that point, German bombardment became incessant to enable their infantry to approach and enter the village for the first time on June 23, 1916. Yet, amidst raging battles, the ruins were retaken by the Poilus the very next day, June 24—though this hold was short-lived. In total, possession of the village alternated 16 times between June 23 and August 18, 1916, when it was finally recaptured by the Moroccan Colonial Infantry Regiment.

Among the war events on the commune’s soil, the capture of the Powder Magazine on July 11, 1916, by the Germans stands out. This shelter, beneath 10 meters of rock, witnessed the combat death of Colonel Coquelin de Lisle, commander of the 255th Brigade.

In October and November 1916, its ruins served as a base for offensives led by General Mangin, which recaptured Forts Douaumont and Vaux from the enemy, thus restoring relative calm until the end of the war in this village that had been relentlessly battered for six months.

Classified as a "Red Zone" and declared "Dead for France" in 1918, it was granted the unique status of a destroyed village in 1919.

Unable to rebuild their lives there, the inhabitants erected a shelter-chapel in 1934 on the site of their completely razed church. This chapel symbolically received the statue of Our Lady of Europe on its facade in 1979 to mark, notably, the advancing reality of European unity in peace.

Twelve years earlier, on September 17, 1967, the Verdun Memorial had already been inaugurated on the site of the former Fleury train station, initiated and attended by Mr. Maurice Genevoix, the founding president of the National Committee for the Remembrance of Verdun.

Due to the presence of the Memorial and numerous remembrance projects since undertaken on its territory, the commune of Fleury-devant-Douaumont has rightfully become the most visited of all destroyed villages.

Points of Interest:

• The Chapel of Our Lady of Europe (Pietà fresco by Monsieur Lantier created in 1934, stained glass windows dedicated to the infantryman by Gruber in 1934)
• The War Memorial
• The Verdun Memorial (Museum on the Battle of Verdun)
• Paths and markers indicating the streets and houses of the destroyed village
• Discovery Trail of the Powder Magazine (remains of the old guard post and Vine Ravine)
• 650 m botanical trail between the Memorial and the destroyed village.