Monument aux morts de la compagnie des mines de Lens, situé à l'intersection de la route de Béthune et de l'avenue de la fosse 12
Monument
Monument aux morts de la compagnie des mines de Lens, situé à l'intersection de la route de Béthune et de l'avenue de la fosse 12, located in Lens (Pas-de-Calais), is a modern edifice built in the 19th-20th centuries. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Modern (19th-20th century)
- Location
- Lens, Pas-de-Calais, Hauts-de-France
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 50.4385, 2.8120
- Mérimée Reference
- PA62000090
Inaugurated in 1925 in Lens, this sober and poignant monument honours the miners and employees of the Compagnie des Mines who fell for France, with a plaque engraved by the master Oscar Roty.
History
Standing at the intersection of the route de Béthune and the avenue de la fosse 12, the monument to the dead of the Compagnie des mines de Lens is one of the most moving reminders of industrial mourning in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region. In a coalfield where the Great War left gaping wounds - massive destruction, colossal loss of life, a disfigured landscape - this monument is not just a tribute, it is a declaration of collective memory erected by an entire working community. What sets this monument apart from the many others commemorating 14-18 is its specific roots in the world of mining. It does not just celebrate the soldiers at the front: it brings together under the same tribute men of all ranks, from engineers to miners, from foremen to labourers, underlining the social unity specific to the mining towns of the Pas-de-Calais. This cross-class dimension is rare and precious. The commemorative plaque, the work of engraver Oscar Roty, gives the monument undeniable artistic merit. Roty, a renowned academician and medallist, combined the rigour of the funerary text with a plastic sensibility characteristic of the turn of the century. His work elevated the monument to the status of a work of art as much as a place of meditation. Located in the heart of the working-class town of Lens, the monument is part of an urban environment shaped by the coal industry. Nearby pit 12 gives the site an added symbolic charge: here, the living and the dead share the same territory, the same toil set in stone. It's a short but intense visit, ideal for anyone wishing to understand the profound identity of the Pays Noir. Listed as a Historic Monument since 2009, the monument has received national recognition, confirming its importance to the region's heritage. It is part of the vast mining heritage of the Lens basin, which has been enhanced by the inclusion of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais coalfield on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2012.
Architecture
The Compagnie des Mines de Lens monument to the dead is in keeping with the sober, monumental aesthetic of the commemorations held in France between the wars. Designed by the architect Pierre-A. Schmit, it probably adopts a stelar or pyramidal shape, typical of civil funerary works of this period, favouring verticality as a symbol of elevation and contemplation. The composition is rigorous, classic in its proportions, without unnecessary emphasis - a sobriety that corresponds to the ethos of the mining communities, which were little given to ostentatious displays. The most remarkable architectural feature is the commemorative plaque created by Oscar Roty, an engraver and medallist whose work is characterised by exceptional finesse. Roty, known in particular for the allegorical figure of the Semeuse, which adorned French coins, brought all the mastery of his art to bear here, inscribing names with meticulous typography, possible plant or allegorical ornaments in bas-relief, and delicate treatment of bronze or engraved stone. The plaque alone is a major work of art, well worth a visit. Located at the intersection of the Route de Béthune and Avenue de la fosse 12, the monument enjoys a strategic urban position: visible from the main traffic arteries, it addresses the entire community that passes by it every day. Its place in the fabric of the Lens workers' housing estates - red brick houses, straight streets, rafters in the background - reinforces its symbolic significance and links it organically to the world of work that it commemorates.
Related Figures
Pierre-A. Schmit — architecte du monument, actif dans la reconstruction du Pas-de-Calais après 1918Oscar Roty — graveur et médailleur académicien, auteur de la plaque commémorative, créateur de la célèbre SemeuseLes employés de tous rangs de la Compagnie des mines de Lens morts pour la France (1914-1918)Les dirigeants de la Compagnie des mines de Lens, commanditaires du monument inauguré en 1925
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Monument aux morts de la compagnie des mines de Lens, situé à l'intersection de la route de Béthune et de l'avenue de la fosse 12 located?
Monument aux morts de la compagnie des mines de Lens, situé à l'intersection de la route de Béthune et de l'avenue de la fosse 12 is located in Lens, Pas-de-Calais department, Hauts-de-France region, France.
When was Monument aux morts de la compagnie des mines de Lens, situé à l'intersection de la route de Béthune et de l'avenue de la fosse 12 built?
Monument aux morts de la compagnie des mines de Lens, situé à l'intersection de la route de Béthune et de l'avenue de la fosse 12 dates back to a period built in the modern era (19th-20th century).
Is Monument aux morts de la compagnie des mines de Lens, situé à l'intersection de la route de Béthune et de l'avenue de la fosse 12 open to visitors?
Monument aux morts de la compagnie des mines de Lens, situé à l'intersection de la route de Béthune et de l'avenue de la fosse 12 is currently closed to visitors.