THE ASSOCIATION " THE MEMORIAL OF LE LINGE 1915 "

 Historical record of the creation of the association

 1967

Armand DURLEWANGER Mr, in walking, passing through the pass of Le Linge, meets a war veteran of 1915 with his grandsons. With tears in the eyes, he regrets that this high place where are fallen so much brave men during the terrible battles of 1915 is transformed in rubbish tips and let fallow; Le Linge that had been classified "historic monument" in 1921 was  " more abandoned that the more crumbling feudal ruin of the Vosges ".

"The following year being the fiftieth anniversary of 1918 ", DURLEWANGER Mr " decided to give back to Le Linge his true face of witness of a historic drama, to do to Le Linge a memorial of a common suffering to the men of two peoples formerly in war, then reconciled by-above the cross ". He constitutes a team of land clearer and shovel people that started then the operation of renovation of the battlefield called " operation of the memory " made up  largely by of the young people of the Europe Youth Hostel of Colmar.

 1968

During the works of clearing by this team of voluntaries, done especially on the remaking of the 1st and 2nd German trenches, several skeletons of French soldiers were exhumed, locations marked by of the white crosses.

October 3rd: a committee, made up of eminent personalities, decides the building of a memorial inside of which will be fitted up a museum of the memory of the war of the Vosges 1914-1918. A national subscription is opened for the erection of this memorial planned for 1970. This committee writing the statutes of the new association includes then:

·         M. Jean d'ARMAU DE POUYDRAGUIN, son of the General Paris

·         M. WETZEL, principal private secretary to the prefecture of the Haut-Rhin - Colmar

·         M. KUBLER, mayor of Selestat

·         M. HEMMERLE, General Manager of the "Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace" - Colmar

·         M. Dr. EGRUNENWALD, Chairman of the reserve officers of Colmar

·         M. VOGELEISEN, senior citizen of the State Education - Munster

·         M. WISSON, SNCF agent - Wihr au Val

·         M. SCHUSTER, mayor of Orbey

·         M. RAFFNER, president of the "Souvenir Français" - Orbey

·         M. DURLEWANGER, historian - Colmar

·         M. FLECKINGER, manager of a painting firm - Colmar

·         M. GRAFF, senior citizen - Munster

·         M. HERZ, architect of the "Bâtiments de France" - Colmar

·         M. DUPUY, retired non-commissioned officer - Colmar

·         M. HELSTROFFER, manager of the "Auberge de la Jeunesse" - Colmar

·         M. SCHARFF, photographer – Colmar

·         M. OBERLIN, interdepartmental vice principal of the ONAC - Strasbourg

 1969

April 15th: Meeting at Colmar of the General Constitutive Assembly. The statutes of the new  " association of the memorial of Le Linge " are registered at the magistrate's court of Colmar. Association goals: to combine the good wills, the efforts and the own means to assure the safeguard of the battlefield of Le Linge and the protection of his natural site.  The association of the Memorial of Le Linge takes the continuation of the Operation To Remember set up by Mr. HAS. DURLEWANGER; during this meeting, the decision to erect a Memorial with Museum that will redraw the fight history in this region in 1915 is confirmed and precise.  At last, the Committee decides to carry to his presidency Mr. Maurice GINTZ, reserve captain, industrial to Annecy, former fighter of Le Linge in 1915.

The Committee - Director is thus constituted:

·         Presidents of honour: MM The generals de VERNEJOUL, GRUSS and Jean de ARMAU DE POUYDRAGUIN

·         President: Maurice GINTZ

·         Vice-president: Auguste RAFFNER

·         Vice-president: André BAS

·         Secretary: Antoinette DURLEWANGER

·         Treasurer: Michel DUPUY

·         Works inspectors: Arthur WISSON, Jean KACHLER, Norbert FLECKINGER

·         External relations: Armand DURLEWANGER

·         Relations presses: Edouard HEMMERLE, P.L. MARCHAL

·         Technical counsellor: Hugues HERZ

·         Assessors: Robert WEISS, GEORGE, Joseph ANCEL, Joseph VOGELEISEN, René SCHUSTER

During this year, the committee proposes itself to let the crest release as well as the French lines below the German lines.  Outside of the special competitions, it is to note that a kernel reduces of volunteer ones takes part in the different necessary activities for the discount in condition to the battlefield, to know:  Mr. and Mrs BOSSHARTH, MM. WEISS, DUPUY, WISSON, FLECKINGER, GEORGE.

May: With the competition of a section of the 9th Regiment of the Genius of Neuf-Brisach, the crest is cleared and partially deforested to render accessible it to the visitors. 

Jointly, another team of the 9th Genius realizes set it difficult up of a big mast of 20 meters; since May 24, the three colors float in this high place to 1000 meters of altitude.  Will participate equally to clearing and to the placement in site value, the 30th Group of Hunters of Lunéville and the 152nd Regiment of Infantry of Colmar. 

June: The service of the equipment of the Haut-Rhin divides the esplanade by the placing of coated and places several road signs of the "historic sites and monuments" to the principal intersections serving Le Linge.

August: The Service of the Historic Monuments does to begin the works of consolidation of the 1st German line.  This work season will have seen the exhumation of twenty new French soldiers (of which 3 identified ones); amounts that must add to the ten hunters (of which 1 identified one) exhumed in 1968.  At the same time, were exhumed five German soldiers.

 1970

March 30th: Beginning of the 3rd country of works on the site of the Linen.  Teams of volunteer ones of Colmar, Munster, Hohrod, students of Rennes and of the "Diables Bleus" of Marseilles participate in the business of clearing and of cleaning.

November 16th: Meeting of the committee of Le Linge, the President gives reading of the new composition of the office and commissions to make the association live.  At the end of the year, Mr. Henri CLAUDEL, President of the UNC of the Haut Rhin (in replacement of Mr BAS) is designated as vice President.  Were also in the committee Mr. Marcel Mayor and town councillor of Orbey and Mr. Jules GUIDAT, President of the UNC of Orbey 

 1971

August 10th: Inauguration to Le Linge of the plate to the " 10000 dead French that the blood impregnated this earth in the course of 1914-1918 "; this plate of 120 kg compound of different alloys with notably the cartridges and bullets found on the battlefield.  This plate was unveiled by Miss SERGENT, of l'A.N.F.P.A . from Paris, whose father, ordering the 115th BCA, was injured mortally to Le Linge on July 27 1915.

August 12th: The committee of the memorial and the civil and military personalities meet together to the pass of Le Linge around Mr.DISSLER, sub-prefect and Mr.HERZ, architect of "Bâtiments de France", to determine the emplacement of the future museum.

 1972

June 12th: The town council of Orbey gives his agreement to the establishment of the museum on the municipal piece of ground. State secretaries of Education and of the "Anciens Combattants" give their agreement to patronize the committee in his work of the "memory".

June 23rd: Model presentation (work of Mr. CHOMEL) kept for the building of the Memorial to the "Chambre de Commerce" of Colmar. 

 1973

April 29th: a tall panoramic display frame, work of the painter François FLECKINGER from Colmar is setting up at the north site of the battlefield.

July 25th: the crumbling of a trench discloses the rests of two French hunters.

September end: To the request of Mr. GINTZ, President, the Colonel (ER) Joseph GROLLEMUND of Colmar accepts taking the functions of secretary in replacement of Mr. JUNCKER. 

 1974

October 8th: Visit to Le Linge of the general GRUDZIM, minister of the fighters of Poland.

 1975

January: Thanks to the intervention of the Prefect BURGALAT, the permit for the building of the Museum Memorial at last is granted by the Secretariat of State to the Culture.

August: A section of 50 men of the 30th Group of Hunters of Lunéville undertakes the first works of earthwork for the building of the Memorial.   

September 11th: Burial to the cemetery of the Wettstein of the rests of a young hunter of the class 1915 (121ème BCP) found in July to the pass of Le Linge.

 1976

July to November: The enterprise pursues the construction of the basic work of the memorial.

August 24th: Exhumation of the rests of a French soldier not identified.

 1977

April to November: Pursuit of the basic work.

November 24th: M. François TISSERAND, war veteran of Le Linge, author of the work " Le Linge Tombeau des chasseurs" and Honorary President of the association is named knight in the order of La Légion d'Honneur.

 1978

April 20th: The new mayor of Orbey, M doctor Schneider accepts representing the town within the association.

October22nd: Decease of Mr.Auguste RAFFNER, vice-president of the memorial of le linge and president of the Orbey French memory

 1979

July 9th: Meeting of the committee and persons assuring the permanence to the pass of Le Linge.  On this occasion is exposed the program of the internal installation of the Museum.

September 13th: Death of our President of Honor, Mr. François WEAVER, inhumation to Bourg-en-Bresse.

November 9th: Transmission of FR3 and TF1: fight evocation on the of the Vosges summits in 1914-1918, under the title "Et l'exemple pour leurs vertues", centered essentially on the fight of Le Linge of July to October 1915.

 1980

April 10th: Committee meeting to Orbey and members assuring the permanence to the pass of Le Linge.  The opening of the Museum is conceivable for the year 1980?. 

June22nd: In the night, sabotage by X...  (Fire) adjacent shack to the battlefield, containing many traces found on the battlefield and a part of the library (books and postal cards).  Of this shack, it remains only ashes.  The loss more important is without protests "Le Lire d'OR".  In addition, the flag of the big mast disappeared.  An investigation of French police force is opened…….

 1981

April 2nd: Meeting to Colmar and to Orbey to set up the methods of opening of the Memorial.  The proposed date is August 9, second Sunday of the withheld month traditionally for the commemorative ceremonies to the cemeteries of the Wettstein and Baerenstall.  The winter in altitude (1000M) having extended itself lately, MM. Mantzer and Fleckinger were able to resume only in mid-April their works of internal installation of the Museum.

June 7th: Sunday of Pentecost: opening to the public the museum public in his superior party.  Import duties:  3 Francs by adult and 2 Francs for the groups.  Much people.

I

They came by thousands to the collar of the Linen for the inauguration; the "Sous Préfet", the General Counselor, civil authorities and military officers, standard bearers, the firemen, clicks it, a district brass band, troops and also of the "old".

M. MONNOT

M. HENRY Pierre, 85 years, of the 106ème BCP, coming from Saint-Dié (Vosges) with the flag of his battalion.
M. MARTY Louis, 85 years, coming straight ahead from Castelnaudary, coming with of Jean Christophe his great-grandson who has in his hands a talk.

"Mesdames, Messieurs, c'est par la voix de mon arrière petit fils que je m'adresse à vous. Qu'il me soit permis tout d'abord de féliciter toute l'équipe qui a participé à la réalisation de ce mémorial en souvenir de ceux qui sont tombés sur cette terre d'Alsace. A l'occasion de l'inauguration, c'est un grand honneur pour moi d'envoyer les couleurs au nom de tous les anciens combattants du Linge morts ou survivants. Puisse ce drapeau rayonner sur les tombes de tous ceux qui ont fait don de leur vie pour la libération de leur pays." Le Colonel Grollemund "Morts pour le France, par vos sacrifices, nous avons gardé honneur et liberté. Puissions-nous pour les enfants qui grandissent, dignement, préparer un avenir de paix. Et puis, chers et glorieux chasseurs, ne sommes-nous pas toujours sous votre sauvegarde. N'êtes-vous pas chargés d'une autre consigne, plus belle encore que celle que vous accomplissiez dans une oeuvre de sang. Non seulement vous montez une garde éternelle sur ce sol, pour prouver qu'il est pour toujours français, mais encore vous veillez sur les deux coeurs de la France et de l'Alsace, pour garantir l'inaltérable union. Notre reconnaissance, comme votre gloire, ne s'éteindra jamais". M. HOGG Roland, delegate general to the Haut Rhin of the French memory, vice preside over of the memorial of  Le Linge
Le Sous-Préfet Thill

THIS IS the Under Prefect that cut the three-colored ribbon that blocked the entry of the museum and the guests were able to visit it after this inauguration, under the conducting of the members of the committee of the association.

 The presidents

 Composing of the committee 2008

Members of the desktop

Members of the committee ( assessors )

Assessors

Members Honorary

CRENNER Pierre :  Honorary President