French Refugee Memorial| Gedenkteken Franse vluchtelingen | Maastricht

Unknown artist

This memorial commemorates French refugees who died in the Netherlands in World War I. The memorial is located in Maastricht, in the south of the Netherlands. During World War I, around 5000 French people fled to the Netherlands, where more than 450 French people died. The memorial was unveiled in May 1926. It features a female figure placing flowers on a tomb covered with a flag. A plaque in front of the memorial has text in Dutch, which reads: Monument ter nagedachtenis aan de 454 Franse vluchtelingen die tijden de Oorlog 1914-1918 in Nederland zijn gestorven. Ontwerp: Huib Luns Uitvoering: Charles Vos Dit Monument werd op 23 mei 1926 onthuld door Prins Hendrik, de echtgenoot van Koningin Wilhelmina. Het gedenkteken is uitgevoerd in kakzandsteen en toont een engel die waakt bij een tombe. Op de voet van de tombe staat: "Ils s'en domaient en parlant du retour au pays" (zij zijn ingeslapen terwijl zij spraken over de terugkeer naar hun vaderland" In English: Monument in memory of the 154 French refugees who died in the Netherlands during World War I. Design: Huib Luns Exection: Charles Vos This monument was unveiled on 23 May 1926 by Prince Hendrik, Queen Wilhelmina's husband. The monument is made of sandstone and shows an angel watching over a tomb. At the foot of the tomb it says: "Ils s'en domaient and parlant du retour au pays". They fell asleep and spoke about the return to their home country.