France’s lead organisation for the WW1 Centenary says the number of projects endorsed for the final year of commemorations is close to that of 2014, with more still pending.
So far, Mission Centenaire has given its backing to 1,205 ventures, signicantly more than in intermediate years. The majority have been put forward through Centenary Committees of the French Départements or educational bodies.
With many national and international events still pending, a second round of applications will be considered for the latter half of the year, in particular those relating to the November 11 Armistice Centenary and France’s Year Clemenceau theme for 2018.
Mission Centenaire has endorsed more than 4,000 projects since the opening of the WW1 Centenary programme in 2013-14. This latest round shows that French interest in remembrance of the Great War isn’t weakening, it says.
In a recent newspaper interview, Professor Antoine Prost, the historian who’s President of Mission Centenaire’s Scientific Council, remarked on the ‘surprising’ strength of public feeling and the ‘vivid scars’ left by the 1914-18 conflict.
Mission Centenaire, launched by the French Government in 2012, is responsible for developing, supporting and publicising France’s Centenary commemorations. Certified projects can be featured in the national programme, and are also eligible for financial support.
Among current events is Les Sorties de guerre, a series of conferences focussing on the years 1917-23, and the aftermath of the Great War in France, Germany and Europe. Running until May 2018, the monthly conferences are organised by the German Historical Institute, Paris – in partnership with Mission Centenaire.
Source: Mission Centenaire
Images: Centenary News
Posted by: CN Editorial Team