Robert Schuman European Centre - CERS
Robert Schuman European Centre - CERS
For more than 10 years, the classes of the Marc Bloch secondary school in Bischheim and the Geschwister-Scholl-Gymnasium in Ludwigshafen have taken part in the project "Eurocitizens in action!", organized in cooperation between CERS and a German partner (currently the Europäische Akademie Otzenhausen). The 2023 edition of the project took place this year between Saarbrücken and Verdun, with the theme of "from war to peace".
This year's program: the discovery of the message of peace from Fiquelmont written by 6 German soldiers in 1916 and discovered by chance some sixty years later. The participants explored the letter and its historical background over the course of the week before producing a creative response to it in mixed Franco-German groups in a format of their choosing, such as videos, illustrations, slam/poetry, or a handwritten letter.
Fiquelmont's message of peace is a letter written by six German soldiers in 1916, as they were about to leave 'for further fighting'. In this letter, the soldiers put into words their rejection of war and their hope for a lasting peace for future generations. Their precious message was placed by the 6 soldiers into a bottle and hidden in the roof of a farm in Fiquelmont where they were quartered. It was while carrying out renovations in 1981 that Fernand Boulanger, the then owner of the farm, discovered the letter. Today, CERS holds the exclusive rights to this unique document. It seeks to bring the message of peace to life through a unique Franco-German educational workshop. More than a memory assignment, the participating students carry out memory work. (LINK)
Here are some excerpts from this exceptional historical document:
"And day after day we hoped for peace. But peace never came! When will it come?"
"We soldiers do not share these ideas. We hate war and only want peace."
"Utopia and a possible Eden are a united Europe, and friendship between peoples, and the realization of the idea that WE ARE ALL BROTHERS"
Responding in handwritten form to Fiquelmont's message of peace not only allowed the students to carry out real memory work, but also to put into practice the intercultural and linguistic skills they acquired during the project week. : The letter
Whether they favored the technique of drawing or that of collage, the students were able to question the contrast between war and peace, and the theme of memory, drawing inspiration from Fiquelmont's letter and imagining an illustrated response to it: The illustrations
In response to Fiquelmont's message of peace, the first video traces the chronology of Franco-German relations, from enmity to friendship. The second is a more direct response to this message of peace, and offers a lucid and hopeful perspective on the current situation in Europe: Video 1 Video 2
This performance responds to and extends Fiquelmont's message of peace by drawing a parallel between the situation and hopes described by the soldiers in 1916, and the challenges that Europe faces today.: The performance
During the week, the CERS team was keen to highlight the participation of classes from Bischheim and Ludwigshafen in the "Eurocitoyen.ne.s en action!" project. Thanks to the photos and videos taken during the meeting, CERS produced a video report that proudly presents the students, their work and their cooperation.
