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Christmas 1914 Football Match Statues, Messines - Mesen
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Christmas 1914 Football Match Statues, Messines - Mesen
This life sized statue of a German and a British soldier shaking hands over a football, was sculpted by Andy Edwards and was unveiled on 22 December 2015. A football match did take place just before Christmas 1914 but, like the title of first village to be liberated after D-Day in Normandy in 1944, there is competition to claim ownership of the event. It is well-documented that a Truce took place at the nearby village of St Yvon and that a football match took place at Frelinghien. Date: 2016
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Media ID 23372972
© Holts Battlefield Collection / Mary Evans
1944 2015 2016 Andy Claim Competition D Day Edwards Football Hands Ieper Liberated Match Messines Nearby Normandy Ownership Sculpted Shaking Sized Statues This Title Truce Unveiled Ypres Yvon December
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This poignant image captures the spirit of unity and peace that emerged from the chaos and devastation of the First World War during the Christmas truce of 1914. The life-sized statue of a British and a German soldier shaking hands over a football, sculpted by Andy Edwards, was unveiled on 22 December 2015 in Messines, Belgium, a town that holds a significant place in the history of the war. Although the exact location of the football match that took place between British and German soldiers just before Christmas 1914 is a subject of debate, with claims from nearby villages such as St Yvon and Frelinghien, the truce itself is well-documented. The soldiers put down their weapons and gathered in no man's land to exchange gifts, sing carols, and play football. The statue, which stands as a symbol of the unexpected camaraderie that emerged during the darkest days of the war, was inspired by the true story of the Christmas truce. The sculpture, unveiled in the presence of veterans and their families, serves as a reminder of the humanity that exists even in the most inhumane of situations. The statue, titled 'Christmas Truce 1914,' was created to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the event and to promote peace and understanding between nations. The statue, which stands proudly in Messines, is a testament to the power of sports and the human spirit to bring people together, even in the most unlikely of circumstances.
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