Tertre des Massacrés: an unusual place to explore in Hauts-de-France
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Tertre des Massacrés, in Ascq: a memorial monument beside the railway line In Villeneuve-d’Ascq, in the Ascq district, the Tertre des Massacrés recalls one of the most tragic episodes in local history during the Second World War: the Ascq massacre, perpetrated in April 1944. Erected near the railway line, on the very site of the massacre, this memorial monument combines striking architectural restraint with a deeply humanist message. The site forms a memorial ensemble linked to the Ascq 1944 Memorial, a museum dedicated to the massacre and its history. Here, the railway landscape is not merely a backdrop: it is inseparable from the event being commemorated. The Tertre invites visitors to pause, observe and consider what this place still bears in Ascq’s memory. Why make the detour The Tertre des Massacrés is not a spectacular monument in terms of size. Its significance lies in its location and composition: it stands beside the railway line, where the massacre took place, thus inscribing remembrance in the very landscape of the event. Built between 1947 and 1955, the monument consists of three elements. The first is an alignment of stones, designed in memory of the victims. The second is a stone stele known as the “recumbent figure monument”. It was created by the architects Luc and Xavier Arsène-Henry. It bears the following inscription: “In memory of those who perished an unjust death, man, banish cruelty from your heart and your laws.” In front of the recumbent figure monument, on the steps, a third element completes the ensemble: a small stone monument bearing the inscription “Tribute from the Belgian Railways”. These three components give the site its distinctive character: stones of remembrance, funerary sculpture and a railway tribute echo one another beside the tracks. The Tertre forms part of a broader history of commemoration. As early as 1945, the widows wished for a modern clinic to be built at the place where their husbands and sons had died, so that this site marked by death might also serve to protect and support life. The foundation stone of the memorial to those who were shot was laid on 13 July 1947 by Vincent Auriol, then President of the Republic. The entire memorial ensemble and the Ascq clinic were subsequently inaugurated in October 1955. In 1983, François Mitterrand, President of the Republic, visited the Tertre des Massacrés. This visit underscores the place Ascq had come to hold in France’s national memory of the Second World War. The best time to visit The Tertre des Massacrés is best discovered in a spirit of reflection rather than as an ordinary tourist stop. A daytime visit makes it possible to read the inscriptions, distinguish the alignment of stones and understand the monument’s relationship with the neighbouring railway line. The site takes on particular significance around the commemorative periods associated with the Ascq massacre, which occurred in April 1944. To find out about any ceremonies, their arrangements and access conditions during these gatherings, it is advisable to consult information published by the City of Villeneuve-d’Ascq or the Ascq 1944 Memorial. Planning your visit A visit to the Tertre is best combined with one to the Ascq 1944 Memorial. Opened in 1984 under the name Musée du Souvenir, then redesigned and inaugurated as the Ascq 1944 Memorial in 2005, this institution recounts the history of the village of Ascq during the two world wars and places the massacre in its local, national and international context. Its exhibition design is notably based on a timeline running from 1914 to 2005. It addresses the occupation during the First World War, the interwar period, the rise of Nazism, the 1940 Exodus, the Occupation and the Vichy regime, the Resistance, the Ascq massacre, the shooting at Fort Seclin, the responsibility of the SS soldiers of the Hitlerjugend Division, and the post-war trials. The memorial is housed in the former infant clinic of the municipality of Ascq. Managed by the City of Villeneuve-d’Ascq since 2016, it complements the outdoor monument with documents, display panels and audiovisual materials. As visiting arrangements for the memorial may change, they should be checked with the institution before travelling. Access and landmarks The Tertre des Massacrés is located in the Ascq district of Villeneuve-d’Ascq, beside the railway line and on the site of the massacre it commemorates. The Ascq 1944 Memorial, an essential point of reference for discovering this memorial ensemble, is located at 79 rue Mangin, Villeneuve-d’Ascq. Visitors are expected to behave with restraint: the Tertre is a monument dedicated to the victims and a place of remembrance. Its simple composition—stone, rails and funerary inscription—is the source of its full strength.
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Where: Villeneuve-d'Ascq — Hauts-de-France