70 Monuments with Peace Quotations From around the World

.N.B.: This web page EXCLUDES quotations from the Bible. Click here for Biblical quotations on peace monuments. | Click here for other peace quotations not necessarily on monuments.

Following monuments presented in chronological order. Right click any image to enlarge.

Peace of Munster (1648)?

1651 - "The Thiumph of Frederick Hendrik", Oranjezaal / Orange Hall, Huis ten Bosch / House in the Woods, The Hague (Netherlands). By Flemish painter Jacob Jordaens [1593-1678]. Depicts "Bringer of Peace" Prince Frederick-Henry [1584-1647] self-assured & high on his victorious chariot, yet with the Goddess of Peace towering above him as tutelary deity & at the reins of the four-in-hand figure of of Prosperity." Text of banderolle: "Ultimus ante omnes de parta pace tyriumphus / To gain peace is the ultimate victory." Commissioned by his consort, Amalia van Solms-Braunfels [1602-1675]. Portrays over 50 figures plus many animals, olive branches & cornucopias. On both sides of the painting are portraits of men carrying products from the West & East Indies. /// The First Hague Peace Conference took place in this hall in 1899. Note "Peace entering to close the temple of Janus" on doors at far left of the right image.

Traditional

1871 - Holstentor / Holsten Gate, Holstentorplatz, Lübeck (Germany). Inscribed "concordia domi foris pax / harmony within, peace without." "This inscription is from 1871 and is a shortened form of the text which had previously been on the (not preserved) foregate: "Concordia domi et pax foris sane res est omnium pulcherrima. / Harmony within and peace without are indeed the greatest good of all." /// "Means literally "harmony at home, peace outside", and is more loosely translated at Wikipedia as "harmony within, peace without", making it so that domi means 'within the gates' and foris means 'without the gates.' The phrase uses a device called "chiasm," which uses one word order for the first half, and reverses it in the second. This puts concordia (harmony) and pax (peace), which are practically synonyms, as the first and last words, and puts domi (within) and foris (without) right next to each other. To preserve this in English, it would be 'harmony within; without, peace.' It is, of course, important to put a comma after "without" or use a different word altogether to prevent it from meaning "not having". Without chiasm, it would either be concordia domi pax foris or domi concilia foris pax." /// "The Holstentor is one of the most favourite buildings in Germany. The late gothic gate is at this time part of a fortification. In 1478 the main gate was finished." /// Both images by EWL 5 Sept 2013.

John Adams

1796 - Peacefield, Quincy, Massachusetts (USA). "I think to christen my place Peacefield, in commemoration of the peace which I assisted in making in 1783, of the thirteen years peace and neutrality which I [as Vice President] have contributed to preserve, and of the constant peace and tranqualitry which I have enjoyed in this residence." -- John Adams [1735-1926].

Frances Wright

After 1852 - Grave of Frances Wright, Spring Grove Cemetery, 4521 Spring Grove Avenue, Cincinnati, Hamilton County Ohio 45232 (USA). Inscribed: "I have wedded the cause of human improvement, staked on it my fortune, my reputation and my life." /// Frances (Fanny) Wright [1795-1852] was "a Scottish-born lecturer, writer, freethinker, feminist, abolitionist & social reformer, who became a US citizen in 1825. That year she founded the Nashoba Commune in Germantown, Tennessee, as a utopian community to prepare slaves for emancipation, intending to create an egalitarian place, but it lasted only three years. Her 'Views of Society & Manners in America' (1821) brought her the most attention as a critique of the new nation." Fanny did many remarkable things: She visited Monticello with the Marquis de Lafayette, lived in New Harmony, Indiana, lectured in New York City, published a newspaper in Cincinatti, freed slaves in Haiti, bore one child out of wedlock & lived at La Grange, LaFayette's estate near Paris (France).

Edmund Burke

1894 - Statue of Edmund Burke, Colston Avenue, City Centre, Bristol (England). Inscribed: "Burke 1774-1780. 'I wish to be a Member of Parliament to have my share of doing good and resisting evil.' Speech at Bristol 1780." Bullet holes were found in the statue in 2008.

Kate Kirkman

1897 - Woman's Building, Tennessee Centennial Exposition (now Centennial Park), Nashville, Tennessee (USA). No longer exists. Site (near the fair's full-scale reproduction of the Parthenon) is marked by a subsequent monument with a sphere on top. Its plaque contains two obscure quotations by Mrs. Van Leer (Kate) Kirkman, President, Woman's Department: "That that is round can be no rounder." and "Women's Work. Whatever may be necessary to preserve the sanctity of the home." Right image by EWL.

William Tecumseh Sherman

May 30, 1903 - "Goddess of Victory" (statue of William Tecumseh Sherman), Central Park, New York City, New York (USA). "At the statue, which is mounted on an 11-foot-high pedestal, David McCullough exclaims, 'Isn't it great! Look at that face! It's the face of a madman! Grim and pockmarked...the very image of the horrors of war!' Sherman, celebrated & reviled for his brutal 1864 march from Atlanta to the sea, is famous for saying 'War is hell.' McCullough likes to recite the lesser known part of Sherman's speech: 'I am tired and sick of war. Its glory is all moonshine.' McCullough lingers on the word moonshine. 'And look, there's the (horse's upraised) foot that gave [sculptor] Augustus Saint-Gaudens [1848-1907] so much trouble.' But what McCullough likes best about the statue is the figure in front of Sherman, a barefooted, winged goddess of Victory. She clutches a palm branch in her left hand and reaches out with her right hand, as if leading the way for Sherman. 'She makes it great,' McCullough says, noting the contrast between war-weary Sherman & Victory's youth and beauty. 'But there is no joy, no gleam of triumph or glory in her expression. Her eyes are wide, her mouth open, as if she was under a spell.' McCullough adds, 'She was African American (a 24-year-old model from South Carolina named Hettie Anderson). No one knows that!'"

Joaquin Miller

June 1908 - Maine Monument, Salisbury National Cemetery, 202 Government Road, Salisbury, North Carolina (USA). 25-foot high granite monument topped by a soldier. This & the Pennsylvania monument were built because of the significant number of federal soldiers from those states who perished at Salisbury Prison during the Civil War. Inscription says: "They fought for peace. For peace they fell. They sleep in peace. And all is well." [This is from the poem "A Song of Peace" by Joaquin Miller, in "Angel of Peace," Boston, August 1876.]

Abraham Lincoln

1910 - "Goddess of Victory and Peace," atop Pennsylvania State Memorial, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (USA). "The pavilion is the largest monument on the Gettysburg Battlefield... In 1909-10, Samuel Murray created 'The Goddess of Victory and Peace' (Athena) from melted-down cannons." /// Inscribed: "With firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right" by Abraham Lincoln.

Austin Dobson

1922 - Fountain of Time, SE portion of Washington Park , Cottage Grove Avenue, Washington Park, Chicago, Illinois (USA). Immediately west of the Midway Plaisance. Based on lines by English poet Austin Dobson [1840-1921]: "Time goes, you say? Ah no, Alas, time stays, we go." Shows a cloaked figure of time observing the stream of humanity flowing past. Commemorates a century of peace between Great Britain & the USA. Sculptor Lorado Taft [1860-1936] took 14 years to complete what was called the "largest single group of statuary in existence." 1 of 40 monuments in "Peace Symbols" by Zonia Baber (1948), pp. 62-63. Entry #270 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001).

Edmund Burke

October 12, 1922 - Statue of Edmund Burke, Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC (USA). Copy of a bronze full length statue by British artist James Havard Thomas in Bristol (England). Inscribed "BVRKE 1729-1797. 'Magnanimity in politics is not seldom the trvest wisdom.'" Edmund Burke [1729-1797] was an Irish statesman, author, orator, political theorist & philosopher who supported the American Revolution & opposed the French Revolution.

Adrian Jones

S C U L P T

1924 - Figure of "Peace," Uxbridge War Memorial, Lynch Green, Uxbridge, London (England). "I thought we had quite enough memorials that seemed to revive the war spirit rather than to consider peace, which is, after all, the aim and end of every great struggle." -- Sculptor Adrian Jones [1845-1938] in his autobiography "Memoirs of a Soldier Artist."

Rudyard Kipling

September 1924 - Cenotaph, Sault Sainte Marie Courthouse, 426 Queen Street, Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan (USA). "By Toronto sculptor Alfred Howell [1889-1978]. The third of a group of four memorials designed by the artist. His other memorials are in St. John (New Brunswick), Oshawa, and Guelph. Howell’s Sault Ste. Marie design signified the 'Triumph of Right over the God of War.' On the memorial 'War' is represented by a crouching figure under the shield, and 'Right' is signified by a draped figure holding a sword in her right hand and in her left a cluster of maple leaves. /// A persuasive letter in 1924 from Sault Star editor J. W. Curran to Rudyard Kipling [1865-1936] convinced the famous poet, in an almost unheard of request, to write the inscription that now appears on the memorial: 'From little towns, in a far land, we came, To save our honour and a world aflame; By little towns, in a far land, we sleep, And trust those things we won To you to keep. — Rudyard Kipling, 1925.'"

Warren G. Harding

September 16, 1925 - Harding International Good Will Memorial, Stanley Park, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada). "More than 12,000 people gathered...to dedicate a memorial to former US President & Marion, Ohio, Kiwanian Warren G. Harding. But rather than dwell on the president’s unexpected death, the monument also celebrated the goodwill that exists between Kiwanis’ two founding nations. Two bronze figures, representing the USA & Canada, stand on the memorial, each holding an olive branch of peace. Beside them is a plaque that quotes Harding’s 1923 speech. /// "The Kiwanis Club initiated a drive for a grand memorial to Harding in Stanley Park, at the site where he spoke [in 1923]. The monument was designed by Vancouver sculptor Charles Marega (also a Kiwanian)." /// US President Warren G. Harding [1865-1923] died not long after visiting Vancouver to dedicate this monument. Click here for YouTube video. 1 of 40 monuments in "Peace Symbols" by Zonia Baber (1948), pp. 64-65. Entry #1241 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001).

September 16, 1925 - Inscription on Harding International Goodwill Memorial: "What an object lesson of peace is shown today by our two countries by all the world. No grim-faced fortifications mark our frontiers. No huge battleships patrol our dividing waters. No stealthy spies lurk in our tranquil border hamlets. Only a scrap of paper recording hardly more than a simple understanding safeguards lives and property on the Great Lakes, and only humble mile posts mark the inviolable boundary line for thousands of miles through farm and forest. /// Our protection is in our fraternity. Our armour is our faith, the tie that binds more firmly year by year. Ever increasing acquaintances and comradeship through interchange of citizens and the contract is not of perishable parchment, but of fair and honorable dealing which God grant shall continue for all time. /// Erected by Kiwanis International in memory of a great occasion in the life of two sister nations here on July 26, 1923 Warren Gamaliel Harding twenty ninth president of the United States and first president to visit Canada."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

M O N U M E N T

November 11, 1927 - Peace Monument, Battlefield Drive & Granny White Pike, Nashville, Tennessee (USA). Angel of Peace at top. Lower group depicts a youth (the united nation) reigning in two powerful horses (North & South) under a rainbow of peace. Designed by Italian Giuseppe Moretti [1857-1935] most famous for Vulcan in Birmingham, Alabama (1904). Originally dedicated on Armistice Day 1927. Rededicated in 1999 after being moved from original base which was encroached by a modern expressway. The 1927 & 1999 bases are identical with the same three inscriptions: Text #1: "The spirit of youth holds in check the contending forces that struggled here in the fierce Battle of Nashville, December 16th, 1864, sealing forever the bond of union by the blood of our heroic dead of the World War 1917-1918." Text #2 from Ralph Waldo Emerson [1803-1882]: "A monument like this, standing on such memories, having no reference to utilities, becomes a sentiment, a poet, a prophet, an orator, to every passerby." Text #3 is a poem by state librarian John Trotwood Moore [1858-1929]. Entry #934 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001).

Hamilton Holt

1938 - Anti-War Monument, Rollins College, Winter Park, Florida (USA). Artillery shell made into a monument by Hamilton Holt [1872-1951], president of Rollins College. Top inscription: "Pause, passer by, and hang your head in shame." Right image shows Holt (far right) visiting Belgian trenches during World War I. Compare 1936 monument of Sylvaia Pankhurst in London, England (UK).

Neville Chamberlain

September 29, 1938 - Führerbau, Munich, Bavaria (Germany). "Hitler's office was in the room just above the balcony. The Nazi eagle and swastika can be seen at top center." Also where the Munich Peace Agreement was signed on September 29, 1938, by PM Neville Chamberlain, who proclaimed, "My good friends, for the second time in our history a British Prime Minister has returned from Germany bringing peace with honour. I believe it is peace for our time." Building is now a school, the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München.

Prof. Tadayoshi Saika

August 6, 1952 - Defaced January 4, 2012 - Cenotaph for the A-Bomb Victims, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, Hiroshima (Japan). Also called "Memorial Monument for Hiroshima, City of Peace." Has Inscription composed by Prof. Tadayoshi Saika: "Let all the souls here rest in peace, for we shall not repeat the evil." "The stone chest in the center holds the registry of the names of persons who died from the bombing, regardless of nationality. As of August 6, 2001, the registry comprises 77 volumes that list a total of 221,893 names." Restored 1984-85. #20 of 56 "cenotaphs & monuments" on the Virtual E-Tour. /// "Found defaced with what appears to be golden paint in the early hours of Wednesday, police said. Paint was sprayed over part of the cenotaph's inscription, according to the police, who are treating the incident as damage to property. A security guard rushed to the cenotaph shortly before 1 a.m. after someone entered the monument site and set off an alarm, according to the police."

Commodore Perry & Townsend Harris

1954 - Kaikoku Kinenhi / Monument to the Opening of Japan, Shimoda (Japan). "Built for the centenary of the establishment of relations between the US & Japan in 1954. A stone monument with relieffs of Townsend Harris [1804-1878] & Matthew Perry [1794-1858] & quotations from their writings. Perry's quotation is 'I have come here as a peace maker,' and Harris' is 'My mission was friendly one in every respect.' The monument is located in a park on a hill overlooking Shimoda Harbor. President Jimmy Carter visited this monument during an official visit to Japan."

Hideki Yukawa

May 5, 1958 Children's Peace Monument, Peace Memorial Park, Hiroshima (Japan). The monument is topped by a statue of Sadako Sasaki [1943-1955] . Dedicated on Children's Day. Inscribed on bell: "A Thousand Paper Cranes. Peace on Earth and in the Heavens" by Hideki Yukawa [1907-1981]. /// Encircled by cases in which to hang origami peace cranes. #16 of 56 "cenotaphs & monuments" on the Virtual E-Tour..

John F. Kennedy

After June 26, 1963 - Gedenktafel / Plaque, in front of Rathaus Schöneberg, borough of Tempelhof-Schöneberg, Berlin (Germany). Commemorates speech by US President John F. Kennedy [1917-1963] on this date to about 450,000 people during which he twice pronounced "Ich bin ein Berliner / I am a Berliner." JFK spoke here because this building served as Berlin's city hall during the East/West divsion of the city.

John F. Kennedy

Christmas Day, December 1963 - Peace Corps Memorial Monument, Old Hilo County Hospital site near Rainbow Falls, Hilo, Big Island (Hawaii). "Upon learning of Kennedy's assassination November 22, 1963, members of the the Peace Corps Training Center donated a dollar apiece from their $10.50 weekly salary to pay for a bronze plaque bearing the words, 'And So, My Fellow Americans, Ask Not What Your Country Can Do For You, Ask What You Can Do For Your Country,' from his inaugural address."

Socrates

September 20, 1964 - Hiroshima Peace Bell, Peace Memorial Park, Hiroshima (Japan). Large bell, permanently outdoors. Surface of the bell is a map of the world. Its "sweet spot" is an atomic symbol. Designed by Masahiko Katori [1899-1988]. Cast by Oigo Bell Works, Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture (Japan). /// "An ancient Greek quote is [inscribed on the bell] along with its translations in Japanese & Sanskrit. The inscription...means 'Know thyself.' The Greek embassy donated the bell [really?] to the Peace Park & picked out the most appropriate ancient Greek philosophical quote of Socrates [470/469 – 399 BC]. The Sanskrit was translated by the Indian ambassador, and the Japanese by a university lecturer." /// Middle image shows Ram Uppuluri of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, at the bell on July 15, 1993. Middle image by Herman Postma.

John F. Kennedy

May 1965 - Kennedy Memorial Plaque, Kennedy Park, Hicksville, New York (USA). Inscribed with famous quote from President John F. Kennedy [1917-1963]"And so my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."

Hideki Yukawa

May 9, 1966 - Statue of Peace ("New Leaves"), in front of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, Hiroshima (Japan). By sculptor Katsuzo Entsuba [1905-2003]. Built by Hiroshima South District Rotary Club on the club's 10th anniversary. Depicts girl with a faun. Inscribed with poem by Dr. Hideki Yukawa (first Nobel laureate from Japan): "O god of evil, do not come this way again. This place is reserved for those who pray for peace." #32 of 56 "cenotaphs & monuments" on the Virtual E-Tour.

Francesco Petrarch

1966 - "Der Rufer / The Caller," Middle of Straße des 17. Juni / 17th June Street, Berlin (Germany). Near Brandenburg Gate. "I wander through the world and cry ‘Peace, Peace, Peace.'" This quotation from the Italian poet Francesco Petrarch [1304-1374] is inscribed on the base of the sculpture. This bronze sculpture is 3 meters tall and was created by the sculptor and graphic artist Gerhard Marcks [1889-1981]." Left image by EWL 7 Sept 2013.

US Astronauts & President Nixon

July 1969 - Apollo 11 plaque on the Moon. Text: "Here man from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon, July 1969, A.D. We came in peace for all mankind." Signed by three astronauts & President Richard Nixon. "Stainless steel commemorative plaques measuring 9 by 7 5/8 inches (22.9 by 19.4 cm) were attached to the ladders on the descent stages of the US Apollo Lunar Modules flown on lunar landing missions Apollo 11 through Apollo 17, to be left permanently on the lunar surface."

Dwight D. Eisenhower

After 1969 - Grave of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Abeline, Kansas (USA). Right panel quotes from Ike's "The Chance for Peace" speech of April 15, 1953: "Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. The cost of one modern heavy bomber is this: a modern brick school in more than 30 cities. It is two electric power plants, each serving a town of 60,000 population. It is two fine, fully equipped hospitals. It is some fifty miles of concrete pavement. We pay for a single fighter plane with a half million bushels of wheat. We pay for a single destroyer with new homes that could have housed more than 8,000 people. This is, I repeat, the best way of life to be found on the road the world has been taking. This is not a way of life at all, in any true sense. Under the cloud of threatening war, it is humanity hanging from a cross of iron."

Ed Grothus

1973 - Omega Peace Institute (OPI), Arkansas Avenue, Los Alamos New Mexico (USA). Next door to Black Hole (qv). Former Grace Lutheran Church purchased in 1973 by Ed Grothus [1923-2009]. Includes CND peace sign & two broken bombs. Signs say "No one is secure unless everyone is secure" & "OMEGA PEACE INSTITUTE, FIRST CHURCH OF HIGH TECHNOLOGY, BLACK HOLE SYNOD, Critical Mass Every Sunday with Bomb Unworship Service. Don Eduardo de Los Alamos, Pastor." Both images by EWL.

Carl von Ossietzky

After 1974 - Graves of Carl von Ossietzky & his wife Maud Ossietzky, Friedhof Pankow IV, Niederschonhausen, Pankow, Berlin (Germany). Carl von Ossietzky [1889-1938] received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1935. Maud Lichfield-Wood Ossietzky [1888-1974] was a suffragette in Manchester (England), born a British colonial officer's daughter & the great granddaughter of an Indian princess in Hyderabad (India). Ossietzky's was the only Nobel peace prize awarded for opposing Nazism. Only inscription on plaque: "Frieden für Immer / Peace Forever." Inscription on small terra cotta marker: "Ehrengrab Land Berlin / Honorary grave, State of Berlin." Information courtesy of Christian Bartolf (who is pictured in the image made by EWL 6 Sept 2013).

Martin Luther King, Jr., in his "I have a dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial, August 28, 1963

1977 - Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial, Martin Luther King, Jr., Park, Near Best Street, Buffalo, New York (USA). Plaque reads: "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed, 'We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.' M.L.K. Jr. 1929-1968."

Fanny Lou Hamer at 1964 Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City, New Jersey (USA)

1977 - Grave of Fannie Lou Hamer, Ruleville, Mississippi (USA). Fannie Lou Hamer [1917-1977] was was an American voting rights activist and civil rights leader. Tombstone engraved "I am sick and tired of being sick and tired."

Chief Jake Swamp

April 10, 1986 - Tree of Peace, Shasta Hall, California State University, Sacramento, California (USA). Original plaque (shown in image) given on Indigenous People's Day (Oct. 12, 2009) to Ensuring Native Indian Traditions club (ENIT) by E. Nathan Jones, CSU Theatre & Dance Department. Its inscription: "TREE OF PEACE. Dedicated by Chief Jake Swamp of the Mohawk Nation, April 10, 1986. 'When I look at this tree, May I be reminded that I laid down my weapons forever.'" Information courtesy of Trevor Super.

Bayard Rustin

August 28, 1989 - Bayard Rustin Plaque, Ralph Bunch Park, East 43rd Street & First Avenue, New York City, New York (USA). Honors Bayard Rustin [1912-1987]. Quote on plaque: "The principal factors which influenced my life are non-violent tactics; constitutional means; democratic procedures; respect for human personality; a belief that all people are one." Entry #681 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001).

Kunta Kinte in "Roots" by Alex Haley

1990 - "Behold", Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historic Site, Atlanta, Georgia (USA). Depicts Kunta Kinte from the novel Roots by Alex Haley. Kinte is performing a Mandinka ceremony for his first-born, Kizzy: "Behold, the only thing greater than yourself." Sculpted by Patrick Morelli. Dedicated by Coretta Scott King. There are Alex Haley statues in Annapolis, Maryland, and Knoxville, Tennessee.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

September 30, 1990 - Canadian Tribute to Human Rights Monument, Lisgar & Elgin Streets, Ottawa, Ontario (Canada). Immediately adjacent to Ottawa City Hall. "Dedicated to the fundamental concepts of personal freedom & respect for the dignity of each individual with the inscription of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights: 'All human beings are born free and equal in dignity & rights.' The Tribute is the first monument in the world dedicated to universal human rights, and was unveiled by Dalai Lama of Tibet in September of 1990."

Agnus Dei section of the Roman Catholic Mass

November 14, 1990 - Fridenszeichen / Peace Monument, Lake Konstance (Bodensee), Lindau, Bravaria (Germany). According to Peter van den Dungen, "Very near to where the Friedensmuseum Landau (Friedens Raeume / Peace Rooms) is located. Sculpted by Dietrich Foerster, the winner of a competition organised by the Akademie der Bildenden Kuenste in Munich. A bronze plaque explains that it was unveiled on the 50th anniversary of the bombing of Coventry cathedral, and concludes with "Dona Nobis Pacem / Grant us peace."

Dwight D. Eisenhower in his "Chance for Peace" speech before the American Society of Newspaper Editors, April 16, 1953

January 15, 1991 - Peace Monument, Harrison County Courthouse, Corydon, Indiana (USA). Conceived by Mark Stein to balance war memorials at every other conner of the courthouse. Simple stone slab with a dove & inscribed only "Dedicated to the Peaceful Resolution of Conflict," plus this quotation: "Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone, it is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. -- Dwight D. Eisenhower [1890-1969]." Dedicated on Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday. Visited by EWL 09Aug09.

Paul Francis Conrad

1991 - "Chain Reaction," Santa Monica Civic Cener, Santa Monica, California (USA). This mushroom cloud made from links of a massive chain. Text of plaque: "This is a statement of peace. May it never become an epitaph. 1991. Paul Conrad." Paul Francis Conrad [born in 1924] designed this monuemnt. He was chief editorial cartoonist for the Los Angeles Times from 1964 to 1993 and had been syndicated to hundreds of newspapers worldwide.

Bahá'u'lláh

1992 - Monumento à Paz / Peace Monument, Avenida Beira-Mar Norte, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina (Brazil). Erected by the Bahá'í faith. "It is possible to read another phrase that Bahá'u'lláh [1817-1892] says. "Peace is not only possible, but inevitable is the next stage in the evolution of this planet." [Google translation]

Lester Pearson, 1956

October 8, 1992 - Reconcilation (National Peacekeeping Monument), Ottawa, Ontario (Canada). Memorializes Canadian "casques bleus / blue caps" who served in UN peace-keeping missions in Korea (1947), Palestine (1948), Golan Heights, former Yugoslavia & Somalia. Erected during 125th anniversary of Canadian Confederation (Canada 125). Base includes 1956 quote from Lester Pearson [1897-1972]: "We need action not only to end the fighting but to make the peace... My own government would be glad to recommend Canadian participation in such a UN force, a truly international peace and police force." /// Entry #1302 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001). Click here for an analysis of this monument by Paul Gough.

Sri Chinmoy

April 27, 1993 - Sri Chinmoy Peace State Marker, grounds of the State Capitol, Tallahassee, Florida (USA). Plaque: "The State of Florida today joins the Sri Chinmoy Interntional Peace Blossoms, a family of over 800 landmarks in 50 nations dedicated to the universally cherished goal of peace. May we, the people of Florida, forever embrace this lofty goal in our own hearts, and thus spread peace to our communities, to our nation and to all humankind... 'Do not stop dreaming! One day your world-peace-dream will indundate the entire world.' -- Sri Chinmoy. Proclaimed April 27,1993. Lawton Chiles, Governor."

Heinrich Heine

D E N K M A L March 20, 1995 - Denkmal zur Erinnerung an die Bücherverbrennung / Book Burning Monument, Bebelplatz, near Unter den Linden, Berlin (Germany). At site of Nazi book burning in 1933 near St. Hedwig's Cathedral. The underground memorial consists of a window on the surface of the plaza, under which vacant bookshelves are lit and visible. A bronze plaque quotes German poet Heinrich Heine [1797-1856]: “Where books are burned in the end people will burn.”

UNESCO Constitution, 1946

1996 - UNESCO Memorial Plaque, Media School, Pienza, near Siena, Tuscany (Italy). Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the UNESCO constitution. Text (quoted from the constitution's preamble): "Nello spirito degli uomini hanno inizio le guerre. Nello spirito degli uomini devono essere innalzate le difese della pace. / Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed." "In 1996, UNESCO declared the town a World Heritage Site, and in 2004 the entire valley, the Val d'Orcia, was included on the list of UNESCO's World Cultural Landscapes." /// "It was in this Tuscan town that Renaissance town-planning concepts were first put into practice after Pope Pius II decided, in 1459, to transform the look of his birthplace." Information & left image courtesy of Francesco Pugliese & Peter van den Dungen. Right image of UNESCO plaque marking the Historic Centre of the City of Pienza is courtesy of TripAdvisor.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt in an address at Chautauqua, NY, August 14, 1936

May 2, 1997 - Room 3, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, Tidal Basin, Washington, DC (USA). "I have seen war. I have seen war on land and sea. I have seen blood running from the wounded. I have seen the dead in the mud. I have seen cities destroyed. I have seen children starving. I have seen the agony of mothers and wives. I hate war." Click here for all 21 FDR quotes.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt in an address to Congress after his return from Yalta, March 1, 1945

May 2, 1997 - Room 4, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, Tidal Basin, Washington, DC (USA). "The structure of world peace cannot be the work of one man, or one party, or one nation... It must be a peace which rests on the cooperative effort of the whole world." Click here for all 21 FDR quotes.

Juan Luis Vives

1998 - Monumento a la Paz y a la Concordia / Monument to Peace and Agreement, Plaza de la Vírgen, Valencia (Spain). By José Puche. A homage to the victims of terrorism. An inscription quotes Juan Luis Vives [1493-1540]: "Peace and harmony are daughters of reason and mind." Un homenaje a las victimas del terrrorismo. Una inscripción dice: "La Paz y la Concordia son hijas de la razon y de la mente."

William E. Stafford

1998 - "At the Un-National Monument along the Canadian Border" by William E. Stafford (from "The Way It Is: New & Selected Poems," copyright © 1998 by William E. Stafford [1914-1993], Graywolf Press, St. Paul, Minnesota (USA): This is the field where the battle did not happen, where the unknown soldier did not die. This is the field where grass joined hands, where no monument stands, and the only heroic thing is the sky. Birds fly here without any sound, unfolding their wings across the open. No people killed—or were killed—on this ground hallowed by neglect and an air so tame that people celebrate it by forgetting its name.

Masahisa Goi (World Peace Prayer)

1998-2002 - Frogtown Neighborhood, St. Paul, Minnesota (USA). To lessen street violence in an ethnicly diverse neighborhood, a volunteer group ("Peaceful Love Warriors") planted 85 peace poles at Willard's Bar, Frogtown Police Station, West Minnehahta Recreation Center, Speedy Market (seen in image), the Wilder Foundation, Urban Market, Lifetrack Resources, Ryan Park, other businesses, community organizations, churches, schools, and private residences. Peace poles were launched by Masahisa Goi [1916-1980] in 1945. Each pole bears his World Peace Prayer ("May Peace Prevail on Earth") in multiple languages.

Anonymous

April 1, 1999 - Peace Monument, between Cavan (Republic of Ireland) & Enniskillin (Northern Ireland). "After the ribbons were cut at the opening of the bridge, Lord Dubs, Minister Dempsey unveiled a sculpture with the name 'PEACE FOR ALL' by the sculptor Derek A. Fitz Simons from Newbridge, County Kildare. [It] represents a life-size warrior who is both tired of war, and the futility of further slaughter of conscious & is gently embraced by his partner, who is the mother of Ireland & has the strength to catch him & to comfort... The sculpture is to send out this statement: "Do we want to continue the way we are going or look at ourselves and try to resolve the situation?"The female figure represents peace, the male figure is naked to highlight the equality of all people, Protestants & Catholics, blacks & whites."

Sri Chinmoy

June 22, 1999 - Sri Chinmoy Peace-Blossom, Seattle Center, Seattle, Washington (USA). Text: "A Sri Chinmoy Peace-Blossom Home to the Region's finest artistic, musical, educational and athletic offerings, the Seattle Center is the cultural and community heart of the Northwest. This plaque and dedication are made in the hope that each visitor will be enriched and inspired by the knowledge that world peace begins within the heart of each individual. Seattle Center joins a worldwide family of natural wonders and significant landmarks that has dedicated itself to peace. 'How can I have peace? Not by talking about peace, but by walking along the road of peace.' -- Sri Chinmoy, June 22, 1999."

Baha’u’llah

June 3-14, 1992 - Monumento à Paz Mundial / World Peace Monument, UN Conference on Environment & Development (Earth Summit), Brasilia (Brazil). Erected by the Bahá’í International Community and the Bahá’í Community of Brazil. Contains soil samples from nearly 150 countries, a symbolic representation of the oneness of humanity and the global cooperation needed to achieve lasting peace. On September 19, 2000, the final earth samples from 26 nations were deposited [as shown in right image]. Click here for more information. "Etched in four languages on the four sides of the upper pyramid is a quote from Baha’u’llah [1817-1892], who wrote more than a century ago: "The earth is but one country and mankind its citizens." The quote is displayed in English, Portuguese, Chinese & Terena, an indigenous language of Brazil." /// See identical monuments in Goiânia & Rio de Janeiro.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights & 60 other peace quotations

M E M

2002 - Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial, Boise, Idaho (USA). Along the Boise Greenbelt near the Black History Museum, Boise Art Gallery, Idaho History Museum, MK Nature Center & Log Cabin Literary Center."This world-class educational park, which has been profiled in several national publications including the National Geographic book 'Etched in Stone: Enduring Words from Our Nation's Monuments,' is the only Anne Frank memorial in the USA & one of the only places in the world where the full Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is on public display. The Memorial includes a life-sized bronze statue of Anne Frank & over 60 quotes from the world's humanitarian leaders. /// Kurt Karst, an Idaho Falls architect, designed the Memorial to integrate the beauty of natural elements-like water, stone & native plants-with the message of hope in humanity." "Gregory Stone of Northampton, Massachusetts, designed a bronze statue to honor Anne Frank."

JFK, Mother Theresa, MLK, Mahatma Gandhi, an Oglala Sioux, Albert Einstein, Abraham Lincoln, John Lennon, Francesco Petrarch, Aristide Briand & Bible (Micah 6:8)

2002 - Keeling-Puri Peace Plaza, Perryville Bike Path, Riverside & McFarland, Rockford, Illinois (USA). "15 foot by 34 foot sculpture “Harmony Atlas” atop a 7 foot by 25 foot granite sculpture base...adorned with 10 peace quotes..." Includes peace poles in 61 different languages. Built by Jim & Pam Keeling: "The Keeling-Puri Peace Plaza celebrates the converging of all cultures of the world. In partnership with the Keeling family, we are proud & humble sponsors celebrating the life of Amarnath Puri, patriarch of the Puri family of Bombay, India, and Virgil Keeling of Rockford, Illinois..." The quotation from Micah 6:8: And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Corbett Bishop

Before 2007 - Statue of Corbett Bishop, Dissenters’ Park, 2635 North Venice Avenue, Tucson, Pima County, Arizona (USA). Depicted resting on a bench in his prison cell. "Religious conscientious objector Corbett Bishop [1906-1961] was arrested after walking out of a Civilian Public Service Camp. During subsequent trials & imprisonments, he refused any type of cooperation with the government until he was released 193 days later. 'I’m not going to cooperate in any way, shape or form. I was carried in here. If you hold me, you’ll have to carry me out. War is wrong. I don’t want any part of it.' /// Dissenter’s Park was a sculpture park located in downtown Tucson. Created by Tony Hinkens and Joseph Lupiani, the park featured sculptures of four figures — Mohandas K. Gandhi, the Civil War abolitionist John Brown, women’s right activist Emma Goldman & conscientious objector Corbitt Bishop. The park was dismantled in 2007 following a change in ownership of the land it occupied. Sign said, "These individuals couraegeously exercise their right to dissent. As you rest here may their strength empower you."

Vernon Jones

July 20, 2003 - Peace Scupture (Greenham March Statue), City Hall, Cardiff (Wales). By Anton Agous of Malta. Inscriptions: "Her soul ignited goodness on our nuclear land; The burning bush of her sacrifice and faith will never be extinguished." -- Vernon Jones. Also "She will keep alive the memory of this womens action for peace which started from Cardiff in 1981 and went around the world." One of 13 sites on the MAW Peace Map of the British Isles as of January 2009. Click here to see article which accompanies the far right image.

Mahatma Gandhi

2005 - Gandhi Statue, Mission Inn Plaza, Riverside, California (USA). Very unusual base. Sponsored by Dr. Kali P. Chaudhuri whose Riverside-based KPC group has different businesses such as Hospital Ownership and Management, Pharmaceutical CRO and is building a medical college in India. Some of the Gandhi quotes on the statue: "There are seven sins in the world: Wealth without work, Pleasure without conscience, Knowledge with character, Commerce without morality, Science without humanity, Worship without sacrifice, and Politics without principle." "Live simply so others may simply live." "Nonviolence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier then the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man." /// "So, what can Gandhi and Riverside have in common? A lot it seems, Riverside prides itself on the diversity of the people that live here. A walk down around downtown reveals statues of Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Dosan Ahn Chang-Ho [1878-1938], and Staff Sergeant Ismael R. Villegas [1924-1945]. To carry it further, there are no statues to Lincoln, Washington, or even [Governor] Schwarzenegger."

Martin Luther King, Jr.

2005 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Globe, Cultural Plaza, Lake Worth, Florida (USA). "Designed in 2003 & completed in 2005. Original project was organized by the Lake Worth Kiwanis Club, & donations came from a variety of sources... The globe never worked as intended. Residents could manually spin the Globe, but it did not spin on its own, as originally designed. The instillation lacked a filter cartridge, causing the water to become dirty over time. Undersized plumbing & faulty pipes, among other flaws, contributed to the problem. All of these problems were addressed in the recent repairs... Quotes on each side of the Globe’s pedestal, by Martin Luther King Jr., have been re-etched for increased clarity. One side reads, 'We will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream. Sooner or later all people of the world will have to discover a way to live together in peace.' Additionally, the entire Globe has been re-etched adding definition to all of the seven Continents."

Peace Pilgrim

July 12, 2005 - Peace Pilgrim Park, London Street, Egg Harbor City, New Jersey (USA). Across from the Roundhouse Museum in the hometown of "Peace Pilgrim" Mildred Lisette Norman [1908-1981]. Maintained by the Friends of Peace Pilgrim in her memory. Quotation on sign: "Overcome evil with good, falsehood with truth and hatred with love." Left image shows Peace Pilgrim's sister Helene Young with the statue of Peace Pilgrim. See other statue in Costa Rica. Click herefor more information.

Joseph Rotblat, Bertrand Russell & Alfred Einstein

D E A T H

August 31, 2005 - Death of Sir Joseph Rotblat [1908-2005], London, (England). Age 96. "Rotblat was a Polish Jew born & educated in Warsaw, then living in Britain. Until the last days of his life he was speaking Polish perfectly well; he emphasized his links with Poland, saying that he is a 'Pole with a British passport.'" Images show Rotblat's grave in Hampstead Cemetery Hampstead, Greater London (England). Inscription at foot of stone: "Above all remember your humanity." - paraphrase of Russell-Einstein Manifesto, July 9, 1955.

Muhammad Ali

M U S E U M

November 19, 2005 - Muhammad Ali Center, Louisville, Kentucky (USA). Exhibits Ali's core values on respect, confidence, conviction, dedication, charity & spirituality. "Hope & Dream" exhibit is composed of over 5,000 tiles with drawings & paintings from children from 141 countries, telling what they want to be when they grow up. The "Global Voices" exhibit asks questions to both children & adults from around the world with answers submitted through a variety of media, such as drawings & poems. "I ain't got no quarrel with them Viet Cong... They never called me nigger." – Muhammad Ali, 1966.

George Santayama & Edmund Burke

October 22, 2006 - Nashville Holocaust Memorial, Gordon Jewish Community Center, 801 Percy Warner Boulevard, Nashville, Tennessee (USA). Sculptor Alex Limor (whose parents were both holocaust survivors), Limor Steel, Nashville, created the memorial's centerpiece: A large bronze book with missing or tattered pages filled with silhouettes of nameless faces to represent the status of European Jewry. Also has memorial wall inscribed with the names of deceased Holocaust survivors and victims and an eternal flame. Two quotations on entrance panel: George Santayana [1863-1952]: Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Edmund Burke [1729-1797]: " All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”

Matahma Gandhi

June 26, 2009 - Statue of Mahatma Gandhi, Belgrave Road, Leicester (England). Inscribed: "'We must become the change we want to see.' MAHATMA GANDHI, Unveiled by His Holiness Swami Satyamitranand Giriji, Presented by Samanvaya Parivar Leicester, Inaugurated on 26th June 2009."

Martin Luther King, Jr.

P L A Z A

October 31, 2008 - Martin Luther King Plaza, University of Maine, Orono, Maine (USA). Next to the Student Union. "University of Maine football standouts Jovan Belcher & Brandon McLaughlin were members of a planning committee for the new plaza & helped pick out quotes that symbolized the life and times of Martin Luther King. Ten quotes are displayed throughout the gathering area that can be read by visitors." "A small plaza [which serves as] a rallying place & a place for walking & thinking." Info courtesy of Kristina Neilson.

Daisaku Ikeda

January 16, 2010 - "Peace Monument," Tamuning Park, Tamuning (US Territory of Guam). "Soka Gakkai International (SGI) members from Guam, the US mainland, Oceania & Japan gathered to mark the 35th anniversary of the establishment of SGI (January 26, 1975) [and] to unveil a monument dedicated to the SGI's founding & to world peace. On one side of the monument are the opening lines from Mr. Ikeda's novel, The Human Revolution: 'Nothing is more barbarous than war. Nothing is more cruel. And yet, the war dragged on.' On the opposite side are the opening lines from The New Human Revolution: 'Nothing is more precious than peace. Nothing brings more happiness. Peace is the most basic starting point for the advancement of humankind.' In the center of the monument are words from Mr. Ikeda, stating 'Rather than seeking after your own praise or glory, I hope that you will dedicate your noble lives to sowing the seeds of peace throughout the entire world. I shall do the same.'"

Martin Luther King, Jr.

October 16, 2011 - Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr., National Memorial, 4-acre site on the Tidal Basin, Washington, DC (USA). Designed by Roma Design Group, San Francisco, California (USA). A project of the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. Ceremonial groundbreaking took place November 13, 2006, in West Potomac Park. Opened to the public on August 22, 2011. The official dedication was scheduled for August 28, 2011, but had to be postponed due to Hurricane Irene. Click here for the Wikipedia article.

August 2011 - Statue of Martin Luther King, Jr., Washington, DC (USA). NYTimes, May 18, 2008: "Twenty-eight feet tall & carved from Chinese granite, the statue [sculpted by Lei Yixin] could resist almost any attack but the one that came recently from the panel whose approval it needs to proceed. The US Commission of Fine Arts, which must sign off on every inch of the $100 million memorial, from typeface to tree variety to color scheme, said in a letter that 'the colossal scale & Social Realist style of the proposed sculpture recalls a genre of political sculpture that has recently been pulled down in other countries.'"

"I was a drum major for peace, justice and righteousness." "Renowned poet Maya Angelou told The Washington Post, 'The quote makes MLK look like an arrogant twit. The full quote is "If you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter." Angelou says not only did the memorial officials remove the 'if you want to say' part, but they condensed the entire quote, which is not what the historians charged with choosing which quote should be on the memorial had in mind, as they chose the quote in its entirety."

Lemn Sissay

October 3, 2014 - "Let There Be Peace," Creative Arts Building, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire (England). Poem by Lemn Sissay [b. 1967], "award-wining British author of Ethiopian origin & Chancellor at the University of Manchester... Inside the University of Manchester, his poem 'Let There be Peace' stands high on the walls at University Place on Oxford Road..." /// Click here for text of the poem. /// Information courtesy of Peter van den Dungen.

Helen Keller, John Lennon, Dorothy Day, Chief Seattle, MLK, Mother Theresa, Elbert Einstein, Walt Whitman, Marlia & Mahatma Gandhi

1979 - Improved in 2015 - Peace Rock, Cowles Commons, Third & Locust Streets, Des Moines, Iowa (USA). Part of "Peace Garden" in 1980. Survived transition from Nollen Plaza to Cowles Commons in 2015. Inscribed "A Vision of Peace...May all who experience this garden be more loving, merciful and sharing." Benches with these 10 peace quotations were added in 2015: Helen Keller: “I do not want the peace that passeth understanding, I want the understanding which bringeth peace.” John Lennon: “All we are saying is give peace a chance.” Dorothy Day: “No one has a right to sit down and feel helpless, there’s too much to do.” Chief Seattle: “Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it, whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.” Martin Luther King, Jr.: “True peace is not merely the absence of tension, it is the presence of justice.” Mother Theresa “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” Albert Einstein: “Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding.” Walt Whitman: “Peace is always beautiful.” Marlia (eighth grade): “If I could have three wishes, world peace would be all three.” Mahatma Gandhi: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

Talmud & Avner Shalev

June 2, 2014 - Ohio Holocaust & Liberators Memorial, Statehouse Grounds, Capitol Square, Columbus, Ohio (USA). Unveiled by Governor John Kasich & architect Daniel Libeskind. "Visitors enter a sloped platform of smooth reddish-grey granite that leads to the monument. The pathway is flanked by benches & a descending wall of Columbus limestone. The top of the wall is inscribed with the words [from the Talmud], "If you save one life, it is as if you saved the world..." Below is a quote by Auschwitz survivor [sic] Avner Shalev [chairman of the Yad Vashem Directorate in Israel] that reads: "Every human being who chooses to remember this chapter of history and to infuse it with meaning is thereby choosing to struggle for the preservation of the bedrock moral values that alone make possible the existence of a well-ordered society. This is a commitment to uphold human rights, above all, freedom and the sanctity of life, and the opportunity for people to live side by side in harmony."

Ben Salmon

G R A V E

November 1, 2017 - Grave of Conscientious Objector Ben Salmon, Mount Carmel Cemetery, Hillside (near Chicago), Illinois (USA). "The Friends of Franz [Jägerstätter] & Ben [Salmon] collected donations to have the stone placed on Ben's unmarked grave. On All Saints Day 2017, his grave was marked with the stone shown [here]...inscribed "There is no such thing as a just war." /// Benjamin Joseph Salmon [1888–1932] was an American Christian pacifist, Roman Catholic, conscientious objector & outspoken critic of just war theory, who believed no war could be morally justified." Information courtesy of Gerard Lössbroek.

JFK, Daniela Gioseffi, MLK, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Benjamin Frankkin, Albert Einstein, Helen Keller, George Washington, Mark Twain, DD Eisenhower & Jimmy Carter

Future - US Peace Memorial, Washington, DC (USA). A project of Dr. Michael D. Knox, Tampa, Florida. (Click here to see "peace activist" Mike Knox compared to "wrestling superstar" Mike Knox.) In plan view (left image), this monument represents the famous CND peace symbol. Click here to see 11 American peace quotations being considered for inscription on the future monument.

Martin Luther King, Jr., in his "I have a dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial, August 28, 1963

Future - Martin Luther King, Jr., Monument, Stone Mountain, Georgia (USA). From Atlanta Journal Constitution, October 12, 2015: "On the summit of Stone Mountain, yards away from where Ku Klux Klansmen once burned giant crosses, just above & beyond the behemoth carving of three Confederate heroes, state authorities have agreed to erect a monument to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Specifically, an elevated tower -- featuring a replica of the Liberty Bell -- would celebrate the single line in the civil rights martyr’s 1963 'I Have a Dream' speech that makes reference to the 825-foot-tall hunk of granite: '“Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.' 'It is one of the best-known speeches in U.S. history,' said Bill Stephens, the chief executive officer of the Stone Mountain Memorial Association. 'We think it’s a great addition to the historical offerings we have here.' The 'freedom bell' will, in fact, sound from the mountaintop. How often, or when, hasn’t been determined. Also in the works at the state-owned, privately operated park: a permanent exhibit on African-American soldiers in the Civil War. Both the monument & the exhibit would be financed with park revenue -- chiefly parking and entrance fees. (A Deal initiative to place an MLK statue on the grounds of the state Capitol remains in the works, delayed by the death of the sculptor originally chosen for the job.)"