Peace Monuments
Dedicated in 1925-1929
Right click image to enlarge.
1925
B
O
ATCirca 1925 - "Pax Vobiscum," The River Spree, Berlin (Germany). Pleasure boat owned by anarchist & pacifist Ernst Friedrich [1894-1967], whose 1924 picture book "Krieg dem Kriege! / War against War!" documented the horrors of WW-I (lower left image). In 1925, Friedrich opened the Anti-Kriegs-Museum (AKM) / Anti-War Museum on Parochialstrasse, Berlin. In March 1933, Nazi storm troopers (SA) destroyed the AKM and seized the "Pax Vobiscum." Friedrich was arrested, then emigrated to Belgium & France. In 1982 (15 years after the death of its founder), AKM was reopened by his grandson Tommy Spree (sic); its current address is Brusseler Strasse 21, Berlin. Upper image of "Pax Vobiscum" courtesy of Peter Nias who photographed it from Friedrich's 1935 book, "Von Friedens - Museum zum Hitler - Kaserne / From Peace Museum to Hitler Barracks" (lower right image)
M
U
SE
U
M
1925 - "Peace Through Justice," Vredespaleis / Peace Palace, Carnegieplein 2, The Hague (Netherlands). On landing of grand staircase. Gift from the govenment of the USA. Sculpted by Andrew O'Connor [1874-1941]. "The statue is a modern version of Lady Justice; she has cast off her blindfold, and her scales & sword are absent." Shown on "Sites Relating to US History in the Netherlands" (webpage maintained by American Embassy in The Hague).
M
U
SE
U
M1925 - Beit el-Amani / Peace Memorial Museum, Mnazi Moja, Stone Town (Zanzibar). Built in memory of those who died in World War I. " the British extended their ideas of ‘indirect rule’ even to the architecture of the early colonial monumental buildings. The museum was therefore designed [by British architect J.H. Sinclair] as an oriental Islamic structure, reminiscent of the Aya Sophia Mosque in Istanbul, a hexagonal building with a huge central dome and smaller domes at the corners." Now [contains] traditional crafts and household items from residents of Zanzibar, sultans, slave traders, European explorers and missionaries. Displays feature David Livingstone's medical chest, information about the harvesting of cloves, and the story of the German battleship Konigsberg which sunk during World War I.
M
O
N
M
T
1925 - Peace Triumphant Monument, Scoville Park, Oak Park, Chicago, Illinois (USA). Oak Park artist Gilbert Wiswold created the sculpture in 1925. It depicts a US pilot, a soldier & a sailor in front of a figure of Columbia sheathing her sword. Inscribed with the names of 2,446 veterans from Oak Park, 56 of whom were killed in WW-I. Renovation began in July 2009. Initially, it was expected to cost more than $240,000, but another $79,400 was added when inspectors in October 2009 found the foundation also was decaying. The final renovation cost was $326,400. Rededicated by Ed Avis on November 7, 2010.
C
R
OS
SJuly 13, 1925 - Peace Cross, US Highway 1, Bladensburg, Maryland (USA). Forth foot cross of cement and marble constructed by the Snyder-Farmer Post of the American Legion to recall the 49 men of Prince George’s County who died in World War I. Towers above the convergence of Baltimore Avenue, Bladensburg Road, and Annapolis Road (a primary entrance to Washington, DC, before the construction of interstate highways).
September 16, 1925 - Harding International Good Will Memorial, Stanley Park, Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada). 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).
T
O
W
ERB
R
I
DG
EDecember 13, 1925 - Frank A. Miller Testimonial Peace Tower & Friendshp Bridge, Mount Rubidoux, Riverside, California (USA). "Erected...in recognition of his constant labor in the promotion of civic beauty, community righteousness & world peace." Frank Augustus Miller [1857-1935] founded the Mission Inn in Riverside & Institute of World Affairs (which is now the World Affairs Council of Inland Southern California). Tower bears the names & coats of arms of all nations as of 1925. Bridge is replica of the Alcántara bridge in Spain. 1 of 40 monuments in "Peace Symbols" by Zonia Baber (1948), pp. 48-49. Entry #111 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001).
1926
F
R
I
E
Z
E
1926 - Sacrifices of War Monument, John Paul Johns Memorial Park , Route 1, Kittery, Maine (USA). "Designed by Russian-born sculptor Bashka Paeff [1894-1979]. Honors men lost at sea. Commissioned following World War I. The 11-foot wide bronze plaque, weighing 2,800 pounds was among the heaviest cast in its time. The sculpture features two life-sized men drowned & a grieving mother with a small child." /// "Its creation was marred by some political controversy. Paeff received her commission in 1924 from Governor Percival P. Baxter, but in 1925 his replacement, Governor Ralph Brewster, rejected the piece as overly pacifist. Minor changes accommodated both men, and the revised sculpture was installed in 1926." /// The granite monument is the first sight for visitors to Kittery, Maine, who cross the World War Memorial Bridge from Portsmouth, NH." /// "Suprisingly Anti-War is this very powerful war memorial. Below is 'The State of Maine to Her Sailors and Soldiers.' In smaller writing is 'Lord God of Hosts be with us yet lest we forget lest we forget...'" Rededicated May 31, 2001.
1926 - Cuban American Friendship Urn, Potomac Park, 14th Street & Ohio Drive, Washington, DC (USA). "Also called the 'Maine Memorial.' Most obscure memorial in Washington, DC. Location out of the way; the main dedicatory plaque is difficult to see, has small print, and is located eight feet off the ground; and, having climbed up the sides of the memorial to read the plaques, one discovers they are written in Spanish. The marble urn on top once stood atop a column of marble in Havana (Cuba) to commemorate the sailors who lost their lives aboard the USS Maine [in 1898] and the friendship between Cuba and the US. A hurricane in October 1926 knocked the marble column over and the urn was added to this marble plinth and sent to the US. For a number of years it stood outside the Cuban Embassy; then, when relations between the U.S. and Cuba deteriorated [in 1959?], the memorial was moved to this location."
T
O
W
E
RS
P
I
N
XNovember 11, 1926 - Liberty Memorial, 100 West 26th Street, Kansas City, Missouri (USA). Includes a 217-foot/66-m tower, 148-foot/45-m frieze, two exhibit halls, and two huge sphinxes named "Memory" (facing East toward Europe) & "Future" (facing West). Ground was broken November 1, 1921, by Lieutenant General Baron Jacques (Belgium), General Armando Diaz (Italy), Marshal Ferdinand Foch (France), General John J. Pershing (USA), and Admiral David Beatty (UK).
F
R
I
E
Z
E
The single-line inscription across the 148-foot top of the frieze reads as follows:
"THESE HAVE DARED BEAR THE TORCHES OF SACRIFICE AND SERVICE. THEIR BODIES RETURN TO DUST BUT THEIR WORK LIVETH FOREVERMORE. --o-- LET US STRIVE ON TO DO ALL WHICH WE MAY ACHIEVE AND CHERISH A JUST AND LASTING PEACE AMONG OURSEVES AND WITH ALL NATIONS."
Here are the four shorter Biblical inscriptions in the body of the frieze:
"Behold a pale horse and his name that sat on him was death and hell followed him." [Revelation 6:8]
"Violence shall no more be heard in thy land wasting nor destruction within thy borders." [Issiah 60:8]
"What doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God." [Micah 6:8]
"Then shall the earth yield her increase and God even our own God shall bless us." [Psalms 67:6]
M
U
R
A
L
M
U
S
E
U
M1927
May 30, 1927 - Peace & Victory Monument, Crandall Park, upper Glen Street, Queensbury, New York (USA). Decdicated on Memorial Day. "A bronze figure sculpted by Bruce Wilder Scoville [1893-1939] in New York City is a tribute to the men from the Town of Queensbury & the City of Glens Falls who gave their lives from the Civil War to the Korean War. Names have been added over time."
1927 - Peace Tower, Centre Block, Parliament Hill, Ottawa, Ontario (Canada). Officially named the "Tower of Victory and Peace / Tour de la Victoire et de la Paix."
M
U
SE
U
M1927 - Esperanto Museum, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek / Austrian National Library, Palais Mollard, 1 Herrengasse 9, Vienna (Austria). "Biggest collection of artificial languages in the world and a linguistic research library for language planning."
C
R
O
S
SNovember 11, 1927 - Canadian Cross of Sacrifice, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia (USA). "A bronze sword adorning a 24-foot gray granite cross designed by Canadian architect Sir Reginald Bloomfield [1856-1942]." From cemetery website: "Few countries enjoy the bonds of goodwill & friendship that the US & Canada share. Our common border remains the longest unguarded frontier on earth, and our nations have shared triumphs and tragedies throughout history. It was in this spirit of friendship that in 1925 Canadian PM MacKenzie King [1874-1950] first proposed a memorial to the large number of US citizens who enlisted in the Canadian Armed Forces, and lost their lives during WW-I. Because Canada entered the war long before the USA, many Americans enlisted in Canada to join the fighting in Europe."
M
O
N
U
M
E
N
TNovember 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).
1928
1928 - Liberty Bell of Louvain, Leuven/Louvain (Belgium). In the tower of the Central University Library. The 7-ton Bourdon also strikes the hours. The instrument bears a message of peace... Bell no. 4 bears the following inscription (translated from Latin): 'My sounds reveal the changes of life. I sing about fortune in good and bad days. Let there be peace and understanding on earth. This is my wish to you all from this tower.' Inscription on front (in English): "THE LIBERTY BELL OF LOUVAIN. This Carillon in Memory of the engineers of the United States of America Who gave their Lives In the Service of their Country and its Allies in the Great War 1914-1918" /// "One of the most beautiful carillons in the world. It was erected together with the library building in 1928 & was donated by American engineers as a war memorial. Thanks to the efforts of American carillonneur Margo Halsted, the instrument was renovated & enlarged to 63 bells in 1983. The total bell weight is 35 tons. During the academic year until mid-May, the carillon is played twice weekly, on Tuesdays & Thursdays from 7:00 to 7:45 pm."
July 4, 1928 - Madonna of the Trail, Springfield, Ohio (USA). "First of 12 monuments dedicated to the spirit of pioneer women in the USA. The series was commissioned by the National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) and placed along the National Old Trails Highway, extending from Bethesda, Maryland, to Upland, California, in each of the 12 states the road passed through [sic]." Created by Geman-American sculptor August Leimbach [1882-1965].
1929
1929 - Bok Tower & Gardens, Historic Bok Sanctuary, Lake Wales, Florida (USA). National Historic Landmark. Gardens by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. "Symbolize Edward Bok's concern for World Peace and Beauty, themes which are interwoven throughout his concept for creating this gift, the overall design including landscape and architecture, and in the small details. The dove, a symbol of peace, recurs in many styles and materials throughout the tower and gardens." (Stephenson 1990)
1929 - Charles Lindbergh Good Will Window, Trinity Methodist Church, Springfield, Massachusetts (USA). "Commemorates Charles Lindbergh's famous flight across the world [sic]. The window depicts Lindbergh standing, dressed in aviation clothing. The words 'Good Will' appear in a banner behind his head. Circular insets in the two upper corners of the window show, respectively, a map of the world marked with latitude and longitude lines and a flying airplane, which casts a shadow on the ground in the form of a cross."
1929 - "In 1929, Nicholas Roerich [1874-1947] in collaboration with doctor of international law from Paris University George G. Chklaver prepared a draft of an agreement dedicated to protection of cultural values (Roerich’s Pact). Coupled with the Pact Roerich proposed a distinctive sign for identification of protected objects -- Banner of Peace which was a white cloth containing a red ring and three red circles inscribed in it. The sign symbolized a unity of the past, present & future into the ring of eternity. In 1929, N. Roerich was nominated for Nobel prize for his international cultural activity & Pact initiation."
1929-Destroyed in 1940's - Peace Lighthouse, summit of Mount Lycabettus, Athens (Greece). "In honor of the meeting in Athens, Greece, of the [27th] Congress of Universal Peace... The dedication took place after the arrival of the members... At eight P.M. 600 Boy Scouts, carrying Venetian lanterns, started marching through the city and up to the summit of the mountain, where they lighted the Peace Lighthouse, which shone like an enormous star thoughout the sessions of the Congress. It was to be re-lighted each time the League of Nations was in session. [But] this monument was destroyed by the Germans when they moved into Greece in World War II." 1 of 40 monuments in "Peace Symbols" by Zonia Baber (1948), pp. 40-41. Left image scanned from Baber. All information from Baber. NB: Baber dates this monument from 1930, but the conference took place October 6-10, 1929.
July 30, 1929 - Statue of Romulus & Remus, City Hall, Rome, Georgia (USA). "On a base of white marble from Tate, Georgia, with a brass plaque inscribed: 'This statue of the Capitoline Wolf, as a forecast of prosperity and glory, has been sent from Ancient Rome to New Rome during the consulship of Benito Mussolini in the year 1929." In 1940, anti-Italian sentiment due to World War II became so strong that the Rome city commission moved the statue into storage to prevent vandalism and replaced it with an American flag. In 1952, the statue was restored to its former location in front of City Hall.'" Info courtesy of George & Renae Stone. Seen by EWL.
