Monument of Marshal Leclerc de Hauteclocque, Obelisk in Amiens, France
The Monument du maréchal Leclerc de Hauteclocque is a stone obelisk about 40 feet (12 meters) tall, located in Amiens and topped with a Cross of Lorraine. The shaft is carved with low reliefs on its sides, showing scenes from the campaigns of the second armored division across North Africa and France.
Philippe Leclerc de Hauteclocque was born near Amiens in 1902 and led the second armored division from Chad to the liberation of Paris and Strasbourg during World War II. After his death in a plane crash in 1947, the city decided to honor him with this monument, which was inaugurated on June 24, 1950.
The base of the monument carries the names of cities and regions that Leclerc's troops crossed or freed, including Paris, Strasbourg, and Tripoli. Walking around it, visitors can read these carved names and follow the route of the second armored division from Africa to Europe.
The monument stands in a small square in central Amiens and is easy to reach on foot. As it is outdoors, it can be visited at any time of day, though morning light tends to bring out the details of the reliefs most clearly.
The original commission for the monument was given to architect Pierre Dufau, who withdrew because Leclerc's widow refused any reference to a tomb in the design. The project then went to twin brothers Jan and Joël Martel, whose finished work was carved from stone quarried in Pouillenay, Burgundy, and weighs over 112 tons.
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