Verdun

Maurice Genevoix visited Verdun several times in February and April 1915. His officer status meant he was given leave for day trips. Indeed, travel within the Army zone was strictly controlled. During this period, there was no system for taking leave for multiple days, since the war was supposed to be a short one. During these trips, Maurice Genevoix visited Rue Mazel in particular, to go to the barber and the photographer Léon, known as “Monsieur Anselme” (in “Ceux de 14”, Editions Flammarion). He also has lunch at a restaurant adorned with a winged symbol, and takes the opportunity for a stroll along the banks of the Meuse, contemplating the houses’ reflections in the water. He sees a city still intact, before the destruction that took place in 1916.