Le cimetière militaire roumain de Soultzmatt

Abstract

The Romanian Military Cemetery in Soultzmatt, inaugurated in 1924 by King Ferdinand and Queen Marie of Romania, has been the scene of many ceremonies, meetings and official or private visits over the past century. Three periods should be distinguished in the approach to these events, corresponding chronologically to the three political regimes that Romania has known: kingdom until 1947, totalitarian communist dictatorship from 1947 to 1989, democratic regime since 1990. During the first period, the Romanian authorities paid special attention to this memorial site. During the communist era, the Romanian authorities almost completely ignored the Soultzmatt necropolis, as they did the other Romanian necropolises outside the country's borders. It was to the municipal authorities and various Romanian associations to take up the torch. Since 1990, religious, civil and military ceremonies have taken place regularly. The Orthodox celebrations are organised by the parishes of the region and presided over by Mgr Joseph Pop, Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan of Western and Southern Europe.

Keywords

• Romanian military cemetery
• Soultzmatt
• commemorative ceremonies
• Romanian political régimes
• religious celebrations