Ypres

The following is the book jacket text written by Mark Connelly: In 1914 Ypres was a sleepy Belgian city admired for its magnificent Gothic architecture. The arrival of the rival armies in October 1914 transformed it into a place known across the world with each combatant ascribing the place with a set of values and images. It is now at the hub of First World War battlefield tourism with much of its economy devoted to serving the needs and interests of people from across the world. The surrounding countryside is dominated by memorials, cemeteries and museums many of which were erected in the 1920s and 1930s, but are being added to constantly as fascination with the region increases. This work explores the ways in which Ypres has been understood and interpreted by Britain and the Commonwealth, Belgium, France and Germany, including the variants developed by the Nazis, looking at the way in which different groups have struggled to impose their own narratives on the city and the region around it. It explores the city’s growth as a tourist destination and examines the sometimes tricky relationship visitors had with local people as well as the behaviour of the visitors themselves who hovered between being respectful pilgrims and tourists intent on being shocked, thrilled and excited. The result of new and extensive archival research across a number of countries, this book offers an innovative overview of the development of a critical site of Great War memory.