In the heart of Lyon, just a few steps away from the Perrache station, where deportation transports once departed, a monument dedicated to the victims of the Shoah has been unveiled. The project, called ‘The Rails of Memory’, is not only an architectural work of art, but above all a symbolic commemoration of the tragic events. Designers from the Blaising Borchardt Studio used rails that once led towards the Holocaust and now serve as a reminder of the tragic events.
Design and realisation
The idea for the memorial was born out of the involvement of the ‘Association pour l’édification d’un Mémorial de la Shoah à Lyon’, made up of former deportees and Auschwitz prisoners. After almost twenty years of work, the organisation launched an international competition in 2023, which received 96 proposals from 25 countries. It was from these that architects Quentin Blaising and Alicia Borchardt selected a concept that captures both the pain and the call to reflect on lost lives.
The centrepiece of the installation is 1,173 metres of intertwined steel rails, symbolising the route of the same length that separated Lyon from the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp. The rails are arranged in a manner reminiscent of a railway track. Wooden sleepers and stone ballast – materials taken from authentic railway lines – enhance the impression of dealing with a tragic history.
Materials and symbolism
The raw materials used come directly from the railway infrastructure, which gives the monument a brutal honesty. The steel rails symbolise the power of a system that silently killed hope, while the wooden sleepers and ballast stones evoke the rhythmic clatter of transport wagons. The creators wanted every step along the installation to become a silent tribute to the six million Jews – including more than 6,100 deported from the Rhône-Alpes region.
The ‘Railway of Remembrance’ project also has an educational function. The benches set up along the track are equipped with QR codes, allowing easy access to information about the history of the association and learning about the stories of specific victims. In this way, the memorial becomes not only a space of reverie, but also an interactive lesson for younger generations.
The ‘Railway of Remembrance’ memorial is more than a commemoration. It is a testament to the commitment to ensure that the memory of the victims of the Shoah never disappears from the landscape of collective consciousness. In a place where the last glances of separated families once passed, a silence now resounds that speaks louder than any words. With this work, Lyon has gained a new point of reference – a space where history becomes a warning and a call to vigilance.
project: Blaising Borchardt Studio
photography: François Baudry
source: V2COM
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