During WWI, a half million civilians considered to be “useless mouths” were evacuated by Germany from the regions they were occupying in the the north and east of France.
Women, children, and seniors were grouped together in trains crossing through Switzerland into the Haute-Savoie. Evian, where the official services were located, welcomed, housed and comforted 370,000 of those refugees. This monument, erected through subscriptions, commemorates their passage. It was inaugurated on 16 October 1921. The same day, the city of Evian received the Bronze Medal of French Gratitude.
Nearby, there is the old toll-house and two granite slabs that mark where the old scale used to weigh merchandise was.
All year round, daily.
Free access.
