This contribution is aimed at exploring the reasons why people from all over the world have been visiting France and Belgium, to see the old battlefields of the Western Front of the Great War over the last hundred years. What motivations did or do they have? Is it a general interest in historic places or do the visitors have a personal connection to the places because they have fought there or have lost a loved one there? Does a real tourism to the former battlefields exist at all? As a single term paper cannot be enough to answer all these questions in detail, the focus will be set on the British visitors. It be will be examined what war tourism, or rather battlefield tourism, entails and how it developed after the Armistice. Finally, selected guidebooks and their typical features will be presented and how they prepare visitors for their journey into the past.
Despite the Great War being over for more than 100 years, the promise of remembering its dead is still fulfilled. The idea for this term paper came from a book that has been on my shelf for quite some time now. In "Traces de la Grande Guerre" J.S. Cartier has captured what is left of the Western Front during the 1990s in black and white photographs, supplemented by short informative texts on the location or the picture itself. I was surprised at the recency of the book, and how much is actually left of the war and omnipresent - not only in hidden places.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Battlefield Tourism and the Western Front
- What Is War Tourism
- Motives to Visit the Battlefields
- The Emergence of Battlefield Tourism at the Western Front
- Duty or Pleasure - Tours of Tragedy
- The Cathartic Pilgrimage
- Modern Visits to the Western Front
- A Tour to the Battlefields
- Guidebooks to the Battlefields
- The Influential Tourguide
- A Home Away From Home
- Souvenirs From the Battlefields
- Trench Tourists
- Join the Army, See the World
- The Returning Soldier
- The Female Traveller
- Changing Battlefield Tourism
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This term paper explores the motivations behind people visiting the Western Front battlefields over the past century. It examines the evolution of battlefield tourism, focusing on British visitors and their motivations, particularly their connection to the war through family history, personal experiences, or literary interests. The paper delves into the impact of guidebooks and tour guides in shaping the visitor's experience and how these elements prepare them for their journey into the past.
- The motivations of visitors to the Western Front battlefields
- The evolution of battlefield tourism after the First World War
- The role of guidebooks and tour guides in shaping the visitor's experience
- The impact of personal connections, historical interest, and nostalgia on visitor motivations
- The distinction between sacred pilgrims and profane tourists in the context of battlefield tourism
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Introduction: This chapter introduces the topic of battlefield tourism on the Western Front and provides the rationale for examining the motivations behind these visits, particularly those of British visitors. It also highlights the importance of understanding the historical context and cultural memory surrounding the Great War.
- Battlefield Tourism and the Western Front: This section defines war tourism and explores the distinction between visits to active battlefields and those to historical battlefields. It examines the historical development of battlefield tourism and the motivations behind it, drawing on various academic perspectives. This chapter explores how war tourism contributes to the cultural memory and national identity.
- Duty or Pleasure - Tours of Tragedy: This chapter delves into the different types of motivations for visiting the Western Front. It explores the concept of a cathartic pilgrimage, which involves a desire to pay respects to the fallen, and examines how modern visits are shaped by personal connections, historical interests, and a desire to understand the war's impact. This chapter also discusses the complex relationship between duty and pleasure in the context of battlefield tourism.
- A Tour to the Battlefields: This section analyzes the role of guidebooks and tour guides in shaping the visitor's experience. It explores the typical features of guidebooks and the way they prepare visitors for their journey into the past. The chapter also examines the impact of tour guides on visitors' understanding of the war and their emotional responses to the battlefields.
- Trench Tourists: This chapter focuses on different types of visitors to the Western Front, including those with direct personal connections to the war, such as returning soldiers and families of soldiers. It explores the motivations of these visitors, their experiences on the battlefields, and the impact of their journeys on their understanding of the war.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This term paper focuses on battlefield tourism, war tourism, the Western Front, the Great War, cultural memory, national identity, motivations, guidebooks, tour guides, personal connections, historical interest, nostalgia, and the British perspective on war tourism.
- Quote paper
- Felicitas Deckert (Author), 2020, Battlefield Tourism on the Western Front of the Great War, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/1160718
