Notre-Dame de Metz, the statue on Place Saint-Jacques
In the middle of Place Saint-Jacques, close to the cathedral, a bronze statue of the Virgin stands on an eight-metre column. It stems from a vow made in 1918 for the city to be spared by the fighting.
A place of remembrance
Jacques Martin's 1.90-metre statue and Max Braemer's Jaumont stone column were inaugurated for the Feast of the Assumption in 1924. On 15 August 1940, despite a Nazi ban, a crowd gathered here in silence to affirm its attachment to France. Every 15 August, a procession still goes from the cathedral to the column.
The 1918 vow, born of the fear of another Verdun
As the First World War drew to a close and the German army fell back, some of Metz's Catholics feared their city would share the fate of Verdun. They asked Bishop Willibrord Benzler, in office since 1901, to promise a statue of the Virgin if the fighting spared Metz. He agreed but left the city in 1919, so it was Bishop Pelt who blessed the monument five years later, with the bishops of Strasbourg and Saint-Dié at his side. The Catholic outlet Aleteia mentions nearly 10,000 people that day, a figure best read as an estimate.
An Ionic column near the old Roman crossroads
The monument was set here because the square lies at the centre of the city, close to the cathedral. The ground has a long memory: the main crossroads of the Roman town ran nearby, and a covered vegetable and flower market stood here from 1832 to 1907. Look up at the Ionic capital, carved from Jaumont stone, then down at the base. According to Aleteia, it carries a dedication to the Virgin in the name of the City of Metz, with the dates 1914-1918. The same source reports that the City fully restored the column and statue in 2023.
15 August 1940: praying in silence under occupation
Accounts of the day agree on the essentials: gatherings were banned, armed soldiers were present, and the people of Metz came anyway. According to testimonies published by the André Voulgre museum, bouquets of cornflowers, daisies and poppies were laid at the Virgin's feet. The Wikipedia article on the square adds a large flowered Cross of Lorraine tied to the column, then the crowd's walk back to the cathedral, where many prayed through the night. The very next day Joseph Heintz, Bishop of Metz, was expelled, and other forced departures followed.
Practical information
Address: Place Saint-Jacques, 57000 Metz
Frequently asked questions
Where is it?
On Place Saint-Jacques, very close to the cathedral.
Can you get close to the monument, and what can you see?
Yes, it stands on a public square, with no ticket or organised tour. You can walk all the way round it: the statue is seen from the ground, high on its column, and the base carries a dedication.
Where should you stay to explore this area on foot?
The centre around the cathedral is the most practical choice, with the square and the main monuments all within walking reach. To compare it with the Imperial district or Outre-Seille and look for accommodation, see Staylaro's “Se loger à Metz” guide.
How do you get there on foot?
Start from the cathedral: it is the simplest route, the one taken by the 15 August procession, through the pedestrian area. That day, after morning Mass and vespers, the bishop leads the procession to the column.
