A 4.5 inch by 6.75 inch (when folded) waterproofed map of Lille France, sale 1/80000.

Lille is the capital of the Hauts-de-France region in northern France, near the border with Belgium. A cultural hub and bustling university city today, it was once an important merchant center of French Flanders, and many Flemish influences remain. The historic center, Vieux Lille, is characterized by 17th-century brick town houses, cobbled pedestrian streets and the large central square, Grand Place.

Hauts-de-France is, arguably, the French region that has been the most affected by conflicts. And as such, it is a land of recovery and resilience – and a place that lights the way when it comes to living remembrance. In this ‘land sown with heroes’, remembering takes on a spiritual yet earthly dimension.

Lille’s occupation by the Germans began on 13 October 1914 after a ten-day siege and heavy shelling which destroyed 882 apartment and office blocks and 1,500 houses mostly around the train station and in the town centre. By the end of October, the town was being run by German authorities and quickly became a place for German soldiers to relax and take a break from the fighting.

The Germans soon established hospitals, coffee houses, bars, restaurants, casinos and a cinema. The Lille theatre (now the Opera) was used by the Germans for many events and hosted special guests such as the Crown Prince Rupert of Bavaria, artists from Berlin and Lille’s Governor General Heinrich.

The citadel was used as a prison for the hostages who had been taken by the Germans and to secure the obedience of Lille’s inhabitants.

Today, many monuments serve as poignant reminders of the past. Lille’s 1929 monument to its citizens executed during the First World War – at the junction of Boulevards de la Liberte and Vauban – shows five members of a resistance group shot by the Germans in 1915 for sending information helpful to British forces.