Soissonnais 14-18

Soissonnais 14-18 is a French nonprofit association founded in 1986 to document and preserve the memory of the First World War in the Soissonnais region of Picardy. Its volunteers research the experiences of soldiers and civilians who came from many backgrounds to fight or survive in the trenches, and help families connect with their histories and the traces their relatives left behind. The association inventories and maintains sites of remembrance, including underground quarries whose walls bear soldiers’ engraved inscriptions.

It also supports ongoing historical projects, responds to enquiries from families and researchers, and shares local Great War history through its website, publications, exhibitions, conferences and photographic itineraries. Online visitors can explore virtual tours of the former 1st Zouaves quarry and the quarry known as the Aid Post, alongside documentation about regional sites, graffiti and memorial heritage. More than four decades after its founding, Soissonnais 14-18 continues its work beyond the First World War centenary ceremonies, relying on member support and contributions from researchers and the public to enrich its resources and safeguard this history for future generations