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Children's prison, Clairvaux Abbey, Ville-sous-la-Ferte
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Children's prison, Clairvaux Abbey, Ville-sous-la-Ferte
Children's prison (centre) and workshops (right), (the abbey functioned as a prison from 1804 when it was converted by Napoleon), at the Abbaye de Clairvaux, or Clairvaux Abbey, a Cistercian monastery founded 1115 by St Bernard, in Ville-sous-la-Ferte, Aube, Grand Est, France. The children's prison was in the former abbey stables, and was restored 2014-15 and converted into an exhibition hall. The abbey is listed as a historic monument. Date: 2009
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Media ID 32271288
© Manuel Cohen / Mary Evans Picture Library
1115 12th Abbaye Aube Belief Bernard Bourgogne Burgundy Catholicism Champagne Ardenne Cistercian Clairvaux Clara Faith Historique Jail Monastery Napoleonic Prison Restoration Restored Sacred Stream Sunny Vallis Ville Sous La Ferte Workshop Childrens
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This powerful image captures the haunting history of Clairvaux Abbey in Ville-sous-la-Ferte, France. Once a peaceful Cistercian monastery founded by St Bernard in 1115, the abbey was tragically transformed into a children's prison by Napoleon in 1804. The former abbey stables became a place of confinement and punishment for young souls.
In this photograph, we see the juxtaposition of innocence and imprisonment as the children's prison stands starkly against the backdrop of the historic abbey. The restored workshops on the right hint at lost childhoods spent toiling away under harsh conditions.
The conversion of the children's prison into an exhibition hall in 2014-15 serves as a poignant reminder of our collective past and a call to remember those who suffered within these walls. The abbey itself is listed as a historic monument, preserving both its religious significance and its dark chapter as a place of incarceration.
Manuel Cohen's skillful composition captures not only the physical structure but also the weight of history that hangs heavy over Clairvaux Abbey. This image invites us to reflect on how places can hold memories long after their original purpose has faded away.
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