9,000,000 combatants died in World War I, the first global conflict in human history. More lives were lost in the Great War than any other war in world history to that time.
Who were these millions of men and women who died? The World Remembers is an international education project whose purpose is to remember and honor these combatants not just as a collective, but as individuals. Each year of the WWI centenary (2014-18), The World Remembers honors these combatants by displaying their names in more than 60 locations throughout Europe and North America. For 1916, there are 597,889 names that will be displayed.
Located in the Ellis Gallery of the Museum, The World Remembers provides a moving and heart-wrenching look at the immense devastation of the First World War. Each name belongs to a loved one who never returned home. As guests reflect on the names scrolling through the exhibition, the staggering loss of life is jarring. Nine names, every 25 seconds. Showing 13,589 names a day it takes six weeks to display all 587,889 names of soldiers from the 12 nations represented, the last name being displayed on Armistice Day, Nov. 11.
The National World War I Museum and Memorial is a sponsoring partner of The World Remembers, serving as the only organization in the U.S. displaying these names one-by-one, honoring and remembering those who lost their lives. The exhibition is open during regular Museum hours through Veterans Day on Nov. 11.
–Sean Juzdan
