I am named after my great-grandfather who perished here along with so many of his compatriots. He died at Fort Douaumont, as I recall, as the German soldiers shot into the tunnels of the fort. He had three children and was around forty years old. My grandmother never knew her father. These tragedies resonate throughout generations. Astonishingly, it is possible to find his death certificate online [1].

[1] http://goo.gl/WdUpid