“We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.” – Winston Churchill
A few months ago Notre Dame fire stirred up many emotions in me. When a co-worker of mine showed me images of the cathedral engulfed in flames, I felt my heart sink. My initial reaction was sadness and fear, as I was worried the fire would completely consume Notre Dame and there would be nothing left. For the next hour, I kept my computer on, as I continued to watch the fire rage on. About a month prior, I had just taught my Adventures in World History class a unit on monuments. Throughout my lessons (which actually included Notre Dame Cathedral), I would remind my students that our way of life is shaped by our physical, spiritual, and cultural environment, and that it is best exemplified by our buildings. Monuments and architecture in general are important because they closely reflect the way humans live and what we value. Now, this is the history teacher in me talking. Personally speaking, Notre Dame is also a symbol of a city that holds a special place in my heart. Paris is the first city I visited in Europe. For my life up until that point, it was my dream and my goal to visit Paris. Notre Dame was the first iconic site I saw in Paris, and it was this trip in particular that shaped my passion for travel and pushed forward my interest in art, history, and culture.
Along with many other people, I shared my views of Notre Dame on social media. Together we feared the ultimate destruction of this historical monument. However, I started to see that many of these feelings were seen as illegitimate because how dare we care more about a building than marginalized people or events that resulted in great loss of life. But I think these views completely miss the point. In those moments of watching the fire, I reflected on the importance of such monuments in our world history and my personal connection. I shouldn’t have to feel guilty for being sad about watching Notre Dame burn.
Fortunately, it was reported that the main structure survived, many of the artifacts had been recovered, and ultimately the cathedral will be rebuilt. My fears have been absolved, but that doesn’t mean I should feel I need to take back what I felt in the moment the event was unfolding. Yes, I am completely aware of how millions of dollars have been donated by the wealthy elite, who could have used their money towards larger humanitarian crises. Though that does not sit well with me, I cannot ignore my initial praise of the significance of monuments. Just last month while visiting London, I once gain caught myself in awe of many historical structures like the Tower Bridge, Houses of Parliament, and statutes and that honour past figures or groups of people. Even the churches of Saint Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey felt meaningful to me, though I am not religious. Don’t get me wrong, individual lives are more important than buildings, but the lesson I want to be learned here is that monuments like Notre Dame, the pyramids, the Great Wall of China, etc. are testaments of the power of humanity and are part of our collective identity. The more we erase the past, the more likely it will be forgotten.
