On the eve of Christmas 1914, on the Western Front of the First World War, an incredible event occurred: German and British soldiers, who had been shooting at each other just a day before, ceased fire for a festive football match. This amazing incident went down in history and was named the “Christmas Truce.” A hundred years later, its memory was embodied in the “All Together Now” sculpture, also known as the “Christmas Truce Statue.” It has become a symbol of hope for peace even in the midst of the most brutal war. Read more on the liverpool-future.com website.
A little about the artist of the Christmas Truce Statue
The creator of this interesting monument is the English sculptor Andy Edwards, who has produced a number of works on military themes. He was born in Staffordshire in 1965 and from childhood showed a huge interest in history, with a particular focus on the First World War.
Edwards’ work has an individual, recognisable style—he attaches great importance to even the smallest details while striving to fully capture the depth of the image he creates. His creations make the viewer stop, forget their pressing concerns for a moment, and think about global issues, and in this, they are similar to John King’s installations, such as the famous A Case History.
Before starting a project, Edwards carefully studies archival materials to describe an event with maximum accuracy. At the same time, he doesn’t aim to create a simple static sculpture, but wants to convey the emotions and feelings of the people through it, reflecting the spirit of a single moment and an entire era in general.
Before creating All Together Now, Edwards conducted a thorough investigation. He studied military diaries, read soldiers’ letters, and examined rare photographs that captured the truce. As a result, the artist paid special attention to the emotional state of his subjects, which is why the sculpture turned out so vivid and expressive. In various interviews, Edwards has said that he wanted not just to show a historical event that took place, but to convey that living moment when humanity triumphed over hatred.
Peace for a moment: description and meaning of the monument
The sculpture, located in Liverpool on the grounds of Everton’s football stadium, Goodison Park (symbolically!), depicts two ordinary soldiers from the German and British armies cautiously reaching out to shake hands. Both men have a very wary expression on their faces and clearly do not trust each other, as shown by their posture—they are leaning forward, creating distance, and have stepped back with one foot, as if ready to retreat at the first false move from the opponent. However, the viewer understands that in just a second, their fingers will touch, and it will be that very moment when common sense triumphs over hostility. A football lies between the soldiers, serving as a reminder of that legendary match and the fraternisation that followed.
The monument’s name is multifaceted. All Together Now is a line from a song by the band The Farm, which tells the story of the soldiers who laid down their weapons and played football on Christmas 1914. But the main meaning seems to be much deeper and lies in a call for peace in the face of the eternal threat of unnecessary wars.
The very fact of the Christmas Truce, and its modern embodiment in the legendary sculpture, makes you stop and think about the fact that even in the most difficult conflicts, people have an opportunity to find common ground. Nowadays, as the world once again faces wars, this monument seems to express a simple idea: the person you consider an enemy is just as human as you are. Maybe thanks to such moments of understanding, cast in bronze, all wars will one day remain only on the pages of history textbooks?
The Christmas Truce Statue: from concept to completion
It turns out that several versions of the famous sculpture existed. The first was made of clay. Naturally, it was just a sketch to which the artist made the necessary adjustments. The clay allowed the sculptor to meticulously work on the emotions on the soldiers’ faces, the details of their uniforms, and to experiment with their poses. An interesting fact: the clay version was fully painted to give a better idea of the monument’s final appearance.
When the sketch was ready, in 2014, an original, lightweight fibreglass model was created, which travelled throughout the country, visiting London, Liverpool, and other cities. This version allowed a wide range of people to learn about the history of the Christmas Truce. And it was only in 2015 that the monument took on its final form. This three-stage process allowed for the combination of an educational project with the creation of a monumental symbol of reconciliation.
The modern version, cast in bronze and installed at Goodison Park, near St Luke’s Church, became the permanent embodiment of the sculptor’s vision. It retained all the details of the original sketch while acquiring durability and a true sense of permanence.
The “All Together Now” monument (Christmas Truce Statue) is more than just a sculpture. It is a symbol of that important but very fragile moment when humanity awakens in the midst of brutal war. In our time, looking at the handshake that is about to take place between former enemies, every viewer can think about the fact that even in the most terrible times, there is a place for peace.