“He looks so stern” I overheard a tourist whisper. We stand before the Hommage au Général de Gaulle a powerful bronze statue. This isn’t just any monument. It’s a tribute to one of France’s most significant figures General Charles de Gaulle.
The Hommage au Général de Gaulle stands proudly at Place Clemenceau near the Champs-Élysées. Its creation wasn’t without its challenges. De Gaulle’s family opposed any such tribute. They respected his wishes for no grand memorials. However the Association des Français libres felt differently. They wanted to remember their resistance efforts. A statue of the General was the perfect symbol. Admiral Philippe de Gaulle finally gave his approval. It was time. More than half a century after the war’s end and thirty years after de Gaulle’s death a statue was needed.
Jacques Chirac became the honorary president of the national fundraising effort. Placing the statue on the Champs-Élysées was tricky. Positioning it so he faced the Étoile would reverse the Liberation march of August 25 1944. Facing the Concorde would mean turning his back on military parades.
The solution? Place Clemenceau. This location held symbolic weight. In 1944 Winston Churchill and de Gaulle laid a wreath at the foot of Clemenceau’s statue. Jean Cardot the sculptor of the Churchill statue was also chosen to sculpt de Gaulle. The Admiral made some interesting comments. He noted the statue lacked the General’s tie and the Cross of Lorraine he wore on August 26 1944.
The statue was cast at the Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse art foundry. It stands 370 meters tall with a 385 meter pedestal. Inscriptions from de Gaulle’s words adorn the base. One side reads There is a pact twenty times secular between the greatness of France and the liberty of the world. The other side echoes Paris outraged Paris broken Paris martyred but Paris liberated.
Jacques Chirac inaugurated the statue on November 9 2000. The statue stands as a powerful reminder of de Gaulle’s leadership during World War II and his role in shaping modern France. It’s more than bronze it’s history solidified. It’s a testament to a man a nation and an enduring legacy.