The Centenary of the Victor Hugo Statue in Guernsey

In Guernsey during 2014 there was a special celebration to mark 100 years since the statue of Victor Hugo was first unveiled. The island hosted a delegation of guests from France included the Conseil Générale of La Manche, the Vice-President of Normandy, a representative of the French Embassy in London, as well as descendants of Victor Hugo’s family. Chief Minister, Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq, said : “Our links with our neighbours in Normandy and France are undergoing a period of renewal, not least through the establishment of the Bureau des Iles Anglo-Normandes. Our long relationship with France is not just political or economic – it is also cultural and linguistic, and Victor Hugo is an important symbol of that. The great poet wrote ‘La réalité, c’est l’âme [The soul is our reality]’ and his statue reminds us that a large part of Victor Hugo’s souls found a home in Paris.”