La Barre Monument

The La Barre Monument, known locally as Monument La Barre, stands as a solemn and powerful tribute in Abbeville, France. Located near the train station and adjacent to the bridge over the Somme canal, this commemorative monument was erected in 1907 through public subscription. It honors the memory of the Chevalier de La Barre, a young man who was executed in 1766 for blasphemy and sacrilege. The only verifiable accusation against him was that he did not remove his hat in respect during a religious procession. This monument remains a focal point for annual gatherings of secularists and free thinkers, symbolizing the enduring struggle for freedom of thought and expression.

The Tragic Tale of the Chevalier de La Barre

On July 1, 1766, in Abbeville, an 18-year-old nobleman named the Chevalier de La Barre faced a brutal execution for allegedly showing disrespect towards religion. According to the law of the time, his sentence included having his bones broken until he confessed to his crime and named his accomplices, having his right hand and tongue cut out, and finally being decapitated, with his ashes scattered to the wind. The charges against him were threefold: he had passed within 25 paces of a religious procession without removing his hat or kneeling, he had sung an impious song, and he had shown respect for banned books, including Voltaire's Philosophical Dictionary.

A Symbol of Resistance

Following the fall of the monarchy, the National Convention, on November 15, 1793, rehabilitated the Chevalier de La Barre's memory, recognizing him as a victim of superstition. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, during the fight for public education and the secularization of institutions, culminating in the 1905 Law of Separation of Churches and State, the Chevalier de La Barre had become a symbol of resistance against clericalism.

The La Barre Monument in Paris

In 1904, the Paris City Council reclaimed 5,000 square meters of land from the Archbishopric and decided to erect a statue of the Chevalier de La Barre there, in alignment with the grand portal of the Sacré-Cœur. Sculpted by Armand Bloch, the statue was inaugurated on September 3, 1905, in front of 25,000 demonstrators. Unfortunately, in 1941, the Vichy regime had the statue dismantled and melted down as part of the mobilization of non-ferrous metals. It took sixty years for a new statue to be erected nearby, in Nadar Square.

The La Barre Monument in Abbeville

History of the Monument's Erection

In 1902, two professors and two students from the Abbeville high school founded the La Barre Group with the aim of reviving the memory of the Chevalier. On July 14, they placed a bouquet at the site of his execution, which the municipality promptly removed. This initiative continued in the following years and culminated on July 7, 1907, with the inauguration of the La Barre Monument. Financed by a voluntary subscription of 100,000 lottery tickets sold at 25 centimes each, the event drew 15,000 demonstrators to Abbeville.

During the Vichy regime, the bronze bas-relief on the monument was removed and transported by train to be melted down. However, a railway worker hid it in a stream, and it was recovered and reinstalled after the war.

Vandalism of the Monument

The La Barre Monument has been vandalized multiple times, with the most recent incident occurring on June 22, 2013. Two crosses and a heart topped with a cross, the emblem of the Civitas Institute, were painted on it in black.

Characteristics of the Monument

The stone monument takes the form of a truncated obelisk. The upper part bears the inscription: Monument erected by the Proletariat for the Complete Emancipation of Human Thought. Below this, a bronze bas-relief sculpted by Raoul Delhomme depicts the tortures inflicted on the Chevalier. The lower part of the monument, beneath the sculpture, carries the inscription: In commemoration of the Martyrdom of the Chevalier de La Barre, executed in Abbeville on July 1, 1766, at the age of 19, for failing to salute a procession. The base of the monument features a cornice with the date of its inauguration, July 7, 1907. The low fence surrounding the monument was removed during the last restoration.

The La Barre Manifestation

In July 1903, following the initiative of the previous year, about fifty people laid a wreath, which was also promptly removed by the municipality. In 1904, for the first time, the workers' organizations of Vimeu, led by music, joined the demonstration. A thousand people paid homage to the victim of religious intolerance. This established the framework for the La Barre Manifestation, which continues to this day.

From 1907 onwards, the starting point of the demonstration was the La Barre Monument, culminating at the execution site near the town hall. For about sixty years, it served as an annual gathering for free thinkers, sometimes from far away, and as the departmental demonstration of the organized labor movement and secular associations. In 1963, around twenty organizations, including political parties and labor unions, participated in the demonstration.

In 1986, the Free Thought movement decided to emphasize the commemoration of the 220th anniversary of La Barre's execution. This renewed focus has revitalized the La Barre Manifestation, making it an exemplary secular gathering.

The La Barre Monument in Abbeville is more than just a historical marker; it is a testament to the enduring fight for freedom of thought and expression. It stands as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by those who dared to challenge the status quo and serves as an inspiration for future generations to continue the struggle for liberty and justice.