The equestrian bronze statue of Louis Faidherbe is located on Place Richebé in Lille, Nord. Designed by Antonin Mercié and cast by Thièbaut frères, it was inaugurated in 1896 and registered as a historical monument in 1975. The monument represents the French general Louis Faidherbe, who was born in Lille, rue Saint-André. Faidherbe commanded the northern army during the Franco-Prussian War and served as a deputy and senator of Nord under the Third Republic.

The pedestal refers to his combat during the battle of Bapaume of 1871, fought during the Franco-German war, in which he was victorious. The monument project began in 1889 after Faidherbe’s death, when Lille’s mayor requested authorization for a monument in his honor. An initial location at Place de la République was considered too large, and Place Richebé was chosen instead. A competition and subscription were launched the same year. The statue remains a noted element of Lille’s urban heritage.

◎ Nearby Objects

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  Place de la République 120 m away
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  Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille 140 m away
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  Palais Rihour 400 m away
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  Saint-Étienne Church 400 m away
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  Place Rihour 400 m away

Statue of Louis Faidherbe in Lille

The equestrian statue depicts the French general Louis Faidherbe and is located in Lille. It was designed by Antonin Mercie and cast by Thiibaut freres. The monument was inaugurated in 1896 on place Richebe, and it was registered as a historical monument in 1975.

Statue on Place Richebe

The equestrian statue of Louis Faidherbe stands on Place Richebe in Lille, Nord. It is a bronze work representing the French general Louis Faidherbe, who was born in the commune on rue Saint-Andre. The pedestal refers to the general's combat during the Battle of Bapaume in 1871, a battle fought during the Franco-German War, in which Faidherbe was victorious. The monument therefore combines a local connection to the general with a reminder of his military role.

History and Public Debate

The project for the equestrian statue of Louis Faidherbe began in 1889, after his death, when the mayor of Lille requested authorization for a monument to the general. Faidherbe was born in Lille, commanded the northern army during the Franco-Prussian War, and later served as a deputy and senator of Nord under the Third Republic. The first planned location was Place de la Republique, but it was considered too large for the monument, so Place Richebe was chosen instead. In the same year, a competition and a subscription were launched, and the statue was sculpted by Antonin Merce and inaugurated on Place Richebe. The monument was listed in the inventory of historical monuments in 1975.

In later years, the statue became the focus of public criticism because Louis Faidherbe was criticized for violent colonization in Senegal and Algeria and for promoting racist theories. Since 2018, a collective has called for Lille to revise honors given to Faidherbe, including statues, streets, and a high school. At an unspecified date, the monument was covered with the words colon, assassin, Senegal, Algerie, and Kabylie. A demonstration under the motto Faidherbe doit tomber demanded its removal from public space, with slogans including je ne suis pas Faidherbe and Mon patrimoine ch ti n est pas colonialiste. Journalist Jean-Francois Rabot said that Lille should at least install an explanatory plaque or move the statue to a museum. The municipality later announced that it would place a contextualizing plaque on the statue mentioning disapproval of Faidherbe's actions during colonization.