In 1845 a statue to the corsair Jean Bart, the most illustrious of Dunkirk’s sons, was erected in the centre of the Place Royale, which is at the heart of the city, and from then on the square took his name. This work by David d’Angers was sculpted at a time when interest in great men and maritime history was developing. A large number of books that mixed historical fact and fiction were written about this hero, until then not very well-known.
Jean Bart Square at the beginning of the 20th century
Aerial view showing WW2 destruction.
4 photos: Port Museum Collection
Contemporary view of Jean Bart Square
Statue of Jean Bart in the middle of the ruins of Dunkirk
Today the image of the city of Dunkirk and that of the brave corsair are closely intertwined. Every year the carnival ends in exactly the same way, by a rigadoon around the famous sailor's statue. The people of Dunkirk, on their knees, start singing a song that celebrates their hero. At each collective celebration, this hymn is now taken up wholeheartedly by the people of Dunkirk who all consider themselves to be ‘the children of Jean Bart’.
