The Unfinished Freedom

The Unfinished Liberty, in Saint-Étienne

The Unfinished Liberty is a sober work installed on the Victor Schœlcher square, in Saint-Étienne. The Saint-Étienne audio-guided tour stops here, with respect, to evoke this sculpture laden with meaning, linked to the memory of the abolition of slavery and to the struggle for freedom and equality.

The tribute to the conquest of freedom

Stopping for a moment in the centre of this small square, it is to observe a work so sober that you could almost pass in front of it without noticing it. Yet, if you have noted the name of the square, Victor Schœlcher, you already hold a key to understand its meaning. Victor Schœlcher was indeed the French politician and journalist who worked relentlessly for the abolition of slavery, and whose action led to the decree of 1848 that put an end to slavery in the French colonies. His name remains attached to this fundamental humanist struggle for freedom and human dignity. The work entitled The Unfinished Liberty takes all its meaning in this setting: by its sobriety and its very title, it recalls that the conquest of freedom and equality, if it has known decisive advances like the abolition of slavery, remains a permanent struggle and never totally finished, facing the injustices and the discriminations that persist. A place of memory and reflection, this work invites the passer-by to meditate on these essential values and on the path travelled as on that which remains to be done. Discreet but profound, it honours the memory of this struggle. A work of memory and a tribute to freedom, The Unfinished Liberty is discovered with respect.

What to see

Here you discover, with respect, the sober work installed on the Victor Schœlcher square, from the name of the politician who worked for the abolition of slavery, achieved by the decree of 1848; entitled The Unfinished Liberty, it recalls by its sobriety that the conquest of freedom and equality, despite decisive advances, remains a permanent struggle facing the injustices, and invites to memory and reflection. The Unfinished Liberty is a work of memory of Saint-Étienne. It is a stop to be discovered with respect.

Practical information

The Unfinished Liberty lies on the Victor Schœlcher square, in Saint-Étienne, reachable on foot. It is an open-air work, freely accessible. It is best to discover it with the respect due to this place of memory and to the struggle that it evokes.

What does The Unfinished Liberty symbolise in Saint-Étienne?

Installed on the Victor Schœlcher square, from the name of the man who worked for the abolition of slavery achieved in 1848, this sober work recalls by its title that the conquest of freedom and equality, despite decisive advances, remains a permanent struggle and never totally finished facing the injustices, inviting to memory and reflection.

Where is The Unfinished Liberty in Saint-Étienne?

On the Victor Schœlcher square, in Saint-Étienne, in France.