Exposition  

Victor Schœlcher, despite his great actions in favour of the Republic and humanist values in France and the rest of the world, cannot be considered the most famous personality of the 19th century. Above all, he was a key figure of his time. With his modest personality, he never sought to increase his notoriety, rarely highlighting his acts of bravery. However, thanks in particular to his correspondence, we know that the abolitionist rubbed shoulders with many leading figures of his time, with whom he sometimes forged bonds of friendship, or enmity. The most emblematic and influential relationship was undoubtedly his fraternal friendship with Victor Hugo. It is this relationship and other aspects of his story that we invite you to discover in this exhibition, which features seven cross-referenced portraits of some of the most influential figures of the 19th century. They reveal that Victor Schœlcher was a man at the heart of history.