Standing beside the Meuse River at the entrance to the Charles de Gaulle Bridge, the Charles de Gaulle statue in Dinant is more than a monument to one of France's most famous historical figures. It marks the place where a much younger Charles de Gaulle was wounded during the fighting in Dinant in August 1914.
The 2.5-metre copper statue was unveiled on August 15, 2014, exactly 100 years after de Gaulle was wounded here as a 24-year-old lieutenant. It was created by Dinant coppersmith Guido Clabots and deliberately shows de Gaulle as the young officer he was in 1914, rather than as the famous wartime general and French president he would later become.
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| The copper Charles de Gaulle statue in Dinant, showing the future French leader as a young lieutenant during World War I. |
A Unique Charles de Gaulle Statue
Most monuments to Charles de Gaulle naturally focus on the man he became: the leader of Free France during World War II and later President of France.
The statue in Dinant is different.
It depicts him at just 24 years old, wearing the uniform of a lieutenant. Standing 2.5 metres high and made from copper, it has a particularly strong connection with Dinant because it stands only a few metres from the place where the young officer was wounded in 1914.
The choice of copper is also significant. The statue was made by Guido Clabots, a local craftsman whose workshop continued Dinant's traditional copper-working heritage. The official Walloon heritage record describes the monument as an exceptional example of this local craftsmanship.
Why Is Charles de Gaulle Statue in Dinant?
The connection between Charles de Gaulle and Dinant dates back to the opening days of the First World War.
On August 15, 1914, French troops were involved in fighting around Dinant as German forces advanced through Belgium. Charles de Gaulle, then a young lieutenant in the French army, took part in the fighting near the bridge.
He was wounded in the leg during the battle.
The location is particularly striking because the statue now stands close to the place where this happened. The monument was deliberately positioned there rather than somewhere else in the city, giving it a direct physical connection to the events of 1914.
The Story Behind the Statue
The monument was unveiled on August 15, 2014, during Dinant's commemorations of the centenary of the First World War.
The ceremony was attended by Bernard de Gaulle, Charles de Gaulle's nephew, and a grandson of Konrad Adenauer, the first Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany. Their presence gave the monument a meaning that went beyond remembering a wounded French soldier.
The statue was intended to represent not only the events of 1914, but also reconciliation between France and Germany and the wider European relationship that developed after the wars of the 20th century.
Who Made the Charles de Gaulle Statue?
The statue was created by Guido Clabots, a Dinant coppersmith and master craftsman.
Clabots was part of a long family tradition of working with copper and other forms of dinanderie, the craft for which Dinant has been known for centuries. The de Gaulle monument became an exceptional project for his workshop because of its size and its historical importance.
The result is quite different from a conventional bronze military statue. The warm copper surface and the detailed uniform make the young lieutenant immediately recognisable.
Where Is the Charles de Gaulle Statue in Dinant?
The statue stands at the entrance to the Charles de Gaulle Bridge beside the Meuse River.
Location:
Av. Colonel Cadoux
5500 Dinant
Belgium
It is easy to reach on foot when exploring central Dinant and is only a short walk from the riverside, the historic centre and many of the city's other attractions.
The bridge itself has carried Charles de Gaulle's name since 1953, adding another connection between the French statesman and Dinant.
A Small Statue With a Remarkable Story
The Charles de Gaulle statue is easy to overlook when you first arrive in Dinant. The city has far more immediately dramatic sights, from the Citadel towering above the Meuse to the distinctive Collegiate Church of Notre Dame.
But this small monument tells one of the city's more unusual stories.
Charles de Gaulle arrived in Dinant as a young French lieutenant in 1914. Decades later, he would become one of the most important figures in modern French history.
The statue brings those two versions of his life together: the 24-year-old soldier who was wounded here and the future French leader known around the world.
Standing beside the bridge where those events unfolded, it is one of Dinant's quieter historical landmarks, and one that is well worth stopping to see.