Memorial to Slaves in Reunion

Location: Saint-Denis – Parc de la Trinité
Date: 1998
Artists: Eric Pongérard & Pierre Louis Rivière
Sculpture
Stone

Seven stones covered with languages linked to our history, the Parc de la Trinité’s centrepiece marks a memorial to slaves. Inaugurated in 1998, this memorial was designed and created by Reunionese sculptor Eric Pongérard with the contribution of writer Pierre-Louis Rivière, who wrote the text Esclaves de La Réunion:

“DEVENAÎTRE HEMMNE. ALLER, ALLIÉS. ÉCROULER LE TREMBLETROUBLE. MORMUR.
MÉMORTE DE L’ÎLE EXAILÉE ET L’AMER. BONRBONS SUÂCRÉS, ESCLAVOLÉS. ENCAMP D’ENCHAÎN ABOYLI. S’ÉFFALCENT LES ROUTES, LES LARMES MÊME. HORIGÊNE. HONTÉTUE.
JE CARESSE LA ROCHECRÂNE HENTÉE, SANS PEUR. AUX PEAUPIERRES, ÉCLOSENT LES ÉVOULÛTTES ENLUMINHUMAINES. MUEZ ! MUEZ ! ERREBOIS, ARBRES MARCHERRANTS.
RÊVIVRE, ANDRIHONOUR, HUMAMHOUREUX DE LA DIVOÎLE MORGABELLE”

If you look at these stones lined up facing towards the town of Saint-Denis, you can see, standing like the prow of a boat, a beautiful stone covered in Creole writing. Close by are other ones of African and Malagasy origins, and further away are those linked to Asia and Europe. The most remote stone is written in French. Further on, the memorial sits on a sloping wall with the following words engraved in a circle: ‘A la mémoire des esclaves réunionnais 20 décembre 1848 / 20 décembre 1998’.