One of the most symbolic heritage items relating to the Battle of Waterloo has been stolen! Despite its relative size (two metres tall and nearly two metres wide), considerable weight, and the numerous security measures in place around the farm in which it is kept, the “Hougoumont Christ” has disappeared, removed, by well-prepared individuals, from the chapel which has housed it for hundreds of years.
This Christ, made from oak, dates from the end of the 16th century/beginning of the 17th century. With absolutely no artistic or commercial worth, it owes its historical and cultural value to its description in Victor Hugo's Les Misérables, giving it legendary status in the history of Waterloo.
Describing the Hougoumont chapel, Victor Hugo wrote: “The flames filled this building; it was a perfect furnace; the door was burned, the floor was burned, the wooden Christ was not burned. The fire preyed upon his feet, of which only the blackened stumps are now to be seen; then it stopped, — a miracle, according to the assertion of the people of the neighbourhood.”
Having appeared in numerous tourist guides and works of history, it will be extremely difficult to sell on the crucifix. With the 150th anniversary of the completion of Les Misérables approaching, Intercommunale “Bataille de Waterloo 1815”, the regional group which manages the Waterloo battlefield and its attached properties, is fully mobilised in its goal to recover this item of immense cultural and historical value. The group is offering a reward for any information that leads to the crucifix's recovery.
Further information can be obtained from:
Intercommunale « Bataille de Waterloo 1815 »
299 route du Lion
1410 Waterloo
mc.laine@waterloo1815.eu
+32 (0)2 385 30 02