Huguenot Monument

The Huguenot Monument in Franschhoek, Western Cape, South Africa, is dedicated to the cultural influences that Huguenots have brought to the Cape Colony (and ultimately the whole of South Africa) after their immigration during the 17th and 18th centuries. These French and Belgian Protestants were fleeing violent religious persecution, especially in Roman Catholic France. The monument was designed by J.C. Jongens, completed in 1945, and inaugurated by Dr. A.J. van der Merwe on 17 April 1948. The three high arches symbolize the Holy Trinity: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. On top of the arches is the sun of righteousness and above that, the Huguenot cross of their Christian faith. The central female figure, created by Coert Steynberg, personifies religious freedom, holding a bible in one hand and a broken chain in the other. She is casting off her cloak of oppression. Her position on top of the globe shows her spiritual freedom and parallels some representations of the Virgin Mary in Roman Catholic iconography, which depict her with one foot resting on the globe. The fleur-de-lis on the woman's robe represents noble spirit and character; it also was long the chief symbol of the French monarchy, still in power at the time of the Huguenot exodus. The southern tip of the globe shows symbols relating to the Huguenots: the Bible, for their faith; a harp, for their art and culture; a

Monument data from Wikidata (CC0). Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).