Drapeau Ligue des droits de l'homme MarseilleLeague for Human Rights Marseille Flag
Artist / Maker
Date
Creation: 1900 - 1940
Object Name
Inventory Number
C.2019.119.001
Physical Description
Flag made from red silk with a gold inscription, metal tassels and original wooden pole. The embroidered inscription reads: ‘Ligue des Droits de l’Homme | Section de Marseille’. The symbol of the league is embroidered in the middle of the flag: the red Phrygian cap and the scales of justice.
Content Description
The League for Human Rights was created in France in 1898 in defence of Alfred Dreyfus, a victim of antisemitism who rose to national prominence. From the start, it aimed to extend its action to the defence of any citizen victim of injustice or rights violations. This flag, belonging to the Marseille section, was found in an attic in 2019 and can only be dated approximately to the beginning of the 20th century.
Exhibition Theme
-> 8. Fake for Real. A History of Forgery and Falsification (not on display)
Material / Technique
Silk, metal thread and wood
Dimensions
H x W 93,00 x 89,00 cm
Curator’s Note
‘When the French Ligue des droits de l’homme was founded in 1898, it was the world’s first league for human rights. Over the following decades, human rights leagues were formed in many other countries following its example, and from 1922, they advocated for a universal human rights ideal under the auspices of a shared umbrella organisation. The majority of these leagues were forced to interrupt their activities at some point, especially during the National Socialist period. After World War II, many leagues experienced a renaissance. Not least through their cooperation with the United Nations, they significantly contributed to the global acceptance of the very idea of human rights in the second half of the 20th century.’ (in: Wolfgang Schmale and Christopher Treiblmayr (eds.), Human Rights Leagues in Europe (1898-2016), Stuttgart 2017)
This flag was displayed in the ‘Fake for Real: A History of Forgery and Falsification’ temporary exhibition (October 2020-October 2021). As part of the section telling the story of the Dreyfus Affair, the flag showed that the affair not only had European resonance but also produced long-term effects, such as the foundation of the League for Human Rights.
Inscription
Decoration
Ligue des Droits de l'Homme Section de Marseille
Method: embroidery
Credit line
Acquired 2019. EU, EP, House of European History, Brussels.
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