"Place Strindberg" inaugurated.

My previous post about “August Strindberg and Paris” was made as a preparation to the inauguration of a “Place Strindberg” in Paris, just behind the Saint-Sulpice Church. The inauguration took place November 6. Here are some photo souvenirs from the event.

There was a large crowd, of course with a Swedish dominance. You could find some (ex-)ministers, some actresses and actors, some authors.. and a lot of just ordinary people, fascinated by Strindberg.  

There were some speeches, by the City of Paris representatives, by the Swedish Minister of Culture and by the Swedish Ambassador.

Finally, the square name plate and a plaque were unveiled as well as a bust, the original dated 1905, by the sculptor Carl Eldh.   

The Swedish Minister of Culture, Alice Bah Kuhnke, especially congratulated two of the initiators of the whole project, Guy de Faramont - an author who also for many years was Le Monde’s Swedish correspondent - and Jacques Robnard, who among other things has (re-)translated a large part of Strindberg’s works.

This is what the square now looks like, once that the crowd had left.

In the evening, the same day, there was a little gathering in the Odeon Theatre, where some of Strindberg’s texts were read by professional actors… followed by a cocktail.