French poet Victor-Marie Hugo was born on February 26, 1802 in Besancon (France) and died on May 22nd, 1885 in Paris (France). He was one of the most romantic author of French language, but also an extraordinary poet, politician, intellectual and playwright. He still has a very important position in the history of literature and poetry of the French 19th century.

He had 5 children with Adele Foucher, one of his childhood friend. He was very close to his children.

At the beginning of his career, and for about 13 years, he was exclusively writing plays. He is still especially known in the rest of the world for his famous novels, that became a famous plays “Les miserables” and “Notre Dame de Paris”.

But his political views slowly took a big place in his life, taking over his work. He was raised by a woman originally from Bretagne (French region) with Royalist political views. So, he decides to convert to this new movement : democracy.

He was notably one of the pioneers of what was called “The United States of Europe” and predicted that all most powerful countries in the territory of Europe would, one day, become one, and would be reunited to create a sovereign and powerful State, where all citizens would be allowed to vote instead of fighting and killing each others during wars and revolutions, and where there would be no death penalty anymore. He also predicted that France and Germany would the core of this “New State”. Victor Hugo was a fervent advocate of this idea, and has even been considered a crazy visionary, especially since, at this time, the French Republic was not very likely to become a bigger entity.

His political views and contributions during the second part of his life, and his out of the common work pushed him to go into exile in Belgium then in England.  Nevertheless, he came back to France  to die in May 22nd, 1885, and the 3rd Republic honored this emblematic character by giving National Funerals, and by transferring his body to the Pantheon on May 31st, 1885.