President François Hollande inaugurated the ACTe Memorial on Sunday 10 May, the day of the commemoration of the abolition of slavery in metropolitan France.
Heads of State from the Caribbean and Africa had also travelled at the invitation of the President of the Regional Council, Victorin Lurel, also a former Minister of Outremers in the Ayrault government.
The foundation stone of the building was laid on 27 May 2008, the day of the commemoration of the 160th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in Guadeloupe, on the site of Darboussier, which was the largest sugar factory in the Caribbean during the colonial era
The intertwined steel blades refer to the roots of a singular tree well known in Guadeloupe called the cursed fig tree whose aerial and conquering roots can get entangled around a building. The silver roots symbolize the search for the origins of the descendants of slaves and also suggest the impetus and modernity of the structure. As for the black granite façade, it pays homage to the victims of slavery through its quartz constellation, which symbolizes the millions of souls who have disappeared
The ACTe Memorial traces the history of the slave trade and slavery through images, testimonies, archival documents, works of art and objects of daily life.
The building, with its contemporary architecture, covers 7,800 ha and houses a permanent exhibition hall of 1,700 m2, a 700 m2 showroom, a genealogical research area for Guadeloupean families, two restaurants, a shop, a bookshop, a 400 m2 conference room and a 600 m2 terrace.
The building is connected by a footbridge 11.5 metres high and 275 metres long that leads to the "Morne Mémoire", a panoramic garden of 2.2 hectares that served as a resting place for slaves.
The ACTe Memorial will open its doors to the public in July 2015.
Tuesday to Thursday: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday and Saturday: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m
Admission: 15 euros, 10 euros reduced rate (including under 18s, over 65s, disabled persons (audio-guide included in French, English, Spanish or Creole).
Family Pass (2 A + 2 to 5 children from the same family).
Access is possible from the sea with a pontoon.
