Duduchothèque

The Duduchothèque stands beside the Georges-Pompidou library in Châlons-en-Champagne. Housed in a 19th-century building on rue Léon Bourgeois, it celebrates the work of the cartoonist Cabu. The street honours Léon Bourgeois, first president of the League of Nations and a Nobel Peace Prize winner. The name comes from Cabu’s early comic alter ego, Le Grand Duduche. Opened in December 2018, the project was championed by Véronique Riester, wife of the then culture minister Franck Riester. The building began as the Hôtel de l’écu de France in the 15th century. It later became a leading inn until the late 18th century. Anne Catherine Legentil rebuilt it after buying the house. By the late 19th century it served as headquarters for the Mielle company. The city acquired it in the 1970s, and in 1992 it became the Schiller-Goethe museum. After 2012 it became the Espace ‘Châlons, ville d’art et d’histoire’ and its Centre for Architectural and Heritage Interpretation. Inside, visitors find changing exhibitions of Cabu’s original drawings. A 2019 fresco shows 93 figures from a 1950s village parade. The 2023 show paired Cabu with the singer Dorothée. In 2024 a display marks the Paris Olympics with sport-themed cartoons. From July 2025 a set of sixteen 1967 sketches recalls the Vel’ d’Hiv round-up, inviting reflection on humanist values.