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Origin and history

The Saint-Pol Fire, built between 1937 and 1938 by architect Gustave Umbdenstock, is a lighthouse located at the end of the western pier of the port of Dunkirk. Although named after Saint-Pol-sur-Mer, he is in Dunkirk territory. On in 1939, he was the last work of his architect and was distinguished by an architecture combining medieval and futuristic influences, with overturned domes and a corbellation reminiscent of the castles.

During World War II, the lighthouse was partially buried under a German blockhouse, serving as an observation and ammunition storage post. The rails installed on the jetty made travel easier. Released in 1946, it was restored identically in 1954 after eight years of work. Automatized in 1979, it ceased to be maintained, leading to accelerated degradation, especially after its heating was stopped in 1991.

Ranked a historic monument in 1999 thanks to the action of the Myosotis association and local elected representatives, the fire Saint-Pol remains threatened by moisture and lack of funding. In 2010, the State planned to transfer it to the communities, and in 2014 a study was launched to estimate the costs of its restoration, estimated at 1.5 million euros. Since 2012, he has illustrated the poster of the Festival Les Écrans de la Mer, and in 2022, a first round of work was announced after a victory for a call for projects by the Ministry of the Sea.

The lighthouse, 36 metres high with a range of 15 miles, combines a lantern surrounded by three futuristic domes and a red brick cask, once covered with white enamelled bricks. Its secondary red and green lights once regulated the harbour entrances. Today inaccessible to the public, it symbolizes both a unique maritime heritage and the challenges of its preservation.

Its unique architecture, once called "the most beautiful tower of the most beautiful castle", contrasts with its utility function. The base of the copper dome is decorated with a metal frieze and gargoyles in the shape of lion heads. Despite its degradation, original elements remain, such as white enamel traces near the entrance. The site, popular with local fishermen, remains an emblematic place of the Dunkerquois coastline.

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