''Les Burgraves'' () is a historical play by

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo, vicomte Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romanticism, Romantic author, poet, essayist, playwright, journalist, human rights activist and politician. His most famous works are the novels ''The Hunchbac ...

, first performed by the

Comédie-Française The Comédie-Française () or Théâtre-Français () is one of the few state theatres in France. Founded in 1680, it is the oldest active theatre company in the world. Established as a French state-controlled entity in 1995, it is the only state ...

on 7 March 1843. It takes place along the

Rhine The Rhine ( ) is one of the List of rivers of Europe, major rivers in Europe. The river begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms part of the Swiss-Liechtenstein border, then part of the Austria–Swit ...

and features the return of Emperor Barbarossa. The play failed commercially and was the last of Hugo's plays to be produced in his lifetime. It was the subject of an orchestral overture by the composer

Guillaume Lekeu Jean Joseph Nicolas Guillaume Lekeu (; 20 January 1870 – 21 January 1894) was a Belgian composer. Life Lekeu was born in Heusy, a village near Verviers, Belgium. He originally studied piano and music theory under Alphonse Voss, the director ...

in 1890. The play is associated thematically with Hugo's '' Le Rhin'', an essayistic book about the Rhine; both were inspired by a trip along the river Hugo took with Juliette Drouet. ''Les Burgraves'' was published with a preface indicating that its depiction of a united Germany was part of a larger vision of a united Europe in which France would play a central role.

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* 1843 plays Plays by Victor Hugo Plays set in the 12th century Plays set in Germany Cultural depictions of Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor {{1840s-play-stub