Bernard Faÿ

Bernard Faÿ , born the April 3rd 1893, is an academic and French administrator, condemned to the life imprisonment in 1945 for Collaboration with the occupant. Pardoned in 1959, it dies the December 5th 1978.

The academic

He supports in 1924 a thesis of arts doctorate on the revolutionary Spirit in France and in the United States at the end of the XVIIIe century (thesis complementary: Bibliographie criticizes French works relating to the United States (1770-1800) ). He is named part-time lecturer to the Faculty of Arts of Clermont-Ferrand before becoming professor in several universities. He is a specialist in the XVIIIe century, particularly in the relationship between the France and the the United States, which brings it to well knowing the literature states-unienne of its time. He translates thus several novels of Gertrude Stein. This brilliant university career culminates with its nomination as professor of American civilization to the Collège de France, with less than 40 years (1932-1944). During the years 1930, he collaborates regularly in the newspaper of extreme-right-hand side the Sheaf .

With the BN

Bernard Faÿ is named general administrator of the National library the August 6th 1940 following the dismissal of Julien Cain, which is Juif, by Vichy. He thus applies within the BN the payments enacted by the marshal Pétain: seizure of the libraries of the deposed French of their nationality (Jews, Communists…), refusal of the Jewish readers, suspension of the Jewish personnel, etc

But Bernard Faÿ was not named by chance and he does not regard his station as a sinecure. He wants to give to the BN a true place in the new world which he calls of his wishes. He gives for that to the marshal Pétain, in 1943, a report/ratio where is clarified the role of the BN in the effort of national rectification wanted by Vichy. The Library lacking personnel in these years of war, it engages frees-lance who allow to make turn the services in spite of the material difficulties. Lastly, it is compelled with a work of administrative reorganization, creating in particular the department of the Music (1942).

During this time, Julien Cain, old the " patron" BN, lives in clandestinity, before being stopped by the Germans and Déporté with Buchenwald.

Bernard Faÿ plays a very important part in the anti-maçonnique policy of Vichy. This monarchist is indeed persuaded of the existence of a plot carried out by the Franc-maçonnerie, which would be at the origin of the French revolution and would influence France still negatively, causing his lowering as well on the internal plan as external. He represents the current counter-revolutionary which is recognized in the speech passeist and rural of Vichy, which is based on an alleged decline of France. He is named chief of the Service of the secret societies (SSS), responsible for classify the files seized in the cabins and to use them for studies and anti-maçonnique propaganda. According to the Propaganda of the Mode of Vichy, the Francs-maçons would be one of the causes of the defeat of 1940. According to the French Action, they would have taken part in a " Plot " joining together " the Jew, the Protestant, the mason and the métèque".

To fight against this “monstrous parasite”, Bernard Faÿ publishes during four years a review, the Documents maconnic , which seeks to show the disastrous influence of freemasonry on France, it makes make a film, organizes conferences and a great exposure to the Petit Palais in October - November 1941. He especially undertakes to index all the former freemasons in a gigantic file of almost 60 000 names, which is in particular used to exclude the former masons from the public office. With the Release, the human account rises to approximately a thousand of French freemasons assassinated by the mode of Vichy, either carried out, or died in deportation.

Its last years

It is stopped the August 19th 1944. Like many collaborator, it claims to have made only obey the orders which were given to him and have even helped to hide the Jewish employees of BN. The court condemns it to the forced labors with perpetuity, the confiscation of its goods and national unworthiness. Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas intervenes vainly in its favor, convinced that it saved the life to them during the Occupation. After the death of Gertrude Stein, in July 1946, Alice B. Toklas will continue to intercede to obtain the grace of Bernard Faÿ. The reality of the role of Bernard Faÿ - or at least his exact importance - in the relative protection of which they profited is currently called into question by the specialists in Gertrude Stein, in particular Edward Burns and Janet Malcolm. In several articles of the New Yorker, just like in a recent work ( Two Lives: Gertrude and Alice , Yale University Close, 2007), Janet Malcolm examines the facts.

Whereas it is neat at the hospital of Angers in 1951, Bernard Faÿ manages to escape and leave the France to find refuge in Suisse. He is pardoned in 1959 and dies in 1978, without to have ceased publishing literary and historical studies.

Works

History and literary history

critical Bibliography of the French works relating to the United States (1770-1800) , 1925
the revolutionary spirit in France and in the United States at the end of the XVIIIe century , 1925
Panorama of the contemporary literature , 1925
Empire American and its democracy in 1926 , 1926
Made your plays , 1927
Seen riding of the contemporary American literature , 1928
Benjamin Franklin, middle-class of America , 1929
the Count Arthur de Gobineau and Greece , 1930
Test on poetry , 1930
George Washington, gentleman , 1932
the Glory of the Count Arthur de Gobineau , 1932
Freemasonry and the intellectual revolution of the XVIIIe century , 1935
forces of Spain: travel in Salamanque , 1937
American Civilization , 1939
the Man, measures history. The research of time , 1939
Anguish of the Emperor (historical account) , 1943
Of the prison of this world, newspaper, prayers and thought (1944-1952) , 1952
the great revolution , 1959
the School of the imprecation or catholic Prophets of the last century (1850-1950) , 1961
Louis XVI or end of a world , 1961
the colonial adventure , 1962
the Invaluable , 1966
the War of the three insane ones, Hitler, Stalin, Roosevelt , 1969
the Church of Judas? , 1970
Beaumarchais or Fredaines de Figaro , 1970
Jean-Jacques Rousseau or the Dream of the life , 1974
Rivarol and the Revolution , 1978

Translations

Co-translation and foreword of Gertrude Stein, American of America, history of an American family , 1933
Translation of Gertrude Stein, Autobiography of Alice Toklas , 1934

Extracts of the maconnic Documents

“Nothing astonishing thus to see the decline of Louis XV corresponding to I' rise of masonry, and the death of the king to coincide with his triumph… Masonry held all the avenues of the court, all the anterooms of the ministers, the Academy, the Censure, Mercure de France, the Gazette of France, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the worships even…”

“It did not matter the mode, it did not matter the sovereign, provided that it could be encrusted in the offices and the anterooms; thus freemasonry was judged sure to maintain its influence. Secret society, it flees the fight in full day, with discovered face, man against man. She prefers the half-light of the ministerial corridors and the dust of the files behind which I' intervention of an unknown scribe can of a feature writing change a ministerial decision and have a place…” (B. Fay, Documents maconnic , August 1943, n° 11)

Internal bonds

Freemasonry in France

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