Yann Sohier

Yann Sohier of its Breton name , of its true name Jean Sohier , born the September 7th 1901 with Loudéac and dead the March 21st 1935 with Plourivo, is militant Breton.

Childhood and adolescence

It was born in country Gallo, where his/her father was gendarme. The family moves successively with the Salt-of-Brittany (May 1905 - December 1906), then with Uzel (until August 1907). After 15 years of service, the father reconverts himself as tax collector, initially with Peillac (Morbihan) in August 1907, then with Lamballe, of 1912 with 1918.

Breton teacher

He continues his studies of Instituteur until in 1921 at the Teacher training school of Saint-Brieuc. Originating in High-Brittany, he endeavors to learn the Breton language and succeeds in reading it and writing it easily, although not having never succeeded in really usually speaking it. He adheres, as of his foundation seems he, with the Unvaniezh Yaouankiz Vreizh (Union of the youth of Brittany), where he is already in contact with François Debeauvais and Olier Mordrel. He is allured at this same time by the young whole Communist party, to which he never adheres. In October 1921, it is incorporated in the 48 {{E}} regiment of infantry, with Guingamp. Its militant activities continue; it binds friendship with the brother François Uguen, specialist in the Celtic languages. It is already militant of Breiz Atao (re-examined, then founded movement in January 1919). It becomes also antimilitarist. Released of its military obligations, it is named teacher in Low-Brittany, with Plouguiel, close to Tréguier.

It Marie the January 31st 1929 with Anne Den, teacher originating in Lannilis, which collaborate in Ar Falz under the Pseudonyme of Naïg Sezny , and later with the teaching review An Eost. Mona (future Mona Ozouf) is born in 1931, it is high into Breton. Its marriage, celebrated with the cathedral of Tréguier, attend, in addition to several members of his family, Olier Mordrel, François Debauvais and his wife Anna Youenou, Morvan Marchal and several other militants. The couple spends six months to Prat then, in August 1929 is named with Plourivo.

Breton activism

During this period, its cultural activity and political becomes great extensive: it takes part in the Congrès panceltic of Quimper of 1924, with François Debauvais, Youen Drezen, Jakez Riou, Abeozen, Marcel Guieysse, under the banner of Breiz Atao. It is with the first congress of Breiz Atao with Rosporden, in September 1927, where the movement gives rise to the Parti Breton separatist. It becomes a militant credit of the new party. In spring 1929, he is unanimously elected general secretary of the federation of Trégor of the Parti Breton separatist.

During the separation of 1931 following the departure of the federalists (whose Maurice Duhamel), it supports the nationalists François Debeauvais, Mordrel. The congress of Rennes of April 11th 1931 decides the abandonment of the newspaper Breiz Atao , which is replaced temporarily by War Sao, newspaper of the nationalists of Trégor, Goëlo, High-Cornwall, which claims a return to nationalism without excluding separatism.

With the congress of Guingamp (August 1931), the PAB becomes the Breton national Parti. The December 27th 1931, with Landerneau, takes place the first congress of the GNP. Breiz Atao reappears, simple body of connection between the militants. Here what Sohier thinks: “I thus read new the Breiz Atao and although I will partly regret the essence of the Declaration of Châteaulin which gave us an invaluable base for propaganda, I think that there is work to make without thinking of wanting to specify what could be future Brittany. But it was necessary to choose, and I join with this idea that I prefer with idiocies of War Sao and of Breiz da zont ”. In 1932, at the time of the 400e centenary of the union of Brittany in France, on August 7th with Valves, Sohier leaps on the car of Edouard Herriot while shouting: “Lives independent Brittany”. It is led to the station.

The man of Ar Falz

It founds its Bulletin Ar Falz ( the Sickle ) in January 1933 and makes of it in less than two years the center of a whole movement in favor of the Breton one at the public school, in which not only his/her colleagues teachers are interested, but still of Breton of all professions. It writes the majority of the articles under various pseudonyms: rear Yann Ruz , Mestr skol bihan , Fañch Divadou , Yann Keryel .

It continues to work with its handbook of Breton has Me lenno , which appears only in 1941, with an extremely disputed foreword of Roparz Hemon.

It maintains the more or less close relations with a pleiad of Breton writers, especially Fañch Elies (Abeozen), Jakez Riou, Youenn Drezen, Loeiz Andouard, without speaking about Kerlann which collaborates narrowly in the drafting of Ar Falz, and which it will choose for successor.

He deals with his family and raises into Breton his Mona daughter, for whom he translates rear Per It honikl! and Hiawaza of the American Longfellow . It composes of the poems like E tal rear groaz .

Its political activity slows down. It adheres, undoubtedly as of 1931 with the Breton national Parti; but it is in dissension with the Saga program presented in Breiz Atao by François Debeauvais in March 1933. Its very marked political commitment does not prevent it from attending Marcel Cachin. This one has a house with Lancerf, close to Plourivo, it made a point of becoming acquainted with Sohier. The two men were re-examined on several occasions.

But, already in 1934-35, of the financial troubles fall down on Ar Falz . The hard winter 1934-35 exhausted it. He dies the March 21st 1935.

Its celebrated funerals two days later with the church of Plourivo, attended, inter alia, the abbot Perrot, Herry Caouissin and Ronan Caouissin, Olier Mordrel, Kerlann, Marcel Cachin, Anna Youenou. The coffin was covered with the gwenn ha of the. Mordrel on the request of Mrs Sohier, speaks in the name of Breiz Atao, while launching like conclusion: “Brittany with Breton”. It never separated, in its spirit, the fight for the Breton language of that for the emancipation of the popular classes. He wanted that the Breton one is taught in the schools of the country.

In “Ar Falz” and in its acts, the multiple facets of its personality appear:

unconditionally Breton, antimilitarist: “we must claim with force the right for the Breton ones not to make military service out of Brittany or that not to do it whole”;
antifascist “Bretonnistes! Fascism threatens you. Fascism, it is tomorrow the prison for all the Breton militants”;
laic and anticlerical “the private school in Brittany is clerical and friendly reactionary”
of the abbot Perrot,
fascinated by the the USSR: “For us, Breton and teachers, the example of the Soviets has an immense value”;
friendly of Marchel Cachin, defender of the Breton proletariat, but member of the PAB, then GNP, which rejects “the dogma of the class struggle”;
exclaiming in Vannes in 1932 on the footboard of the car of Edouard Herriot: “Lives independent Brittany! ” but writing “This emancipation to be total, supplements, must also be national”.

The following sentence summarizes the fundamental duality of its character: “We must be - us all the “Falzerien” - alive examples which one can be at the same time Bretonnistes keen and Proletarian acting”.

Publications

has Me lenno , Rennes, central printing works of Rennes, 1941, contains 48 drawings of R there. Creston and a portrait of Yann Sohier.

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