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The Affair of 121

Correspondence

Author

Author André Breton

Description

The papers assembled together in this file relate to what one can call “The Affair of the 121.”

It is first a letter from Breton to the ministry of justice, dated from the 22nd of September, 1960. Having learned that a few signatories of the famous manifesto were charged with rebellion, he asks to be charged as well, in a gesture of solidarity, which is the quintessential weapon of the intellectual (such as Zola asked publicly in J’accuse to be found guilty for having access to the file of the Dreyfus affair).

In 1960, it was important to plot against the government, to force it to bend, instead of taking the risk to have a large part of the intelligentsia found guilty. Another aspect of this affair, more discreet, was sent to us by way of a letter dated from the 18th of September (of which a few sentences were copied from that of the 22nd): summoned to appear as a witness in the case of a "defector," Breton refuses to present himself at the convocation, all the while supporting the position of this unknown person.

Handwritten texts signed, Paris, the 18th and 22nd of September, 1960:
– Handwritten letter dated and signed in ink by André Breton to “the Presidents/Chairmen and Judges,” relative to the request of appearance as a witness to the Paris Tribunal of the Armed Forces.

“I knew from word of mouth, from those who attended the hearing yesterday, and I saw it confirmed in the press this morning, according to the government commissioner, that to cite the signatory witnesses of The Declaration on the Right to Defect in the War of Algeria would be an offense for the Tribunal. Being one of these signatories, I am standing in full solidarity of the 120 others.”

The handwritten letter dated and signed in ink by André Breton to the Honorable Judge.

“I am standing, therefore as one of these co-authors, and I specify that in signing, I am implicitly committing myself to do everything in my power to assure dissemination."

 

Déclaration sur le droit à l'insoumission dans la guerre d'Algérie, ou Manifeste des 121

Creation date22/09/1960
Bibliographical material

1 page ¼ in-4°.
1 page in-4°
Textes autographes signés, Paris, 18 et 22 septembre 1960.

LanguagesFrench
Place of origin
Number of pages1 p.
Reference1474000
Breton Auction, 2003Lot 2486
Keywords, ,
CategoriesLetters from André Breton
Set[Dossier] Affaire des 121
Permanent linkhttps://www.andrebreton.fr/en/work/56600100568650
Place of origin

See also

4 Works
 
False

Citation à témoin

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Armand Forest

-

Citation à comparaître envoyée à André Breton à la suite de la Déclaration sur le droit à l'insoumission dans la Guerre d'Algérie et datée du 2 septembre 1960.

Une image, une notice descriptive, des œuvres associées.

[Dossier] Affaire des 121

False

[Cité, à la demande de monsieur Jean-Claude Paupert…]

-
André Breton

-

Lettre d'André Breton à la justice, datée du 18 septembre 1960.

Deux images, une notice descriptive, des œuvres associées.

[Dossier] Affaire des 121

False

Citation à témoin

-
Jean-Pierre Roos

-

Citation à comparaître envoyée à André Breton à la suite de la Déclaration sur le droit à l'insoumission dans la Guerre d'Algérie et datée du 19 septembre 1960.
Une image, une notice descriptive, des œuvres associées.

[Dossier] Affaire des 121

False

Déclaration sur le droit à l'insoumission dans la guerre d'Algérie

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Maurice Blanchot, André Breton, Gérard Legrand, Dionys Mascolo, Jean Schuster

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Déclaration collective à l'initiative de Dionys Mascolo en soutien au peuple algérien, datée septembre 1960.
Quatre images, une description, un lien.

Tracts surréalistes et déclarations collectives, [Dossier] Affaire des 121