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Georges Mongrédien
BornGeorges Adolphe Marcel Mongrédien
(1901-08-19)19 August 1901
Paris, France
Died15 November 1980(1980-11-15) (aged 79)
Bry-sur-Marne, France
OccupationHistorian, bibliographer
NationalityFrench
Education
Period1921–1972
GenreEssays, literary criticism, biography
SubjectFrench literature, theatre, social history
Notable awards Legion of Honour (Officier)
Croix de Guerre 1939–1945
ChildrenJean Mongrédien

Georges Adolphe Marcel Mongrédien (19 August 1901 – 15 November 1980) was a French historian specialising in 17th century French literature, theatre, and social history. He held office as a local government functionary at the prefecture of the Seine while pursuing a parallel career as historian, conference speaker and writer, publishing over 60 books and more than 1,000 articles.

His working method featured a rigorous and scrupulous search for authentic, complete and often unknown documents, combined with a talent for exposition and a strong motivation to inform the general public about various aspects of 17th century history and cultural mores.[1] His works could be categorised in either of two types: on the one hand, he produced learned bibliographies, releases of unpublished documents, and annotated critical editions, while collaborating assiduously with the bi-monthly journals Revue d'Histoire littéraire de la France and Revue des questions historiques. On the other hand, he published well-informed essays on various themes, as well as widely-distributed articles for magazines such as: Revue mondiale, Revue de Paris, Revue de France, Revue des Deux-Mondes, Mercure de France, Revue d'histoire du théâtre, and numerous chronicles for Nouvelles Littéraires.[1][2]

In 1939, he was called up to serve in the French infantry, and after France surrendered, became a POW until the end of the war. He resumed both his post at prefecture of the Seine and his career as a historian. [To expand.]

In 1948, he founded Société d'étude du XVIIe siècle and its journal XVIIe siècle. He continued to publish books and articles. [To expand.]

In 1939, he was awarded the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945 and made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour, then promoted to Officier in 1958.

Early years

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Mongrédien was born in Paris on 19 August 1901, one of two sons[3] of Émile Mongrédien and Fanny Auzelle.[4] He spent the first three years of his life at Verneuil-sur-Avre in Normandy, where he was raised by his grandparents in a rural, farming community. In 1904, he returned to live with his parents in Paris, where his father was employed as an attorney's clerk.[5] Mongrédien completed his secondary education at the Lycée Charlemagne, where he studied Philosophy.[4] He joined the prefecture of the Seine as a part-time political editor while pursuing his tertiary education at the Faculty of Law and at the Sorbonne,[4] where he graduated in 1921 with two coeval degrees, one in Law and another in Humanities (Lettres).[5] He aspired to an academic life as a hellenicist—aiming to join the French School at Athens—but embraced the career of a local government functionary instead, because his father's modest income could not afford the funding of further studies.[6] He nonetheless earned a Doctorat ès lettres in 1924, for his thesis Étude sur la vie et l'œuvre de Nicolas Vauquelin, seigneur des Yveteaux, précepteur de Louis XIII.

Local government career

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After completing military service by training as a reserve officer at the École de l'infanterie, Mongrédien rejoined the prefecture of the Seine at the Paris Hôtel de Ville in 1923. He held a series of job positions there until being called for military action in 1939, at the beginning of WW2.[5] Three months after the liberation of Paris, while he was still detained as a POW in Silesia, he received correspondence on 19 November 1944, announcing his promotion to deputy director of the prefecture’s secretariats for both the municipal council of Paris and the general council of the Seine.[7][1] In 1947, two years after his return, he was promoted to the top directorship of both departments and remained in post until his retirement in 1966.[8]

His ability to combine two seemingly incompatible careers—one as a functionary, the other as a historian, writer, and conference speaker—was due to his immense capacity for work, aided by the nature of the administrative workload at the prefecture, which alternated between periods of low activity and phases of intense pressure generated by long quarterly sessions, often running into the night.[8][1]

He retired on 19 August 1966, at which date he was appointed Honorary Director of the prefecture’s two secretariats.[9].

Literary career

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His first article was on the subject of literary history, "Le Sonnet de Plantin: Curieuses imitations", published in 1920 as part of a series of essays to celebrate the quadricentennial of the birth of book printer Christophe Plantin.[5][10] Mongrédien's essay discussed the sonnet's various pastiches, the first one of which was written in 1645 by Nicolas Vauquelin des Yveteaux, a 17th century libertine who was also the subject of Mongrédien's first two books, both published in 1921: Étude sur la vie et l'œuvre de Nicolas Vauquelin des Yveteaux, and an edition of Œuvres complètes de Nicolas Vauquelin which soon became a classic.[1] This would turn out to be one of several themes Mongrédien developed during his long literary career, based on his interest in the 17th century.[1]

He wrote extensively about the theatre and the leading playwrights and comedians of the period: Racine (1921), Monfleury (1922), Floridor (1922), Mademoiselle Du Parc (1923), Montdory (1925), Turlupin (1925), Bruscambille (1926), De Villiers (1926), Jodelet (1926), Bellerose (1926), Molière (1927, 1928), Tabarin (1929), and Maître Guillaume (1939).[1][2] He likewise published books and articles about poets and other writers: Tallemant des Réaux (1922, 1932), Benserade (1923), Michel de Pure (1925) Boileau (1928), Corneille (1928), Georges and Madeleine de Scudéry (1931, 1933), La Bruyère (1932), DAssoucy (1932), Agrippa d'Aubigné (1932), and Claude Quillet (1937).[1][2]

Another area of interest were the gatherings of high society and its cheerleaders: Madame de Rambouillet, Angélique Paulet (1928), the Vicomtesse d'Auchy (1931), and Mademoiselle de Scudéry (1931).[1][2] His research extended into the day-to-day aspects of life at court, in The private life of Louis XIV (1938), and the love lives of courtiers and libertines: Mademoiselle Choin (1922), Ninon de Lanclos and her lover, Louis de Mornay, Marquis de Villarceaux (1926), Anne du Vigean (1928), and a 1939 article on Marion Delorme, followed by a book, in 1940.[1][2] In 1930, he received the Prix d'Académie from the Académie Française for Libertines et amoureuses.[11]

Other sources:

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Georges Mongrédien at Internet Archive

Mongredien, Georges (520 results) at AbeBooks

Le bouquiniste français- n°25 (1960) Naissance des critiques littéraires par Georges Mongrédien

Les écrivains contemporains Série historique n° 186 (1972) L'énigmatique madame de Maintenon par Georges Mongredien

World War II

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Literary career (cont'd)

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In 1948, he founded Société d'étude du XVIIe siècle.

Personal life

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Works

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Link to PDF at BNF; includes long list of his works.

  • Étude sur la vie et l'œuvre de Nicolas Vauquelin, seigneur des Yveteaux, précepteur de Louis XIII (1567-1649), Paris, Picard (1921)
  • Mademoiselle Du Parc (1923)
  • L'Abbé de Pure et les Précieuses (1925)
  • L'Acteur Mondory et les origines du Marais (1925)
  • Un amant de Ninon de Lanclos, le marquis de Villarceaux, Paris (1926)
  • Bibliographie des œuvres du facétieux Bruscambille, Chartres (1926)
  • Un ennemi de Molière, le comédien de Villiers (1926)
  • Jodelet, le fariné (1926)
  • Les Grands comédiens du xviie siècle, Paris (1927)
  • Les Poésies de Molière et celles qui lui ont été attribuées (essai bibliographique), Paris (1927)
  • « Le Mécène de Corneille, M. de Montauron », Revue de France, (15 November 1928)
  • « Molière et Corneille », La Revue mondiale, pp. 370-380 (15 April 1928)
  • Athalie” de Racine, avec un index alphabétique de tous les noms cités, Paris (1929)
  • Bibliographie tabarinique, Paris (1929)
  • Le Bourreau du cardinal de Richelieu : Isaac de Laffemas, Paris (1929)
  • Le xviie siècle galant : libertins et amoureuses, Paris (1929)
  • Chavaroche, intendant de l'Hôtel de Rambouillet (1930)
  • Une rivale de la marquise de Rambouillet : la vicomtesse d'Auchy (1931)
  • La vie privée de Louis XIV, Paris (1938)
  • Marion de Lorme et ses amours, Paris (1940)
  • Madeleine de Scudéry et son salon, Paris (1946)
  • La Vie littéraire au xviie siècle, Paris (1947)
  • La Vie quotidienne sous Louis XIV, Paris (1948)
  • La Vie de société aux xviie et xviiie siècles, Paris (1950)
  • La Vie privée de Molière, Paris (1950)
  • Une aventurière au Grand Siècle : la duchesse Mazarin, Paris (1952)
  • Le Masque de fer, Paris (1952)
  • Madame de Montespan et l'affaire des poisons, Paris (1953)
  • L'Affaire Foucquet, Paris (1956)
  • Le Grand Condé, Paris (1959)
  • Dictionnaire biographique des comédiens français du xviie siècle, suivi d'un inventaire des troupes, 1590-1710, Paris, CNRS (1961)
  • La Journée des Dupes : 10 novembre 1630, Paris (1961)
  • Colbert, Paris (1963)
  • Cyrano de Bergerac, Paris, Berger-Levrault (1964)
  • La Vie quotidienne des comédiens au temps de Molière, Paris (1966)
  • Léonora Galigaï : un procès de sorcellerie sous Louis XIII, Paris (1968)
  • La Querelle de L'École des Femmes, Édition Critique, Paris (1972)
  • Recueil des textes et des documents du xviie siècle relatifs à Corneille, Paris, CNRS (1972)

See also

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Awards

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Mongrédien received the following awards:

Honours

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On 7 February 1939, Mongrédien was made Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur, and was promoted to Officier on 31 August 1958.[13] He was awarded the Croix de Guerre 1939–1945.[8]

Légion d'honneur, Officier
Croix de Guerre 1939–1945

References

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Citations

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Sources

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Books

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  • (Collective) (1974). "Bibliographie des travaux de Georges Mongrédien" [Bibliography of works by Georges Mongrédien]. Mélanges historiques et littéraires sur le XVIIe siècle offerts à Georges Mongrédien pas ses amis [Historical and literary mix of papers on the 17th century offered to Georges Mongrédien by his friends]. Paris: Société d'étude du XVIIe siècle. pp. 417–429.
  • Pathé, Anne-Marie; Potin, Yann; Théofilakis, Fabien (2010). Artières, Philippe (ed.). Archives d'une captivité, 1939-1945: L'évasion littéraire du capitaine Mongrédien [Archives of a captivity, 1939-1945: Captain Mongrédien's literary escape] (softcover) (in French). Paris: Textuel. ISBN 978-2-84597-335-0.
    • Pathé, Anne-Marie (2010). "I. Georges Mongrédien (1901-1980): Un homme de lettres en captivité" [I. Georges Mongrédien (1901-1980): A man of letters in captivity]. Archives d'une captivité, 1939-1945 (softcover) (in French). Paris: Textuel. pp. 7–18. ISBN 978-2-84597-335-0.
    • Potin, Yann (2010). "II. De l'archive captive à l'histoire de la captivité" [II. From a captive archive to the story of a captivity]. Archives d'une captivité, 1939-1945 (softcover) (in French). Paris: Textuel. pp. 19–54. ISBN 978-2-84597-335-0.
    • Théofilakis, Fabien (2010). "III. Archiver en captivité" [III. Archiving in captivity]. Archives d'une captivité, 1939-1945 (softcover) (in French). Paris: Textuel. pp. 55–70. ISBN 978-2-84597-335-0.
    • Mongrédien, Georges (2010). "IV. L'évasion littéraire du capitaine Mongrédien" [IV. Captain Mongrédien's literary escape]. Archives d'une captivité, 1939-1945 (softcover) (in French). Paris: Textuel. pp. 71–158. ISBN 978-2-84597-335-0.
  • Pathé, Anne-Marie; Théofilakis, Fabien, eds. (2016). "Editors' Introduction. Prisoners of War in the Twentieth Century: A Problematic at the Crossroads of Histories and Disciplines". Wartime Captivity in the 20th Century (hardcover). Translated by McPhail, Helen. New York, NY: Berghahn Books. pp. 1–12. ISBN 978-1-78533-259-3 – via google.co.uk.
  • Sabbe, Maurice; Moretus, Henri; Mongrédien, Georges; Rudbeck, Johannes; De Backer, Hector; Delen, A. J. J. (1920). Sept études publiées à l'occasion du quatrième centenaire du célèbre imprimeur anversois Christophe Plantin [Seven studies published on the occasion of the fourth centenary of the famous Antwerp printer Christophe Plantin]. Anvers et Bruxelles: Musée de Livre.
    • Mongrédien, Georges (1920). "Le Sonnet de Plantin: Curieuses imitations" [Plantin's Sonnet: Strange imitations]. Sept études publiées à l'occasion du quatrième centenaire du célèbre imprimeur anversois Christophe Plantin [Seven studies published on the occasion of the fourth centenary of the famous Antwerp printer Christophe Plantin]. Anvers et Bruxelles: Musée de Livre. pp. 43–64 – via archive.org.
  • Talvart, Hector; Place, Joseph; Place, Georges (1970). "MONGRÉDIEN (Georges)". Bibliographie des auteurs modernes de langue française (1801-1969) [Bibliography of French-speaking modern authors (1801-1969)]. Vol. XIX. Paris: Éditions de la Chronique des Lettres Françaises. pp. 7–20.

Journals

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  • "Au grade d'officier: Mongrédien, Georges". Décorés portant promotions et nominations dans l'ordre national de la Légion d'honneur [Decorated people promoted and nominated into the national order of the Legion of Honour.] Journal officiel de la République française (softcover) (in French). Paris: Direction de l'information légale et administrative (DILA): 8112. 31 August 1958 – via books.google.com. Directeur des secrétariats des conseils municipal et général de la Seine. Chevalier du 4 février 1939. [Director of the secretariats for the municipal and general councils of the Seine department. Knight of the Legion of Honour since 4 February 1939.]
  • "Admission à la retraite – Nomination d'un directeur honoraire". Personnel. Cadres supérieurs du Département de la Seine et de la Ville de Paris. Bulletin Municipal Officiel de la Ville de Paris (softcover) (in French) (149). Paris: Bibliothèque de l'Hôtel de Ville: 1420. 20 July 1966 – via gallica.bnf.fr.
  • Duchène, Roger (April–June 1969). "Georges Mongrédien" (PDF). XVIIe siècle (No 203). Paris: Société d'étude du XVIIe siècle: 235–241 – via Bibliothèque nationale de France.
  • Himelfarb, Hélène (1981). "Nécrologie: Georges Mongrédien" [Obituary: Georges Mongrédien]. Cahiers Saint-Simon (in French). 9 (1). Persée: 66. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
  • Mesnard, Jean (1 January 1981). "Georges Mongrédien (1901-1980)". XVIIe siècle (No 130). Paris: Société d'étude du XVIIe siècle: 4–7 – via Bibliothèque nationale de France.
  • Zuber, Roger (May–June 1981). "In Memoriam: Georges Mongrédien". Revue d'Histoire littéraire de la France (softcover) (in French). 3. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France: 504–505.

Websites

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