What to do with the Villa of the Jew hater?

For nearly sixty years, he is dead, and widespread but still be polemical poison. The virulent anti-Semitism sticks to the writer Louis-Ferdinand Céline, with his "journey to the end of the night," one of the most influential authors of the 20th century. Century, to the skin. Had spread he him, particularly in his Pamphlet "Bagatelles pour un massacre" from the year 1937. The project of a critical edition of this writing in the prestigious publishing house Gallimard joined two years ago, to such indignation, that they withdrew it. But now there is also dispute over the future of celines last residence.

at The age of 107 years, the widow of the writer, Lucette Destouches, died two weeks ago. The Couple had moved into the Villa Maïtou in the Paris suburb of Meudon, overlooking the Eiffel tower, Montmartre and the Seine bridges in 1951, after returning from the Danish exile, where Céline because of its Vichy and Nazi sympathies at times in prison, sat.

Famous for the photos of the grumpy Clochard became then-literati with his dogs in the garden Perron in front of his Villa. He can't sleep and the world deposited written until his death in 1961, only, told Lucette Destouches later in Interviews. His last works "From one castle to the other", "Nord/North", "Rigodon" are there.

a Brilliant author and fervent anti-Semite Louis-Ferdinand Céline in the year 1960. Photo: "Paris Match" via

After his death, his widow watched over the work of her husband and defended it against the criticism – as well it went. In spite of the author rights of its modern literature is hardly more essential books you went out with the time but the money. A year ago you had to sell the Villa for an annuity with the right to stay. What is going to happen now after the Lucettes death with the house, separates the spirits.

The former culture Minister Jack Lang had not want to put the house in 1992, under monument protection, came through but. He calls now and again for it. Others, such as the television journalist and monument-special representative Macrons, Stéphane Bern, however, fear that the place could be a center of attraction for anti-Semites and neo-Nazis. The writer is not far away, in the cemetery of Meudon buried.

Here you can not separate the life and work clear

The General public interest for restored writers ' houses, in this case, the right to Carry. Also, the Ministry of culture signaled no willingness to take over the house. The suggestion to make the Villa a writer in residence, such as David Elliot of the society for Céline-studies you cited, is able to convince scarcely. Which author would like today to run the book project in the shadow of the politically controversial writer? The prevailing opinion tends rather then that, this is a classic case, where the work and the author can safely be separated.

Celine's big books of "journey to the end of the night" and "death on credit" to the posthumously published "Rigodon" speak for themselves. You don't need the Aura of staged heirlooms, and spaces. This especially since, as the new owner of the Villa, a neighbor, aware of their importance to the literature is apparently aware of and how to listen, doesn't intend to deface the building in the chic residential area perfect.

Created: 21.11.2019, 16:15 Uhr