The Breton regionalist union (Union Régionaliste Bretonne or URB), was a Breton cultural and political organisation created August 16 1898. It was a broadly conservative grouping dedicated to preserving Breton cultural identity and regional independence. It expressed the ideology of mainly middle-class and aristocractic groups to secure continuity in local administration and Breton culture.

Origins

The Union was created in August 1898, in Morlaix

Morlaix

Morlaix is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-Leisure and tourism:...

, following festivals devoted to Breton culture. It was chaired by Anatole Le Braz

Anatole Le Braz

Anatole le Braz, the "Bard of Brittany" was a Breton folklore collector and translator. He was highly regarded amongst both European and American scholars, and known for his warmth and charm....

, with the Marquis de Estourbeillon. François Vallée was named president of the section dedicated to Breton language

Breton language

Breton is a Celtic language spoken in Brittany , France. Breton is a Brythonic language, descended from the Celtic British language brought from Great Britain to Armorica by migrating Britons during the Early Middle Ages. Like the other Brythonic languages, Welsh and Cornish, it is classified as...

 and literature, with François Jaffrenou as secretary. Other important figures were the writers Alphonse de Chateaubriant

Alphonse de Châteaubriant

Alphonse Van Bredenbeck de Châteaubriant was a French writer who won the Prix Goncourt in 1911 for his novel Monsieur de Lourdines and Grand prix du roman de l'Académie française for La Brière in 1923....

, Louis Tiercelin

Louis Tiercelin

Louis Tiercelin , was a French writer, poet and playwright associated with the Breton cultural renaissance of the early 20th century....

 and Charles Le Goffic

Charles Le Goffic

Charles Le Goffic was a French poet, novelist and historian whose influence was especially strong in his native Brittany. He was a member of the Académie française.-Biography:...

. Sympathisers, if not supporters, included the politician Albert de Mun, the poet and art critic Jean Le Fustec

Jean Le Fustec

Jean Le Fustec was a Breton bard, and the first Archdruid of the Goursez Vreizh . He is also known by his Breton language name Yann ab Gwilherm and his Druidic name Lemenik....

, the linguist and grammarian François Vallée, the composer Louis Bourgault-Ducoudray, the singer Théodore Botrel

Théodore Botrel

Jean-Baptiste-Théodore-Marie Botrel was a French singer-songwriter, poet and playwright. He is best known for his popular songs about his native Brittany, of which the most famous is La Paimpolaise. During World War I he became France's official "Bard of the Armies".-Life:Born in Dinan, Botrel was...

, the scholar Rene de Kerviler, the composer Guy Ropartz and many others.

The prominent position held by the nobility and the clergy quickly alienated some of the more radical members and led to the foundation of the alternative Association des bleus de Bretagne (Blues of Brittany) in 1899, which had a more liberal-progressive agenda. Nevertheless the two groups were never in open conflict. Le Braz was a member of both.

The URB declared socialism to be its enemy. Jean-Marie Déguignet, in his Memoirs of a Breton Peasant, wrote that the group was dominated by 'nobles and clerics' who wanted no input from the lower classes about their own culture.

Gorsedd

As a result of the group's work, the Gorsedd of Brittany was created August 31 1900 in Guingamp

Guingamp

Guingamp is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France.-Population:Inhabitants of Guingamp are called guingampais.-Breton language:...

, following a meeting of the URB. Following Welsh examples, the group sought to revive Celtic bardic traditions. Each participant adopted a pseudonym and the title of bard. The members of Gorsedd promoted Breton culture either in the sections of the URB, or in the Gorsedd itself. This produced the Ti Kaniri breiz (House of Breton Song).

Later activities

In 1912, Maurice Duhamel

Maurice Duhamel

Maurice Duhamel , was the pen-name of Maurice Bourgeaux, a Breton musician, writer and activist who was a leading figure in Breton nationalism and federalist politics in the years before World War II.-Early life:...

 left the URB with Emile Masson

Émile Masson

Émile Masson was a Breton writer and thinker. He also used the pseudonyms Brenn, Ewan Gweznou, and Ion Prigent.Born in Brest, he was not brought up speaking Breton, but acquired the language in later life. He received two degrees and moved to Paris...

, Camille Le Mercier d'Erm

Camille Le Mercier d'Erm

Camille Le Mercier d'Erm was a French poet, historian and Breton nationalist. He later adopted the neo-Bardic name Kammermor. He is also known as Kamil Ar Merser 'Erm, the Breton language form of his name...

, François Vallée and Loeiz Herrieu to create the Breton Regionalist Federation. Le Mercier d'Erm and Masson went on to found the Breton Nationalist Party

Breton Nationalist Party

The Breton Nationalist Party was a French political party that advocated independence for Brittany. It existed from 1911 to 1914.-Origins:...

Yann Fouéré

Yann Fouéré

Yann Fouéré was a Breton nationalist and an European federalist. He was born as Jean-Adolphe Fouéré in Aignan, Gers....

 was its vice-president from 1939 to 1945. After 1940, several of its members took part in "Sao Breiz", the Breton section of de Gaulle's Free French forces.

A bulletin edited by the Marquis of Estourbillon appeared from 1902 to 1943. It did not appear during World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, the majority of the contributors being at the front.