Roparz Hemon
Encyclopedia
Roparz Hemon officially named Louis-Paul Némo, was a Breton
author and scholar of Breton
expression.
He was the author of numerous dictionaries, grammars, poems and short stories. He also founded Gwalarn
, a literary journal in Breton where many young authors published their first writings during the 1920s and 1930s.
Hemon served in the French Army
at the beginning of the Second World War, where he was wounded and taken prisoner by the Germans.
Back in Brest in August 1940, he took back publishing Gwalarn. In November 1940, he was appointed as director of programmes at Radio Roazhon-Breizh
, Breton language
weekly broadcast set up by the Propagandastaffel. From 1941, he directed the weekly publication Arvor. In October 1942, Hemon was appointed by Leo Weisgerber
to help found the "Celtic Institute of Britanny". Hemon rendered other services to the Germans, like helping in compiling files against préfet
Ripert.
At the Liberation, Hemon fled to Germany, where he was imprisoned. After one year of jail he was sentenced by the French state to ten years of dégradation nationale
for the offence of Indignité nationale
.
He decided therefore to go in exile to Ireland
. He worked there for the Institute for Advanced Studies. He would never go back to Brittany.
Despite all this he never stopped working for the Breton language, he wrote for instance "A historical morphology and syntax of Breton in 1975.
He created the magazine Ar Bed Keltiek that resembled Kannadig Gwalarn or Arvor.
He died in 1978. He was buried in Brest.
, and the Cultural centre of Guingamp
, which had been named after Hemon, had to change names.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
author and scholar of Breton
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...
expression.
He was the author of numerous dictionaries, grammars, poems and short stories. He also founded Gwalarn
Gwalarn
Gwalarn was a Breton language literary journal. By extension, the term refers to the style of literature that it encouraged. 166 issues appeared between 1925 and May 1944....
, a literary journal in Breton where many young authors published their first writings during the 1920s and 1930s.
Hemon served in the French Army
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
at the beginning of the Second World War, where he was wounded and taken prisoner by the Germans.
Back in Brest in August 1940, he took back publishing Gwalarn. In November 1940, he was appointed as director of programmes at Radio Roazhon-Breizh
Radio Rennes Bretagne
Radio Rennes Bretagne was a radio station based in Rennes, and the first station to have regular Breton language programming. However, it was not powerful enough to broadcast to the Breton-speaking western parts of the peninsular...
, 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...
weekly broadcast set up by the Propagandastaffel. From 1941, he directed the weekly publication Arvor. In October 1942, Hemon was appointed by Leo Weisgerber
Leo Weisgerber
Leo Weisgerber was a Lorraine-born German linguist specializing in Celtic linguistics. He developed the "organicist" theory that different languages produce different experiences...
to help found the "Celtic Institute of Britanny". Hemon rendered other services to the Germans, like helping in compiling files against préfet
Préfet
A prefect in France is the State's representative in a department or region. Sub-prefects are responsible for the subdivisions of departments, arrondissements...
Ripert.
At the Liberation, Hemon fled to Germany, where he was imprisoned. After one year of jail he was sentenced by the French state to ten years of dégradation nationale
Dégradation nationale
The dégradation nationale was a sentence introduced in France after the Liberation. It was applied during the épuration légale which followed the fall of the Vichy regime....
for the offence of Indignité nationale
Indignité nationale
Indignité nationale was a legally defined offense, created at the Liberation in the context of the “Épuration légale”...
.
He decided therefore to go in exile to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. He worked there for the Institute for Advanced Studies. He would never go back to Brittany.
Despite all this he never stopped working for the Breton language, he wrote for instance "A historical morphology and syntax of Breton in 1975.
He created the magazine Ar Bed Keltiek that resembled Kannadig Gwalarn or Arvor.
He died in 1978. He was buried in Brest.
Attack on his reputation
Hemon's reputation as a scholar led to the naming of institutions in Brittany after him. In 2000 controversy erupted over this, as Hemon's role in the war was publicised. Some of his statements made at the time were disinterred, particularly anti-French opinions expressed in Ni hon unan. As a result the school Diwan in Le Relecq-KerhuonLe Relecq-Kerhuon
Le Relecq-Kerhuon is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France.-Population:Inhabitants of Le Relecq-Kerhuon are called in French Relecquois or Kerhorres.-Breton language:...
, and the Cultural centre of 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:...
, which had been named after Hemon, had to change names.