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136
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Louis Ferdinand CELINE (1894–1961): An important handwritten…
See original version (French)
136
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Louis Ferdinand CELINE (1894–1961): An important handwritten…
See original version (French)
Estimate €1,000 - €1,500
Voluntary lot
Description
Louis Ferdinand CELINE (1894–1961): An important handwritten letter signed by Louis-Ferdinand Céline, comprising
12 pages in-4, folded, written on both sides in blue ink, dated 3
February 1950, sent from Denmark and addressed to Jean Drappier,
President of the Paris Court of Justice responsible for trying
the author.
On the eve of his trial, Céline, accused of collaborating with
Nazi Germany, and who had taken refuge in Denmark, defended himself against
several charges which he considered slanderous:
‘Good has gout, evil has wings! As Louis XVI had already remarked
a few weeks before the scaffold. ”
He refutes the article written by Vaillant, which accuses him of organising
secret night-time meetings at his home with the collaborationist journalist
Alain Laubreaux, and denies knowing Brasillach or
Cousteau.
He also refutes the testimony of Georges Kahn, who claims
to have heard his torturers on Rue Lauriston calling
Céline’s partner on the telephone.
And he mocks the newspaper *Humanité*, which accuses him of being an SD agent
in the service of the Germans.
Finally, he explains that his state of health will not allow him
to attend the trial…
On 21 February 1950, Céline was sentenced in absentia by the
civil chamber of the Paris Court of Justice for collaboration
with Nazi Germany, to one year’s imprisonment, accompanied by
lifelong national disgrace, the confiscation of half his assets
and a fine of 50,000 francs.
This famous trial remained controversial, with some denouncing a
judicial lynching of the author during a period of political purges that was, to
say the least, turbulent. Others considered the verdict too lenient, lamenting
that he had not been sentenced to death.
Enclosed are:
- A reproduction of the cover of the *Illustré National* of
December 1915 paying tribute to the bravery of Céline, wounded
in action, with the following written in ink on the back: ‘Tribute to the Court of
Justice – Céline, born 27 May 1894 in Courbevoie, Seine. Enlisted
as a volunteer… Military Medal Nov. 1914 – War-wounded
75 per cent’. Shows signs of folding, a staple, and is soiled.
- 1 letter from the journalist and novelist Albert Paraz, a friend of Céline’s,
to the President of the Court of Justice, Drappier.
1 handwritten folio in-4 sheet, signed in blue ink on both sides,
accompanied by its sealed envelope from Vence,
and dated 20 February 1950.
In it, Paraz defends Céline and sends this letter to the judge on the
eve of the trial.
He refers to the book he wrote to support this defence: *Le gala
des vaches*, and fears that the lawyers may have failed to include this
document in the case file. He therefore reminds the judge of the main
points he makes in it, including that Georges Bernanos had
promised to testify in Céline’s favour. Expert: Mr Pierre Prévost
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
About the sale
SALE OF BOOKS FROM THE LIBRARY OF MONSIEUR L...
Auction location
Auction time
09/14/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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