Léon Harmel

Joan L. Coffey

Description

"Coffey does a masterful job of situating Léon Harmel-his life, his work, his ideology-in the context of French political and social turmoil in the last third of the nineteenth century. More than a Catholic paternalist, Harmel created a model 'earthly paradise' for his workers, drawing on principles of utopian socialism to give labor control over the factory environment. Harmel's effort to lay the groundwork for class conciliation drew praise even from leading Socialists, and his legacy continues in the contemporary world. Coffey's extraordinary synthesis of scholarly works on social, gender, and labor history is as impressive as her original archival research, making this book an important resource for any historian of France or of social issues. Beautifully written, it is also a great pleasure to read." -Elinor Accampo, University of Southern California

Sujets

• 20th Century
• Modern
• Histoire
• History

Informations

• Publié par: University of Notre Dame Press
• Date de parution: 09 septembre 2003
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780268159207
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

L ON HARMEL
Catholic Social Tradition Series
Preface to the Series
In Tertio millennio adveniente , Pope John Paul II poses a hard question: It must be asked how many Christians really know and put into practice the principles of the church s social doctrine. The American Catholic bishops share the pope s concern: Catholic social teaching is a central and essential element of our faith . . . [and yet] our social heritage is unknown by many Catholics. Sadly, our social doctrine is not shared or taught in a consistent and comprehensive way in too many of our schools. This lack is critical because the sharing of our social tradition is a defining measure of Catholic education and formation. A United States Catholic Conference task force on social teaching and education noted that within Catholic higher education there appears to be little consistent attention given to incorporating gospel values and Catholic social teaching into general education courses or into departmental majors.
In response to this problem, the volumes in the Catholic Social Tradition series aspire to impart the best of what this tradition has to offer not only to Catholics but to all who face the social issues of our times. The volumes examine a wide variety of issues and problems within the Catholic social tradition and contemporary society, yet they share several characteristics. They are theologically and philosophically grounded, examining the deep structure of thought in modern culture. They are publicly argued, enhancing dialogue with other religious and nonreligious traditions. They are comprehensively engaged by a wide variety of disciplines such as theology, philosophy, political science, economics, history, law, management, and finance. Finally, they examine how the Catholic social tradition can be integrated on a practical level and embodied in institutions in which people live much of their lives. The Catholic Social Tradition series is about faith in action in daily life, providing ways of thinking and acting to those seeking a more humane world.
Michael J. Naughton
Todd David Whitmore
University of St. Thomas
University of Notre Dame
L ON HARMEL
Entrepreneur as Catholic Social Reformer

JOAN L. COFFEY
University of Notre Dame Press Notre Dame, Indiana 46556 www.undpress.nd.edu All Rights Reserved
Copyright 2003 by University of Notre Dame Published in the United States of America
The author and publisher thank the Archives J suites in Paris for the photographs of Figures 1-6 and permission to reproduce them. These photographs can be found in L on Harmel, 1829-1915 by Georges Guitton, S. J., 2 vols. (Action Populaire- ditions Spes, 1927).
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Coffey, Joan L., 1944-
L on Harmel : entrepreneur as Catholic social reformer / Joan L. Coffey. p. cm. - (Catholic social tradition series)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-268-15919-1
1. Harmel, L on, 1829-1915. 2. Social reformers-France-Biography. 3. Social problems-France-Reims Region. 4. Social problems-France. 5. Catholic Workers Movement. 6. Church and social problems-Catholic Church. I. Title. II. Series.
HV 28. H 336 c64 2003
338.7 677 0092-dc21
2003009033
eISBN 9780268159207
This book is printed on acid-free paper .
This e-Book was converted from the original source file by a third-party vendor. Readers who notice any formatting, textual, or readability issues are encouraged to contact the publisher at [e-mail] .
TO
Edward Charles Coffey ,
exemplary Christian businessman, for his inspiration and unfailing support
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
Introduction
CHAPTER ONE Family History and Legacy
CHAPTER TWO The Corporation at Val-des-Bois
CHAPTER THREE The World Beyond
CHAPTER FOUR Pilgrimage to Rome
CHAPTER FIVE New Directions
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
NO WORK OF THIS SCOPE CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT THE SUPPORT of numerous institutions and individuals. Early on, the University of Colorado provided abundant assistance. The Department of History helped fund my initial research trip to France and Italy, Interlibrary Loan filled request after request for books housed in depositories across the nation, Professor Emerita Julia Amari translated archival material written in Italian, and Professors David L. Gross, Barbara A. Engel, and Robert A. Pois of the Department of History helped me conceptualize and organize the original project.
In Europe, the Gilbert Chinard Scholarship, sponsored by the Institut Fran ais de Washington, helped me financially, while personnel at the National Archives of France, Monsieur G. Dumas and Madame Marceline Deban of the Archives of the Marne, and P re Josef Metzler of the Vatican Archives kept me well supplied with precious materials. On a more personal level, Father George Lawless introduced me to the wonders of Vatican City, as well as the historic plazas and buildings of Rome; Monsieur and Madame Pierre Trimouille graciously hosted a working lunch during my lengthy stay in Ch lons-sur-Marne (now Ch lons-en-Champagne); and M. Trimouille continued to assist my research on L on Harmel through informative letters and telephone calls.
As I made repeated trips to France and Italy and the manuscript took shape, I became indebted to Sam Houston State University ( SHSU ) for its generous assistance. The History Department at SHSU helped to fund additional research trips, the Interlibrary Loan team, headed by Bette Craig, located books I thought might be too ancient or too obscure to appear at my office door, Professor Mark Leipnik created maps, and Professor Tracy Steele acted as cheerful courier on many occasions. Finally, the university awarded me a faculty developmental leave at a point in the manuscript s life when it was most critical to have a semester to think and write without classroom responsibilities.
Additional archives enriched my work as research drew to a conclusion, and so I am grateful also to the staff of the Archives of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as P re Noye, archivist of the Archives of Saint-Sulpice, for their assistance. A huge merci beaucoup goes to the several readers of earlier versions of this study whose valuable suggestions assisted in the final stages and also to the editorial team at the University of Notre Dame Press, especially Sheila Berg, copyeditor, for her careful reading and suggestions, and Jeffrey L. Gainey, associate editor, for his guidance throughout.
Moral support is a far less tangible commodity but an important one for any author who has experienced moments of disappointment amid the thrill of discovery. I owe special thanks to those who had the capacity to buoy my sagging spirits during difficult times. This list is a long one indeed and includes family, friends, colleagues, and students, as well as medical professionals, but I do want to single out just a few individuals who helped this educator learn some useful lessons. Father Francis J. Murphy taught me the real meaning of kindness, Professor James S. Olson taught me how to research and write despite medical problems, Professor Martha Hanna taught me how to enjoy Parisian cemeteries on a Sunday afternoon, Professor Thomas A. Kselman taught me when to move on to the next project, Dr. John W. Durst taught me the meaning of compassion, Dr. Raymond Alexanian taught me to always have the next research trip to France planned, and Edward Coffey, to whom this book is dedicated, taught me what moral support really means.
INTRODUCTION
God shall send against him the fury of his wrath
And rain down his missiles of war upon him.
- Job 20:23
DEFEAT WAS SWIFT AND IGNOMINIOUS. ON JULY 19, 1870, NAPOLEON III (1808-1873) declared war on Prussia, and surrendered at Sedan on September 2. The German army convincingly demonstrated its superiority in numbers, organization, and materiel and pushed west, by way of the French Ardennes, toward Paris. A contingent of the German army accompanying the crown prince of Prussia, however, paused for forty-eight hours at Val-des-Bois, a textile spinning mill located on the outskirts of Warm riville, approximately eleven miles northeast of the cathedral city of Reims. From September 5 to 7, L on Harmel (1829-1915), patron of the family enterprise, played host to the uninvited Germans. The visit was extremely cordial given the circumstances. Harmel guided the crown prince about the factory premises, taking him to the workrooms and the chapel and introducing him to workers and their organizations. Harmel reported that the crown prince was interested in everything. The prince, gracious guest par excellence, spoke to his hosts of the horrors of war, his distress over the spilling of French as well as German blood, and his determination to avoid future war at all cost. 1
Unfortunately, events played out otherwise. The crown prince succeeded to the German throne in 1888 but died three months afterward. In 1914 German troops, acting on orders from William II (r. 1888-1918), emperor of the Second German Reich, once again marched through the Ardennes and stopped at Val-des-Bois. This time the visit was far less cordial. For a while the Harmel factory continued to function marginally because the Germans were interested in cloth for military uniforms, but in February 1915 the army took control of Val-des-Bois, carrying off what they could and destroying what they judged worthless, including factory records.
The military events of 1870 and 1914 obviously were tremendously significant for L on Harmel and his factory at Val-des-Bois, as they indeed were for all of France. For Harmel, the Franco-Prussian