In the decree setting out the responsibilities of the new Minister of Cultural Affairs, André Malraux wrote: "The ministry’s mission is to ensure the widest audience for the cultural heritage of France" (JORF of 26 July 1959). However, in the eyes of some historians of architecture and urbanism, the period from 1958 to 1973 would not have good press: it would be "concrete years", those of "large ensembles", those of "urban renewal". How could the rue de Valois, heir to one hundred and thirty years of administrative traditions in the management of historic monuments, reconcile its duty of conservation with its deliberate support for the avant-gardes? In the France of the Glorious Thirty where the spirit of modernity triumphed, what attitude to adopt in the face of the legacy of past centuries? To answer these questions, Xavier Laurent, paleographer archivist, curator of heritage, author of these interviews, brings out three priority areas of discovery: How historical monuments, sites and archaeology werethey inscribed in the vision of cultural policy of André Malraux? How to reconstruct the link between urbanism and architecture as well as between modernity and heritage? Xavier Laurent examines this difficult synthesis in the light of specific examples. Finally, the author has chosen to highlight the common thread of what tends to gradually expand the field of heritage.
These interviews were conducted as part of the thesis defended by Xavier Laurent in 2002 at the National School of Charters and published under the title Greatness and misery of the heritage of André Malraux to Jacques Duhamel, 1959-1973, Paris: La Documentation française, Comité d'histoire du ministère de la Culture, École nationale des chartes, 2003, 380 p.- (coll. Travaux et documents, n° 15)
Witnesses
- Raymond BOCQUET, Deputy Director, Directorate of Architecture (1964), responsible for personnel, organization of services and programmes. In 1970, he participated in the creation and animation of the Centre d'études supérieures d'histoire et de conservation des monuments anciens, located at the Palais de Chaillot for the training of architects of historic monuments and architects of buildings of France. Alain Bacquet appointed him in 1973 as deputy director of architecture. Date: 12/12/2000 - duration: 58 min. [Read the instructions for the interview]
- Michel DENIEUL, sub-prefect (1963-1966), director of architecture (October 1968 to November 1971) at the Ministry of State for Cultural Affairs, then Ministry of Cultural Affairs, he succeeds Max Querrien. Date: 23/03/2000 – duration: 2h 32min.Read the instructions for the interview]
- Jean JENGER, Head of the Office of Artistic Education (1962) (Ministry of State for Cultural Affairs), in charge of the Sub-Directorate (1972), then Deputy Director of Architectural Creation and Public Constructions (1973-1978) (Ministry of Cultural Affairs), director of the Musée d'Orsay (1978-1987). Date: 24/04/2001 – duration: 1h 36min.Read the instructions for the interview]
- Philippe PRESCHEZAssistant to the Head of the Site Office, then Chargé de Mission to the Director of Architecture (1966-1969), Deputy Director of Protected Sites and Areas at the Ministry of Culture (1975-1978), Head of Department at the Ministry of Environment and Living Environment, Chargé de mission to the Delegate for Architecture and Construction (1980-1981), Head of the General Inspection of Architecture and Heritage (2004-2006) at the Ministry of Culture and Communication. Date: 26/04/2001 – duration: 1h 13min.Read the instructions for the interview]
- Bruno DE SAINT-VICTOR, Head of the Bureau of Classified Works of Art and Documentation in the Directorate of Architecture (1966-1967), Deputy Director of Cultural Heritage in the Directorate of Cultural Affairs of the City of Paris (1979-1986)Director of the Caisse nationale des monuments historiques et des sites (1987-1989), Inspector General of Historic Monuments at the Ministère de la Culture et de la Francophonie, then Head of the General Heritage Inspectorate at the Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication (1994-1998). Date: 30/04/2001 – duration: 38 min.Read the instructions for the interview]
- Claude SOUCY, sociologist, research director at the Centre de sociologie urbaine, researcher at the Atelier Parisien d'urbanisme (1967), specialist in urban heritage issues within the Ministry of Culture, sets up and manages architectural research for six years, participates in the creation of the Interministerial Urban Planning Fund and the transfer of the Architecture Directorate to the Ministry of Equipment, member of the Superior Commission of Historic Monuments and the National Commission of Safeguarded Areas, General Inspection Officer in the protected areas of the North-East, then the Paris Region. Date: 16/05/2001 – duration: 1h 09min.Read the instructions for the interview]
- Annick VIGNIER, Assistant to the Head of Office for Historic Monuments in the Directorate of Architecture (1964-1967) at the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Head of Office for the Organization in the Directorate of Architecture (1967-1969), Chargé de mission auprès du sous-Director of Protected Sites and Areas at the Ministry of Cultural Affairs (1969-1971), Head of the Office of Protected Areas at the Directorate of Architecture (1973-1976), Head of the Urban Ensembles Division within the same Directorate (1976-1979). Date: 04/18/2001 – duration: 35 min.Read the instructions for the interview]
Investigator
- Xavier LAURENT, paleographer archivist, heritage curator.
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Conversation dates: March 2000 to May 2001
Total corpus duration: 8h 10min. [Read the presentation leaflet on the Catalogue of Heritage Libraries]
Availability: Communicable according to articles L.213-1 to L.213-7 of the French Heritage Code. Information and consultation methods : comitehistoire@culture.gouv.fr
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