Jean Mistler (1 September 1897 – 11 November 1988) was a French writer, diplomat and politician born in Sorèze, Tarn. In 1966 he was elected to the

Académie française An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...

. Mistler, whose father's family had left Alsace in 1871, did his schooling in Sorèze, before preparing for the entrance examination of the Ecole Nationale Supérieure at the Lycée Henri IV, where he read philosophy under Alain. Mistler was drafted into the artillery in 1915 and emerged from

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

a staunch pacifist. He was accepted at the École normale in 1919 and came in first in the national Aggrégation exam in German the following year. Instead of becoming a teacher in France, Mistler applied for a position abroad through the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. He was sent to the French legation in Hungary, becoming a cultural attaché, and teaching at the university of

Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...

. In 1925 he was accepted into the Quai d'Orsay (Service des Oeuvres), where he succeeded

Paul Morand Paul Morand (13 March 1888 – 24 July 1976) was a French author whose short stories and novellas were lauded for their style, wit and descriptive power. His most productive literary period was the interwar period of the 1920s and 1930s. He was m ...

. He started a political career in 1928 when he was elected deputé of Aude under the Radical-Socialist label. He received the appointment of under-secretary in charge of the Arts and served as a minister several times, starting in 1932. In 1934, he joined the government of

Albert Sarraut Albert-Pierre Sarraut (; 28 July 1872 – 26 November 1962) was a French Radical politician, twice Prime Minister during the Third Republic. Biography Sarraut was born on 28 July 1872 in Bordeaux, Gironde, France. On 14 March 1907 Sarraut ...

, as Minister overseeing the postal service and telecommunications. A music lover, he founded the Orchestre national de la Radiodiffusion française (the ancestor of today's

Orchestre National de France The Orchestre National de France (; ; abbr. ONF) is a French symphony orchestra based in Paris, founded in 1934. Placed under the administration of the French national radio (named Radio France since 1975), the ONF performs mainly in the Grand ...

). From 1936, he chaired the Foreign Affairs Commission. In parallel with his political activities, Mistler had begun a career as a writer, with the publication of ''Châteaux en Bavière'' (1925) and ''Ethelka'' (1929). On 10 July 1940, in his role as the chair of the voting commission, Mistler introduced before the Parliament the bill that granted the cabinet presided by Marshal

Philippe Pétain Henri Philippe Bénoni Omer Joseph Pétain (; 24 April 1856 – 23 July 1951), better known as Marshal Pétain (, ), was a French marshal who commanded the French Army in World War I and later became the head of the Collaboration with Nazi Ger ...

authority to draw up a new constitution, thereby effectively ending the

French Third Republic The French Third Republic (, sometimes written as ) was the system of government adopted in France from 4 September 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed during the Franco-Prussian War, until 10 July 1940, after the Fall of France durin ...

and establishing

Vichy France Vichy France (; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was a French rump state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II, established as a result of the French capitulation after the Battle of France, ...

. This led critics to accuse him, after the war, of having been the "sinker of the Republic." On 23 January 1941, Mistler was made a member of the National Council of Vichy France. Journal officiel de la République française. Lois et décret

/ref> After working for the Éditions du Rocher, Mistler became first the general secretary then the president of the Maison du Livre Français (affiliated with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs). Finally, from 1964 to 1969, he became director of the general literature department at Hachette Filipacchi Médias, Librairie Hachette. During these years, Mistler also regularly penned literary and musical criticism for ''L'Aurore''. On 2 June 1966 Mistler was elected to the Académie française, replacing Robert d'Harcourt. Mistler died on 11 November 1988 in Paris and was buried in the vault of the d'Auriol family, in Sorèze.

Famous relations

References

*Ithier de Fougerolle, ''Jean Mistler'' in the Dictionnaire des ministres de 1789 à 1989, edited by Benoît Yvert, Paris, Perrin, 1990 * Biography of Jean Mistler on the Académie française Website

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mistler, Jean 1897 births 1988 deaths People from Sorèze Radical Party (France) politicians Ministers of commerce and industry of France Ministers of posts, telegraphs, and telephones of France Members of the 14th Chamber of Deputies of the French Third Republic Members of the 15th Chamber of Deputies of the French Third Republic Members of the 16th Chamber of Deputies of the French Third Republic Members of Parliament for Aude Members of the National Council of Vichy France French pacifists Mayors of places in Occitania (administrative region) Writers from Occitania (administrative region) 20th-century French non-fiction writers 20th-century French male writers Lycée Henri-IV alumni École Normale Supérieure alumni Members of the Académie Française French military personnel of World War I