
Ronan Leprohon (born Roger Leprohon; 22 March 1939 – 23 August 2017) was a 20th-century
French
French may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France
** French people, a nation and ethnic group
** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices
Arts and media
* The French (band), ...
Breton
Breton most often refers to:
*anything associated with Brittany, and generally
**Breton people
**Breton language, a Southwestern Brittonic Celtic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken in Brittany
** Breton (horse), a breed
**Gale ...
academic historian, politician, and lifelong
Breton nationalist
Breton nationalism (, ) is the nationalism of the historical province of Brittany, France. Brittany is considered to be one of the six Celtic nations (along with Cornwall, Ireland, the Isle of Man, Scotland and Wales).
Breton ''nationalism'' wa ...
.
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Background
Roger Leprohon was born on March 22, 1939. His father a militant communist laborer, his mother a Breton-speaker.
In 1965, he began doctoral studies in history at the
University of Rennes
The University of Rennes (French: ''Université de Rennes'') is a public university, public research university located in Rennes, Upper Brittany, France. Originally founded in 1460, the university was split into two universities in 1970: Univers ...
under
François Lebrun
François () is a French masculine given name and surname, equivalent to the English name Francis.
People with the given name
* François Amoudruz (1926–2020), French resistance fighter
* François-Marie Arouet (better known as Voltaire; 1 ...
and received his doctorate in 1972.
Career
Academic
In 1969, Leprohon became a professor of modern history at the University of Western Brittany in
Brest,
Brittany
Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...
, France.
Politician
In 1964, Leprohon became a founding member of the
Unvaniezh Demokratel Breizh (English -
Breton Democratic Union
Breton Democratic Union (, , UDB) is a Breton nationalist, autonomist, and regionalist political party in Brittany () and Loire-Atlantique. The UDB advocates devolution for Brittany as well as the promotion of its regional languages ( Breton a ...
, French - (
Union démocratique bretonne
Breton Democratic Union (, , UDB) is a Breton nationalist, autonomist, and regionalist political party in Brittany () and Loire-Atlantique. The UDB advocates devolution for Brittany as well as the promotion of its regional languages ( Breton a ...
, AKA "UDB") with
Yan-Cheun Veillard (born Jean-Yves Veillard). In 1977, he became deputy mayor of Brest and regional councilor of Brittany. He served as vice-president of the urban community of Brest, responsible for economic development, initiator of the "technopole" (high tech center) of Brest.
In 1982, he joined the
Socialist Party of France (PS), which he supported until 1997. During that period, he served two terms as regional councilor of Brittany, elected by direct popular vote.
In 1997, he returned to the UDB. He assumed responsibility (again) for the UDB newspaper ''
Le Peuple breton'' and was member of the UDB political bureau until November 2010.
Personal and death
Leprohon died age 78 on August 23, 2017.
Legacy
Gael Brian
The Gaels ( ; ; ; ) are an Insular Celtic ethnolinguistic group native to Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. They are associated with the Gaelic languages: a branch of the Celtic languages comprising Irish, Manx, and Scottish Gaelic ...
, editor of ''Le People breton'' said of Leprohon:
Ronan Leprohon était un tribun hors pair, une force de caractère, exigeant envers les autres et lui-même, qui pouvait tout à la fois rentrer dans une grosse colère et être d'une grande gentillesse". "Il m’impressionnait par sa capacité à toujours voir un sujet sous un angle original ... Ronan ne laissait jamais indifférent et ses analyses politiques étaient souvent brillantes
Ronan Leprohon was an outstanding tribune, a force of character, demanding of others and himself, who could at the same time enter into a great anger and be of a great kindness... He impressed me by his ability to always see a subject from an original angle... Ronan never left indifferent and his political analyzes were often brilliant.
The UDB issued a statement of homage to Leprohon, saying:
Lui qui ne distinguait pas ses combats pour la gauche et pour la Bretagne est resté fidèle à son idée de reconnaissance du peuple breton et de ses droits. « Nous ne nous battons pas pour la « Bretagne », disait-il, nous nous battons pour le peuple breton. » En ce sens, il a eu un rôle prépondérant dans l'émergence d'une pensée politique de gauche et bretonne.
He who did not distinguish his fighting for the left and for Brittany remained faithful to his idea of recognition of the Breton people and their rights. 'We do not fight for ''Brittany'',' he said. 'We are fighting for the Breton people.' In this sense, he had a leading role in the emergence of a left-wing and Breton political thought.
Philippe Chain, president of Paris Breton, said:
Ronan Leprohon mena une action politique orientée pour la Bretagne, mais pas n'importe quelle Bretagne, il la voulait autonome et sociale et ne cessa d'œuvrer pour ces objectifs. Sa disparition laissera un vide dans le mouvement breton. Adieu, Ronan.
Ronan Leprohon led a political action oriented for Brittany, but not any Brittany: he wanted it autonomous and social and did not cease to work for these objectives. Its disappearance will leave a void in the Breton movement. Goodbye, Ronan.
Many others paid tribute to him at his time of death.
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Works
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* ''Quand les Bretons racontent leur propre histoire'', Presses populaires de Bretagne, 2018, 174 p.,
See also
*
Unvaniezh Demokratel Breizh (UDB)
*
Breton nationalism
Breton nationalism (, ) is the nationalism of the historical province of Brittany, France. Brittany is considered to be one of the six Celtic nations (along with Cornwall, Ireland, the Isle of Man, Scotland and Wales).
Breton ''nationalism'' wa ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leprohon, Ronan
1939 births
2017 deaths
Politicians from Brittany
Academic staff of the University of Western Brittany