LE CORBUSIER published his "Destiny of Paris" during the occupation.

Charles-Édouard JEANNERET, known as LE CORBUSIER (1887-1965)

Autographed letter signed to his publisher, Fernand Sorlot.

Two and a half pages in-8°.

Ozon. December 19, 1940.

"I entrusted you with Destin de Paris on the express condition that you achieve record-breaking sales."

Superb letter relating to the publication of The Destiny of Paris during the occupation.

_______________________________________________________

"Dear Sir, I have received no reply to my previous letter in which I asked your collaborator to expedite the publication of * Destin de Paris *. I am very disappointed. You could consult with the people around me who are producing a brilliant series of notebooks, starting with Giraudoux. But we need continuity and, above all, to respond to the proposals made. I entrusted *Destin de Paris* on the express condition that you achieve a record print run. I sent the manuscript on October 29th. It is 60 pages long!"

I received a letter from Dr. P. Winter asking me to intervene with you. He complains that you have never replied to his letters from the unoccupied zone. He requests a clear and straightforward situation. He informs me that Mr. Castres has instructions to discuss finances with you and resolve the matter. You will understand that in Mr. Winter's work, as indeed in my own little notebook, there is a question of timing. You are not dealing with impatient novice authors, but with contributors of ideas that cannot be ignored. I therefore take the liberty of counting on your sincere cooperation and urge you to provide me with details on the two subjects mentioned in this letter. Le Corbusier.

_______________________________________________________

In 1941, Le Corbusier published *Destin de Paris* (The Destiny of Paris) with Sorlot publishers. This 60-page booklet, a reflection on the construction and development of Paris, was intended for the Vichy government. He revised it until mid-1942, at which point he prudently left Vichy and his far-right friends:  François de Pierrefeu, Hubert Lagardelle, and Pierre Winter. He then founded ASCORAL (Assembly of Builders for Architectural Renewal) in Paris, which remained active throughout the German occupation.

Fernand Sorlot founded Nouvelles Éditions latines in 1928 and, at the request of Charles Maurras, published an unauthorized French translation of Mein Kampf in 1934. This led to a lawsuit against Hitler in 1936. During the German occupation, like Robert Denoël, his publishing house opened itself to German capital. In 1948, he was sentenced to twenty years of national disgrace and the confiscation of his property for his publishing activities during the German occupation.

Pierre Winter was a member of Georges Valois's Faisceau. After the movement's dissolution in 1928, he became one of the leading figures of the Revolutionary Fascist Party. During the Second World War, Winter wrote for the collaborationist press and, in 1944, became Inspector General of Labor for the Vichy government. A friend of Le Corbusier, whose neighbor he was on rue Jacob in Paris, he wrote the preface to one of the volumes of his Complete Works.