The National Library of Wales has been criticised by the Welsh government for accepting a bequest worth £300,000 from a Frenchman who worked with the Nazis after their invasion of France during the Second World War.
The board of the National Library of Wales announced this week that it had agreed to accept a bequest made to it by the late Louis Feutren, which includes a collection of papers and tapes, and a sum of money.
Louis Feutren was a member of the Bezen Perrot (Perrot Unit) from Brittany which fought with the Nazis in the Second World War.
Welsh heritage minister Huw Lewis has criticised the board’s decision to take the bequest: “The Welsh government was approached about this matter and our view was sought,” he said.
“I made our position perfectly clear that we felt the acceptance of this bequest could affect the reputation of the National Library of Wales, one of our most respected cultural institutions.
“Louis Feutren was a Nazi collaborator and a member of the SS. That is an abhorrent fact of history.
“I am therefore disappointed by the decision of the National Library to accept these funds and do not believe that anyone in Wales would have challenged them if they had chosen not to accept the bequest.”
In a statement, Lord Wigley, president of the Library, said: “This is a notable collection that includes material of significant historical importance.
“Though I utterly condemn his political leanings and activities during the war, we had no right, as board members, to allow our feelings to interfere with our decision,” he added.
The board said it had acted in accordance with the requirements of the Charity Commission and followed expert legal advice in coming to the decision.
A portion of the funds received will be allocated towards projects associated with the destructive effects of war and fascism.
The archive sheds light on the life of a Breton who was a member of the ‘Gwenn-ha-Du’ and ‘Bezen Perrot’ movements during the Second World War. After the war Feutren left Brittany and travelled through Wales on his way to the Republic of Ireland where he settled and married. He taught throughout his career and his wife worked as a nurse. His wife died in 2008 and he died in 2010.
