Louis Bertrand

Louis Bertrand, born on March 20, 1866 in Spincourt, Meuse, and deceased on December 6, 1941 in Cap d'Antibes, was a notable French author, historian, and essayist. In 1925, he was elected as the third member to hold the position of seat 4 in the Académie française. Bertrand provided support and encouragement to Elissa Rhaïs, a Jewish-Algerian writer, in her initial endeavors to publish her literary works. Bertrand's place of birth was France, and subsequently, he relocated to Algiers. In his...See more

Louis Bertrand, born on March 20, 1866 in Spincourt, Meuse, and deceased on December 6, 1941 in Cap d'Antibes, was a notable French author, historian, and essayist. In 1925, he was elected as the third member to hold the position of seat 4 in the Académie française. Bertrand provided support and encouragement to Elissa Rhaïs, a Jewish-Algerian writer, in her initial endeavors to publish her literary works. Bertrand's place of birth was France, and subsequently, he relocated to Algiers. In his inaugural literary work, Le song des races (1899), the author delved into the intricate nature of identity. The notion of Algérianisme, which explores the distinct Algerian identity of settlers and their pursuit of an authentic existence in Algeria separate from France, is often seen as having its roots in this forerunner. Bertrand's work is particularly noteworthy for its emphasis on the colony and its European residents, as aptly described by Seth Graebner as prioritizing the development of new fields, cities, roads, ports, and the active involvement of Europeans in constructing them, rather than focusing on the exotic elements such as palm palms, camels, or the Arab population. Certain individuals have characterized it as "reminiscent of a fascist rhetoric." See less