Le Corbusier legacy threatened by 'fascist' revelations
Controversy erupts in France over books depicting Le Corbusier, pioneer of the modern movement in architecture, as an out and out fascist who had an office in Vichy, seat of the Nazi puppet government in France.
The new books show Le Corbusier moved in fascist circles in Paris in the 1920s.
He developed close ties with Pierre Winter, a doctor who headed France's Revolutionary Fascist Party, and worked with him to create the urban planning journal "Plans". When that publication ended, they started another called "Prelude".
Jarcy said that in "Plans" Le Corbusier wrote in support of Nazi anti-Semitism and in "Prelude" co-wrote "hateful editorials".
In August 1940 during World War II, the architect wrote to his mother that "money, Jews (partly responsible), Freemasonry, all will feel just law". In October that year, he added: "Hitler can crown his life with a great work: the planned lay-out of Europe."
Chaslin said research also uncovered "anti-Semite sketches" attributed to Le Corbusier, and showed that the French architect had spent 18 months in Vichy, where the Nazis ran a French puppet government, where he kept an office.