Eugénie Droz (born Eugénie Zahn; 21 March 1893 – 19 September 1976) was a Swiss romance scholar, editor publisher and writer, originally from the

Suisse Romande Romandy (french: Romandie or )Before World War I, the term French Switzerland (french: Suisse française) waalso used german: Romandie or , it, Romandia, rm, Romanda) is the French-speaking part of western Switzerland. In 2020, about 2 milli ...

. She created the ''Librairie Droz'', a publisher and seller of academic books, at Paris in 1924, moving the business to

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...

at the end of the

war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

Biography

Laure Eugénie Zahn was born at

La Chaux-de-Fonds La Chaux-de-Fonds () is a Swiss city in the canton of Neuchâtel. It is located in the Jura mountains at an altitude of 1000 m, a few kilometers south of the French border. After Geneva, Lausanne and Fribourg, it is the fourth largest city loc ...

in the francophone northwest of

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

. Her father, Frédéric Zahn, was a well-known member of the business community in the town, where he worked as an editor. In 1900 the family relocated to nearby

Neuchâtel , neighboring_municipalities= Auvernier, Boudry, Chabrey (VD), Colombier, Cressier, Cudrefin (VD), Delley-Portalban (FR), Enges, Fenin-Vilars-Saules, Hauterive, Saint-Blaise, Savagnier , twintowns = Aarau (Switzerland), Besançon (France), ...

. Here she completed her secondary education and obtained a teaching diploma. Between 1910 and 1913 she taught French at the Moravian Institute of Gnadenberg in

Silesia Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. Silesia is split ...

, taking the opportunity at the same time to perfect her German. Returning to

in 1913, she was admitted to the Université de Neuchâtel where during the next three years she studied successfully for her degree. She was a pupil of

Arthur Piaget Arthur Piaget (25 November 1865, in Yverdon – 15 April 1952, in Neuchâtel) was a Swiss historian, archivist and Romance philologist. He was the father of psychologist Jean Piaget. In 1888 he received his PhD from the University of Geneva, ...

, who also became a good friend. He encouraged her to study the history of ancient poetry and

renaissance literature Renaissance literature refers to European literature which was influenced by the intellectual and cultural tendencies associated with the Renaissance. The literature of the Renaissance was written within the general movement of the Renaissance, ...

. It is apparent that the second volume of Piaget's work "Jardin de Plaisance et Fleur de rhétorique, d'

Antoine Vérard Antoine Vérard (active 1485–1512) was a late 15th-century and early 16th-century French publisher, bookmaker and bookseller. Life The colophon of a 1485 edition of the ''Catholicon abbreviatum'', the first French-Latin dictionary, which da ...

(vers 1501)", which was published only in 1925, subtitled "Introduction and notes" and signed off by E.Droz and Arthur Piaget, was largely the work of Piaget's erudite pupil. The compilation of 672 verses, ballads, sounds, rondeaux etc., many of them anonymous, was described in an obituary of Eugénie Droz as an "inestimable contribution to mid-century French literature" (''"contribution inestimable aux lettres françaises du milieu du siècle"''). In 1916 her parents divorced. Three years later she sought and received permission to use her mother's pre-marriage name in place of her father's name. Eugénie Zahn became Eugénie Droz. Sources covering this period may identify her under either name. She moved to Paris in 1916 and enrolled, at this stage as Eugénie Zahn, at the

École pratique des hautes études The École pratique des hautes études (), abbreviated EPHE, is a Grand Établissement in Paris, France. It is highly selective, and counted among France's most prestigious research and higher education institutions. It is a constituent college o ...

(Section IV – Sciences historiques et philologiques (''loosely, History and Philology''). Her teachers included

Alfred Jeanroy Alfred Jeanroy (5 July 1859 – 13 March 1953) was a French linguist. Jeanroy was a leading scholar studying troubadour A troubadour (, ; oc, trobador ) was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Age ...

, Abel Lefranc and . She received exceptionally positive reports from the outset and completed her degree in 1923. In 1924 she opened the , initially at 34 rue Serpente, moving within a year to 25 Rue de Tournon, both addresses located appropriately in the

6th arrondissement of Paris The 6th arrondissement of Paris (''VIe arrondissement'') is one of the 20 Arrondissements of Paris, arrondissements of the capital city of France. In spoken French, it is referred to as ''le sixième''. The arrondissement, called Luxembourg in ...

. Her business was in essence a specialist bookshop and publisher. The core product would be her own academic output as an editor-publisher with a particular interest in 16th century texts and the history and social impact of books through history more generally. The business continues to focus on medieval and humanist titles and on literary criticism and art history. She described the Paris premises proudly in her first catalogue: "Accommodated in the House of the Bronze Horse, given by

Francis I Francis I or Francis the First may refer to: * Francesco I Gonzaga (1366–1407) * Francis I, Duke of Brittany (1414–1450), reigned 1442–1450 * Francis I of France (1494–1547), King of France, reigned 1515–1547 * Francis I, Duke of Saxe-Lau ...

to he renaissance poet

Clément Marot Clément Marot (23 November 1496 – 12 September 1544) was a French Renaissance poet. Biography Youth Marot was born at Cahors, the capital of the province of Quercy, some time during the winter of 1496–1497. His father, Jean Marot (c.&n ...

in 1539, the 'Librairie Droz' ook businesshas been established by Eugénie Droz, graduate of the

and docteur ès lettres. Her doctorate came from the Université de Neuchâtel. Her work for it consisted of 35 ancient texts accompanied by translations into contemporary French, a piece of work currently conserved in the rare books collection of the

National Library of France National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...

. Despite the having been established in Paris, the printed device appearing as a form of trade mark on publications acknowledged the Swiss provenance of the proprietor. She copied the design used by Jean de Stalle who operated a printing house in Geneva between 1487 and 1493. The only change involved removing the initials "IdeS", incorporated in the centre of the device, and replacing them with her own initials, "ED". Shortly after opening the Librairie Droz, still aged only 32, she found time to take on a position as assistant treasurer of the

Société des anciens textes français Société des anciens textes français (SATF) is a learned society founded in Paris in 1875 with the purpose of publishing all kinds of medieval documents written either in langue d'oïl or langue d'oc (''Bulletin de la SATF'', 1 (1875), p. 1) ...

, a learned society founded in Paris in 1875 with the purpose of publishing all kinds of medieval documents written either in

langue d'oïl Langue is a municipality in the Valle Department, Honduras. The town is located near the border of El Salvador and is a regional Hammock making center. Most of the town is made up of sharecroppers and day laborers. There are usually Mormon mis ...

langue d'oc Occitan (; oc, occitan, link=no ), also known as ''lenga d'òc'' (; french: langue d'oc) by its native speakers, and sometimes also referred to as ''Provençal'', is a Romance language spoken in Southern France, Monaco, Italy's Occitan Valleys ...

. (The society's treasurer was

Baron Edmond de Rothschild Baron Abraham Edmond Benjamin James de Rothschild (Hebrew: הברון אברהם אדמונד בנימין ג'יימס רוטשילד - ''HaBaron Avraham Edmond Binyamin Ya'akov Rotshield''; 19 August 1845 – 2 November 1934) was a French memb ...

.) In 1934 she founded "Humanisme et Renaissance", an academic journal which in effect replaced "Revue du seizième siècle". Most prominent among the many erudite collaborators on it were her old tutor, Abel Lefranc and Robert Marichal. She also created the

non-profit association A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

"Humanisme et Renaissance". During the

occupation Occupation commonly refers to: *Occupation (human activity), or job, one's role in society, often a regular activity performed for payment *Occupation (protest), political demonstration by holding public or symbolic spaces *Military occupation, th ...

she changed the name of the (much diminished) review, which became the "Bibliothèque d'humanisme et Renaissance". In 1945, while still based in Paris, she created the series "Textes littéraires français". This was an early series of paperback books, with the focus as before on her own areas of academic expertise. In 1950, by which time she had moved to

, she launched the series "les Travaux d'Humanisme et Renaissance" which became and remains an important body of reference for renaissance scholarship. In November 1944 she found herself mandated by the

Provisional Government A provisional government, also called an interim government, an emergency government, or a transitional government, is an emergency governmental authority set up to manage a political transition generally in the cases of a newly formed state or f ...

to study the files of political deportees at

. The later 1940s were a period of acute austerity and political uncertainty in France. It was probably around this time that she decided to relocate permanently from Paris to Geneva. She sold the premises at 25 Rue de Tournon in 1947 and moved the business permanently to 8 rue Verdaine in Geneva. In 1963, the year of her seventieth birthday, she sold the business, which passed to the control of Alain Dufour and Giovanni Busino, two young historians with complementary skills whom she had personally selected.

Publications (selection)

As author

* ''Notice sur un manuscrit ignoré de la Bibliothèque nationale : Imprimés, vélin 2231; XVe siècle'' in ''Romania'', 1918–1919 * ''La correspondance poétique du rhétoriqueur Jehan Picart, bailli d'Ételan'' in la ''Revue du seizième siècle'', 1921 * ''Jean Castel chroniqueur de France'' in le ''Bulletin philologique et historique'', 1921 * ''Notice sur un recueil de louanges'' in ''Romania'', 1923 * ''Poètes et musiciens du au XVe siècle'', 1924 (with G. Thibault) * ''Pierre de Nesson et ses œuvres'', 1925 (with A. Piaget) * ''Un chansonnier de Philippe le Bon'' in la ''Revue de Musicologie'', 1926 (with G. Thibault) * ''Les sept Pseaumes penitenciaulx et Letanie en françoys'' (with Cl. Dalbanne), 1926 * ''Relation du souper offert par le duc Sigismond d'Autriche aux commissaires bourguignons, Thann, 21 juin 1469'' in ''Mélanges de philologie et d'histoire offerts à M. Antoine Thomas'', 1927 * ''L'imprimerie à Vienne en Dauphiné au XVe siècle'', 1930 (with Cl. Dalbanne) * ''Un ex-libris de Simon de Colines'' in ''Gutenberg-Jahrbuch'', 1931 * ''Un fragment de la Mort de Garin le Lorrain'' in ''Romania'', 1931 * ''Les Reliures à la médaille d'Henri II'' in ''Trésors des bibliothèques de France'', 1932 * ''Le chansonnier de Jean de Montchenu'' in ''Trésors des bibliothèques de France'', 1933 * ''Prix d'une reliure à la médaille d'Henri II'' in ''Humanisme et renaissance'', 1935 * ''Guillaume Boni de Saint-Flour en Auvergne musicien de Ronsard'' in ''Mélanges offerts à M. Abel Lefranc'', 1936 * ''Le Manuscrit des Plaintes d'Acante de Tristan L'Hermite'', 1937 * ''Le Comte de Modène et ses correspondants : documents inédits sur l'émigration, 1791–1803'', 1942–1943 * ''Les années d'études de Jean et d'Henry de Sponde'' in ''Bibliothèque d'humanisme et renaissance'', 1947 * ''Le Premier séjour d'Agrippa d'Aubigné à Genève'', ibid. * ''Le carme Jean Bodin, hérétique'' in ''Bibliothèque d'humanisme et renaissance'', 1948 * ''Les dernières années de Clément Marot : d'après des poèmes inédits'' (with P.-P. Plan), ibid. * ''L'Inventaire après décès des biens d'Agrippa d'Aubigné'' in ''Bibliothèque d'Humanisme et Renaissance'', 1949 * ''Jean de Sponde et Pascal de l'Estocart'' in ''Bibliothèque d'Humanisme et Renaissance'', 1951 * ''Les ancêtres suisses de Guillaume Apollinaire'' in ''Revue de Suisse'', 1952 * ''Simon Goulart, éditeur de musique'' in ''Bibliothèque d'humanisme et Renaissance'', 1952 * ''Claude Baduel, traducteur de Bucer'' in ''Bibliothèque d'humanisme et Renaissance'', 1955 * ''Les Étudiants français de Bâle'' in ''Bibliothèque d'Humanisme et Renaissance'', 1958 * ''Une impression inconnue de Pierre de Vingle : les Prières et oraisons de la Bible, Lyon : 19 août 1530'', ibid. * ''Autour de l'affaire Morély : La Roche Chandieu et Barth. Berton'' suivi de ''À propos du retour de Henri III de Pologne'' in ''Bibliothèque d'humanisme et Renaissance'', 1960 * ''Barthélemy Berton : 1563–1573'', 1960 * ''La veuve Berton et Jean Portau : 1573–1589'', 1960 * ''Note sur les impressions genevoises transportées par Hernández'' in ''Bibliothèque d'humanisme et Renaissance'', 1960 * ''L'imprimeur de l'Histoire ecclésiastique, 1580 : Jean de Laon'', ibid. * ''Fausses adresses'' in ''Bibliothèque d'humanisme et Renaissance'', 1961 * ''Complément à la bibliographie de

Pierre Haultin Pierre Haultin (c. 1510 – 1587) was a French printer, publisher, punchcutter and typefounder. He was the nephew of the famous Parisian women printer Charlotte Guillard. As a punchcutter, he may have been trained by Claude Garamont, who w ...

'', ibid. * ''Jacques de Constans, l'ami d'Agrippa d'Aubigné : contribution à l'étude de la poésie protestante'', 1962 * ''Notes sur Théodore de Bèze'' in ''Bibliothèque d'Humanisme et Renaissance'', 1962 * ''Stanislas de Clermont-Tonnerre et l'occupation de Genève en 1782'' in ''Annuaire-bulletin de la Société de l'histoire de France'', 1962 * ''La Reine Marguerite de Navarre et la vie littéraire à la cour de Nérac (1579–1582)'' in ''Bulletin de la Société des bibliophiles de Guyenne'', 1964 * ''Les Regule de Remigius, Muenster en Westphalie, 1486'' in ''Studi di bibliografia e di storia in onore di Tammaro de Marinis'', 1964 * ''Bibles françaises après le Concile de Trente : 1546'' in ''Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes'', 1965 * ''Christofle Plantin, imprimeur de Guy de Brès : 1555'' ''Het Boek'', 1965 * ''La première réforme scolaire à Münster en Westphalie'' in ''Ideen und Formen : Festschrift für Hugo Friedrich'', 1964 * ''La Société Hamon, Danfrie et Le Royer, 1561'' in ''Gutenberg-Jahrbuch'', 1965 * ''Les débuts de Théodore de Bèze à Genève'' in ''Genava'', 1965 * ''Les tapisseries de cuir de Catherine de Médicis'' in ''Gazette des beaux-arts'', 1965 * ''Frère Gabriel DuPuyherbault, l'agresseur de François Rabelais'' in ''Studi francesi'', 1966 * ''L'Originale des ''Chrestiennes méditations'' de Bèze : 1581'' in ', 1966, CXII, pp. 236–249. * ''Sur quelques traductions françaises d'écrits de David Joris : Rotterdam, Dierck Mullem, vers 1580'' in ''Het Boek'', 1966 * ''Christofle de Thou et Jean Poltrot, seigneur de Méré'' in ''Bulletin de la Société de l'histoire du protestantisme français'', 1967 * ''Johann Baptist Fickler, traducteur de DuPuyherbault'' in ''Revue d'histoire et de philosophie religieuses'', 1967 * ''Le libraire Jean de Campenon, 1580'' in ''Bulletin de la Société des bibliophiles de Guyenne'', 1967 * ''L'Ecclésiaste de Théodore de Bèze et ses éditions allemandes, 1599 et 1605'' in ', 1967 * ''Hendrik van Schor et autres traducteurs de David Joris'' in ''Studia bibliographica in honorem Herman de La Fontaine Verwey'', 1966 * ''Encore une édition gothique inconnue de Ronsard : Remonstrance au peuple de France'' in ''Refugium animæ bibliotecæ : Festschrift für Albert Kolb'', 1969 * ''Le copiste Guichard Philippe : (1471) in ''Studi francesi'', 1969 * ''Un recueil de manuscrits du XVe siècle de la bibliothèque de Claude-Enoch Viret'' in ''Bulletin de Institut de recherche et d'histoire des textes'', 1969 * ''Les Chemins de l'hérésie : textes et documents'', 1970–1976

As editor

* Alain Chartier, ''Le quadrilogue invectif'', 1923 * Jean Regnier, ''Les fortunes et adversitez'', 1923 * ''La légende dorée'', 1924 * ''L'abuzé en court'', followed by ''Le doctrinal du temps présent'', 1925 * ''Le jardin de plaisance et fleur de rhétorique'' (with A. Piaget), 1925 * ''Remèdes contre la peste'' (with A.-C. Klebs), 1925 * ''Ponthus et la Belle Sidoine'', 1926 * ''Les subtiles fables d'Esope'' (with J. Bastin et Cl. Dalbanne), 1927 * Joan Evans, ''La civilisation en France au Moyen Âge'', 1930 * François Villon, ''Deux manuscrits : Bibliothèque nationale, fonds français 1661 et 20041'' (with A. Jeanroy), 1932 * ''Le recueil Trepperel'' (with H. Lewicka), 1935–1961 * Joachim Du Bellay, ''Les antiquitez de Rome'' et ''Les regrets'', 1945 * Alain Chartier, ''Le Quadrilogue invectif '', 1950 * ''La farce du pauvre Jouhan : pièce comique du XVe siècle'' (with M. Roques), 1959 * Agrippa d'Aubigné, ''Le printemps : Stances et Odes'', 1972

Honours (selection)

* 1951 Docteur honoris causa,

University of Geneva The University of Geneva (French: ''Université de Genève'') is a public research university located in Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded in 1559 by John Calvin as a theological seminary. It remained focused on theology until the 17th centu ...

* 1964 Docteur honoris causa,

University of Lausanne The University of Lausanne (UNIL; french: links=no, Université de Lausanne) in Lausanne, Switzerland was founded in 1537 as a school of Protestant theology, before being made a university in 1890. The university is the second oldest in Switzer ...

* Docteur honoris causa,

University of Cologne The University of Cologne (german: Universität zu Köln) is a university in Cologne, Germany. It was established in the year 1388 and is one of the most prestigious and research intensive universities in Germany. It was the sixth university to ...

* The reading room of the Public and University Library of

, constructed in 1905, carries her name.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Droz, Eugénie People from La Chaux-de-Fonds People from the canton of Neuchâtel Writers from Geneva Romance philologists University of Neuchâtel alumni École pratique des hautes études alumni 20th-century publishers (people) Swiss publishers (people) 20th-century Swiss women writers 20th-century Swiss businesspeople 1893 births 1976 deaths Businesspeople from Geneva