Au Pilori (1940-1944). « Journal de lutte contre le Juif » et officine de délation

Abstract

Au Pilori was published for the first time on July 12th, 1940 by Henry-Robert Petit, an anti-Jewish activist who was supported by Nazi propaganda. It immediately inserted itself in the scene of the French press in the Occupied Zone thanks to its ignominious content. As a central disseminator of anti-Semitism, it served as the main organ of denouncement, along with the publications Je Suis Partout and Le Cri du Peuple, under Nazi occupation. As a “weekly defender of struggling French interests”, the newspaper aimed openly at popular appeal. Hence it was proud to relate the big and small misfortunes of “true Frenchmen” abused by Jews or by ancient regime political activists, while purporting to be an agent of justice in denouncing Jews as “shameless” and Freemasons as “camouflaged”. With an average circulation of 65,000 copies, Au Pilori could count on a loyal following of readers who were mainly isolated collaborationists or from poor sectors. However, its reputation was fearful as well as bad, and that provoked others who were not regular readers to make denouncement as well. Some of these “reader-denouncers” were brought to justice after the liberation of France by the Allied Forces, hereby permitting the formation of a profile of those who read and were solicited by Au Pilori.