Pierre Teilhard de Chardin - Adrienne Croissant Collection

Collection

Identifier: GTM-GAMMS412

Request

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of letters from Fr. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin to Adrienne Croissant (1946-1954) as well as Teilhard and Teilhard-related publications (1923-1957).

Dates

Creation: 1946 - 1957

Creator

Teilhard de Chardin, Pierre (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Most manuscripts collections at the Georgetown University Booth Family Center for Special Collections are open to researchers; however, restrictions may apply to some collections. Collections stored off site require a minimum of three days for retrieval. For use of all manuscripts collections, researchers are advised to contact the Booth Family Center for Special Collections in advance of any visit.

Conditions Governing Use

Researchers are solely responsible for determining the copyright status of the materials being used, establishing who the copyright owner is, locating the copyright owner, and obtaining permission for intended use.

Biographical Note

Fr. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955) returned to France in 1946 after conducting geological and paleontological research in China for more than twenty years. Following the death of her son Tanguy Tolila-Croissant, Adrienne Croissant--a graduate in philosophy and anthropology--eventually called upon Teilhard's spiritual support beginning in 1946. Her son Tanguy had been a student at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris who joined the Organisation civile et militaire (OCM) in 1943. He was arrested in June 1944 and interrogated, likely tortured, and imprisoned on rue Pelletier and eventually in Fresnes, Buchenwald, Dora, and Ellrich where he died in December 1944. Much of their correspondence revolves around this tragedy.