The Finistère Fourierists surfaced in the 1830s in a Britany perceived then as archaic, but holding values akin to theirs. An othodox activist group formed itself around Pouliquen, while Édouard de Pompery, then a member of the Harmonian Union, worked at the propagation of the societarian theory in Brest. In a locally favorable context, the phalansterian group came into being and started spreading ideas through different channels : friendly bookdealers, the Scientific Society of Brest, press coverage, banquets… The group was involved in several trials, created a bookshop and societarian bakeries. Professional as well as family links were extemely strong ; the Pompéry family played an outstanding role. The conflicts of the Second Republic caused the group to disband rapidly, as it failed to take a clear stand : jump into the bandwagon of the labor movement, or help the peasant world to develop. All in all however the phalansterians contributed actively to the shift to modernity of the Briton society.

Jean-Yves Guengant est proviseur de lycée après avoir enseigné l’histoire et la géographie. Il travaille sur l’histoire sociale de la Bretagne occidentale. Auteur de Brest et la franc-maçonnerie en 2008, il prépare un ouvrage consacré aux itinéraires des socialistes utopistes bretons. Il collabore au Dictionnaire biographique du fouriérisme et au Maitron. Ouvrage en cours de publication : Brest, enfance de l’école publique, du 18e au 20e siècle, éditions Armeline.