Jean-Baptiste André Godin

Jean-Baptiste André Godin (1817-1888) was a French industrialist and social experimentor born on the 26th of January 1817 at Esquéhéries (Aisne). The son of an artisan, he entered an iron-works at an early age, and at seventeen made a tour of France as journeyman. Returning to Esquéhéries in 1837, he started a small factory for the manufacture of castings for heating-stoves. The business increased rapidly, and for the purpose of railway facilities was transferred to Guise in 1846. At the time of Godin's death in 1888 the annual output was over four millions of francs (4,160,000), and in 1908 the employees numbered over 2000 and the output was over 280,000.

An ardent disciple of Charles Fourier, he advanced a considerable sum of money towards the disastrous Fourierist experiment of V. P. Considérant (q.v.) in Texas (known as La Reunion. He profited, however, by its failure, and in 1859 started the Familistère, or community settlement, of Guise on more carefully laid plans.

The Familistère forms a town within the town of Guise. It comprises, in addition to a large factory, three large buildings, each four stories high, capable of housing all the work-people, each family having two or three rooms. The main building consists of three rectangular blocks joined at the corners. Each of these blocks has a central court covered with a glass roof under which children can play in all weather. There is no church of any sort. (There are, of course, churches within the rest of Guise). At the back of the main block there was a nursery. There is a separate block, known as the "economat", containing various shops, refreshment rooms and recreation rooms of various kinds(?), stores for the purchase of groceries, drapery and every necessity. This has recently (2008) been restored and is now a cafe, a shop selling books, postcards etc and an exhibition area. There were also allotments for the workers. Opposite the main block there was a building containing a theater for concerts and dramatic entertainments and a primary school. There was also a communal laundry and swimming pool. This was a few years ago derelict but has now been restored. The swimming pool is still a swimming poll but the laundry is a meeting room and the drying room is now (2008) an exhibition room.In 1880 the whole was turned into a co-operative society, with provision by which it eventually became the property of the workers.

Godin manufactured cookers and heating stoves of many kinds mainly made from cast iron castings. Sometimes these were enameled. These are still to be found in use all over France. They can be found for sale on eBay.

This business was still owned by the workers in the 1950s but soon after was taken over by Le Creuset. It is not obvious that the factory is still functioning. It is seems the domestic building were privatised. The state of the domestic buildings was deteriorating but has recently been awarded EU money for it to be restored.

In 1871 Godin was elected deputy for Aisne, but retired in 1876 to devote himself to the management of the Familistère. In 1882 he was created a Knight of the Legion of Honor.

Godin was the author of "Solutions sociales" (1871); "Les Socialistes et les Droits du travail" (1874); "Mutualité sociale et association du capital et du travail" (1880); "La Republique du travail et la reforme parlementaire" (1889). See Bernardot, "Le Familistère de Guise et son fondateur" (Paris, 1887); Fischer, "Die Familistère Godins" (Berlin, 1890); Lestelle, "Etude sur le Familistère de Guise" (Paris, 1904); D. F. P., "Le Familistère illustr, résultals de vingt ans d'association, 1880-1900" (Eng. trans., "Twenty-eight years of co-partnership at Guise", by A. Williams, 1908).

References

*1911

See also

*Utopian socialism

External links

* http://www.familistere.com (in English and French)