CUVNT NAINTE FOREWORD
Stimai cititori, Dear readers,
Nu v aflai n faa unei lucrri exhaustive dedicate acelor personaliti deosebite,
originare din Romnia, care i-au ctigat onorurile creativitii lor deosebite,
n afara frontierelor Romniei, cnd mai mari, cnd mai mici. Este o alegere
subiectiv, i prin aceasta, asumat, subiectiv.
n acelai timp, o rememorare a cincizeci dintre numele
marilor romni, disprui i unii dintre ei, pe nedrept
uitai sau fals catalogai.
Numrul acestor noi forme de remarcare a talentului
i inventivitii unora ce fie nu au fost nelei n epoc, innovation of personalities either misunderstood by contemporaries, or unfairly
fie au fost alungai (din ar sau din memoria colectiv)pe nedrept, vor fi, de aici
ncolo, o preocupare a Institutului Cultural Romn.
Nu voi putea uita momentul de enorm emoie cnd am intrat n prima form de
expunere a atelierului brncuian dup moartea marelui sculptor. Vizibil fiind
emoia, unul dintre custozii expoziiei din Palais Tokyo m-a ntrebat intrigat de
unde sunt. I-am rspuns c din Romnia. Rspunsul lui m-a indignat! Pi, ce
legtur avei voi, custozii, cu BRNCUI?
Iat de ce, v invit s parcurgei cu atenie acest mic ndreptar i s-i rememorm
mpreun cu unul dintre marii crturari romni de astzi, profesorul universitar
francez i academician romn, Basarab Nicolescu ce mi-a
permis republicarea unui text remarcabil al su:
Despre imaginea Romniei.
Brandul de ar? Fals ntrebare. Fiecare dintre cei
alei de alctuitori, fiecare din creaiile lor ar
putea s fie un brand al rii noastre.
Valoarea lor este valoarea peren romneasc.
Radu Boroianu
Preedintele Institutului
Cultural Romn
What you are about to read is not an exhaustive writing on remarkable native
Romanians who lived abroad and deservingly earned more or less international
acclaim for their outstanding creativity. This is a subjective choice, assumed as
such by the authors.
At the same time, this book constitues the remembrance of fifty outstanding
Romanians that passed away, some of them being undeservingly forgotten or
misjudged.
From now onwards, the number of these new forms of appraisal for the talent and
banished from the country or the collective memory will be on the agenda of the
Romanian Cultural Institute.
I will never how excited I was when I saw the atelier of Brncui exhibited for
the first time after the great sculptors death. My excitement was plainly visible.
One of the guardians of the exhibition in Palais Tokyo could not understand
my reaction and asked me where I was from. I told him I was from Romania. I
was revolted by his question! What do you, guardians, know about BRNCUI
anyway?
This is why I welcome you to read through this small guide and reminisce these
remarkable Romanians together with one of the greatest Romanian scholars of
our times, French professor and Romanian academician Basarab Nicolescu, who
generously agreed that we republish one of his remarkable essays On Romanias
Public Image.
The question of a country brand is false. Any of the personalities herein, each of
their works could stand as our country brand.
Their value builds the everlasting Romanian value.
Radu Boroianu
President of the Romanian
Cultural Institute
 Despre imaginea Romniei
Este de domeniul evidenei faptul c imaginea Romniei n lume nu este
bun. Bineneles, nu am nicio reet miracol, dar pot totui formula cteva idei
pentru ameliorarea acesteia n urmtorii ani.
Aud sau citesc prea des discursuri despre caracterul marginal al culturii romne,
despre ct este ea de nensemnat n context mondial, despre fatalitatea supunerii
sale la legile economiei de pia. Aceste discursuri nu sunt numai obositoare, dar
i false pe plan epistemologic. Spiritualitatea nu poate fi msurat n kilograme sau
numr de cri. O spiritualitate nu poate fi mic sau mare. Ea este sau nu este. Iar,
prin natura sa, spiritualitatea este universal. O schimbare a imaginii Romniei n
lume este condiionat de reforma reprezentrilor noastre culturale.
O alt greeal epistemologic const n reducerea culturii la literatur, obsesie
persistent a unor intelectuali romni din Romnia sau din afara Romniei,
caracteristic a unei subdezvoltri culturale i ignorrii realitilor secolului XXI.
Astzi tiina, ingineria, informatica, arhitectura urban, comportamentul politic fac
parte integrant din cultur. Acest fapt ar putea crea o nou viziune a ceea ce este
imaginea Romniei n lume.
Un numr mare de persoane au ales calea unui exil fr ntoarcere n timpul
regimului totalitar din Romnia. Aceste persoane s-au integrat, n general cu
mari eforturi, n noua lor ar. Ele au contribuit, ca anonimi sau ca personaliti
recunoscute, la dezvoltarea cultural, tiinific i economic a noilor lor ri, dar, n
acelai timp, au pstrat, ntr-o manier contient sau incontient, memoria rii
lor de origine Romnia i memoria propriei lor suferine. Memoria suferinei va
garanta ca suflul sensului s strbat Europa de mine.
Diaspora romneasc nu este numai depozitara memoriei suferinei. Nu trebuie
uitat c, nainte de 1989, ca i acum, opere importante s-au creat n afara granielor
rii. Cultura romn depete cu mult frontierele Romniei. Diaspora poate juca
un rol important n valorizarea acestei memorii culturale.
Pentru ca ea s poat juca acest dublu rol este de la sine neles c nu trebuie
s fie aservit niciunui interes politic. Relaia cu autoritile din ar trebuie s fie
una de parteneriat i nu una de supunere la raiuni politice sau diplomatice. Orice
activitate festivist i minor nu nseamn numai pierdere de timp i bani, dar i
compromiterea acestui parteneriat.
Marii creatori romni au fost dintotdeauna fiine ale transgresiunii
transgresiunea normelor culturale convenionale, transgresiunea limbii,
transgresiunea credinelor profund nrdcinate. Dar aceast transgresiune nu
a fost, n esena sa, agresiv. Ea a fost constructiv. Brncui, Ion Barbu, Eliade,
Lupasco, Cioran, Tzara, Gherasim Luca, Vintil Horia, Andrei erban sunt fiine ale
trangresiunii frontierelor ntre diferite domenii ale cunoaterii i ntre diferite culturi,
spre disperarea vameilor de tot felul, vamei ai cunoaterii i culturii. Acest dar al
transgresiunii ar trebui valorizat, pus n lumin, dat ca model.
Metisajul cultural este, cred, inevitabil n Europa de mine. Diaspora romneasc
este una dintre precursoarele acestui metisaj. Metisajul cultural nu nseamn
omogenizare cultural i pierderea identitii naionale. Sensul su este crearea unei
noi culturi europene, care va coexista cu culturi naionale. Unitate n diversitate i
diversitate prin unitate aceast strveche expresie a nelepciunii umane ar trebui s
ghideze paii notri.
Cultura romn nsi nu este oare produsul unui metisaj, la frontiera ntre
Orient i Occident, ntre Balcani i Europa Occidental? Aici este chiar fora sa,
destinul su unic. n acest context, am putea medita asupra unei strategii culturale
fondate pe axa Bucureti Paris Atena, crucial n evoluia Europei de mine.
Ultima mea remarc privete necesitatea emergenei unei dimensiuni spirituale
a democraiei n Romnia. Noi am trit, n regimul totalitar, o spiritualitate fr
democraie i, dup aceea, o democraie fr spiritualitate i chiar o caricatur
a democraiei n ara lui Urmuz, se poate accepta n mod natural ca acte
nedemocratice s fie ntreprinse cu respectul deplin al normelor democratice. Este
greu de imaginat efectul nociv i durabil pe care asemenea acte l pot avea asupra
imaginii Romniei n lume. Dimensiunea spiritual a democraiei este indispensabil
pentru nsi supravieuirea democraiei n Romnia.
Trista imagine a Romniei de Fanar al Europei ar putea astfel fi nlocuit de cea
de Californie a Europei.
On Romanias Public Image
It is more than obvious that Romanias public image is not good. Certainly, I do not
have a recipe that can miraculously fix that. However, I can think of a couple of ways
to improve it in the following years.
Much too often, I get to hear or read discussions on the marginal character of the
Romanian culture, on the insignificant role it plays in the international context, on
its lethal submission to the laws of market economy. Such discussions are not only
wearing, but also false, from an epistemological perspective. Spirituality cannot be
measured in kilograms or the number of books. Spirituality cannot be small or large.
Spirituality simply is. By nature, spirituality is universal. The change in Romanias
public image is conditioned by the reform of our cultural representations.
Another epistemological error is the minimization of culture to the level of literature;
this is a persistent obsession of the Romanian intellectuals living in Romania or
abroad, a characteristic of cultural underdevelopment and a sign that the realities
of the 20th century are being ignored. Today, science, engineering, information
technology, urban architecture, political behaviour, they are all cultural components.
This change of perspective can build a new perception on Romanias public image.
During the totalitarian regime, a large number of people chose the solution of a
definite exile. In general, such people made big efforts to integrate in their adopting
countries. Whether they were renowned personalities or not, they contributed to
the cultural, scientific, and economic growth of their new countries and at the same
time, consciously or not, they preserved the memory of their country of origin
Romania, and the memory of their personal suffering. The memory of suffering
ensures that its meaning will span tomorrows Europe.
The Romanian Diaspora is not only the keeper of the memory of suffering. One
must not forget the accomplishments made abroad before 1989 as well as ever since
then. Romanias culture spans far beyond its frontiers. The Diaspora can play an
important role in giving prominence to this cultural memory.
It goes without saying that, in order to be able to play this dual role, the Diaspora
must not obey any political interests. The relationship with the national authorities
must take the form of a partnership; it should not be compliant with political or
diplomatic conditions. Any festive or minor event translates not only as a waste of
time and money, but also as a compromise on this partnership.
All the great Romanian creators experienced the act of transgression the
transgression of conventional cultural norms, the transgression of language, the
transgression of deeply rooted beliefs. However, their transgression did not have
an aggressive essence. It was a constructive transgression. To the exasperation of all
guards guards of knowledge and culture, Brncui, Ion Barbu, Eliade, Lupasco,
Cioran, Tzara, Gherasim Luca, Vintil Horia, Andrei erban, they all transgressed
the boarders of different knowledge fields and cultures. This gift for transgression
should be highlighted, underlined, and set as an example.
I believe that in tomorrows Europe cultural crossbreeding is inevitable. The
Romanian Diaspora is one of its forerunners. Cultural crossbreeding does not imply
cultural homogenization and loss of national identity. Its purpose is to create a new
culture a European culture that will coexist with other national cultures. Unity in
diversity and diversity in unity this ancient saying of the human wisdom should
guide our steps.
At the crossroad between the East and the West, between the Balkans and Western
Europe, Romanias culture is the mere result of such crossbreeding, isnt it? This is
where its force and unique destiny comes from. From this perspective, we should
probably consider building a cultural strategy on the Bucharest-Paris-Athens axis; in
the evolution of tomorrows Europe, I find it crucial.
This last remark concerns the need for Romania to bring a new spiritual dimension
to its democracy. During the totalitarian regime, we experienced spirituality in the
absence of democracy. After that, we lived in democracy, actually in a caricature of
democracy, yet not in spirituality. In the country of Urmuz, people find it natural
to allow for undemocratic acts to be carried out in full respect with the democratic
norms. It is hard to imagine the lasting harmful effect of these acts on Romanias
public image. The spiritual dimension of democracy is vital for the survival of
democracy in Romania.
If Romania was once sadly seen as Europes Breadbasket, now it stands a chance to
become Europes California.

Basarab Nicolescu Basarab Nicolescu

 Nicolae Milescu pornete Nicolae Milescu sets out
ntr-o lung cltorie n China on a long journey to China

A studiat la Academia Vasilian i la Colegiul Catolic din Iai,

apoi la Academia ortodox din Constantinopol. A cptat, astfel, o
cultur vast, de la cunotine profunde privind Istoria Europei la
teologie, stpnind limbile clasice, slavona, ct i limbile de circulaie
n epoc, precum turca, araba, rusa, neogreaca, franceza i germana.
Grmtic la curtea lui Gheorghe tefan, nrudirea cu familiile Racovi
i Movil i-a netezit cariera pn la rangul de sptar obinut din
partea lui Gheorghe Ghica, domnitorul cruia i-a rmas recunosctor
i credincios, pentru a crui susinere voievodul tefni Lupu l-a
pedepsit cu tierea nasului i cu exilul. A peregrinat prin Europa de la
Constantinopol pn la Stokholm, mare parte din timp petrecnd-o
n bogatele biblioteci occidentale. n aceste condiii a tradus n limba
romn Vechiul Testament, traducerea sa fiind folosit de fraii Greceni
la redactarea n romn a Bibliei lui erban Cantacuzino. Numele su
ajunsese respectat n toate strvechile regiuni cretine din Imperiul
Otoman. Avnd cu sine scrisori de recomandare de la patriarhul
Dositei al Ierusalimului, aflat atunci la Iai, a intrat n serviciul arului
Alexei I Mihailovici n 1671, la scurt timp dup cstoria acestuia
cu Natalia Narkina, mama lui Petru cel Mare. arul expansionist,
apreciindu-i cultura scrisese circa 30 de lucrri! - i dibcia
diplomatic, l-a trimis spre finele anului 1674 s descifreze politica
Chinei. n fruntea unei delegaii de 150 de oameni, a ajuns dup
doi ani la Pekin i a fost primit n audien de guvernul mpratului
Kang Xi, pe care l-a convins s ncheie un tratat cu Rusia. Rentors la
Moscova n 1678, a definitivat lucrarea Descrierea cltoriei n China,
redactat n timpul misiunii.

1636 (Vaslui) 1708 (Moscova)

Milescu studied at the Vasilian Academy and the Catholic College

in Iai, and then at the Orthodox Academy in Constantinople.
Through his studies, he gained a solid education in the European
history of theology. He could also speak classical languages, Slavonic
as well as the international languages at that time Turkish,
Arabic, Russian, Neo-Greek, French, and German. His position as
a grammarian at Gheorghe tefans court and his kinship with the
Racovi and Movil families helped him advance his career as a
chancellor to ruler Gheorghe Ghica, to whom he always remained
grateful and loyal. Ruler tefni Lupu punished him for his loyalty
to Ghica by cutting his nose and sending him into exile. Milescu
went on a pilgrimage throughout Europe, travelling all the way from
Constantinople to Stockholm. Along his journey, he spent most of
his time in the Western libraries he came across. That was when
he translated the Old Testament into Romanian. When writing the
Romanian version of the Bible for tefan Cantacuzino, the Greceni
brothers used Milescus translation. People from all ancient Christian
regions in the Ottoman Empire had great respect for his name. Due
to the recommendation letters written by Patriarch of Jerusalem
Dositei, who was at Iai at that time, in 1671 he entered the service of
Czar Alexei I Mihailovici, soon after the latters marriage to Natalia
Narkina the mother of Peter the Great. The Czar had expansionist
ambitions and appreciated Milescus education (as he had already
authored 30 books) and diplomatic skills. As a result, in late 1674,
he sent him to China to understand the politics there. Two years
later, Milescu arrived in Pekin with his delegation of 150 people. He
requested an audience with the government of Emperor Kang XI, who
agreed to sign a treaty with Russia. Upon his return to Moscow, in
1678, he finalized his book Description of China that he had written
during his mission.

b. 1636, Vaslui d. 1708, Moscow

 Era un boier, anume Neculai Milescul Sptariul,
de la Vaslui de moia lui, pre nvat i crturar i
tiea multe limbi: elinete, slavonete, grecete i turcete.
i era mndru i bogat.
Ion Neculce

There was a boyar - Neculai Milescul Sptariul was his

name. And from Vaslui he came. Many things he knew, many
books he read, and many languages he spoke: Old Greek,
Slavonic, New Greek, and Turkish. All so fair and rich he
was!
Ion Neculce
 DIMITRIE CANTEMIR A FOST ALES DIMITRIE CANTEMIR IS ELECTED
MEMBRU TITULAR AL ACADEMIEI DIN PERMANENT MEMBER OF THE BERLIN
BERLIN AL CREI PREEDINTE ERA ILUSTRUL ACADEMY OF SCIENCE PRESIDED BY
GOTTFRIED VON LEIBNITZ ILLUSTRIOUS GOTTFRIED VON LEIBNITZ.

A fost unul dintre cei mai ilutri reprezentani ai umanismului

i precursor al iluminismului romnesc. A fost atras de studiul
filosofiei, muzicii - a inventat primul sistem de notare utilizat
n muzica turceasc, cunosctor al limbilor orientale, autor al
unor lucrri de istorie, geografie, politic, folclor, satire, unul
dintre precursorii beletristicii romneti moderne. A urcat pe
Tronul Moldovei n martie - aprilie 1693, dup moartea tatlui
su Constantin Cantemir. Aceast prim domnie nu a fost
recunoscut de sultan. Petrece 22 de ani n exil la Constantinopol,
n care timp studiaz documente din arhivele turceti. Scrie Istoria
Ieroglific, roman ce descrie relaiile tulburi dintre Cantemireti i
Brncoveni.
Desemnat domn de ctre nalta Poart n 1710, a ncheiat
n secret Tratatul de la Luc (1711) cu arul Petru I. n urma
pierderii btliei de la Stnileti, la care Brncoveanu s-a abinut
s participe, s-a refugiat cu ntreaga familie n Rusia, unde, a fost
investit cu titlul de Principe Serenisim al Rusiei i i s-a druit
domeniul Dimitrievka, n regiunea Harkov. Acolo a elaborat
majoritatea lucrrilor ce i-au adus celebritatea, precum Creterea
i descreterea Imperiului Otoman . n 1719, primete demnitatea
de consilier al lui Petru I. La scurt timp dup ntoarcerea din
Campania persan din 1723, a murit rpus de diabet la moia
druit de ar. Cel mai nvat principe romn este nmormntat
la Moscova, n biserica Sf. Constantin i Elena, cldit de el.
Osemintele lui Dimitrie Cantemir odihnesc, din 1935, la biserica
Trei Ierarhi din Iai.

26 octombrie 1673 (Siliteni) 21 august 1723 (Dimitrievka)

Cantemir was one of the most renowned representatives of

humanism and a forerunner of the Romanian Enlightenment. He
was passionate about philosophy, music he invented the first
musical notation system for the Turkis music, he could speak
East Asian languages, he wrote on history, geography, politics,
folk art, satyres, and he was aalso the predecessor of the modern
Romanian literature. He stepped up the throne of Moldavia
in March/April 1693 after the death of his father, Constantin
Cantemir. His first reign was not recognized by the sultan. For
twenty-two years, he lives in exile at Constantinople. That was
when he studied the Turkish archives and wrote A History in
Hieroglyphs a novel that described the troubled relationships
between the Cantemirs and the Brnconveanus. In 1710, he
was installed on the throne by the Sublime Porte. On April 13,
1711, he secretly signed an alliance with Russian Tsar Peter the
Great, through the Lutk Treaty. After being defeated in the Battle
of Stnileti (July 8-9, 1711), in which Brncoveanu refused to
participate, Cantemir sought refuge in Russia together with his
entire family. On August 1, 1711, the Czar invested himSerene
Prince of Russia and gave him the estate of Dimitrievka in
Harkov. That was where he wrote most of the works that made
him famous, such as The Rise and Fall of the Ottoman Empire.
In 1719, he was appointed counselor to Czar Peter the Great.
Shortly after his return from the Russo-Persian War in 1722-1733,
Cantemir died from diabetes on the domain given by the Tsar. The
Romanian prince with the most remarkable education was buried
in Moscow, at Saints Constantin and Elena Church, which he had
built. Since 1935, Dimitrie Cantemirs body has been lying at the
Three Hierarchs Church in Iai.

October 26, 1673 (Siliteni) - August 21, 1723 (Dimitrievka)

Pe vremea cnd Marte stpnea
mai cu putere dect Palas, o astfel
de ntlnire se arta a fi mai mult o
dorin dect speran. Dar iat c
faptul i-a gsit mplinirea acum,
c prea luminatul i prea nvatul
Dimitrie Cantemir, Principe al
Imperiului Rus, Domn ereditar al
Moldovei, dnd o pild, pe ct de
demn, pe att de rar, i-a nchinat
numele ilustru cercetrilor tiinifice.
Iar prin adeziunea sa, Societatea
noastr a dobndit o nou strlucire i
o podoab nentrecut. Ne nchinm cu
smerenie n faa bunei voine ce ne-o
acord Principele nou i lucrrilor
noastre.
Textul Diplomei de membru al
Academiei de tiine din Berlin. 11 iulie
1714
When Mars reigned over Pallas,
this reunion was more of a wish than
a hope. Yet, the wish has now turned
into reality setting an equally noble
and rare example, His Illustrious
Highness, Dimitrie Cantemir, Prince
of the Russian Empire and Heir to
the Throne of Moldova, is devoting
His distinguished name to scientific
research. His adherence has made our
Society more radiant, more valuable
than ever. We humbly bow before the
kindness the Prince is showing to us
and to our works.
The text of his Diploma of the Berlin
Academy of Science. July 11, 1714
 25 FEBRUARIE ON FEBRUARY 25,
GEORGE POMUTZ GEORGE POMUTZ
DEBARC N AMERICA DISEMBARKS IN AMERICA

Biografia romnului George Pomutz este una fabuloas.

Nscut n 1818, n oraul Gyula din Ungaria, ntr-o familie
romno-ortodox, aflat ea nsi n pribegie, a rmas unul dintre
eroii romnilor americani, o mare personalitate a exilului politic
romnesc al secolului XIX. Nu numai militar. Ci diplomat i om
de cultur universal. n anul 1848, la vrsta de 30 de ani, tnrul
George Pomutz s-a alturat revoluiei maghiare conduse de
inamicul lui Avram Iancu, Ludovic Kossuth. A primit rangul de
locotenent, iar n anul 1849, a devenit cpitan n armata rebelilor
maghiari. A decis s emigreze n Statele Unite ale Americii, unde
a fondat, mpreun cu o serie de emigrani maghiari, aezarea
New Buda. n anul 1861, la izbucnirea Rzboiului de Secesiune
din SUA, s-a nrolat ca voluntar n armata Nordului. S-a distins
n btlia pentru cucerirea oraului Atlanta, ocupat de rebelii
suditi. Oraul era nconjurat de mari depozite de bumbac,
folosite drept avanposturi militare de ctre rebeli. George Pomutz
a ordonat bombardarea acestor depozite. Multe dintre casele din
Atlanta erau construite din lemn, flcrile s-au extins rapid, iar o
mare parte a oraului a fost ars. Rebelii l-au poreclit pe ofierul
romn incendiatorul Atlantei. Pentru meritele sale, a devenit
apoi consul al Statelor Unite ale Americii n Sankt Petersburg,
capitala imperial rus. George Pomutz a fcut parte din echipa
de negociatori americani care a cumprat Alaska de la Rusia,
pentru modesta sum de 7,2 milioane de dolari. A ncetat n via
n Sankt Petersburg, n timp ce se afla la postul su diplomatic.
Osemintele sale nc se odihnesc n fosta capital imperial rus.

31 mai 1818 (Gyula, Imperiul Austriac) -

12 octombrie 1882 (St. Petersburg, Imperiul Rus)

The biography of Romanian George Pomutz is absolutely

fabulous. He was born in the town of Gyula, in Hungary. He came
from a Romanian Orthodox family living in exile. George Pomutz
was one of the Romanian American heroes, a great personality
of the Romanian political exile of the 19th century. He was not
only an army officer, but also a diplomat and a cultured man.
In 1948, at thirty years of age, young George Pomutz joined the
Hungarian revolution led by Avram Iancus enemy Ludovic
Kossuth. He was appointed to the rank of lieutenant, and in 1849,
he became the leader of the Hungarian Rebels Army. He decided
to immigrate to the United States, where together with other
Hungarian immigrants he co-founded the township of New Buda.
In 1861, when the American Civil War broke out in the United
States, he voluntarily enrolled in the Union Army. He played an
important role in the Battle of Atlanta, which was occupied by
the South rebels. The entire city was surrounded by huge cotton
warehouses that were used as military outposts by the rebels.
Upon his orders, the warehouses were bombarded. Many houses
in Atlanta were made of wood, therefore the fire extended rapidly
and a large city area was burned down. Because of that, the rebels
nicknamed him the arsonist of Atlanta. In recognition for his
merits, he was appointed Consul of the United States of America
in Sankt Petersburg, the capital of the Russian Empire. George
Pomutz was on the negotiation team that bought Alaska from
the Russians for just 7.2 million dollars. He passed away in Sankt
Petersburg. His remains are still in the former imperial capital.

May 31, 1818 (Gyula, the Austrian Empire) October 12, 1882 (St.
Petersburg, the Russian Empire)
 L-am ntlnit pe Pomutz; un brav i curajos
ofier care se bucura de o mare popularitate
n rndul camarazilor i soldailor si. El
nu este doar un ofier valoros, versat n toate
problemele militare, ci i un om cu o cultur
superioar, un gentleman manierat.

Generalul Walter O. Gresham, comandantul

Brigzii a III-a din care fcea parte
i regimentul lui Pomutz

Ive met Pomutz. He was a brave officer,

very popular among his fellow officers and
soldiers. He is not only a valuable officer,
experienced in all military affairs, but also a
very cultivated man, a true gentleman.

General Walter O. Gresham,

Commander of the 3rd Brigade
comprising Pomutzs regiment as well

George Pomutz este mai puin cunoscut romnilor, dar este considerat unul dintre cei mai
buni negociatori din istorie. Nu se enerva niciodat i i studia atent partenerii. Avea o
intuiie extraordinar, fapt care l-a ajutat s se mbogeasc, dar s i avanseze rapid
n cariera militar. A fost un erou al americanilor, mai ales dup ce a reuit s conving
Rusia s renune la Alaska pentru o sum infim, chiar i n acele vremuri cnd dolarul
avea alt putere. Poate fi considerat una dintre personalitile care au ajutat la furirea
Americii de azi.

Prof. Ovidiu Serafim

George Pomutz is not very famous among Romanians, but he is of the best negotiators
in the history. He would never lose his temper and he would pay close attention to his
partners. He had an extraordinary intuition, which helped him get rich and advance
his career in the military. For the Americans, he was a true hero, especially after he
succeeded in convincing Americans to sell Alaska for practically nothing even
though the U S dollar value was different than today. He can be considered one of the
personalities who helped in building America as we see it today.

Prof. Ovidiu Serafim

 ELENEI GHICA, CUNOSCUT SUB ELENA GHICA, KNOWN BY HER PEN
PSEUDONIMUL DORA DISTRIA, I-A APRUT NAME DORA DISTRIA, PUBLISHED
LUCRAREA CE A FCUT-O CELEBR: ABOUT WOMEN, BY A WOMAN, A BOOK
DESPRE FEMEI DE O FEMEIE THAT BROUGHT HER INTERNATIONAL
RECOGNITION.

Fiic a marelui ban Mihai Ghica, a primit, sub influena

mamei, Catinca, neam de boieri olteni, o educaie aleas.
La zece ani cunotea nou limbi strine! La unsprezece ani
scrie o nuvel, la paisprezece ani traduce Iliada lui Homer
din original n german, iar la aisprezece ani ia parte la
expoziia de art figurativ din Dresda. Este prima femeie
romnc ce a publicat o carte: Pentru educaia copiilor.
n 1849 s-a cstorit cu principele rus Alexandr Kolov
Masalski, urma al lui Rurik. Simpatia artat Franei i
Angliei n rzboiul Crimeii, soldat cu nfrngerea Rusiei,
a fost pedepsit exemplar, principesa romn fiind btut
cu cnutul. Cu acordul soului, pleac singur, definitiv, din
Rusia. Stabilindu-se n Elveia, a escaladat vrful Moench,
pe care a nfipt tricolorul romnesc, fiind prima femeie care
a reuit aceast performan, descris, de altfel, ntr-o carte.
A fost nceputul unei cariere strlucite, opera sa, extrem
de variat tematic, fiind publicat sub pseudonimul Dora
DIstria, ce amintete de originile istro-romne ale familiei
Ghica. A legat prietenii strnse cu mpratul Braziliei i
cu Edgar Quinet. Cartea Despre femei de o femeie, aprut
n anul 1869, a fost lucrarea cea mai drag a principesei
Elisabeta, care a reuit s obin mai trziu pentru autoare
medalia Bene Merenti, conferit de Carol I. Ultimii douzeci
de ani din via i-a petrecut n Italia, urna cu cenua ei
fiind depus n Trespiana din Florena. Una dintre cele mai
remarcabile figuri feminine ale secolului al XIX-lea. Dora
DIstria a vrut tot i a reuit s exceleze n tot ce a fcut.

22 ianuarie 1828 (Bucureti) - 17 noiembrie 1888 (Florena)

The daughter of Governor Mihai Ghica received a solid

education, mostly due to her mothers influence Catinca,
who descended from an ancient boyar family in Oltenia. At
nine, Elena could already speak nine foreign languages. At
eleven, she wrote a short novel. At fourteen, she translated
Homers Iliad from Greek into German. At sixteen, she
was a participant in the Art Exhibition in Dresden. She
was the first Romanian woman to publish a book For the
Education of Children. In 1849, she married Russian Duke
Alexander Koltsov-Massalski, who was a successor of Rurik.
As a punishment for her admiration for France and England
during the Crimean War which ended with Russias defeat,
the Romanian Duchess was flogged. With her husbands
approval, Elena left Russia by herself and for good. After
settled in Switzerland, she climbed the Mnch, at the top
of which she raised the Romanian flag. She was the first
woman to climb it and she wrote about her experience in
a book. It was the beginning of a brilliant career. All her
literary works, which tackled extremely varied themes, were
written under the pen name Dora DIstria a name that
evoked the Istro-Romanian origins of the Ghicas. She was
good friends with the Emperor of Brasil and Edgar Quinet.
Her book, About Women, by a Woman, was a favorite of
Princess Elisabeth, who later on successfully lobbied for the
author to be awarded the Bene Merenti Medal by King Carol
I. She spent the last twenty years of her life in Italy. Her
ashes were buried at Trespiano, in Florence. As one of the
most remarkable women of the 19th Century, Dora DIstria
wanted to excel in everything and she did.

January 22nd 1828, Bucharest November 17th 1888, Florence

 Dei a scris mai mult dect oricare alt femeie,
a spune chiar mai mult dect oricare alt scriitor, n
favoarea cauzei naiunilor, plednd cnd drepturile
romnilor, cnd pe cele ale srbilor, ale grecilor,
albanezilor, ungurilor sau italienilor, ea nu vroia
s aparin nici unei naiuni n parte, simind c
le aparinea tuturor i c simpatiza cu toate. E
semnificativ c ultimul su volum publicat este Gli
eroi della Rumenia. Profili storici, care strnge ntre
aceleai coperi formele de independen uman fa Sunetul clopotului care anuna privegherea ne chema la
de legi, prejudeci, bariere sociale, fa de via i fa biseric. Era miezul nopii...Natura ntreag ne invita nu la
de moarte. somn, ci la admirarea creaiei lui Dumnezeu. Deja, cnd am
Angelo de Gubernatis ajuns naintea uilor bisericii, inima mea nclina spre reculegere
i rugciune. Slujbele care se oficiaz n nopile minunate
ale Orientului nostru sunt poate una din cele mai importante
moteniri ale geniului religios al prinilor notri.
Dora DIstria
More than any other woman, I could even
say more than any other writer, she wrote for the
cause of nations, sometimes lobbying for the rights
of the Romanian people, at times for those of the
Serbians, the Greeks, the Albanese, the Hungarians The sound of the bell announcing the wake summoned us to go
or the Italians, yet she did not want to belong to any to church. It was midnight The whole nature was inviting us
country all; she felt part of them all and loved them not so much to go to sleep, but to admire Gods creation. As
equally. What is truly remarkable is that her last soon as I arrived at the church door, my heart was already
published work was Gli eroi della Rumenia. Profili overwhelmed by sobriety and prayer. The services officiated
storici, where she gathered various forms of human in our wonderful Eastern nights are perhaps one of the most
independence from laws, prejudices, social barriers, important legacies of our parents religious genius.
life, and death. Dora DIstria
Angelo de Gubernatis
 EMANUIL GOJDU A PUS PRIN TESTAMENT EMANUIL GOJDU LEAVES HIS FORTUNE
BAZELE UNEI FUNDAII DE AJUTORARE A TO A FOUNDATION HE CREATED FOR THE
ROMNILOR DIN IMPERIUL HABSBURGIC SUPPORT OF ROMANIANS LIVING IN THE
HABSBURG EMPIRE.

Ca muli ali romni de calitate care au fcut avere i

carier n Imperiul Habsburgic i el era de origine aromn,
familia sa fiind originar din Moscopole. A studiat Dreptul
la Oradea, Bratislava i Budapesta, unde, n anul 1924, a
luat licenele de avocat i de notar. i-a nceput cariera de
avocat n biroul unui romn din regiunea Timoc, Mihai
Vitcu (Vitkovici), care l-a introdus n cercurile literare
budapestane. i-a ncercat norocul i ca poet, n 1826
publicnd poezii n revistele maghiare, inclusiv o plachet
antologic. Ca avocat a conceput pledoarii ce, publicate, au
fost studiate de studenii Facultilor de Drept din Buda i
din Bratislava. Ca notar a devenit o autoritate cutat din
Salzburg pn la Miercurea Ciuc. Iosif Vulcan scria prin
1866, n Familia, revista sa recent nfiinat, c faima lui
Gojdu depise cu mult frontiere imperiului. Nu-i de mirare
c a fcut avere, una uria, pe care, neavnd motenitori,
prin Testamentul redactat n 1869, a lsat-o motenire
naiunii romne din Transilvania i Ungaria, care aparine
confesiunii ortodoxe orientale n cadrul unei fundaii.
Trebuie spus c nc din timpul revoluiei de la 1848 luptase
pentru utilizarea limbii romne n coli i n administraia
zonelor i localitilor locuite de romni. Fundaia a
funcionat ntre anii 1870-1917, de banii pui la dispoziie
beneficiind studeni romni (dintre care se remarc: Traian
Vuia, Octavian Goga, Constantin Daicoviciu, Petru Groza i
Victor Babe) care au devenit valori naionale.

1802 (Oradea) 1870 (Budapesta)

Like many other notable Romanians that build their

careers and made their fortunes during the Habsburg
Empire, Gojdu too was of Aromanian descent. His family
came from Moscopole. He studied law at Oradea, Brastilava,
and Budapest. In 1924, he passed his lawyer and notary
public lincesing exam. He started to work as a lawyer in the
office of a Romanian from Timoc, Mihai Vitcu (Vitkovici),
who introduced him into the literary circles of Budapest.
He tried his luck as a poet as well. In 1926, he published his
poems, including an anthology brochure, in the Hungarian
magazines. His pleadings in court were published and
studied by law school students in Buda and Bratislava.
He was a reputed notary public with people coming to his
office all the way from Salzburg and Miercurea Ciuc. In
1866, Iosif Vulcan wrote in the recently founded Familia
magazine that Gojdus fame had passed way beyond the
frontiers of the Empire. It was no surprise that he made a
great fortune. As he did not have any heirs, in a will written
in 1860, he left his entire fortune to a foundation he created
to help the Romanian Oriental Orthodox people living
in Transylvania and Hungary. He had always supported
the Romanian language; during the 1848 Revolution, he
fought hard to introduce the Romanian language in schools
and administrative institutions for the areas inhabited by
Romanians. His foundation functionned from 1870 until
1917. Many Romanian students (among them Traian
Vuia, Octavian Goga, Constantin Daicoviciu, Petru Groza,
and Victor Babe), who in their turn became national
personalities, benefited from the scholarships offered by
Gojdus foundation.

1802 (Oradea) - 1870 (Budapest)

Ca fiu credincios al Bisericii mele laud I can only show respect to my Church by
Dumnezeirea, cci m-a creat Romn; iubirea praising God for making me Romanian. The
ce o am fa de naiunea mea, nencetat love that I have for my country makes me
m face s strui n fapt pentru ca i continue my deeds, so that I can break free
dup moarte s pot erumpe de sub gliile from my grave and remain forever in the
mormntului spre a putea fi pururea n snul spirit of my nation, even after death.
naiunii mele.
Emanuil Gojdu
Emanuil Gojdu
 MPRATUL FRANZ JOSEF I-A EMPEROR FRANZ JOSEF GRANTED
ACORDAT LUI EUDOXIU HURMUZACHI EUXODIU HURMUZACHI THE
TITLUL EREDITAR DE BARON HEREDITARY BARON TITLE

Nscut la cteva luni de la rpirea Basarabiei de ctre

Imperiul Rus ntr-o veche familie boiereasc, a urmat
Facultatea de Drept a Universitii din Viena. n anul 1848
cunotinele sale juridice l-au determinat pe ministrul de
justiie al Imperiului Habsburgic, Alexander von Bach, s-l
consulte n vederea redactrii i adoptrii regulamentelor
privitoare la Bucovina. Tot lui i s-a ncredinat traducerea
codurilor civil i penal n limba romn. La cererea
frailor si, Gheorghe i Alexandru, care patronau ziarul
bilingv Bucovina, a acceptat s devin colaborator pe
chestiuni juridice. La propunerea expres a noului ministru
habsburgic de justiie, Anton von Schmerling, a fost ales n
comisia instituit pentru elaborarea unui lexicon juridic n
limba romn. Meritele incontestabile i-au facilitat accesul
n Arhivele Imperiale, cercetarea conducnd la redactarea
celor cinci masive tomuri de documente comentate,
fragmente din istoria Romnilor. El a preluat de asemenea
examinarea manualelor romneti pentru colari utilizate n
Bucovina. S-a zbtut cu succes pentru ridicarea Bucovinei la
rang de ducat, a fost ales deputat n Dieta Bucovinei i din
5 decembrie 1862 a devenit Cpitan al Bucovinei, funcie
deinut pn n anul 1870 i, ulterior, ntre 1871-1874. n
2 august 1872 Academia Romn l-a primit n rndurile
sale, iar n februarie 1873 mpratul Franz Josef i-a acordat
titlul de baron n semn de mare apreciere a serviciilor aduse
imperiului i contribuiilor sale juridice.

29 septembrie 1812 (Cernuca) 29 ianuearie 1874 (Cernui)

Hurmuzachi was born into an ancient boyar family,

shortly after Romania was forced to surrender Basarabia
to the Russian Empire. He studied law at the University of
Vienna. In 1848, due to his impressive legal knowledge,
Alexander von Bach, Minister of Justice of the Habsburg
Empire, requested his assistance in the writing and adoption
of the regulations regarding Bukovina. He was also assigned
with translating into Romanian the civil and criminal code.
Upon his brothers request, he agreed to write articles on
legal matters for the bilingual newspaper Bucovina owned
by Gheorghe and Alexandru. At the request of Anton von
Schmerling, the new Minister of Justice of the Habsburg
Empire, he was proposed and elected member of the
commission in charge with creating a law dictionary in
Romanian. Due to his undeniable merits, he was given
permission to access the Imperial Archives. His research
led to five massive tomes of studies on documents and
fragments of Romanian history. He also reviewed the school
books for the students of Bukovina. He put a lot of effort
in transforming Bukovina into a duchy of the Crown, and
he succeeded. Hurmuzachi was elected a representative of
the Bukovina Diet, and on December 5, 1862 he became
Captain of Bukovina, a position he held until 1870, and
again from 1871 to 1874. On August 2, 1872, he was
elected member of the Romanian Academy. In February,
1873, Emperor Franz Josef granted him the Baron title in
appreciation for the services brought the empire and the law
improvements he made.

September 29, 1812 (Cernuca) January 29, 1874 (Cernui)

Numai cineva care ia n serios Only he who truly appreciates freedom
libertatea acordat poate s can trust a friend of freedom with
ncredineze unui prieten al libertii leading this Diet. Only he who grants
conducerea acestei Diete, numai cineva national ideas with the balanced
care acord aspiraiilor naionale freedom they deserve can honor with
o libertate de aciune cumptat i his trust a man that has moderate
ndreptit poate onora cu ncrederea demands for his country, yet has never
sa un om care are pentru naia sa abandoned it. Only he who makes it
pretenii moderate, dar care nu s-a possible for a government to progress
lepdat de ea niciodat; numai cineva in true honesty would like to see a
care face s progreseze n mod supporter of progress lead a law-
cinstit viaa de stat ar vrea s vad n making body.
fruntea unui corp legiuitor un adept al
progresului. Eudoxiu Hurmuzachi (excerpt from his
speech before the Bukovina Diet)
Eudoxiu Hurmuzachi
(discurs n Diet)
 A INVENTAT PRINCIPIUL MOTORULUI
ELECTRIC DE CURENT ALTERNATIV
Marele savant i inventator Nicolae Teslea (Nikola Tesla) s-a nscut n 10 iulie
1856, c fiu al preotului ortodox Milutin Teslea i al Gici Mandici. Este dup
ambii prini din rndul istro-romnilor, populaie aromn care era rspndit He had Istro-Romanian roots that spred on the current territory of Croatia to
din Croaia de astzi pn n Muntenegru. Numele iniial de familie era Drghici,
dar el a fost nlocuit n timp, prin porecla de Teslea, dup meseria transmis
n familie, de dulgheri (teslari). Henri Coand care l-a cunoscut pe Tesla din
vizitele pe care acesta le fcea tatlui su n casa lor din Bucureti, l prezenta pe
marele inventator ca romn bnean din Banatul srbesc. A fcut studii serioase,
la Gymnasiul Real Superior din Karlstadt i la Institutul Politehnic din Graz,
continuate n 1878 la Universitatea Carolina din Praga. La Budapesta a descoperit
principiul motorului electric de curent alternativ. Va pleca, prin Frana, unde va
sta doi ani. n SUA se va angaja la Edison. nelat de acesta, n 1886 va nfiina
propria companie. Va inventa motorul cu inducie, principiile bobinei Tesla,
razele X, transmiterea wireless a curentului, folosirea energiei libere . n 1891 a
cptat cetenia american, doi ani mai trziu, a iluminat Expoziia Universal
de la Chicago. Ulterior a descoperit rezonana Pmntului, stabilit la 10 Hertzi.
Descoperirile sale au depit puterea de nelegere tiinific a sfritului de secol
19 ct i a celui urmtor. De exemplu, a declarat c a descoperit zidul energetic ce
va face inutil rzboiul. Era n 1943. Savantul a murit subit, ns documentele au
disprut i presei i s-au dat doar informaii minore, compromitoare. Problema
este c nici n prezent nu a fost reabilitat, despre savant spunndu-se vrute i
nevrute, dei nu a avut egal. Astzi, tot mai multe cercetri confirm aplicabilitatea
teoriilor lui.
10 iulie 1856 (Smilian) 7 ianuarie 1943 (New York)
NICOLAE TESLA INVENTS THE ELECTRIC
ENGINE POWERED BY ALTERNATIVE
ENERGY.
Outstanding savant and inventor Nicolae Tesla (Nikola Tesla) was born on
July 10, 1856. He was the son of Orthodox priest Milutin Tesla and Gica Mandici.
Montenegro. His real last name was Drghici, but everybody called his family by
their nickname - Teslea, which means carpenters (teslari), a craft with tradition in
their family. Henri Coand, who met Tesla during his visits to his fathers house
in Bucharest, would introduce the outstanding inventor as the Romanian from
the Serbian Banat. Tesla received a solid education at Gymnasium Real Superior
in Karlstadt and the Polytechnic Institute in Graz. In 1878, he began his studies
at the Charles University in Prague. In Budapest, he invented the principle of
the electric engine powered by alternative energy. After two years in France, he
went to the US and got a job at Edison. Feeling disappointed by Edison, in 1886
he started his own company. That was when he designed the induction motor,
the principles of the Tesla coil, the X rays, the wireless transmission of electricity,
the concept of free energy. In 1891, he became an American citizen. Two years
later, he lighted the Chicago Worlds Fair. Later on, he discovered the resonance
frequency of the Earth a pulse of 10 Hz. His following discoveries were beyond
the comprehension of the scientific world of the 19 and 20th century. For instance,
in 1943, Tesla claimed to have discovered the energetic wall that would make wars
useless. The savant died a sudden death and all his writings vanished. The press
was only given little, compromising information as an explanation. It is regrettable
that his reputation has not been rehabilitated and rumours are still circulating,
even though Tesla was beyond comparison. Today, more and more research
studies are confirming that his theories are applicable and valid.
July 10, 1856 (Smilian) January 7, 1943 (New York)
 tiina modern declar: Soarele este trecutul,
Pmntul prezentul, iar Luna viitorul.

Nicolae Tesla

According to modern science, The Sun is the past,

the Earth is the present, and the Moon is the future.

Nicolae Tesla

Albert Einstein
 ESTE ANUL PRIMEI APARIII THE YEAR GEORGE ENESCU PLAYED HIS
NTR-UN CONCERT A LUI GEORGE FIRST CONCERT, EVEN THOUGH HE WAS
ENESCU, DEI AVEA DOAR 5 ANI BARELY FIVE YEARS OLD.

Iniierea n mnuirea viorii i-a fcut-o un lutar, pe

urm a nceput studiul sub ndrumarea profesorului Eduard
Caudella. Apoi va studia la Conservatorul din Viena. La
doar 12 ani va entuziasma publicul vienez! ntre anii
1895-1899 i va continua studiile la Conservatorul din
Paris. n 6 februarie 1898 va debuta la Concertele Colonne
din Paris cu suita simfonic Poema Romna. Din primii ani
ai secolului XX dateaz cele dou Rapsodii Romne (1901-
1902), unde este evident influena folclorului romnesc.
Componistic, Enescu oscileaz ntre stilul romantic
monumental (al lui Richard Wagner) i influenele muzicii
franceze. n anii Primului Rzboi Mondial s-a desfurat
prima ediie a concursului de compoziie George Enescu,
n cuprinsul cruia geniul muzical oferea ctigtorilor
sume importante din veniturile proprii, deopotriv cu
ansa interpretrii pieselor n concerte. Ctignd admiraia
Reginei Elisabeta, va fi invitat adesea la Castelul Pele.
A activat i ca pedagog, ntre elevii si figurnd Yehudi
Menuhin. ntre 1921-1931 a compus opera Oedip (creaie
dramatic i muzical pe care a dedicat-o Mariei Tescanu
Rosetti), n care sunt vizibile tendinele neo-baroce i
exprimarea modern, cu totul personal. n 1932 va fi ales
membru titular al Academiei Romne. Instaurarea dictaturii
comuniste antiromneti l va determina pe el, cel care
donase 100.000 lei Guvernului pentru aprarea rii, s
prseasc definitiv ara.

19 august 1881 (Liveni) 4 mai 1955 (Paris)

He took his first violin lesson with a fiddler. Then he

started studying violing with professor Eduard Caudella.
After that, he enrolled in Vienna Conservatory. At twelve,
while in Vienna, he was already taking the public by storm.
Between 1895 and 1899, he continued his academic studies
at the Conservatoire de Paris. On February 6, 1898, he made
his debut with his symphony suite The Romanian Poem
at the Colonne Concerts in Paris. In 1901 and 1902, he
composed two Romanian Raphsodies (1901-1902), which
were highly inspired by the Romanian folklore. The first
edition of the George Enescu International Composition
Competition took place during World War I. The music
genius offered the winners significant prizes that he
financed personally and at the same time he gave them
the opportunity to play the compositions in concert. He
won the admiration of Queen Elisabeth and was invited
to the Pele Castle. He was also a music professor, and
Yehudi Menuhin was one of his students. Between 1921 and
1931, he composed Oedipe (an opera dedicated to Maria
Tescanu Rosetti). In 1932, he was elected full member of
the Romanian Academy. When the communist regime took
power, Enescu, who had made a 100,000 lei donation to the
Romanian government for the countrys defense, decided to
leave the country for good.

August 19, 1881 (Liveni) May 4, 1955 (Paris)

 Pentru mine, Enescu va rmne
una dintre veritabilele minuni ale lumii.
Rdcinile puternice si nobleea sufletului
su sunt provenite din propria lui ar, o ar
de o inegalabil frumusee.

Yehudi Menuhin

Yehudi Menuhin
For me, Enescu will always be one of
true wonders of this world. His strong roots
and the nobleness of his soul come from his
home country a country of unparalleled
beauty.

Yehudi Menuhin
 IULIUS POPPER A DEVENIT EF AL IULIUS POPPER RUNS THE GOLD
LUCRRILOR DE PROSPECTARE A PROSPECTING WORKS IN THE
AURULUI N ARA DE FOC LAND OF FIRE

Avid de cunoatere, la doar 17 ani tnrul Popper va pleca

s studieze n Frana la coala Naional de Poduri i osele. n
paralel, acest tnr care stpnea 10 limbi, inclusiv cele clasice, a
urmrit la Sorbona cursuri de fizic, meteorologie, geografie i
etnologie. Dup absolvire, a ajuns n Egipt, angajat la Compania
Canalului Suez. Cu banii obinui i-a finanat o lung cltorie
n Extremul Orient, rezultatele fiind transmise, la revenirea n
Bucureti, lui George Lahovary, Secretarul Societii Regale de
Geografie. Se va rentoarce n Asia i va strbate America de Nord
din Alaska pn la New Orleans, unde a fost angajat ca inginer
constructor. Peste cteva luni se va duce n Mexic, unde a activat
ca ziarist. Va pleca i de acolo cu destinaia Brazilia, apoi va trece
n Argentina. Este angajat la o Compania ce cuta noi resurse de
aur. A gsit cteva filoane, a nceput exploatarea lor, ns a trebuit
s fac fa atacurilor unor bande de hoi. Pentru restabilirea
ordinii, s-a autointitulat monarh cu drept de judecat, a nfiinat o
poliie local, a btut o moned, chiar a emis un timbru. n 1891,
Popper i breveteaz, cu nr. 830, maina de separare a aurului
care, dup el, este capabil s spele 75 de tone de nisip pe zi,
extrgnd 99,6% din aurul pe care-l conine nisipul extras. Timp
de ase ani va fi singurul stpn al rii de Foc, informndu-l pe
Lahovary cum se descurc, ce nume a dat unor ruri, muni i vi,
desigur, romneti, ce fac romnii care l-au nsoit. n primvara
anului 1893 a fost chemat n judecat de Statul Argentina sub
motiv c i subminase autoritatea n ara de Foc i c ucisese
indieni onas. nainte de pronunarea sentinei, n ziua de 5 iunie
1893 cultivatul explorator a suferit un atac de cord.

15 decembrie 1857 (Bucureti) - 5 iunie 1893 (Buenos Aires)

Eager to learn, young Popper left for France at only seventeen

years of Age. He enrolled in the National School of Bridges and
Highways. At the same, young Popper who could speak ten
languages, including classical ones, studied Physics, Meteorology,
Geography, and Ethnology at the Sorbonne. After graduation, he
went to Egypt and started to work for the Suez Canal Company.
With the money he earned there, he went on a journey to the
Far East. Upon his return to Bucharest, he shared his experience
with George Lahovary, Secretary of the Royal Geographical
Society. Popper returned to Asia, and then crossed North America
from Alaska all the way to New Orleans, where he got hired as
a construction engineer. A few months later, he went to Mexico,
where he worked as a journalist. From there, he went to Brazil and
then to Argentina, where he started working for a company that
was prospecting new gold resources. He found a couple of lodes
and started mining them, but had to keep up with the attacks of
the gangs of thieves. To keep things under control, he proclaimed
himself monarch with the right to put people on trial, founded
a local police, designed a currency, and even issued a stamp. In
1891, Popper patented his gold separator, which in his opinion
could wash seventy-five tons of sand per day and extract 99.6%
of the gold contained in the extracted sand. For six years, he was
the only master of the Land of Fire. He would keep Lahovary
up-to-date with how he was doing, the names that he had given
the surrounding rivers, mountains, and valleys (all Romanian, of
course), how the Romanians who came along were doing, etc. In
the spring of 1893, he was put on trial by the State of Argentina for
having its authority in the Land of Fire and allegedly for having
killed Ona Indians. The highly educated explorer suffered a heart
attack just before receiving his sentence, on June 5, 1893.

December 15, 1857 (Bucharest) June 5, 1893 (Buenos Aires)

 Dac n-am ti c n timpul primei expediii n interiorul
insulei a intrat n conflict cu indienii onas i n-ar exista
o fotografie care dovedete acest lucru, am nclina s
credem, cu respect i aprobare uman, tot ce s-ar putea
spune n aprarea lui.

Armando Braun Mendez

If we did not know that during his first expedition

inside the island he came into conflict with the Ona
Indians and if there hadnt been a photo to prove it, we
would respectfully believe and agree with everything
thats being said in his defence.

Armando Braun Mendez

ARA DE FOC, 1887

APARE N LIMBA GERMAN, N TRADUCEREA QUEEN ELISABETH OF ROMANIA
REGINEI ELISABETA A ROMNIEI, VOLUMUL PUBLISHED THE GERMAN TRANSLATION
DE POEZII AL ELENEI VCRESCU OF THE POETRY BOOK LE RHAPSODE
RAPSODUL DMBOVIEI DE LA DMBOVIA.

Autoarea, Elena Vcrescu, provenea dintr-o veche i

cunoscut familie boiereasc. Variantei n limba francez
a volumului, Academia Francez i-a conferit n anul 1900
premiul Jules Fabre. n 1886 publicase la Paris primul volum
de versuri, Chants dAurore, care a primit cronici favorabile
i un premiu special din partea elitistei Academii. Cultura
i inteligena i-au fost apreciate de Regin, care i-a facilitat
apropierea de principele motenitor Ferdinand. Idila dintre
prinului motenitor Ferdinand i Elena Vcrescu se
desfoar n iarna i primvara anului 1891. Constituia din
1866 prevedea ca pe tron s se afle o familie strin. Se termina
aa, irul nesfrit de intrigi din snul boierimii autohtone. Ea
interzicea astfel o cstorie ntre Ferdinand i o femeie dintr-o
familie romneasc. Regina a pledat ct a putut pentru cei
doi. Regele Carol I s-a vzut obligat s ordone soiei i tinerei
domnioare de onoare plecarea n exil. Elena Vcrescu se
va stabili definitiv la Paris, unde va fi n preajma unor mari
scriitori i artiti. Foarte activ pe trm literar, a fost activ i
politic, fiind cooptat n Delegaia romn la Conferina de
Pace de la Paris, Elena Vcrescu a militat pentru realizarea
Marii Uniri de la 1918. ncepnd din anul 1919 este numit
de ctre regele Romniei ca secretar general al Asociaiei
Romne pe lng Societatea Naiunilor, funcie pe care o
deine douzeci de ani. n anul 1925, Elena Vcrescu devine
membru de onoare al Academiei Romne, ea fiind prima
femeie din Romnia care a beneficiat de acest titlu. Dup
al doilea Rzboi va fi numit Consilier cultural al Legaiei
Romne din Paris.

21 septembrie 1864 (Bucureti) 17 februarie 1947 (Paris)

The author, Elena Vcrescu, descended from a renowned

ancient boyar family. In 1900, the French Academy awarded
the French translation with the Jules Fabre Prize. Four years
earlier, she had published her first poetry book Chants
dAurore, which received critical acclaim and was awarded with
a special prize by the Academy elite. Elena Vcrescus cultural
education and her intelligence were highly appreciated by the
Queen, who encouraged her relationship with Crown Prince
Ferdinand. The relationship only lasted through the winter and
spring of 1891. Accordig to the 1866 Constitution, the throne
could only be claimed by a foreign family. The Constitution
requirement put an end to the numerous plots devised by the
Romanian boyars. The Constitution did not allow Ferdinand
to marry a Romanian woman. The Queen advocated their
marriage as much as she could, but King Carol I felt compelled
to force his wife and her lady-in-waiting into exile. Elena
Vcrescu settled in Paris, where she frequented circles of
famous writers and artists. She was not only an active writer,
but also a dedicated diplomat. She was part of the Romanian
Delegation at the Paris Peace Conference. She also militated
for the Union of Transylvania with Romania in 1918. In 1919,
the King appointed her General Secretary of the Romanian
Association for the League of Nations, a position she held for
twenty years. In 1925, she was elected honorary member of the
Romanian Academy; she was the first Romanian woman to be
presented with this title. After World War II, she was appointed
Cultural Counselor of the Romanian Mission in Paris.

September 21, 1864 (Bucharest) Februarie 17, 1947 (Paris)

Slaul meu parizian a fost ntotdeauna un col de patrie romneasc. n My shelter in Paris has always been a small Romanian realm. Not only
casa mea dinuia nu numai un spirit romnesc, ci o atmosfer romneasc. has my house been filled with the Romanian spirit, but there has always been
Cci dac nu eram n ar, ara era cu mine, n ndeprtata Fran. a Romanian feeling about it. Because, even though I am not living in my
Toata activitatea mea de aproape o jumtate de veac a fost consacrata country, my country is living here with me, in the distant France.
intereselor neamului nostru, cutnd sa strng raporturile dintre Frana si For almost half a century, I have dedicated my entire activity to serving
Romnia. Frana, care a fost pentru mine a doua patrie si unde din fericire the interests of our people, while trying to tighten the relationship between
numele meu este si va rmne simbolul celor doua popoare pe care le Romania and France, where I found a second home and where, fortunately,
slvesc... Eu datorez Franei mai mult dect respectul pe care orice romn my name is and always be the symbol of these countries that I worship My
ar trebui sa-i nchine. Pentru mine, Frana rmne tara care a primit solia gratitude towards France goes way beyond the respect that any Romanian
mea romneasca, tara care, nelegndu-mi misiunea, mi-a nlesnit-o cu o should have for this country. For me, France remains the country that
generozitate pe care renun s-o descriu n culori ditirambice... welcomed me as a messenger, the country that understood my mission and
helped me accomplish it with a generosity that I do not wish to describe with
Elena Vcrescu bombastic words

Elena Vcrescu
 HARICLEA DARCLE A INTERPRETAT N IN A WORLDWIDE PREMIERE, HARICLEA
PREMIER MONDIAL ROLUL FLORIEI DARCLE PERFORMS THE ROLE OF FLORIA
TOSCA N OPERA TOSCA DE GIACOMO TOSCA IN GIACOMO PUCCINIS TOSCA
PUCCINI

Venit pe lume n Brila, ntr-o familie bogat Haricli

- din Turnu Mgurele, nrudit cu Mavrocordaii, i-a
petrecut copilria n conacul printesc din Teleorman. Anii
de coal i de formare muzical i-a trit la Viena. La Paris,
ncepnd din anul 1886, a urmat cursuri de canto i, doi ani
mai trziu, este recomandat de directorul Operei lui Charles
Gounod, marele compozitor francez. ncntat de vocea ei,
a distribuit-o n Faust, n rolul Margaretei. Tot el i-a gsit
pseudonimul Darcle. La finele anului 1890 a debutat pe
scena Scalei din Milano n rolul Violetei din Traviata, fiind
aplaudat ndelung de nsui Giuseppe Verdi. Impresionai
de succes, romnii au declarat-o privighetoarea Carpailor.
Va reveni pe scena Scalei de 100 de ori! n anul 1900, pe
scena Teatro Constanzi din Roma, la premiera mondial
a operei Tosca, a obinut un succes imens n rolul Floriei
Tosca. Celebra arie Vissi darte a fost compus de Puccini
la cererea extraordinarei soprane romne. n semn de
omagiere, Regele Carol I i-a acordat Ordinul Bene Merenti
Clasa I. Darcle a interpretat 58 de roluri, vreme de un sfert
de secol fiind considerat cea mai mare cntrea a lumii.
A contribuit, alturi de George Stephnescu i de George
Enescu, la nfiinarea Operei Romne n anul 1921. La
aniversarea a 135 de ani de la naterea Haricleei Darcle, n
1995, oraul su natal, Brila, i-a adus un deosebit omagiu,
organiznd Concursul Naional de Canto ce-i poart numele,
prezidat de soprana Mariana Nicolesco i aezat sub naltul
Patronaj al Preedintelui Romniei.

10 iunie 1860 (Brila) 12 ianuarie 1939 (Bucureti)

Born in Brila, into a wealthy family Haricli

originating from Turnu Mgurele, related to the
Macrovocordat family, Darcle lived her childhood at
her parents manor in Telorman. She did her studies and
musical training Vienna. In 1886, she started taking canto
lessons in Paris. Two years later, she was recommended
by the Opera director to renowned French composer
Charles Gounot. Charmed by her voice, the latter casted
her in the role of Margareta in Faust. He was the one who
suggested her pseudonym Darcle. In late 1890, she made
her debut on the stage of La Scala playing Violetta in La
Traviata, and gained the applause of Giuseppe Verdi himself.
Impressed by her success, Romanians referred to her as the
nightingale of the Carpathians. At La Scala, she performed
in one hundred opera shows. In 1900, she played Floria
in the worldwide premiere of Tosca on the stage of Teatro
Constanzi in Rome. Her performance was a huge success. At
the request of the extraordinary Romanian soprano, Puccini
composed the famous aria Vissi darte. Darcle played fifty-
eight shows, and for twenty-five years she was considered
the worlds greatest opera singers. In 1921, together with
George Stephnescu and George Enescu, she contributed
to the foundation of the Romanian National Opera. On
the 135th anniversary of Darcles birth, the authorities in
her native Brila honored her memory by inaugurating
Hariclea Darcle International Canto Contest, a competition
organized under the High Patronage of the President of
Romania and chaired by soprano Mariana Nicolesco.

June 10, 1860 (Brila) January 12, 1939 (Bucharest)

 Eu nu sunt numai originar din
Romnia, ci romnc de limb i
sentiment. n ara mea sunt multe voci ca
a mea, despre care nu tie nimeni.

Hariclea Darcle

I am Romanian not only by birth, but

also by language and feeling. In my
country, there are many voices like mine,
but nobody knows about them.

Hariclea Darcle
 CLARA HASKIL A DAT
PRIMUL RECITAL PUBLIC
Primele noiuni de pian le-a primit de la mama ei, Bertha, rmas vduv cu
trei fete. La vrsta de 5 ani cnta n faa reginei Elisabeta, care, ncntat, i-a oferit
o burs de studii. La vrsta de 7 ani pleac la Viena, unde ia lecii de pian. n 1905,
cnd abia mplinise 10 ani, acest copil minune a dat primul recital public cu lucrri
executate fr partitur. Degetele neobinuit de lungi ct i memoria prodigioas
vor determina nscrierea la Conservatorul din Paris, unde a devenit eleva
renumitului pianist Alfred Cortot. O vreme i-a ntrerupt activitatea concertistic,
fiind imobilizat n ghips din cauza unei boli a coloanei vertebrale. Cu greu, n
1921 va reaprea n public, fie ca solist n recitaluri de pian, fie nsoind muzicieni
prestigioi ca George Enescu, Pablo Casals, Eugene Ysaye, ori pe tnrul Dinu
Lipatti, de care o va lega o strns amiciie. A spus despre el c d impresia c se
jeneaz de propriul su geniu. n anul 1938 cei doi vor interpreta Concertul la
dou piane de Mozart. De altfel, pn n prezent este considerat cea mai bun
interpret a lucrrilor pentru pian mozartiene. Situaia nesigur din ar i din
majoritatea rilor europene a obligat-o, n anul 1942, s se stabileasc n Elveia.
Dup al Doilea Rzboi Mondial, va concerta sub bagheta unor dirijori vestii, ca
Leopold Stokowski, Sergiu Celibidache sau Thomas Beecham. Au rmas n istoria
muzicii recitalurile ei susinute la Festivalul de la Salzburg, cnd s-au aniversat 200
de ani de la naterea lui Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Numele ei este pstrat viu de
unul din cele mai mari concursuri de pian din lume, Concursul Internaional de
Pian Clara Haskil, din Vevey, Elveia.
7 ianuarie 1895 (Bucureti) 7 decembrie 1960 (Bruxelles)
CLARA HASKIL PLAYED
HER FIRST PUBLIC CONCERT.
She took her first piano lessons from her widdowed mother, Bertha. At five,
she was already playing for Queen Elisabeth of Romania, who was so impressed
with her talent that she offered her a scholarship. At seven, she left for Vienna
to study the piano. In 1905, at ten years old, she played her first public concert
without the score. Relying on her unusually long fingers as well as on her
exceptional memory, she decided to enrol in the Conservatoire de Paris, where
she studied with acknowledged pianist Alfred Cortot. Because of a spine disease
that forced her to wear a cast, she cancelled her concerts for a while. It was only
in 1921 that she came back and continued her performances either as a soloist,
or as an accompanist for George Enescu, Pablo Casals, Eugne Ysae, or young
Dinu Lipatti, with whom she remained good friends. In her opinion, Dinu Lipatti
seemed to get embarrassed by his own genius. In 1938, they would play Mozarts
Concert for 2 Pianos. As a matter of fact, even to this day, Haskil is considered the
best interpreter of Mozarts piano compositions. In 1942, as Romania and most
European countries were living troubled times, she decided to settle in Switzerland.
After World War II, she played with renowned conductors such as Leopold
Stokowski, Sergiu
Celibidache or Thomas Beecham. The concerts she played at the Salzburg Festival
celebrating 200 years since Mozarts birth are now part of the history of music. One of the
biggest competitions in the world bears her name through eternity The Clara Haskil
International Piano Competition, in Vevey, Switzerland.
January 7, 1895 (Bucharest) December 7, 1960 (Brussels)
 Geza Anda
Herbert von
Karajan

Charlie Chaplin

n viaa mea am ntlnit trei genii: In my lifetime I have met three

pe Clara Haskil, pe Einstein i pe geniuses: Professor Einstein,
Winston Churchill. Winston Churchill, and Clara Haskil.

Charlie Chaplin Charlie Chaplin

Igor Markevitch

Dinu Lipati
 A REALIZAT PRIMUL ZBOR
AUTOPROPULSAT CU AEROPLANUL N
LOCALITATEA MONTESSON
Atras din copilrie de zborul zmeielor, dup terminarea liceului s-a nscris
la Politehnica din Budapesta i, dup un an, la Facultatea de Drept. Dei la 6 mai
1901 i va da doctoratul n tiine Juridice, totui zborul va fi preocuparea de
cpti. La Lugoj a conceput primul aeroplan-automobil, rmas, ns, n stadiu de
proiect din lipsa resurselor financiare. Pentru realizarea lui se va decide s plece
la Paris i s-l atrag de partea sa pe inginerul Victor Tatin, care construise cu un
sfert de secol nainte un prim model de aeroplan. n ziua de 16 februarie 1903
Traian Vuia va prezenta Academiei de tiine din Paris proiectul aeroplanului
autopropulsat, respins cu superioritate tiinific de nemuritori, pe motiv c
problema zborului cu un aparat mai greu dect aerul nu poate fi rezolvat!
Fr a fi dezarmat de obtuzitatea naltului for tiinific, i-a brevetat invenia,
aeroplanul automobil. Atunci va breveta n Anglia i motorul necesar i va ncepe
construirea primului aparat de zbor autopropulsat, cruia i-a spus Liliacul. Cu
acest aparat va realiza, primul n lume, zborul la o nlime de un metru pe o
distana de 12 m pe cmpul de la Montesson, lng Paris. Principiile tehnice ale
acestui prim zbor autopropulsat au stat la temelia ntregii industrii aeronautice
mondiale! n 1907, dup obinerea diplomei de inginer, va fi preocupat de
construirea unui elicopter, numit de el ciclopter, realiznd dou aparate. Pentru
inveniile sale n 27 mai 1946 a fost ales membru de onoare al Academiei Romne.
17 august 1872 (Surducu Mic, comuna Bujoru)
3 septembrie 1950 (Bucureti)
TRAIAN VUIA BUILDS THE FIRST
SELF-PROPELLED FLYING MACHINE
IN MONTESSON.
From an early age, Vuia felt drawn to flying. After finishing high school, he
enrolled in the School of Mechanics at the Budapest Tech, and a year later in
Law School. Even though on May 6, 1901, he earned his PhD in legal studies,
flying was still his main interest. At Lugoj, he designed the first flying machine,
an airplane car. Unfortunately, he was not able to build it because he lacked the
financial resources. Determined to make his design a reality, he left for Paris
hoping to get the attention of Victor Tatin, who had built the first aeroplane
twenty-five years earlier. On February 16, 1903, Traian Vuia presented his self-
propelled aeroplane before the members of French Academy of Sciences in Paris.
The immortals rejected it outright and bluntly because, in their opinion, it
did not solve the problem of flying a craft that is heavier than air. Vuia did not
feel defeated by the obtuseness of the high forum, and obtained the patent for his
airplane-car. He went to England to patent the engine for his project and started
building the first self-propelled airplane, which he nicknamed The Bat. With this
aircraft, the first in the world, he flew for 12 meters, 1 meter above the ground
on the fields of Montesson, near Paris. The principles of this first self-propelled
aircraft laid the foundations of the international aerospace industry. In 1907, after
getting his degree in engineering, he worked hard on the design of a helicopter
that he called cyclocopter, and managed to build two of them. For his inventions,
on May 27, 1946, he was elected honorary member of the Romanian Academy.
August 17, 1872 (Surducu Mic, Bujoru commune)
Sepember 3, 1950 (Bucharest)
Am dovedit c se poate zbura cu un aparat mai greu dect aerul. ()
Acum, dup ce s-au convins de posibilitatea zborului mecanic, numrul
experimentrilor va crete rapid, specialitii vor realiza motoare speciale,
aviaia va avea o industrie nfloritoare pe temeiul experienei mele, devenit bun
comun... Nu m-am ascuns, am experimentat n vzul tuturor. Vor continua alii,
tot mai muli. Aa se realizeaz progresul.

Traian Vuia

I proved that one can fly a craft that is heavier than air. (...) Now that
people are convinced that the mechanical flight is possible, the number of
experiements will increase rapidly; the experts will design special engines;
aviation will have a flourishing industry built on my experience, now a common
property... I did not hide myself. I did all my experiements in plain sight.
More and more people will continue this. Thats how you make progress...

Traian Vuia
 PRINCIPESA MARTHA BIBESCU A PRINCESS MARTHA BIBESCU
FOST PREMIAT DE ACADEMIA WAS AWARDED FOR HER NOVEL
FRANCEZ PENTRU ROMANUL THE EIGHT PARADISES BY THE
CELE OPT PARADISE FRENCH ACADEMY.

Fiic a fostului ministru de externe Ioan Lahovari i a Emmei

Mavrocordat, a fost elev a Pensionului Dubuc din Biarritz, i s-a
cstorit la vrsta de 17 ani cu prinul George Valentin Bibescu,
intrnd ntr-o familie princiar, din care mai fac parte Ana-
Elisabeta Brncoveanu, contesa Ana de Noailles i Elena Vcrescu,
dar i cu rude franceze n genealogie direct cu familia mpratului
Napoleon Bonaparte. A fost una din primele femei-mason ale
Romniei i una dintre cele mai frumoase i cunoscute romnce
ale nceputului de secol XX. Pendulnd ntre Bucureti i Paris, a
participat la numeroase ntlniri cu intelectuali de seam romni i
francezi, cltorind alturi de so prin ri exotice. Les Huit Paradis a
fost scris n urma unei cltorii n Persia. Martha Bibescu l-a ntlnit
de foarte multe ori pe Proust. Aceste ntlniri sunt evocate n
volumul Au bal avec M. Prous (1928). Curnd, infidelitile soului
o vor determina s se retrag n Algeria. n semn de regret i pentru
mpcare, el i-a druit domeniul Mogooaia. n 1945 aflnd, de la
prietenii englezi, probabil de la Winston Churchill, c o jumtate
din Europa, inclusiv Romnia, fusese cedat vreme de 50 de ani
pentru experimentarea comunismului i atrofierea sentimentului
naional, a emigrat n Anglia, stabilindu-se, ns, la Paris, unde a
locuit n Hotelul Ritz. Fiica sa, Valentina, va suferi pn n 1958,
cnd i s-a permis s plece din ar, metodele bestiale de umilire i
depersonalizare concepute de Makarenco. n anul 1954, Martha
Bibescu a primit Marele Premiu de Literatur al Academiei
Franceze, un an mai trziu devenind membr a Academiei Regale
din Bruxelles. n 1962 va fi onorat cu Legiunea de Onoare.

28 ianuarie 1889 (Bucureti) 28 noiembrie 1973 (Paris)

The daughter of former Secretary of Foreign Affairs Ioan

Lahovari and of Emma Mavrocordat studied at the Dubuc Boarding
School in Biarritz. At seventeen, she married Prince George
Valentin Bibescu and thus became part of a royal family that
included Ana-Elisabeta Brncoveanu, Countess Ana de Noailles and
Elena Vcrescu. Through her marriage, she became genealogically
related with the family of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. She was
one of the first women freemasons in Romania as well as one of
the most beautiful and renowned Romanian woman at the start
of the 20th century. On the occasion of her numerous travels
from Bucharest to Paris, she met many outstanding Romanian
and French intellectuals. She also accompanied her husband in
his travels to exotic places. She wrote The Eight Paradises after
her return from a trip to Persia. Martha Bibescu met Proust on
many occasions. All these interactions are fully detailed in her
book Au Bal avec M. Proust (1928). The infidelities of her husband
would soon determine her to retreat to Algeria. The Prince offered
her the Mogooaia domain, thus showing his regret and wish
for reconciliation. In 1945, upon finding out from her English
friends, probably from Winston Churchill himself, that half of
Europe, including Romania, had fallen victim to the experiments
of Communism and the degeneration of the national spirit, she
immigrated to England. Eventually, she settled in France and lived
at the Ritz Hotel. Her daughter, Valentina, however had to endure
the cruel methods of humiliation and depersonalisation conducted
by Makarenko until 1958, when she was finally allowed to leave
Romania. In 1954, the French Academy awarded Martha Bibescu
the Grand Prix de Littrature. A year later, she was elected member
of the Royal Academy of Brussels. In 1962, she was awarded the
Legion of Honour.

January 28, 1889 (Bucharest) November 29, 1973 (Paris)

Prinesa Bibescu a anticipat
unele descoperiri ale
istoriografiei contemporane,
ndeosebi valoarea nepreuit
a culturilor populare i
funcia dttoare de via a
istoriografiei europene, n sensul
c orice cercetare istoric
adevrat ajunge la contiina
unitii culturale i spirituale a
Europei.
Princess Bibescu anticipated
many discoveries in modern
historiography, particularly
the immense value of popular
cultures and the life-living
role they play in the European
historiography, in the sense that
each solid historic research
builds the consciousness of
Europes cultural and spiritual
unity.

Mircea Eliade Mircea Eliade

Va veni o vreme cnd acest popor
romn, care n-a fost cunoscut pn
acum, va fi luat n seam... Din
aceast ar, trecut sub tcere, vor
rsuna cntece i muzic, neamul
acesta va renate dup un mileniu
de existen i lumea se va mira
ca de o minune s afle, n sfrit,
tot ceea ce el posed din contiina
universal.
There will be a time when the
Romanian people that nobody knew
of so far will be taken seriously
This country, which was forced to
remain silent, will make itself heard
through songs and music; after a
millennium, the Romanians will
resurrect, and the whole world will
be amazed at their contribution to the
universal knowledge.

Martha Bibescu Martha Bibescu

 CONSTANTIN BRNCUI A CONSTANTIN BRNCUI
DEFINITIVAT SCULPTURA RUGCIUNE FINISHES THE PRAYER

Absolvent al colii de Arte i Meserii din Craiova i al

colii de Belle-Arte din Bucureti, el a devenit cunoscut
dup realizarea admirabilului Ecoreu n anul 1902. ntre
1905 1906, ca student al Ecole Nationale Superieure des
Beaux-Arts din Paris, a activat n atelierul lui Antonin
Mercie, refuznd s lucreze alturi de Rodin ca practician. A
urmat o perioad extrem de fructuoas. Brncui schimb
complet viziunea asupra sculpturii. De la gotic ncoace
sculptura a fost invadat de muchi, de buruieni i de tot
felul de excrescene care ascund forma. Eliminnd ceea ce e
de prisos, readuce n actualitatea artistic contiina formei.
Sculpturi ce surprind esena, precum seriile de Psri
Miestre, Psri n zbor, Prometeu, nceputul lumii, sau
ritmul, cum este lucrarea Cocoul, sunt opere semnificative.
n anul 1938 marele sculptor romn a inaugurat la Trgu
Jiu ansamblul de monumente Calea Eroilor (Masa Tcerii,
Poarta Srutului, Coloana Fr de Sfrit), dedicat eroilor
czui n Primul Rzboi Mondial. Henry Moore scria:
Brncui a fost acela care a dat epocii noastre contiina
formei pure. Prin obria sa rneasca, i-a aflat rdcinile
adnci ale operei sale n tradiiile, miturile si funcia
magic a artei populare romneti. Brncui a dat veacului
nostru contiina formei pure, a asigurat trecerea de la
reprezentarea figurativa a realitii, la exprimarea esenei
lucrurilor i a rennoit n mod revoluionar limbajul plastic,
mbogindu-l cu o dimensiune spirituala.

19 februarie 1876 (Hobia) 16 martie 1957 (Paris)

Brncui, who graduated from Craiova School of Arts

and Crafts and the Bucharest School of Fine Arts, became
famous in 1902, when he made his Ecorch. From 1905
until 1906, he attended Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts in
Paris and worked in Antonin Mercis atelier; he refused
to work under Rodins wing. It was the beginning of an
extremely successful period. Brncui would completely
redefine the concept of sculpture. Starting with the Gothic
era, sculpture had been consistently invaded by moss, weeds,
and all sorts of protuberances hiding the form. Among his
most important works, there are sculptures that capture
the essence of things, such as Miastra, Bird in Space,
Prometheus, The Beginning of the World; or of the rhythm,
as rendered in the Rooster. In 1938, the great Romanian
sculptor inaugurated the Heroes Path ensemble at Trgu-Jiu.
The ensemble that he dedicated to the heroes who died in
World War I comprised the Table of Silence, the Gate of the
Kiss, and the Endless Column. According to Henry Moore,
Brncui was the one who gave our time the conscioussness
of the pure form. Due to his peasant origin, his inspiration
went far back in the traditions, the myths, and the magic
of the traditional Romanian crafts. Brncui ensured the
transition from the figurative representation of reality to the
expression of essence of things, and completely renewed the
language of art, enriching it with a spiritual meaning.

February 19, 1876 (Hobia) March 16, 1957 (Paris)

Spre imensitatea vzduhului,
aceasta este Pasrea mea. Copil
fiind, am visat totdeauna c a fi
vrut s zbor printre arbori, spre
ceruri. De 45 de ani port nostalgia
visului acestuia i continui s creez
Psri miestre. Eu nu doresc s
reprezint o pasre, ci s exprim
nsuirea n sine, spiritul ei: zborul,
elanul...
Constantin Brncui
"Its for the boundless skies,
thats what my Bird is for As a
child, I always dreamt of flyingt
hrough the trees, up in the skies.
For forty-five years, I have been
carrying with me the nostalgia of
that dream and I keep creating
Miastras. I do not want to make
the representation of a bird. I want
to express its meaning, its spirit -
its flight, its rise"
Constantin Brncui
 HENRI COAND A CREAT I HENRI COAND DESIGNED AND
EXPERIMENTAT PRIMUL TESTED THE FIRST
AVION CU REACIE REACTION-POWERED ENGINE.

Fiu al generalului Constantin Coand, care va fi primul

ef de guvern al Romniei Mari i al unei bretone, Aida
Danet, Henri Marie Coand a urmat coala de Ofieri din
Bucureti i Universitatea Tehnic Charlottenburg din
Berlin. ntre anii 1907-1908 a urmat cursuri universitare n
Belgia i, dup o lung cltorie n Tibet, coala Superioar
de Aeronautic i Construcii din Paris. Dup absolvire,
preocupat de zbor, tnrul inginer va construi n anul 1910
primul avion cu propulsie reactiv, pe care l-a prezentat la
Salonul Internaional de Aeronautic. Aparatul va fi distrus
n timpul ncercrii pe aeroportul Issy le Moulineaux din
cauza lipsei de experien n pilotaj a lui Coand. Pn la
nceputul primului Rzboi Mondial inginerul romn va fi
director al Uzinelor de Aviaie din Bristol. Acolo a construit
prima sanie propulsat de un motor cu reacie, primul tren
aerodinamic din lume, un avion de recunoatere. n 1926
a inventat, pentru decoraiuni interioare, beton-lemnul, iar
n 1934 a brevetat Efectul Coand, rezultat al observaiilor
fcute n timpul accidentului din 1910, fiindu-i necesar
un sfert de secol pentru teoretizare. A mai pus la punct i
un dispozitiv de detecie a fluidelor utilizat i n prezent n
industria petrolier. n 1969 s-a decis s revin definitiv
n Romnia, fiind numit director al Institutului de Creaie
tiinific i Tehnic. Ca o recunoatere a descoperirilor sale,
Academia RSR l-a primit n anul 1970 n rndul
membrilor ei.

7 iunie 1886 (Bucureti) 25 noiembrie 1972 (Bucureti)

Henri Marie Coand was the son of General Constantin

Coand, soon-to-be the first Prime Minister of the
Greater Romania, and of Breton Aida Danet. He attended
the Bucharest Technical Military School, and then the
Charlottenburg Technische Hochschule near Berlin.
From 1907 to 1908, he continued his academic studies in
Belgium and, after a long trip to Tibet, he enrolled in the
Higher Aeronautics and Mechanical Building School in
Paris. After graduation, the young engineer focused solely
on flying and, in 1910, he built the first reaction-powered
airplane, which he exhibited at the Second Paris Air Show.
Because of his lack of experience in flying, the airplane
was destroyed during the flying test he took on the Issy
le Moulineaux Airport. The Romanian engineer was the
technical manager of the Bristol Aeroplane Company until
World War I broke out. At Bristol, he built the first reaction-
propelled sledge, the first aerodynamic railway train, and
a pathfinder. In 1926, he invented the concrete wood for
interior design. In 1943, he obtained a patent for the Coand
Effect, the summary of all his observations on the occasion
of the plane crash in 1910. It took him twenty-five years
to finalize his theory. He also designed a fluid detector
used in the oil industry to this day. In 1969, he decided to
return to Romania for good. He was appointed director
of the Institute for Scientific and Technical Creation. In
recognition for all his discoveries, the Academy of the
Socialist Republic of Romania elected him a member in
1970.

June 7, 1886 (Bucharest) - November 25, 1972 (Bucharest)

Muli indivizi din societatea modern sunt
ca barcagiii: trag la vsle, dar stau cu
spatele la viitor.
Omul ar putea cltori spre stele cu o vitez
fantastic, folosind pentru propulsie propria
sa energie.

Henri Coand

Many individuals in the modern society

are much like boatmen: they pull the oars, but
they sit with their back to the future.
If man would use his own energy for
propulsion, man could travel to the stars with
unbeliveable speed.

Henri Coand
 MARCEL IANCU FONDEAZ LA ZRICH MARCEL IANCU CO-FOUNDED THE
MPREUN CU TRISTAN TZARA I ALI DADA MOVEMENT IN ZRICH,
ARTITI MICAREA DADA TOGETHER WITH TRISTAN TZARA AND
OTHER ARTISTS.

n octombrie 1912 a editat mpreun cu Tristan Tzara i Ion

Vinea revista Simbolul de nuan simbolist. Erau foarte tineri
i la prima colaborare. Elev al lui Iosif Iser ntre anii 1910-1914,
va pleca la Zrich s studieze arhitectura la Institutul Politehnic.
n Cabaretul Voltaire, organizat de Tzara, va participa n ziua
de 6 februarie 1916 la naterea Micrii Dada, ce-i propunea
demolarea a tot ceea ce este n momentul actual. n acelai timp,
numele lui va figura n alte dou-trei micri ce-i propuneau
nnoirea creaiei artistice, rmnnd, ns, credincios principiilor
dadaiste. n 1919, la Basel, nfiineaz mpreun cu Hans Arp
i Alberto Giacometti grupul Artitii radicali. Revenit n ar, a
iniiat mpreun cu Ion Vinea i Jacques Cousin apariia revistei
Contimporanul. Ca artist a fost extrem de activ, participnd
la expoziiile Contimporanului i la numeroase expoziii
internaionale n capitalele europene. Credincios crezului nnoitor,
va colabora i cu alte grupri ce promovau modernismul,
precum Grupul de art i Criterion. Ca arhitect a proiectat, din
1927 vreme de 15 ani, primele case funcionaliste inspirate din
constructivism. Semnalul fusese dat la finele anilor 30, cnd,
alturi de Horia Creang i Octav Doicescu, publicase manifestul
Ctre o arhitectur a Bucuretilor. Norii grei ce se abteau peste
Europa l-au determinat, n anul 1941, s se stabileasc definitiv
n Palestina. Dup nfiinarea statului Israel, se afirm ca profesor
i animator al vieii culturale. Organizeaz grupul Orizonturi noi
i o societate de creaie artistic la Ein Hod, n 1953. Particip n
1952 la Bienala din Veneia. n anul 1967 este laureat al premiului
Israel.

24 mai 1895 (Bucureti) 21 aprilie 1984 (Ein Hod)

In October 1921, he co-edited Simbolul magazine together

with Tristan Tzara and Ion Vinea. They were very young, and it
was their first collaboration. From 1910 to 1914, he was a student
of Iosif Iser. He studied architecture at the Polytechnic Institute
in Zrich. On February 6, 1916, he participated in the Cabaret
Voltaire organised by Tzara and co-founded the Dada movement
that aimed at demolishing everything that exists in the present. At
the same time, he was affiliated to two or three other movements
advocating the renewal of the art. However, he remained loyal to
the Dada principles. In 1919, together with Hans Arp and Alberto
Giacometti, he co-founded the Artistes Radicaux group. Upon his
return to Romania, together with Ion Vinea and Jacques Cousin,
he co-founded Contimporanul magazine. He was an extremely
active artist, who exhibited at shows organized by Contimporanul
as well as at many international art fairs organised in various
European capitals. Strongly committed to the idea of renewal, he
collaborated with different movements that promoted modernism
such as Art Group and Criterion. As an architect, from 1927
to 1942, he planned and designed the first functionalist houses
inspired by the constructivist architecture. The manifest Towards
an Architecture of Bucharest co-written with Horia Creang and
Octav Doicescu in the late 30s somehow announced his new
approach. The dark clouds hovering over Europe determined
him to settle in Palestine in 1941. Upon the foundation of the
State of Israel, he gained his reputation as a professor and a
cultural personality. In 1953, he founded the Orizonturi Noi (New
Horizons) group and an artistic society at Ein Hod. In 1952, he
participated in the Venice Biennale. In 1967, he was awarded the
Israel Prize.

May 24, 1895 (Bucharest) April 21, 1984 (Ein Hod)

 Noi vrem s zguduim ideile,
opinia public, educaia, instituiile,
muzeele, bunul sim aa cum este
el definit la momentul actual, pe
scurt, tot ceea ce ine de vechea
ordine.

Marcel Iancu

We wish to shake to the ground

ideas, the public opinion, education,
institutions, museums, common
sense the way it is defined right
now. In short, everything related
to the old order.

Marcel Iancu
 TRISTAN TZARA SE NUMR PRINTRE TRISTAN TZARA IS ONE OF THE
PROMOTORII DADAISMULUI PROMOTORS OF THE DADA MOVEMENT.

Mare admirator al operei Wagneriene Tristan i Isolda, tnrul

moldovean Samuel Rosenstock i-a alctuit un pseudonim literar
cu o sonoritate aparte, memorabil: Tristan Tzara, varianta trist n
ar fiind pueril. De altfel, se numra printre admiratorii poeziei
lui Macedonski. Pe cnd era nc elev la Liceul Sf. Sava, a publicat
mpreun cu Marcel Iancu i Ion Vinea revista Simbolul, din care
au aprut patru numere. La absolvirea liceului, dei dorise s intre
la Politehnic, prinii l-au nscris la Facultatea de Litere i Filozofie
a Universitii din Bucureti. A produs o ruptur definitiv ntre
el i tatl su cnd s-a hotrt, brusc, s plece la Zurich. Acolo l-a
rentlnit pe Marcel Iancu i, mpreun cu Hugo Ball, a deschis
Cabaretul Voltaire, publicnd i o revist cu acest nume. n iulie i
n decembrie 1916 grupul dezlnuie revoluia estetic intitulat
Dada. La nceputul anului 1920 va ajunge la Paris pentru a-l cuceri
n favoarea Dada. Aici s-a angajat n activiti tumultuoase cu Andr
Breton, Philippe Soupault i Louis Aragon pentru a oca publicul
i a dezintegra structurile limbii.Va cuta o sincronizare teoretic
cu bolevismul. Treptat, micarea se va stinge. Tzara se va apropia
de suprarealism, dar se va distana cnd suprarealitii au atacat
Dada. Prin 1936 va ajunge n Spania i cnt victoria potenial
a republicanilor. Rentors n Frana va fi militant comunist, ns
va prsi partidul rou cnd armata sovietic va invada Ungaria.
Lucrrile sale de maturitate ncep cu LHomme approximatif (1931;
Omul aproximativ) i continu cu Parler seul (1950; Vorbind singur)
i La Face intrieure (1953; Faa interioar). Ca form de exprimare
artistic se va ntoarce la ceea ce condamnase.

16 aprilie 1896 (Moineti) 25 decembrie 1963 (Paris)

Inspired by Wagners opera Tristan and Isolde, which he

appreciated to a great extent, the young Moldavian Samuel
Rosenstock came up with a literary pseudonym that had a special,
memorable sound -Tristan Tzara. The alternative trist n ar (sad
in the country) would have been too childish. As a matter of fact,
he was one of Macedonskis admirers. While he was still a student
at Sf. Sava High School, he published some works with Marcel
Iancu and Ion Vinea in Simbolul magazine, which only came out
in four issues. Just before graduation, even though he wished to go
to the Polytechnic School of Bucharest, his parents had him enrol
in the Faculty of Letters and Philosophy. Because of Tzaras sudden
decision to leave for Zurich, his father estranged him. At Zurich, he
met Marcel Iancu and, together with Hugo Ball, he created Cabaret
Voltaire and launched a magazine under the same name. In July and
December 1916, the group started the aesthetic revolution entitled
Dada. In early 1920, he left for Paris where he wished to impose the
Dadaist movement. Together with Andr Breton, Philippe Soupault,
and Louis Aragon, he got involved in a lot of boisterous acts meant
to shock the public and disintegrate language structures. He sought a
theoretical alignment with the Bolsheviks. Eventually, the movement
began to fade. For a while, Tzara was drawn to surrealism. However,
when the surrealists attacked the Dada movement, Tzara cut ties with
them. In 1936, he went to Spain, where he was a supporter of the
Republicans potential victory. Upon his return to France, he became
a communist militant. Yet, when the Soviet army invaded Hungary,
he left the Red Party. In his maturity, Tzara authored LHomme
approximatif (1931, Approximate Man), Parler seul (1950, Speaking
Alone), and La Face intrieure (1953, The Inner Face), and thus came
back to an artistic expression that his movement had condemned.

April 16, 1896 (Moineti) December 25, 1963 (Paris)

Pentru a face o poezie dadaist To make a Dadaist poem
Luai un ziar.Luai o pereche de foarfeci.Alegei din ziar un articol Take a newspaper. Take a pair of scissors. Choose from this paper
care s aib lungimea pe care vrei s o dai poeziei voastre.Decupai an article as long as you want your poem to be. Cut out the article.
articolul.Tiai cu grij toate cuvintele care formeaz respectivul Carefully cut out each of the words that make up the article and put
articol i punei toate aceste articole ntr-un scule.Agitai-l them all in a small bag. Shake gently. Take out each word, one after
ncetior.Scoatei cuvintele unul dup altul, dispunndu-le n ordinea the other. Copy them conscientiously, in the order in which they left the
n care le vei extrage.Copiai-le cuviincios. Poezia v va semna.i bag. The poem will resemble you. And there you are an infinitely
iat-v un scriitor infinit de original i nzestrat, cu o sensibilitate original author of charming sensibility, even though unappreciated by
ncnttoare, dei, se nelege, neneleas de oamenii vulgari. the vulgar herd.

Tristan Tzara din Manifest despre amorul slab i amorul amar, 1920 Tristan Tzara in Manifesto on Feeble Love and Bitter Love, 1920
 GEORGE CONSTANTINESCU A GEORGE CONSTANTINESCU
ELABORAT TEORIA SONICITII DEVELOPED THE THEORY OF SONICS

Savantul, comparabil doar cu Nicolae Tesla, a fost un

student strlucit al colii de Poduri i osele din Bucureti. La
nceputul activitii sale, n Romnia, a promovat, mpreun
cu Tiberiu Eremia, betonul armat, printre cldirile construite
figurnd Palatul Patriarhiei, Cazinoul i Moscheea Carol I
din Constana, Hotelul Athenee Palace. Plecarea n Anglia,
unde s-a i stabilit, a semnat cu o desctuare excepional a
imaginaiei, reuind, practic, o invenie pe lun i circa 400 de
brevete! Marea lui realizare, ce contrazice i n prezent unele
teorii ale fizicii, cum ar fi incompresibilitatea lichidelor, poart
numele de Teoria Sonicitii. Pe baza ei, genialul inventator
romn a conceput mecanismul de tragere cu mitraliera printre
palele elicei, utilizat cu uria succes de aviaia britanic n
Primul Rzboi Mondial; perforatorul sonic cu vibraii de nalt
frecven; cutia de viteze automat, dar i primul automobil
fr cutie de viteze; convertorul de cuplu; motorul sonic.
De la aceast teorie a pornit alt romn genial, Ion Basgan,
inventatorul forajului sonic direcional, metod care st
nc la baza forajului modern. n 1926 revista The Graphic l-a
inclus n tabloul cu portretele celor mai importani savani.
Cu puini ani nainte, n 1920, Academia Romn l-a ales
printre nemuritori. Trebuie menionat faptul c multe dintre
demonstraiile sale teoretice sunt i astzi secret de stat n
Marea Britanie.

4 octombrie 1881 (Craiova) 11 decembrie 1965 (Coniston)

The inventor, who could only stand comparison with

Nikola Tesla, was a brilliant student of the National School
for Bridges and Roads in Bucharest. At the start of his career
in Romania, together with Tiberiu Eremia, Constantinescu
advocated the use of reinforced concrete. The Patriarchal
Palace, Athne Palace Hotel, Constana Casino and the Carol
I Mosque are only some of the reinforced concrete buildings
designed by Constantinescu.
His move to England, where he eventually settled, seemed
to unleash his exceptional imagination every month he
would make a new invention, obtaining around 400 patents.
The Theory of Sonics is his greatest. The genious Romanian
inventor developed a mechanism that enabled machine guns
to be fired through the blades of the propeller; the British Air
Force successfully used his mechanism during World War I.
Based on his theory of sonics, he also invented the sonic drill
head using high-frequency resonant vibrations, the automatic
transmission, but also the first vehicle without transmission,
the torque converter, and the sonic engine. His theory inspired
another Romanian genius, Ion Basgan, the inventor of the
rotary sonic drilling a method still used in modern drilling.
It must be said that Great Britain still keeps classified many of
his theoretical demonstrations. In 1926, The Graphic magazine
featured Constantinescu among the most important scientists.
A couple of years earlier, in 1920, he was elected an honorary
member of the Romanian Academy; in 1965, the Academy
of the Socialist Republic of Romania acknowledged his
contribution.

October 4, 1881 (Craiova) December 11, 1965 (Coniston)

 Una dintre problemele fundamentale ale
ingineriei mecanice este aceea de a transmite
energia disponibil n Natur, dup o
transformare potrivit, la un punct oarecare
unde ea poate fi ntrebuinat pentru a produce
lucru util.

George Constantinescu

One of the fundamental problems in

mechanical engineering is the transmission
of the energy existing in Nature, through
adequate transformation, over to a certain
point where it can be used for building
something useful.

George Constantinescu
 ELVIRA POPESCU A DEBUTAT ELVIRA POPESCU MADE
PE SCENA TEATRULUI PARIZIAN HER DEBUT AT THTRE
DE LA MICHODIERE DE LA MICHODIRE IN PARIS

Absolvent a Conservatorului de Art Dramatic din

Bucureti, unde l avusese ca dascl pe Constantin Nottara, a jucat
cteva roluri la Teatrul Naional, pe scena cruia a urcat nc de
la vrsta de 16 ani. La 18 ani va interpreta un rol n primul film
romnesc Independena Romniei. n capitala Franei va fi muza
lui Colin Barbie du Bocage, autor de piese uoare pe care le semna
cu pseudonimul Louis Verneuil, care a scris mult special pentru
ea. De la prima apariie, Laccent dElvira Popescu a devenit
proverbial. Critica a elogiat-o in corpore, fapt care este foarte
rar ntlnit n Frana, supranumindu-o Reine du Boulevard,
Notre Dame du Thtre. n afar de piesele lui Louis Verneuil, a
mai jucat n creaiile lui Henry Bernstein, Andr Roussin, Sacha
Guitry. Toate piesele n care Elvira Popescu era protagonist
ineau afiele cu anii, fiind extrem de solicitat de public.
Unele dintre ele au depit 2000 de spectacole, ceea ce rmne
o performan rareori egalat de ali actori sau actrie. Elvira
Popescu a condus Theatre de Paris i Theatre Marigny. A avut o
carier prodigioas i n cinematografie, jucnd n 26 de filme.
Fermectoare i la o vrst naintat, a continuat s in un salon
deschis n apartamentul su din Avenue Foch, frecventat de toat
protipendada literar, artistic, financiar i politic (de toate
nuanele) a Parisului. Andr Roussin, Guy de Rothschild, Jacques
Chirac, Pierre Cardin, Valry Giscard dEstaing, precum i muli
alii, se numrau printre cei care o priveau i o ascultau fermecai.
A jucat n filmele La Prsidente, Ils taient neuf clibataires,
Austerlitz, Plein Soleil .a. n 1987 a primit premiul Moliere, iar n
1989 a fost decorat cu Legiunea de Onoare n grad de comandor.

10 mai 1894 (Bucureti) 11 decembrie 1993 (Paris)

After graduating from the Conservatory in Bucharest, where

she had studied drama with Constantin Nottara, she played a few
roles at the National Theatre. In fact, at sixteen, she was already
playing on the stage of the National Theatre. At eighteen, she
starred in her first Romanian film The Romanian Independence.
While in Paris, she became the muse of Colin Barbie du Bocage,
who wrote a lot of plays for her. Barbie du Bocage wrote boulevard
theatre plays under the pen name Louis Verneuil. Since her debut,
Laccent dElvira Popescu became a proverbial expression.
The critics unanimously praised her, which is something rare
in France, calling her Reine du Boulevard or Notre Dame du
Thtre. She also played for Henry Bernstein, Andr Roussin,
and Sacha Guitry. All the plays starring Elvira Popescu were
popular for years and years, as the public wanted very much to see
her perform. For some of these plays, she gave more than 2,000
performances, a record hardly broken by other actors or actresses.
Elvira Popescu ran Thtre de Paris and Thtre Marigny. Starring
in more than twenty-six films, she had a lucrative career in
cinema as well. Even in old age, she was extremely charming and
continued to hold salon evenings in her apartment in Avenue
Foch. Important Parisian writers, artists, bankers and all sorts of
politicians attended. Andr Roussin, Guy de Rothschild, Jacques
Chirac, Pierre Cardin, Valry Giscard d'Estaing were among
those her admirers who listened to her in awe. She starred in La
Prsidente, Ils taient neuf clibataires, Austerlitz, Plein Soleil, and
many other films. In 1987, she was awarded the Molire Prize. In
1989, she was presented with the Commander French Legion of
Honour Medal.

May 10, 1894 (Bucharest) December 11, 1993 (Paris)

 Cnd aprea Elvira Popescu
pe scen, un fluid magnetic
strbtea sala. Orice pies,
orict de slab, cpta via
i orice spectacol ncepea s
strluceasc. Spectatorii nu o
lsau s plece de pe scen, iar
aplauzele i bisurile nu mai
conteneau.

Jerzy Toeplitz, critic de film

When Elvira Popescu came on

stage, the audience was stricken
by a magnetic wave. Any play,
no matter how poor, would come
to life, and the show would
suddenly begin to glow. The
spectators would not let her leave
the stage, showering her with
unending applauses and encores.

Film critic Jerzy Toeplitz

 VICTOR BRAUNER A AVUT PRIMA
EXPOZIIE DE PICTUR
ntruct familia Brauner se mutase temporar la Viena, viitorul pictor va urma
cursurile colii primare n capitala Imperiului Habsburgic, apoi, revenit cu familia
n ar, n preajma declanrii primului Rzboi Mondial, i va continua studiile
la coala Evanghelic din Brila. Obinnd bacalaureatul, s-a nscris la coala
de Arte Frumoase din Bucureti, pe care a absolvit-o n anul 1921, urmnd i
cursurile colii particulare de pictur a lui Horia Igiroanu. La nceput a fost atras
de Cezanne, pictnd un numr de peisaje n aceast manier la Balcic. Curnd va
ncerca i alte stiluri, mai cu seam cele la mod, rezultatul concretizndu-se n
prima expoziie personal, vernisat n 26 septrembrie 1924 la Galeriile Mozart.
ntlnirea cu Ilarie Voronca va conduce la apariia interesantei reviste 75 HP, n
care va publica manifestul Pictopoezia. ntre 1928-1931 va colabora cu desene
la revista bucuretean Unu, dei, n 1930 se stabilise n Paris. Acolo va adera la
micarea suprarealist. l ntlnete pe Brncui, care-l iniiaz n arta fotografic. 1928 to 1931, he did illustrations for Unu, a magazine published in Bucharest.
Tot n aceast perioad se mprietenete cu poetul evreu Benjamin Fondane i l
ntlnete pe Yves Tanguy, care-l va introduce mai trziu n cercul suprarealitilor.
Locuiete pe strada Moulin Vert, n acelai imobil cu Giacometti i Tanguy.
Picteaz Autoportretul cu ochiul scos, tem premonitorie. Revenit n Bucureti
prin 1935 va intra i n rndurile PCR, la mod printre intelectualii evrei, ns
militantismul l va lsa rece, el prefernd libertatea de creaie i de exprimare. Se
va ntoarce n Frana, lucrnd n diferite orae i la Paris, unde i va pierde ochiul
stng ntr-o ncierare. Va lucra i n Italia. Foarte apreciat de francezi, va fi ales s
reprezinte Frana la Bienala de la Veneia din 1966.
15 iunie 1903 (Piatra Neam) 12 martie 1966 (Paris)
VICTOR BRAUNER STAGES HIS FIRST
PAINTING EXHIBITION
Due to the fact that his family had moved to Vienna, the future painter went
to primary school in the capital of the Habsburg Empire. Just before World War
I broke out, the family returned to Romania, and young Victor continued his
studies at the Evangelical School in Brila. Once he got his Baccalaureate, he
enrolled in the Bucharest National University of Arts. In 1921, after graduating
from the university, he enrolled in Horia Igiroanus private Painting School. At
first, he was drawn to Cezannes technique, and painted many Balcic landscapes
in the same manner. Shortly after that, he tried other techniques, particularly
those that were in fashion. Having worked intensively, he was able to stage his
first exhibition, which he opened at Mozart Galleries on September 26, 1924.
Around the same time, he met poet Ilarie Voronca with whom he co-founded
75 HP magazine, where he published his manifest entitled Pictopoesis . From
He kept sending his illustrations even after settling in Paris (1930). While in
Paris, he joined the Surrealist movement. He met Brncui, who initiated him
into photography. During that period, he befriended Jewish poet Benjamine
Fondane and Yves Tanguy, who later on introduced him to his surrealist friends.
He lived on Moulin Vert Street, where he was neighbour with Giacometti and
Tanguy. On that same year, he painted Self-portrait with Enucleated Eye a
bizarre premonition. In 1935, when he came back to Bucharest and enrolled in
the Romanian Communist Party, a common trend among Jewish intellectuals at
that time. He did not get involved in the militancy; he was a supporter of freedom
of speech and creation. He returned to France and continued doing art in several
cities, including Paris. During a fight in the capital, he lost sight in the left eye. He
also worked in Italy. As he was highly appreciated by the French, in 1996, he was
invited to represent France at the Venice Biennale.
June 15, 1903 (Piatra Neam) March 12, 1966, Paris.
 Brancusi
>

Fiecare tablou pe care l fac este

proiectat de izvoarele cele mai adnci
ale angoaselor mele.

Victor Brauner

Each of my paintings is
designed by the deepest sources
of my anxieties.

Victor Brauner
 N 21 FEBRUARIE JEAN YONNEL
DEBUTEAZ CU ROLUL DON
RODRIGUE DIN CIDUL DE PIERRE
CORNEILLE, LA COMEDIA FRANCEZ
n anul 1934, un film fcea sli pline la Paris, un Paris care, dei mereu
progresist i avangardist, socotea subiectul prea curajos, prea mpotriva
curentului. Filmul se numea Amok de Fdor Ozep i era jucat de doi actori de
prim mrime ai scenei franceze: diva absolut Marcelle Chantal i Jean Yonel.
Tineri i frumoi, cei doi actori strneau comentarii i uoteli printre romanticii,
vistorii i aventurierii spectatori care se mbulzeau n sli s-i vad. Nu lipseau
nici zvonurile despre o idil ce s-ar fi nscut n timpul filmrilor ntre cei doi
protagoniti. Chiar n francez pseudonimul artistic are rezonan romneasc.
Nscut la Bucureti, pe numele su adevrat Jean-Esteve Schachmann, dup
ce jucase la Teatrul Odeon, pleac la Paris foarte tnr i devine unul dintre cei
patru actori romni membri ai Comediei Franceze, alturi de Eduard Max, Maria
Ventura i Elizabeth Nizan. A fost angajat abia n 1926 i s-a evideniat mai ales
n roluri de tnr tragic i romantic, dar devine societar dup numai trei ani.
A avut o carier fulminant, jucnd pe multe scene ale lumii alturi de Sarah
Bernard i Mounet Sully, iar Henry de Montherlant l prefer pentru rolul regelui
Ferrante din La Reine Morte. Critica l socotete un actor exigent, onest, riguros
i scrupulos. ntre anii 1913 1966 a jucat n peste 30 de filme regizate de Abel
Gance , Maurice Tourneur, Jean Delannoy sau Julien Duvivier etc. alturi de
Pierre Renoir, Suzanne Desprs, Jean-Louis Barrault, Bourvil, Jean Marais. Din
1947 a fost profesor la Conservatorul Naional de Art Dramatic iar n 1954 este
ales decan. Generaiile de studeni i contemporanii lui i amintesc de el ca de un
mare actor de tradiie clasic.
21 iulie 1891 (Bucureti) - 17 august 1968, Paris (Frana)
ON FEBRUARY 21, JEAN YONNEL
MAKES HIS DEBUT AT THE COMDIE-
FRANAISE, PLAYING DON RODRIGUE
IN PIERRE CORNEILLES THE CID
In 1934, there was one movie that made quite a sensation, filling the cinema
theatres of Paris to the full. Even though Paris had always been a progressive
and avant-garde city, the public found the subject of the movie too daring, too
much against the current. The movie was Fdor Ozeps Amok and two of the
greatest French actors of those times were playing in it: Marcelle Chantal, the
absolute diva, and Jean Yonel. Young and beautiful, the two actors caused a
lot of comments and whispering among the romantics, the dreamers, and the
adventurers in the audience, who rushed in the cinema theatres to watch them.
There were even rumours of an affair between the two actors. Even in French, the
artistic pseudonym Jean Yonnel has a Romanian sound. Jean-Esteve Schachmann,
by his real name, was born in Bucharest. After several performances on the stage
of the Odeon Theatre, he left for Paris at a very young age. Along with Eduard
Max, Maria Ventura, and Elizabeth Nizan, he was one of the four Romanian
actors at the Comdie-Franaise. It was only in 1926 that the theatre hired him.
He was highly appreciated for his performances in the roles of romantic and tragic
young men; three years later, he started getting paid a percentage of the box office
as well. He had a fulminating career as he performed on many stages around the
world with Sarah Bernard and Mounet Sully. Henry de Montherlant gave him the
role of King Ferrane in La reine morte (The Dead Queen). The critics described
him as an exigent, honest, rigorous and scrupulous actor. From 1913 until 1966,
he played with Pierre Renoir, Suzanne Desprs, Jean-Louis Barrault, Bourvil, and
Jean Marais in over thirty movies directed by Abel Gance, Maurice Tourneur,
Jean Delannoy or Julien Duvivier. In 1947, he became a professor at the National
Conservatory of Dramatic Arts of Paris. In 1945, he was elected dean of the
Conservatory. Generations of students as well as his contemporaries remembered
him as a great classic actor.
July 21, 1891 (Bucharest) August 17, 1968 (Paris)
 M plimbam prin teatrul pustiu. Apoi, am
riscat s intru n sal; era o bezn total.
ntorcndu-m spre culise m-am ncruciat cu
actorul Julien Bertheau.
- Michel! A strigat el. Ce faci tu aici?
- Taic-su e i el aici parc tu nu tii! explic
o voce grav.
M-am ntors i m-am trezit nas n nas cu Jean
Yonnel. n timp ce Julien Bertheau, un june
prim a crui gentilee era proverbial nu m-a
prea ngrijorat, Jean Yonnel , cu nlimea lui,
cu prestana lui, cu prestigiul i vocea lui de
dincolo de mormnt care l-a ridicat la rangul
de mare tragedian, m-a impresionat profund.
Christian Grenier, Aot 44 - Paris sur scne
I was walking in the empty theatre house. Then
I took a chance and entered the theatre hall. It
was completely dark. On my way backstage, I
ran into Julien Bertheau, the actor.
Michel! he called out. What are you doing
here?
His father is here too. As if you didnt
know someone explained in a serious tone.
As I looked back, I bumped into Jean
Yonnel himself. Julien Bertheau was not that
intimidating, even though he was a young star,
well known for his kindness. Jean Yonnel,
however, with his imposing figure, his greatness
and prestige, and that haunting voice from
beyond the grave that made him the memorable
tragedian that he was, left a deep impression on
me.
Christian Grenier, Aot 44 - Paris sur scne
 RICHARD WURMBRAND SE RICHARD WURMBRAND CONVERTS TO
CONVERTETE LA CREDINA CRETIN CHRISTIANITY.

Atras de comunism n adolescen, a urmat cursurile

colii Politice din Moscova. ntors dup absolvirea colii
n ar, a fost arestat de Siguran, condamnat i nchis la
Doftana. Acolo, a meditat despre cele nvate la Moscova
i a ajuns la concluzia c teoria bolevic este o amgire.
Eliberat din cauz c se mbolnvise de tuberculoz, dup o
scurt activitate n rndurile PCR, se va nscrie la Facultatea
de chimie de la Sorbona. Se va converti la cretinism dup
absolvire, alturndu-se Micrii Anglicane de convertire
a evreilor la cretinism. n scurt vreme, zeci de evrei din
Romnia mbrieaz credina cretin sub influena lui. Dup
instaurarea guvernului Groza, la Congresul Cultelor a fost
singura voce cretin care s-a ridicat contra ngenunchierii
Cultelor de ctre puterea roie, care, de altfel, organizase
congresul. n ziua de 29 februarie 1948 a fost arestat, torturat,
nchis singur n subterane, la nchisorile Rahova, Jilava, Trgu
Ocna. Att n nchisoare, ct i dup eliberare, Wurmbrand a
inut predici, luptnd, totodat, pentru drepturile cretinilor
persecutai din ntreaga lume. n perioada de izolare total,
alctuiete serii de predici proferate n faa unui public
imaginar, pentru a-i proteja mintea. Dup terminarea
regimului de izolare total, care a durat trei ani, mparte mai
multe celule cu intelectuali, prelai de diverse confesiuni, dar i
cu oameni simpli. Eliberat n 1964, va porni spre SUA, unde,
n 1966, a nfiinat misiunea cretin Vocea martirilor. Acolo a
fcut cunoscute atrocitile regimului comunist, exemplu cel
mai convingtor fiind propriul corp.

24 martie 1909 (Bucureti) 17 februarie 2001 (Torrance)

Drawn to Communism from adolescence, Wurmbrand did

his studies at the Political School in Moscow. Upon his return
to Romania, he was arrested by the Secret Police, charged
and sent to Doftana prison. Behind bars, he reconsidered
everything he had learned in Moscow and concluded that the
Bolshevik theory was an illusion. While in prison, he developed
tuberculosis and because of that he was released. As a free
man, he joined the Romanian Communist Party and enrolled
in the Faculty of Chemistry at the Sorbonne. After graduating
from university, he converted to Christianity and joined the
Anglican Churchs Ministry among Jewish People. Following
the installation of Grozas government, he was the only
Christian voice at the Congress of Churches that took the stand
against the Red Partys plans to kneel down the churches, even
though the party itself had organized the event. On February
29, 1948, he was arrested, tortured, and confined to solitary
in Rahova, Jilava, and Trgu Ocna. In prison as well as after
his release, Wurmbrand preached and fought for the rights of
persecuted Christians from all around the world. During his
solitary confinement, to protect his mind, he would preach
loudly at an imaginary audience. After three years in solitary
confinement, he shared cells with many intellectuals, priests
of many confessions, and simple men. In 1964, he got out of
and fled to the United States. In 1966, he laid the foundations
of a Christian mission The Voice of the Martyrs, where he
made public the atrocities of the Communist regime. His most
convincing argument was his own body.

March 24, 1909 (Bucharest) February 17, 2001 (Torrance)

 Wurmbrd's Anglican Church, 1937

Eti ovielnic? Spui c religia este lipsit de

importan? Sunt ntru totul de acord cu tine.
ntrebarea este ce semnificaie are pentru noi cuvntul
importan. Ct de importani suntem tu i eu? Ct de
important este prerea ta sau a mea despre ce este
important?

Richard Wurmbrand

Are you reluctant? Do you say to yourself that

religion is not important? I completely agree with
you. The question is: what does the word importance
mean to us? How important are you and I? How
important is your opinion or mine on what is important?

Richard Wurmbrand
 APARE CARTEA NUMRUL DE AUR MATILA COSTIESCU GHYKA PUBLISHED
- RITURI I RITMURI PITAGORICE HIS BOOK THE GOLDEN NUMBER:
N DEZVOLTAREA CIVILIZAIILOR PYTHAGOREAN RITES AND RHYTHMS
OCCIDENTALE DE MATILA GHYKA CU IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF WESTERN
O PREFA DE PAUL VALRY. CIVILIZATION, PREFACED BY PAUL VALRY.

Tatl su, Matila Costiescu, a fost ofier, calitate n care a luptat n

Rzboiul de Independen. Dup luptele de la Plevna a fost decorat de
arul Alexandru al II-lea al Rusiei. Mama sa era prinesa Maria Ghyka. n
1891 Matila Ghyka pleac la Paris cu mama sa. E nscris la coala Sainte
Anne din Saint Ouen. n 1899 termin coala Naval. Pleac din nou la
Paris nscriindu-se la cole suprieure dlectricit, obinnd diploma
de inginer electrician n 1905. A nceput s se preocupe de problema
influenei vieii asupra legilor fizice care descriau comportarea materiei
nensufleite, expunndu-i teoriile lui Gustave Le Bon i lui Henri
Poincar. n timpul ederii la Paris a fost prieten cu Paul Valry, Lon-
Paul Fargue, Marcel Proust, Antoine de Saint-Exupry. Public n 1927
prima sa lucrare: Estetica proporiilor n natur i n art. n acelai timp
i-a continuat scrierile n domeniul esteticii, cea mai important fiind
Numrul de aur - Rituri i ritmuri pitagorice n dezvoltarea civilizaiilor
occidentale publicat n 1931 cu o prefa de Paul Valry. n 1945, la
University of Southern California, Los Angeles a introdus n cursurile
sale i elemente metafizice, transformndu-le n cursuri de simbolism,
concentrndu-se asupra teoriei matematice a ritmurilor n literatur . l
ajut pe Dali colabornd cu el pentru definitivarea unora dintre tablourile
la care Dal lucra n acea vreme. Este de menionat Leda atomica, pentru
care Ghyka a calculat proporiile pentagonului n care este nscris figura
principal a tabloului. Teoria numrului de aur, expus de Matila Ghyka,
l-a inspirat pe arhitectul francez Le Corbusier, al crui el era s creeze
proporii armonice n spaiile de locuit. n 1950, n vrst de aproape 70
de ani, s-a retras n Europa, trind pentru mai muli ani la Chapelizod, o
mic localitate la vest de Dublin, Irlanda. Dup o via n timpul creia
avusese prilejul s se bucure de toate onorurile, ultimii 15 ani au fost triti.

13 septembrie 1881 (Iai) - 14 iulie 1965 (Londra)

His father, Matila Costiescu, was an army officer who fought in

the Romanian War of Independence. After the battle of Plevna, he was
decorated by Russian Czar Alexander II. His mother was Princess Maria
Ghyka. In 1891, he left for Paris with his mother. He was enrolled in the
Sainte Anne School in Saint-Ouen. In 1899, he graduated from the Naval
School, and returned to Paris. He enrolled in Suplec (Ecole suprieure
dlectricit) and, in 1905, he took his degree in electrical engineering.
He started taking a lot of interest in the influence of life upon the laws of
physics describing the behavior of the inanimate matter. He presented
his studies to Gustave Le Bon and Henri Poincar. While he lived in
Paris, he was good friends with Paul Valry, Lon-Paul Fargue, Marcel
Proust, and Antoine de Saint-Exupry. In 1927, he published his first
work Aesthetics of Proportions in Nature and the Arts. He continued
his writings on aesthetics and, in 1931, he published his most important
work - The Golden Number: Pythagorean Rites and Rhythms in the
Development of Western Civilization, prefaced by Paul Valry. In 1945, he
was a visiting professor at the University of Southern California, in the city
area of Los Angeles. Due to their metaphysical elements, Ghykas lectures
were more about symbolism; he tried to apply mathematical theories to
literary rhythms. He gave Dali inspiring ideas that helped him finish some
of the paintings he was working on at the time. For Dalis Leda Atomica,
Ghyka calculated the proportions of the pentagon enframing the main
character. The theory of the golden ratio inspired French architect Le
Corbusier, who aimed at finding a harmonious measurement system for
the living space. In 1950, at almost seventy years of age, he came back to
Europe. For a couple of years, he lived in Chapelizod, a little town west
of Dublin. Although his achievements entitled to him to fully-deserved
recognition, his last fifteen years were marked by sadness.

September 13, 1881 (Iai) July 14, 1965 (London)

 Le Corbusier

Nu tiu cine poart rspunderea acestei nevrednicii

strigtoare la cer: autorul neuitatului Le Nombre
dOr s fie silit, la btrnee, s fac pachete la
Bon March (pachete cu hrtie colorat, cci era
sptmna Crciunului...!). Sunt sigur ns c el,
Matila Ghyka, nu s-a plns niciodat. Nimnui!

Mircea Eliade, mpotriva dezndejdii

I do not know who is responsible for this

outrageous injustice: to allow that the author of
the unforgettable Nombre dOr wraps up parcels
at Bon March (in coloured paper, since it was
Christmas!). Im certain, however, that Matila
Ghyka never complained. To anyone!

Mircea Eliade, Against despair

 BENJAMIN FONDANE PUBLIC BENJAMIN FONDANE PUBLISHES
VOLUMUL RIMBAUD, LE VOYOU RIMBAUD, LE VOYOU

Poet vizionar i tragic, gnditor existenial dar nu existenialist, comentator Benjamin Fondane (Fundoianu) was a tragic, visionary poet, a rather
literar i analist politic, apropiat de mediile avangardiste, dar adversar al oricrui existential than existentialist thinker, a literary critic, and a political analyst
extremism strin de spiritualitate i de cultur. Acesta a fost B. Fundoianu / affiliated to avant-garde movements, yet a fierce adversary to any form of spiritual
Benjamin Fondane, nscut la Iai, n 14 noiembrie 1898, ntr-o familie de and cultural extremism. He was born into a family of intellectuals from Iai on
intelectuali. Debuteaz n periodice romneti i evreieti, unde public poeme November 14, 1898. He made his debut in Romanian and Jewish periodicals,
i traduceri din limba idi, semnnd, pentru ntia oar, B. Fundoianu, dup where he published poems and translations from Yiddish. In the beginning, he
toponimul Fundoaia, localitatea de provenien a tatlui. n decembrie 1923, signed his works as B. Fundoianu, using the toponym Fundoaia his fathers
emigreaz n Frana, unde, cteva luni mai trziu, l va ntlni pe Lev estov, place of birth. In December 1923, he immigrated to France. A few months later,
a crui gndire l va marca pentru totdeauna, fcnd din studiile filosofice he met Lev estov, who would have a huge influence on him; in the years spent
preocuparea central a perioadei franceze. O parte din eseurile nchinate unor in France, he focused entirely on the study of philosophy. He will use many of his
filosofi contemporani vor constitui materia vol. La conscience malheureuse essays on contemporary philosophers in La conscience malheurese (The Unhappy
(1936). La cartea de rsunet despre Rimbaud Rimbaud, Le Voyou, (1933) vin s Consciousness), a book he published in 1936. In 1933, he published his highly
se adauge Faux traite d esthetique (1938) i, postum, Baudelaire et lexprience du acclaimed book on Rimbaud Rimbaud, Le Voyou. Two more books followed:
gouffre (1947). De la Paris, cu ajutorul prietenilor din ar, face s apar volumul Faux trait desthtique (False Treaties of Aesthetics) in 1938 and, posthumously,
de poezii Priveliti (1930). n martie 1944, este arestat, mpreun cu sora sa, Baudelaire et l'exprience du gouffre (Baudelaire and the Experience of the Abyss).
Lina, i nchis n lagrul de la Drancy. Prietenii au reuit s obin eliberarea In 1930, even though he was in Paris, he published his poetry book Sights with the
lui, invocnd faptul c era cstorit cu o franuzoaic. Poetul ns n-a vrut s-o help of his friends in Romania. In March 1944, he was arrested together with his
prseasc pe Lina, al crei destin l-a mprtit pn la urm. A murit n 1944 sister, Lina. They were both imprisoned in the Drancy camp. His friends managed
la Birkenau. Rmne n istoria literaturii romne ca nnoitor de sensibilitate i to have him released using his marriage to a French woman. The poet however
tehnic poetic, iar n contiina literar francez i european ca deschiztor de refused to leave his sister behind. Just like Lina, he died in Birkenau in 1944.
drumuri n exegeza poeziei moderne. Fondane enriched the history of the Romanian literature with a new approach to
poetic sensibility and technique. The French and European literature remembers
14 noiembrie 1898 (Iai) - 2 octombrie 1944 (lagrul Fondane as the author who opened new roads for modern poetic exegesis.
nazist de exterminare Auschwitz, Polonia)
November 14, 1898 (Iai) October 2, 1944 (Birkenau,
Nazi concentration camp, Poland)
S I N G U R! Eram deodat-n lume singur,
eu numai i cu rsul meu,
singur eram i m czneam s aflu unde-i Dumnezeu.
Sertarele-n sfrit deschise, toate.
Unde se-ascunde? Sfiam
mucavaua ce-nvelea neantul.
Unde se-ascunde, unde se strecoar?
Unde s dau de cel
ce pleoapa-mi apsase-atta vreme?

Lui Ilarie Voronca

A L ON E! There I was, alone in the world and all of

a sudden,
No one else but my laughter and I,
Alone with my self, striving to see God passing us by.
All of my drawers are finally open.
Where is he? I asked my self as I tore
The cardboard wrapped around the endless hole.
Where is he hiding, why is he gone?
Wheres the one pressing my eyelids this long?

To Ilarie Voronca
 GHERASIM LUCA PUBLICA ROMAN
DE DRAGOSTE, N COLECIA ALGE,
ILUSTRAT DE JULES PERAHIM.
Avangardist de prim rang, teoretician al suprarealismului, poet. Gherasim
Luca, fiul unui croitor evreu, s-a nscut la Bucureti, n ziua de 23 iulie 1913.
Versurile cu care-i ncepe activitatea n revista Alge au starea de spirit sfidtoare
a revoltatului care neag complet o lume. Este instaurat ca expresie artistic
neconvenionalul, ocantul, marginalul. Atitudinea insurgent a lui Gherasim
Luca se exprim i n planul publicisticii, acuznd cu fervoare burghezismul
artistic. Adernd la concepia marxist, utilitar, a artei, poetul nu-i poate renega
vocaia avangardist. Devine un pledant al ideologizrii limitate, inteligente.
Din 1938, a cltorit frecvent la Paris, unde a intrat repede n cercurile micrii
Suprarealismului. n 1952 a prsit Romnia, i s-a mutat la Paris, prin Israel.La
Paris va colabora cu ali artiti celebri, producnd un numr impresionant de
colaje, desene, obiecte sau texte-instalaii.Poetul este dublat de un original artist
vizual, cum descoperim citind cartea sa Iubit cantitativ / Quantitativement aime,
publicat la Bucureti n 1944, apoi n albumul Les Ora Quanta din 1946, n
Vampirul Pasiv din 1945. Documentarul TV din 1988, Comment sen sortir sans
sortir, n care citete opt poezii, a fcut nconjurul lumii. Pe 9 februarie 1944, la
vrsta de 80 de ani, s-a sinucis, srind n Sena, exact ca prietenul sau, Paul Celan.
23 iulie 1913 (Bucuresti) - 9 februarie 1994 (Paris)
GHERASIM LUCAS ROMANCE NOVEL WITH
ILLUSTRATIONS BY JULES PERAHIM IS
PUBLISHED IN ALGE COLLECTION.
A high-class avant-garde author, a theorist of surrealism, poet Gherasim Luca
was born in Bucharest on July 23, 1913. His father was a Jewish tailor. His first
poems were published in Alge magazine; they rendered the state of mind of the
rebel who wholeheartedly denies a whole world. Through his artistic expression,
Gherasim Luca enforced a new type of poetry, that of the unconventional, the
outrageous, and the marginal. Fervently criticising the artistic bourgeoisie,
Luca expressed his insurgent attitude in journalism as well. A supporter of the
Marxist utilitarian theory of art, the poet could not deny his avant-garde calling.
He became an advocate of the limited, intelligent ideology. In 1938, he began
travelling to Paris, where he soon joined the Surrealist circles. In 1952, he left
Romania and moved to Israel. When in Paris, he collaborated with other famous
artists, creating an impressive number of collages, drawings, and object or text
installations. The poet was equally an original visual artist, and his books prove it:
Beloved Quantitatively (Quantitativement aime), published in Bucharest in 1944;
The Passive Vampire in 1945; The Orgies of Quanta (Les Orgies des Quanta), in
1946. In 1988, the TV documentary, Comment sen sortir sans sortir, where he
read eight poems was broadcasted worldwide. At eighty years of age, in 1994, he
committed suicide by jumping into the Seine, just like his friend Paul Celan.
July 23, 1913 (Bucharest) February 9, 1994 (Paris)
Alegei trei scaune, dou plrii, cteva
umbrele, cteva pietre, mai muli arbori, trei
femei goale i alte cinci bine mbrcate,
aizeci de brbai, cteva case, vehicule din
toate epocile, mnui, telescoape, etc. Tiai
totul n buci mici (de exemplu, 6x6)
i amestecai-le bine ntr-o pia larg.
Reconstituii dup legile hazardului sau cum vi
se nzare i vei obine peisajul pe care vi l-ai
dorit ntotdeauna.

Gherasim Luca, Lecie de cubomanie

Choose three chairs, two hats, several stones

and umbrellas, several trees, three naked and
three well-dressed women, sixty men, several
houses, some cars from each period, some
gloves, some telescopes, etc. Cut everything
into little pieces (for example 6 by 6 cm)
and mix them well in a large city square.
Reconstitute them according to the laws of
chance or to your whim, and you will obtain
an unknown or a popular landscape, object or
a very beautiful woman, the woman and the
landscape of your desires.

Gherasim Luca, Cubomania Lesson

 MIRCEA ELIADE I-A LUAT
DOCTORATUL CU O DISERTAIE
DESPRE YOGA I VA PUBLICA
ROMANUL MAITREY
Dup terminarea nvmntului primar la coala de pe strada Mntuleasa,
Eliade a devenit elev al Colegiului Spiru Haret. Interesat de tiinele naturii i de
chimie, ca i de ocultism, a scris piese scurte pe subiecte entomologice. n ciuda
tatlui su care era ngrijorat de faptul c-i pune n pericol vederea i aa slab,
Eliade citete cu pasiune. n 1924, Eliade ncheie munca la volumul su de debut,
volum autobiografic, Romanul Adolescentului Miop. l cunoate personal pe
Giovanni Papini, unul din autorii si preferai, cellalt fiind Balzac. Dup cultura
italian, filozofia indian devine a doua pasiune a lui Mircea Eliade. Obinnd
o burs particular, ncepe s studieze limba sanscrit i Yoga cu Surendranath
Dasgupta, n Calcutta. Pentru romni, romanul Maitreyi al lui Mircea Eliade a
constituit generaii de-a rndul o adevrat ncntare. Va scrie carte dup carte,
studii, nuvele sau romane, va cltori. Dup rzboi, nfricoat de eventualitatea
represiunilor comuniste, a plecat n SUA. ncepnd din 1957, Mircea Eliade se
stabilete la Chicago, ca profesor de istorie comparat a religiilor la Universitatea
Loyola. Reputaia sa crete cu fiecare an i cu fiecare nou lucrare aprut.
Catedra de Istoria Religiilor de la Universitatea din Chicago i poart numele,
ca dovad a vastei sale contribuii la literatura specializat din acest domeniu. n
ultimii ani de via, n ciuda serioaselor probleme de sntate, Eliade a continuat
s lucreze editnd cele 18 volume de Enciclopedia religiilor. Acest erudit de
talie universal a scris peste 100 de lucrri: de istoria religiilor, memorialistic,
beletristic i circa 1200 de articole. n 1990 devine, post mortem, membru
alAcademiei Romne.
13 martie 1907 (Bucureti) 22 aprilie 1986 (Chicago)
MIRCEA ELIADE TOOK HIS
PHD WITH A THESIS ON
YOGA AND PUBLISHED HIS
NOVEL MAITREY
After finishing primary school in Mntuleasa Street, Eliade attended Spiru
Haret College. He was interested in natural sciences and chemistry, but also in
occultism. As a high-school student, he wrote short plays tackling entomology.
In spite of his father, who was worried that he was putting his already low vision
in danger, Eliade was an avid reader. In 1924, he finished his first book, an
autobiographical work entitled The Novel of the Nearsighted Adolescent. He met
Giovanni Papini in person. Papini and Balzac were his favorite writers. Indian
philosophy became his second passion, right after the Italian culture. Thanks to a
private scholarship, Eliade went to Calcutta where he studied Sanskrit and Yoga
with Surendranath Dasgupta. Many generations of Romanians were truly taken
by his novel Maitreyi. He wrote studies, short stories or novelsv without rest,
and travelled a lot. After the war, he was frightened by the possible Communist
repression, so he fled to the US. From 1957, he lived in Chicago. He was a
professor of comparative religious history at Loyola University. With every work
he published, he became even more popular. The Chair of History of Religions
at the University of Chicago bears his name, confirming his major contribution
to the field. Towards the end of his life, even though he was in poor health,
Eliade continued to work, editing the eighteen tomes of his History of Religious
Ideas. The world-renowned schollar wrote more than 100 works on the history
of religions, memoirs, and fiction, and around 1,200 articles. In 1990, he was
posthumously elected member of the Romanian Academy.
March 13, 1907 (Bucharest) April 22, 1986 (Chicago)
Misiunea istoric a unui popor se judec dup creaiunile The historical mission of a people is measured after its
lui spirituale. Singure valorile culturale justific existena spiritual works. A peoples cultural values alone justify its
i misiunea unui popor. Istoria nu ine seam de popoare existence and mission. History does not acknowledge a
sterile din fire. people with a dry spirit.

Cea mai preioas cltorie este aceea ctre sufletul nostru, The most precious journey is the one we take towards our
cltorie pe care o facem n singurtate. soul, the journey we take in solitude.

Mircea Eliade Mircea Eliade

 EMIL CIORAN A PUBLICAT
PE CULMILE DISPERRII,
LUCRAREA CE-I VA DEFINI
NTREAGA CARIER
Elev precoce, la 17 ani ncepe s studieze filozofia la Universitatea din
Bucureti. n 1933 a obinut o burs ce i-a permis s continue studiile la
Universitatea din Berlin, unde l va cunoate pe Nicolai Hartmann, profesor
i filozof. n 1934 a publicat volumul Pe culmile disperrii distins cu premiul
Tinerii Scriitori Romni. Dup un an, n timp ce era profesor la Liceul Andrei
aguna din Braov, a plecat cu o burs la Paris. nainte de a se stabili definitiv
n Frana, va mai publica nc patru cri n limba romn: Cartea amgirilor,
Schimbarea la fa a Romniei, Lacrimi i Sfini, Amurgul gndurilor, volume
care, dup instalarea comunismului, vor rmne n Fondul secret al bibliotecilor
din Romnia. Abia din 1990 crile lui de tineree ncep s fie reeditate i redate,
astfel, publicului larg. Nu a cerut niciodat cetenia francez. La prestigioasa
editur Gallimard i apare n 1949 Precis de decomposition, volum n care criticii
francezi remarc noutatea gndirii tnrului autor, supleea ideilor i stilul plin
de distincie i finee al limbii. Pentru debutul francez, Emil Cioran primete
premiul Rivarol. Este, de altfel, singura distincie pe care a acceptat-o, refuznd
toate celelalte importante premii literare decernate ulterior. n anul 2009 a fost
declarat membru post-mortem al Academiei Romne. A fost nu numai filozof, ci
i un mare stilist al limbii franceze. N-am inventat nimic, am fost doar secretarul
senzaiilor mele, scrie undeva Emil Cioran.
8 aprilie 1911 (Rinari) 20 iunie 1995 (Paris)
EMIL CIORANS ON THE
HEIGHTS OF DESPAIR WAS
PUBLISHED, CHANGING
HIS DESTINY.
Cioran was a precocious student. At seventeen, he was already studying
philosophy at the University of Bucharest. In 1933, he won a scholarship that
enabled him to continue his studies at the University of Berlin, where he met
professor and philosopher Nicolai Hartmann. In 1934, he published On the
Heights of Despair, for which he won the Young Writers Prize. A year later, while
he was teaching at Andrei aguna College in Braov, he won a scholarship to Paris.
Before settling in France, he published four more books in Romanian: The Book
of Delusions, The Transfiguration of Romania, Tears and Saints, The Twilight of
Thoughts. Once the Communist regime took over, these books were confined
to the secret repository of libraries. It was only in 1990 that the books from his
youth were republished and thus made known to the public. He never requested
French citizenship. In 1949, the renowned publishing house Gallimard published
his Prcis de dcomposition. The French critics acknowledged the young authors
novel thinking, the suppleness of his ideas as well as his distinguished and refined
language. Ciorans French debut earned him the Rivarol Prize. In fact, that was
the only recognition he ever accepted. Later on, he refused all the other important
literary prizes he was presented with. In 2009, he was posthumously elected
member of the Romanian Academy. Cioran was not only a philosopher, but also a
remarkable stylist of the French language.
I havent invented anything. Ive been the mere secretary of my own
sensations, confessed Cioran.
April 8, 1911 (Rinari) June 20, 1995 (Paris)
Cu ct eti mai normal, cu att eti mai departe de
adevr i mai aproape de via.

Singurele momente la care m gndesc consolat

sunt cele n care am dorit s nu nsemn nimic pentru
nimeni, n care am roit la gndul de a lsa cea
mai mic urm n memoria oricui ar fi.

Emil Cioran

The more normal, the farther from the truth and

the closer to life.

The only moments I can console myself are those

when I wished I didnt mean anything to anyone,
when I blushed at the thought of leaving the
feeblest trace in the memory of whomever.

Emil Cioran
 n anul 1935 tefan Baciu, n vrst
de 17 ani, a primit dou premii: al
Fundaiei Carol II i al Societii
Scriitorilor pentru volumul de
debut Poemele poetului tnr
In 1935, at 17 years old, tefan Baciu
was awarded for his debut poetry
book poems of the Young Poet by the
King Carol II Foundation and the
Romanian Writers Society

S-a nscut la Braov n 29 octombrie 1918, fiu al lui

Ioan Baciu, profesor de limba german la Liceul Andrei
aguna. A absolvit Facultatea de Drept n anul 1941.
n paralel cu studiile universitare a fost redactor la mai
multe ziare i reviste literare, precum Rampa, Gndirea,
Universul literar, la ultimul ziar activnd din 1938 i pn
n octombrie 1946, cnd, cu sprijinul lui Constantin
Titel Petrescu, a fost numit ataat de pres al Legaiei
Romne din Berna. Schimbarea sistemului i a regimului
politic din Romnia l-a determinat s-i afle norocul
ct mai departe de ar. ntre anii 1949-1962 a activat n
Rio de Janeiro, la Revista Tribuna da Imprensa, n acest
rstimp innd conferine majoritatea gravitnd n jurul
suprarealismului - n toate statele Americii latine. Faima
lui a determinat Universitatea din Seatle s-l invite n
anul 1964 ca profesor de literatur hispano-american, cu
aceeai specialitate fiind angajat, ulterior, la Universitatea
din Washington. Doi ani mai trziu se va stabili pn
n 7 ianuarie 1993, cnd a decedat, - la Honolulu. A scris
circa 100 de volume i peste 5000 de studii i de articole,
mai mult dect Nicolae Iorga!
A fost declarat Cetean de onoare al oraului Rio
de Janeiro, Consul de Bolivia n Honolulu, Profesor
Emeritus al Universitii din Honolulu, a primit Decoraia
de Onoare a Meritului Cultural cu grad de Comandor a
Statului Bolivian.

29 octombrie 1918 (Braov) - 6 ianuarie 1993 (Honolulu)

tefan Baciu was born at Braov on October 29, 1918.

His father, Ioan Baciu, taught German at Andrei aguna
High School. He graduated from Law School in 1941.
During his academic studies, he worked as an editor for
several newspapers and literary magazines such as Rampa,
Gndirea, and Universul literar. For the latter, he worked
from 1938 until October 1946, when thanks to the support
of Constantin Titel Petrescu he was appointed a press
attach for the Romanian Mission in Bern. The change in
the Romanian system and political regime pushed him to
try his luck as far away from home as possible. From 1949
until 1962, he worked for Tribuna da Imprensa in Rio de
Janeiro. During that time, he also held conferences in all
Latin American countries most of them on the subject of
surrealism. He had become so famous that, in 1964, Seattle
University invited him to lecture on Latin American
literature. Later on, Washington University offered him a
contract for the same position. Two years later, he settled
in Honolulu, where he remained until his death January
7, 1993. He authored approximately 100 books and over
5,000 studies and articles that is even more than Nicolae
Iorga. He received several distinctions: Honorary Citizen of Rio
de Janeiro, Consul of Bolivia, Distinguished Professor Emeritus
of Honolulu University. The State of Bolivia awarded him the
Cultural Merit Order in the rank of Commander.

October 29, 1918, Braov January 6, 1993, Honolulu

Exilul meu n-a fost blnd; nici un exil nu este blnd. Dimpotriv,
am avut parte de un exil greu, amar, tulburat. [...] Mi-am pierdut ara,
mi-am pierdut oraul natal, biblioteca, familia din ar. i aici, n exil,
mi-am pierdut nevasta. i pierdusem la un moment dat tot, nct, cnd
scriam acas, la Braov, adresa era: numele familiei mele, oraul
Stalin, fost Braov, strada Bicaz, fost Dr. Baiulescu, Republica
Popular Romn, fost Romnia.
Stefan Baciu
Te pstrez n suflet, ara mea trist,
Pmnt roditor ncolit de foame,
i nu pot uita nici n somn
C n zile amare tu ai hrnit
Dorul meu de libertate.
Mie numai mi apari curat,
Printre attea stele reci o cald stea,
i-n noaptea neagr ca marea ta ntins
Adorm cu tine sub pern zidind
Inefabilu-i chip ntr-o lacrim pur.
Cu patria poi vorbi la telefon
s-o pori, ca firmituri, n buzunare,
poi s-o asculi n al distanei zvon
i s-o gseti decapitat-n ziare
tefan Baciu, Patria
My exile has not been kind; no exile is. On the contrary, mine was
difficult, bitter, and troubled. [] I lost my country, my hometown,
my library, and my family back home. Here, in exile, I lost my wife
too. At some point, I lost everything considering that, whenever I sent
letters home to Braov, the address on the back of the envelope read
like this: my family name, town of Stalin instead of Braov, Bicaz
Street instead of Dr. Baiulescu Street, and The Romanian Peoples
Republic instead of Romania.
Stefan Baciu
In my soul is where I keep you, sad homeland of mine,
My rich land tormented by hunger.
Not even in my sleep can I forget
The bitter days in which you fed
My longing for freedom.
Youre only showing yourself to me,
A warm star among so many cold ones.
And in the black night as wide as your sea,
I fall asleep with you under my pillow,
Carving your indescribable face into a pure teardrop.
You can talk to your motherland on the phone,
You can keep it as breadcrumbs in your pockets,
You can listen to it in a distant tone,
Yet you may find it beheaded in the news.
tefan Baciu, Homeland
 ANUL DEBUTULUI, CND DINU LIPATTIS YEAR OF DEBUT,
DINU LIPATTI A ENTUZIASMAT WHEN HE ENCHANTED
PUBLICUL DIN GERMANIA THE GERMAN AUDIENCE

S-a nscut ntr-o familie de muzicieni amatori din

Bucureti, na de botez fiindu-i nsui George Enescu. La
4 ani, tnrul Lipatti interpreta, de pe genunchii mamei
sale, primul preludiu de Bach, nvat dup ureche n timp
ce-i asculta pe prinii si cntndu-l la pian i vioar.
Elev strlucit al Florici Muzicescu, a fost admis la clasa
de pian a Academiei Regale de Muzic din Capital.
La 16 ani ctig Concursul de vioar de la Paris, n al
crui juriu se afla Rahmaninov, alt compozitor cu nobil
ascenden romneasc. La concursul internaional de
la Viena din 1934 i s-a decernat doar premiul al doilea,
apreciere contestat de Alfred Cortot, care l-a invitat s-i
continue studiile la Ecole Nationale de Musique din Paris.
ncepndu-i cariera concertistic n anul 1936, n civa
ani va fi unul dintre cei mai cunoscui pianiti europeni.
S-a stabilit cu soia sa, Madeleine, nscut Cantacuzino,
n Geneva, unde, pe lng activitatea concertistic, va
preda la Conservatorul din ora. Acolo a aflat c este
bolnav de leucemie. Tratamentul cu Cortizon, urmat cu
ajutorul financiar venit din partea lui Yehudi Menuhin,
Igor Strawinski i al fostului su profesor, Charles Munch,
i-a adus doar o ameliorare temporar. n ziua de 16
septembrie 1950 a susinut la Besancon ultimul su
concert, ncheiat cu o bucat de Bach. Se va stinge din
via la Geneva, n 2 decembrie 1950, n vrst de numai
33 de ani, regretat n unanimitate de marii compozitori i
interprei contemporani.

19 martie 1917 (Bucureti) 2 decembrie 1950 (Geneva)

He was born into a family of amateur musicians and

his godfather was George Enescu himself. At four years
old, while sitting in his mothers lap, Lipatti would play
Bachs Prelude No. 1, which he had learnt by heart by
listening to his parents play it on the piano and the violin.
The brilliant student of Florica Muzicescu was admitted
in the Piano Class of the Royal Academy of Music and
Dramatic Art in Bucharest, where his former teacher was
lecturing. In 1934, he was awarded the Second Prize in the
Vienna International Competition - a decision contested
by Alfred Cortot, who invited him to continue his musical
studies at Ecole Nationale de Musique in Paris. In 1936,
Dinu Lipatti started playing concerts and a few years
later he was already one of the most renowned pianists in
Europe. Together with his wife, Madeleine Cantacuzino,
he settled in Geneva. Aside from playing concerts, he
also taught music at the Conservatory. In Geneva, he
discovered he had leukemia. The cortisone treatment he
received with the financial help of Yehudi Menuhin, Igor
Strawinski and his former professor, Charles Munch,
improved his health only for a while. On September 16,
1950, at Besanon, he played his last concert, which ended
with one of Bachs compositions. On December 2, 1950,
he passed away. He was only thirty-three years old. All the
great composers and performers of his time mourned his
death.

March 19, 1917 (Bucharest) December 2, 1950 (Geneva)

Arta fragil i mai vulnerabil; dar doar pn ncepea s cnte...
Brusc, devenea o alt prezen: o anume surs ascuns inevitabil,
o for ce l ghida indestructibil l sprijineau s resimt conotaii
i subtiliti de nuan pe care nu le-a fi putut niciodat percepe
fr ajutorul lui... ncepnd cu dinamica, cu energia aproape
senzaional a frazei de deschidere a concertului, i-ar fi fost greu
s-i imaginezi c era altceva dect expresia unei snti robuste...
Toi am fost subjugai de personalitatea lui Lipatti: de lumea lui
spiritual, de tandreea i modestia lui. A fost ca i cum toi cei de
fa acolo eram prezentai unui sfnt n via...

Violoncelistul Alexandr Kok, Orchestra Philarmonia din Londra

He looked frail and slightly vulnerable, but that would change

as soon as he started to play. All of a sudden, he would become
somebody else: this inevitably hidden source, this force that would
guide him flawlessly, they would always be his side, helping him
sense meanings and subtleties that I could have never deciphered
if it had not been for him... Looking at his dynamics, at the almost
sensational energy displayed in the opening sequence of his concerto,
one could only imagine everything was the expression of solid
health... We were all conquered by Lipattis personality: his spiritual
world, his tenderness, and his modesty. It was as if all the people in
the audience were being introduced to a living saint...

Cellist Alexandr Kok, The London Philharmonic Orchestra

 ALEXANDRU AFRAN A FOST ALEXANDRU AFRAN
ALES RABIN EF AL COMUNITII IS ELECTED CHIEF RABBI
EVREIETI DIN ROMNIA OF ROMANIA

Fiu de rabin conductor de coal rabinic, a fost iniiat de la

o vrst fraged n cunoaterea crilor sfinte ale iudaismului. n
1930 a plecat la Viena, unde a studiat att la Facultatea de Filozofie
a Universitii ct i la Seminarul rabinic din capitala Austriei.
Studios i nelept, n 1934 i-a luat doctoratul n filozofie i i s-a
acordat titlul de Mare Rabin de ctre Consistoriului Iudaic din
Bruxelles. Dup decesul omului de excepie care a fost Rabinul ef
Iacob Niemirower, n ziua de 4 februarie 1940 a fost ales, dintre 8
candidai, Rabinul ef al Cultului Mozaic din Romnia. ntruct,
prin lege, liderul religios de peste 40 de ani devenea automat
senator, a fost necesar o decizie a naltei Curi de Casaie pentru
ca tnrul rabin-ef s ocupe locul din Senatul Romniei cuvenit
comunitii sale religioase. El s-a luptat pentru ocrotirea evreilor
din Romnia n anii Holocaustului i, ca un sprijinitor activ al
sionismului, a avut o poziie independent i de respingere a
presiunilor de infiltrare comunist pe linie religioas ntre evreii
din Romnia, n anii postbelici, fapt pentru care a fost demis i
expatriat. Dup rzboi, Alexandru afran a fost nlocuit cu Moses
Rosen i nevoit s se refugieze la Geneva, unde, n 1947, a fost
numit Rabin ef al comunitii din Geneva, funcie pe care a
ndeplinit-o pn n 1997. A publicat cri n domeniul religiei,
filozofiei moralei i misticii iudaice. Printre lucrri se remarc
Israelul n timp i spaiu i Un tciune smuls flcrilor: Comunitatea
Evreiasc din Romnia, 1939-47. Ataat de limba i cultura
romneasc el a fost un activ promotor al dialogului ntre iudaism
i cretinism. A revenit n Romnia n 1995 i n 1997, cnd a fost
ales membru al Academiei Romne.

12 septembrie 1910 (Bacu) 27 iulie 2006 (Geneva)

As the son of a rabbinical school director, afran began to

study the Holy Books of Judaism from an early age. In 1930, he
left for Vienna and enrolled in the Faculty of Philosophy as well
as in the Rabbinical Seminary. In 1934, due to his diligence and
wisdom, he took his PhD in philosophy and was named Chief
Rabbi by the Jewish Central Consistory of Belgium. After the
death of Chief Rabbi Iacob Niemirower, on February 4, 1940, he
was nominated for the Chief Rabbi of Romania title, along with
other seven candidates. According to the law, religious leaders over
forty years of age automatically became members of the Senate.
The High Court of Cassation and Justice had to intervene so that
the young Chief Rabbi could become a member of the Romanian
Senate, as required by law. During the Holocaust, he fought for
the protection of the Jewish community of Romania. An active
supporter of Zionism, he remained independent and resisted the
pressure of Communist infiltrations into the Romanian Jewish
community after the war. Because of that, he was removed from
his position and forced into exile. After the war, Alexandru afran
was replaced by Moses Rosen and forced to flee to Geneva. In
1947, he was appointed Chief Rabbi of Geneva and held this
title until 1997. He published several works on religion, moral
philosophy, and the Jewish mysticism, such as Israel in Time and
Space and Un tciune smuls flcrilor: Comunitatea Evreiasc din
Romnia, 1939-47 (The Cinder Saved from the Fire: The Jewish
Community of Romania, 1939-1947). afran was strongly attached
to the Romanian language and culture, and actively encouraged
the dialogue between Judaism and Christianity. He returned to
Romania in 1995 and in 1997, when he was elected member of the
Romanian Academy.

September 12, 1910 (Bacu) July 27, 2006 (Geneva)

 Valorile limbei romne, cuprinse n comoara
literaturii romneti, mi-au fost dintotdeauna, din
frageda mea copilrie, foarte preioase. Le retriesc
i acum, vorbind cu Dv. i exprimndu-m n graiul
romnesc, care-mi este att de drag...

Memoria este un act etic, i etic nseamn aciune,

nseamn viitor.

Alexandru afran

Ever since my early childhood, I have always

cherished the values of the Romanian language
enclosed within the treasures of the Romanian
literature. Now, as I am talking to you and Im
expressing myself in Romanian, a language that
I hold so dear, I get the chance to feel them once
again

Memory is an ethical act, and ethics is about taking

action its about the future.

Alexandru afran
 TEFAN LUPACU ESTE NUMIT TEFAN LUPACU IS APPOINTED
CERCETTOR LA CENTRE NATIONAL RESEARCHER OF EPISTEMOLOGY AT
DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE, LA THE INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR
SECIUNEA EPISTEMOLOGIE TRANSDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH

Se nate la 11 august 1900 n Bucureti. Provine dintr-o

familie de boieri moldoveni, tatl su fiind politician i avocat. n
1916 ajunge n Frana, unde va tri pn la sfritul vieii. ntre
anii 1924 - 1927 studiaz filosofia, biologia i fizica la Sorbona,
obinndu-i licena n 1928. Public la Paris primul i singurul
su volum de poezii Dehors.... Teza de doctorat intitulat
Du devenir logique et de laffectivit, susinut la Sorbona, este
publicata in 1935. Cinci ani mai trziu public n Romnia
Experiena microfizic i gndirea uman. n 1951 public Le
principe dantagonisme et la logique de lnergie - Prolgomnes
une science de la contradiction. n paginile acestei cri i enun,
pentru prima dat, principiul antagonismului, pe bazele cruia
fundamenteaz o logic non-aristotelic (a terului inclus). n
lumina noilor descoperiri tiinifice, procesul cunoaterii trebuia
refondat din punct de vedere logic i epistemologic. Lupacu
pune n centrul construciei sistemului su filosofic noiunea
de contradicie, acordndu-i acesteia un rol predictiv esenial,
valoriznd-o ca pe un dat intrinsec oricrei achiziii tiinifice i ca
pe un factor propulsor n progresul cunoaterii.
Cartea Les trois matires, publicat n 1960 i aduce faim i
cunoatere internaional. Lunivers psychiquei aduce premiul
Academiei Americane de Arte i tiine. Cu un an naintea morii,
n 1987, devine membru fondator al Centre International de
Recherches et tudes Transdisciplinaires. n 1991 - a fost ales
membru de onoare post-mortem al Academiei Romne.

11 august 1900 (Bucureti) - 7 octombrie 1988 (Paris)

Lupacu was born in Bucharest on August 11, 1900. He came

from a Moldavian family of boyars. His father was a lawyer and
a politician. In 1916, he left for France where he lived until his
death. From 1924 until 1927 he studied Philosophy, Biology, and
Physics at the Sorbonne. In 1928, he graduated from university. He
published his first and last poetry book entitled Dehors (Outside)
in Paris. His PhD thesis at the Sorbonne, Du devenir logique
et de laffectivit (On Logical Becoming and Affection), was
published in 1935. Five years later, he published The Experience
of Microphysics and the Human Thought in Romania. In 1951,
he published Le principe dantagonisme et la logique de lnergie
- Prolgomnes une science de la contradiction (The Principle
of Antagonism and the Logic of Power - Prolegomena to a Science
of Contradiction). That was when he first mentioned the principle
of antagonism, on which he developed a non-Aristotelian logic (of
the included middle). In the light of the new scientific discoveries,
the process of knowing had to be reshaped from the point of
view of logics and epistemology. Lupacu placed the notion of
contradiction at the centre of his philosophical system and gave
it an essential predictive role. In his opinion, contradiction is an
intrinsic given in any scientific acquisition, a propelling factor
in the progress of knowing. His book, Les trois matires (The
Three Matters), published in 1960, gained international acclaim.
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences awarded him for
Lunivers psychique (The Psychic Universe). The year before
his death, in 1987, he became the founding member of Centre
International de Recherches et tudes Transdisciplinaires (The
International Centre for Transdisciplinary Research). In 1991, he
was posthumously elected honorary member of the Romanian
Academy.

August 11, 1900 (Bucureti) - October 7,1988 (Paris)

 Lupacu este cel mai mare
gnditor al secolului al X X-
lea i las cu mult n urma lui
pe de-alde Sartre, Husserl,
Merleau-Ponty i ali
succesori ai fenomenologiei,
ori ai structuralismului.
Georges Mathieu
Nu materia conine o
dialectic [...], ci dialectica
este cea care creeaz materia.
tefan Lupacu - Logica
dinamic a contradictoriului
Lupacu is the greatest
thinker of the 20th century,
leaving way behind Sartre,
Husserl, Merleau-Ponty
and other successors
of phenomenology or
structuralism.
Georges Mathieu
Dialectics is not contained by
matter (...). On the contrary,
dialectics creates the matter.
tefan Lupacu, The Dynamic
Logic of Contradictions
 CONSTANTIN BRILOIU A NFIINAT CONSTANTIN BRILOIU LAYS THE
LA GENEVA, ARHIVELE INTERNAIONALE FOUNDATIONS OF THE INTERNATIONAL
DE MUZIC POPULAR ARCHIVES OF FOLK MUSIC IN GENEVA

Institutul Naional de Etnografie i Folclor din Bucureti poart

numele lui Constantin Briloiu, etnomuzicolog, compozitor i
critic muzical. Nscut n Bucureti, n 13 august 1893, ntr-o familie
aristocratic originar din Oltenia, cu rdcini n neamul Brncoveanu,
a fcut studii muzicale la Bucureti,Viena, Lausanne, Paris. Dup
ntoarcerea n ar, n 1920, mpreun cu ali compozitori, a pus bazele
Societii Compozitorilor Romni, pe care a prezidat-o ntre anii 1926-
1943. n anul 1928, s-a alturat echipei sociologului Dimitrie Gusti,
n mijlocul creia a efectuat primele studii de teren asupra folclorului
romn. A creat Arhivele Folclorului n cadrul Societii Compozitorilor
Romni, adunnd circa 3.000 de cilindri de fonograf, aproape 6.000
de melodii populare din 289 de sate i nregistrnd 1784 de cntece
populare pe 851 de discuri. A creat o nou disciplin teoretic,
etnomuzicologia, prin acea inegalabil i original metod de cercetare
a folclorului, publicat n 1931.Ca fondator al Catedrei de folclor a
Conservatorului din Bucureti, a ncercat s ridice prima generaie de
etnomuzicologi romni, care au dat tiinei universale personaliti de
prestigiu autentic. Aceast ampl activitate practic a fost completat i
fundamentat tiinific de o serie de manuale de muzic (din anii 1935-
1938) i de numeroase culegeri tiprite pe teme la fel de variate ca i
diversitatea ritmurilor, scrilor muzicale i poeziilor cntate, ritualurilor
funerare sau a creaiilor muzicale colective. Stabilindu-se la Geneva,
a nfiinat, i aici, Arhivele internaionale de muzic popular. i
consacr ultimii 15 ani din existena sa unei misiuni colosale: aceea de a
culege la Geneva nregistrri de muzic popular din ntreaga lume. A
fost ales membru corespondent al Academiei Romne, la 30 mai 1946.
n 20 decembrie 1958 moare la Geneva.

13 august 1893 (Bucureti) - 20 decembrie 1958 (Geneva)

The National Institute of Ethnography and Folklore in Bucharest is

named after Constantin Briloiu an ethnomusicologist, a composer
and a music critic. He was born into an aristocratic family in Bucharest
on August 13, 1893. His family originated from Oltenia and was
genealogically tied to the Brncoveanu family. He studied music in
Bucharest, Vienna, Lausanne, and Paris. Upon his return home, in
1920, together with other composers, he co-founded the Romanian
Society of Composers, which he presided from 1920 to 1943. In 1928,
he joined the team of sociologist Dimitri Gusti and did his first field
research on the Romanian folklore. He created the Folklore Archives
within the Society, where he gathered around 3,000 phonograph
cylinders, approximately 6,000 folklore songs in 289 willages, and
recorded 1,784 songs on 851 disks. Through his unprecedented and
unparalleled method of folklore research, he created a new theoretical
discipline ethnomusicology. As a founder of the Folklore Chair
of the Music Conservatory of Bucharest, he tried to build the first
generation of Romanian ethnomusicologists; some of them became
great personalities, who brought an authentic contribution to universal
science. Briloiu complemented his complex research activity with a
theoretical approach which he fundamented in a series of music text
books that he authored (from 1935 to 1938) as well as in numerous
omnibuses on various themes such as the diversity of rhythms, musical
scales and sung poems, funeral rites or collective musical compositions.
After settling in Geneva, he laid the foundations of the International
Archives of Folk Music and dedicated the last fifteen years of his life
to a monumental mission, that of archiving in Geneva folklore music
recordings from around the world. On May 30, 1946, Briloiu was
elected correspondent member of the Romanian Academy. He passed
away at Geneva, on December 20, 1958.

August 13, 1893 (Bucharest) December 20, 1958 (Geneva)

Folclorul muzical este o tiin care i caut nc legile... Oricum vom
prsi adeseori, vrnd-nevrnd, trmul muzicii, intrnd pe al tiinelor
anexe: fie estetica, fie filologia, fie oricare alta. Indiferent de loc, de
timp i de condiiile n care se nate muzica, ea se bazeaz pe un fel de
ordine a lucrurilor, care nu poate fi schimbat.

Constantin Briloiu

Musical folklore is a science still searching for its own laws... Either
we like it or not, many of times we will find ourselves tresspassing the
territories of related sciences aesthetics, philology, or any other. No
matter the place, time, and the conditions music is born, it relies on a nature
of things that cannot be changed.

Constantin Briloiu
 ALEXANDRU BUSUIOCEANU SE STABILETE ALEXANDRU BUSUIOCEANU MOVED TO
LA MADRID UNDE NFIINEAZ CATEDRA MADRID AND LAID THE FOUNDATIONS
DE LIMB I LITERATUR ROMN LA OF THE ROMANIAN LANGUAGE AND
UNIVERSITATEA SPANIOL LITERATURE DEPARTMENT AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF MADRID.

S-a distins de la bun nceput pe trmul culturii, n 1905-

1906 participnd, mpreun cu Tudor Vianu i cu Mihai Ralea, la
conducerea revistei Lumina Nou ce propunea un tip de eseistic
erudit i n care a semnat cu pseudonimul rector. n 1921 s-a
numrat printre fondatorii revistei tradiionaliste Gndirea, fiind
destul de activ, cu studii i poezii, n paginile ei dup ce redacia
s-a mutat de la Cluj la Bucureti. Concomitent i-a continuat
studiile n domeniile filozofiei artei i istoriei artei, urmnd
cursurile Universitii din Viena n anii 1920-1922, unde asist
la cursurile profesorului Josef Strzygowski. ntre 1923-1925 s-a
numrat printre bursierii Accademiei di Romania din Roma.
Revenit n ar, ncoronat cu laude din partea ilutrilor Adolfo
Venturi i Solomon Reinach, va susine n mod strlucit doctoratul
la Universitatea din Bucureti, n faa adoratului profesor Vasile
Prvan. Din 1938 a fost confereniar de Istoria Artei la Academia
de Arte Frumoase, iar n 1941 a plecat la Madrid n funcia de
consilier cultural al Legaiei Romne. Va reveni de cteva ori n
ar pn la instaurarea regimului ruso-comunist, cnd a decis
s rmn n Spania. La Universitatea din Madrid va ntemeia
Catedra de Limb i Literatur Romn. Tot acolo a nfiinat
Institutul Romn de Cultur i va fi ales membru al Academiei de
Critic de Art. A scris enorm i mereu la cel mai nalt nivel fie ca
istoric de art, fie ca istoric, cnd a comentat Zalmoxis sau mitul
dacic n istoria i legendele spaniole. Alexandru Busuioceanu s-a
dedicat integral promovrii i receptrii limbii i culturii romne
n spaiul spaniol.

10 iunie 1896 (Slatina) - 23 martie 1961 (Madrid)

From his very first intitiatives, Busuioceanu stood out as

a cultured From 1905 to 1906, together with Tudor Vianu and
Mihai Ralea, he coordinated Lumea Nou magazine, which
brought forward a new kind of writing the scholarly essays.
Busuioceanu himself would write for the magazine under the pen
name Rector. In 1921, he co-founded the traditionalist magazine
Gndirea. When the editorial team moved from Cluj to Bucharest,
he contributed with a lot of studies and poems. At the same time,
from 1920 to 1922, he studied philosophy and history of art at the
University of Vienna, where he attended the lectures of professor
Josef Strzygowski. From 1923 to 1925, he had a scholarship at the
Accademia di Romania in Rome, where he was highly praised
by Adolfo Venturi and Solomon Reinach. Upon his return to
Romania, he gave a brilliant PhD presentation at the University of
Bucharest before the board of examination conducted by the much
appreciated professor Vasile Prvan. In 1938, he started lecturing
on art history at the National University of Fine Arts. In 1941, he
was appointed cultural counsellor for the Romanian Mission in
Madrid. He came back to Romania on several occasions, but when
the Russo-Communist took power, he decided to settle in Spain.
He founded the Romanian Language and Literature department
at the University of Madrid. He also laid the foundations of the
Romanian Cultural Institute. Around the same time, he was
elected member of the Academy of Art Criticism. Whether we
are talking about his studies on art history or history in general,
Busuioceanu was a prolific and exquisite writer. His study
Zamolxis or the one discussing the Dacian mythology within the
Spanish history and legends are the living proof. Throughout his
entire life, Alexandru Busuioceanu remained fully committed to
promoting the Romanian culture in Spain.

June 10, 1896 (Slatina) - March 23, 1961 (Madrid)

Zamolxis, zeul carpatic al nemuririi, coboar n
cronicile spaniole pna la rangul de filozof, sau
se disimuleaz sub nume deformate n care nu mai
poate fi recunoscut; dar mitul rmne nedesprit
de legenda dacic, aa cum i-a impresionat ea pe
antici i a trecut pe sub pana scriitorilor hispanici.
Alexandru Busuioceanu
Zamolxis, the Carpathian god of immortality,
goes way back in the Spanish chronicles that
reveal him as a philosopher or disguise him under
distorted names that make him unrecognizable;
the myth, however, cannot be separated from
the Dacian legend, just like the legend itself
fascinated the ancients and found its way in the
writings of Spanish authors.
Alexandru Busuioceanu
 SERGIU CELIBIDACHE A FOST
NUMIT DIRIJOR AL ORCHESTREI
FILARMONICE DIN BERLIN
Pasionat nc de pe bncile liceului din Roman de muzic, filozofie i
matematic, pleac la Iai, ora n care s-a iniiat n muzic, apoi s-a nscris la
facultile de Filozofie i Matematic ale Universitii din Bucureti. n 1935
a plecat la Paris, unde a compus primul su cvartet, care l-a entuziasmat pe
profesorul Heinz Tiessen de la Facultatea de Muzic a Universitii Friedrich
Wilhelm din Berlin. Devenit din anul 1936 student al prestigioasei Universiti,
a studiat concomitent cu muzica i filozofia, ndeosebi cursurile lui Nicolai
Hartmann i Eduard Spranger. ntre 1941-1942 a fost dirijorul Orchestrei
prietenilor berlinezi ai muzicii. Curnd va ajunge al doilea dirijor, n preferinele
specialitilor germani, dup Wilhelm Furtwngler. n 1945 l va nlocui o vreme
pe marele dirijor german la conducerea Orchestrei Filarmonice din Berlin, iar
din 1948 va preda la Institutul Internaional de Muzic din Berlin. n acelai an
va conduce i celebra London Philharmonic Orchestra, ulterior fiind invitat la
pupitrul tuturor marilor orchestre ale lumii. Fr s neglijeze compoziia, din anul
1979 a fost numit director muzical general al oraului Munchen, sub bagheta sa
Filarmonica din capitala Bavariei impunndu-se n rndul celor mai apreciate n
ntreaga lume. Pentru ntreaga sa carier, n 1992 a fost ales membru de onoare
al Academiei Romne i, n 1993, distins cu Ordinul Maximilian pentru tiin i
Art. Este dirijorul care a refuzat cu ncpnare, de-a lungul anilor, orice fel de
nregistrri audio, pe motiv c[ ar scdea emoia prestaiilor sale.
28 iunie 1912 (Roman) 14 august 1996 (La Neuville sur Essonne)
SERGIU CELIBIDACHE WAS APPOINTED
CONDUCTOR OF THE BERLIN
PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
As a high-school student in Roman, he had a great passion for music,
philosophy, and mathematics. He started his intitiation into music in Iai, then he
went to Bucharest and enrolled in the Faculties of Philosophy and Mathematics. In
1935, he left for Paris, where he composed his first quartet that won over Professor
Heinz Tiessen from the Music Department of the Friederich Wilhelm of Berlin.
In 1936, he was admitted at the Berlin University and started studying music and
philosophy, attending the lectures of Nicolai Hartmann and Eduard Spranger.
From 1941 until 1942, he was the conductor of the Friends of the Berliner
Philharmoniker. Shortly after that, he became the second favorite conductor of the
German musicologists, after Wilhelm Furtwngler. In 1945, he briefly replaced
the great German conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic. In 1948, he started
teaching music at the International College of Music in Berlin. That same year,
he also conducted the famous London Philharmonic Orchestra. From then on,
he received invitations to conduct all the big orchestras in the world. In 1979, he
was designated a General Music Director of the City of Munich, but that did not
stop him from composing. Under his baton, the Bavarian Philharmonic Orchestra
became one of the most appreciated philharmonics in the world. In appreciation
for his entire career, in 1922 he was elected an honorary member of the Romanian
Academy. In 1993, he was awarded The Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science
and Art. He is the conductor who along the years stubbornly said no to any audio
recording request, simply because he belived that it would minimize the level of
emotion in his performances.
June 28, 1912, Roman August 14, 1996, La Neuville sur Essone
S trieti nseamn s trieti evoluia sunetului, evoluia strilor To live means to experience the evolution of sound, the evolution
afective, nu s le nelegi... Ce e logic n muzic? Nimic! Ce e of your emotional states. It doesnt mean you have to understand
logic n percepia culorii roii? Nimic! them!... Where is the logic in music? Nowhere! What is logical in
perceiving the color red? Nothing!

Muzica nu corespunde unei forme de a fi. E o devenire, e ceva Music does not correspond to a way of being. Music is
care nate, crete, ajunge la un punct de maxim expansiune becoming, something that gives birth, grows, reaches a moment of
i moare, ca o plant, ca un sentiment, ca oriice activitate maximum expansion and then dies, like a plant, like a feeling
omeneasc. like any human process.

Sergiu Celibidache Sergiu Celibidache

 ALEXANDRU CIORNESCU A FOST ALEXANDRU CIORNESCU WAS
NUMIT PROFESOR LA UNIVERSITATEA APPOINTED PROFESSOR AT THE
DIN LA LAGUNA, INSULELE CANARE UNIVERSITY OF LA LAGUNA, IN THE
CANARY ISLANDS.

Enciclopedist ntr-o familie de enciclopediti, a absolvit

Facultatea de Litere i Filozofie a Universitii din Bucureti
n anul 1933, n acelai an dobndind i calitatea de expert n
paleografie. n 1939 a obinut doctoratul la Sorbona cu lucrarea
Ariosto n Frana. Dup un stagiu de doi ani ca lector de limba
i literatura romn la Universitatea din Lyon, cu sprijinul lui
Nicolae Iorga, a fost cteva luni, pn la asasinarea ilustrului
istoric, secretarul Institutului de Istorie Universal din Bucureti.
Suspectat de ocupanii germani c ar fi simpatizant al Franei,
i s-a interzis plecarea n strintate. n fruntea unui colectiv a
lucrat la Enciclopedia Universul, lucrare nepublicat. Ctre finele
anului 1945 a fost numit consilier cultural al Legaiei Romne
din Paris, dar a fost destituit de noul regim. n aceast situaie,
cnd Romnia nu mai aparinea romnilor, a ales exilul. n 1948
a fost numit profesor la Universitatea din La Laguna, Tenerife,
unde a predat pn n anul 1979 limba i literatura francez
i a predat cursuri de literatur comparat. n 1958 a obinut
cetenia francez. A mai predat la Universitile din Bordeaux,
Bahia Blanca, Londra i Oxford. A elaborat, singurul dicionar
etimologic complet al limbii romne, tradus n romnete abia n
anii 90. Barocul sau descoperirea dramei, ultima carte publicat,
reprezint rodul unei viziuni (m-am trezit ntr-o diminea
c tiu ce este barocul), avea ca punct de plecare descoperirea
conflictului interior i a dramei. Pentru enciclopedismul i
apetitul insaiabil pentru toate domeniile culturii umaniste stau
mrturie cele peste trei sute de titluri publicate, de o extrem
erudiie i acribie.

15 noiembrie 1911 (Moroeni)

25 noiembrie 1999 (Insulele Canare)

Descending from a family of encyclopedists, an encyclopedist

himself, Ciornescu graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy
and Letters of Bucharest in 1933; that same year, he got his PhD
at Sorbonne with the thesis Ariosto in France. He lectured on
Romanian language and literature at the University of Lyon. With
the support of Nicolae Iorga, he was secretary of the Institute
of Universal History in Bucharest for a couple of months,
until the illustrious historian was murdered. Suspecting that
Ciornescu was a supporter of France, the German occupiers
forbade him to leave abroad. Together with a team he conducted,
Ciornescu worked on The Universe Encyclopedia, which did
not get published. By the end of 1945, he was appointed Cultural
Counsellor of the Romanian Mission in Paris, but was soon
removed by the new regime. In the new context, Romania no
longer belonged to Romanians, so he chose the exile. In 1948,
he was appointed professor at the University of La Laguna, on
the island of Tenerife, where he lectured on French language and
literature, but also on comparated literature until 1979. He also
lectured at the University of Bordeaux, the University of Bahia
Blanca, the University of London and at Oxford. He wrote the
only Etymological Dictionary of Romanian Language, which was
translated into Romanian in the 90s. His last published book,
The Baroque or the Discovery of Drama, grew on the discovery
of the inner conflict and drama and summed up his lifetime
vision (One day I woke up and I knew what the baroque was).
His encyclopedic nature and insatiable appeal for all the cultural
aspects of humanism are confirmed by the hundreds of books he
published, all of them standing for his erudition and accuracy.

November 15, 1911 (Moroeni)

November 25, 1999 (Canary Islands)
 "Prin creaia sa, desfurat pe arii vaste, Alexandru Ciornescu
s-a manifestat ca un mediator ntre culturi, care a propus, a transpus,
a tradus i a impus personaliti i fenomene literare dintr-o zon n
alta, fiind pe plan cultural un precursor al unificrii europene."

Crisula tefnescu - Revista Luceafrul, nr. 44-45/2010

Through his widespread work, Alexandru Ciornescu was a

mediator between cultures. A cultural predecessor of the European
Union, Ciornescu proposed, translated, and imposed literary
personalities and phenomena from one area to another.

Crisula tefnescu Luceafrul Magazine, Issue 44-45/2010

 PAUL CELAN PUBLIC LA PARIS
PRIMA SA COLECIE DE POEME,
NISIPUL DIN URNE
Cine altcineva dect Paul Celan l-ar fi putut traduce n limba romn mai
bine pe Kafka. Kafka era evreul ceh, de limb german, tritor ntr-un imperiu
n descompunere, din care motive n venic nesiguran, derut, cutare a
identitii. Paul Celan era nscut la Cernui-Bucovina, inut romnesc ce
a aparinut cnd imperiului, cnd Romniei, cnd Rusiei. Provenea dintr-o
familie de evrei sioniti, datorit tatlui, care vorbea n cas limba german,
datorit mamei iubitoare de literatur. Biatul i triete tinereea n acest spaiu
multicultural i nva limba romn de la prietenii de joac. Stul de sionism,
devine un membru activ al micrii socialiste i suporter al cauzei republicanilor
n timpul rzboiului civil din Spania. n 1939, a izbutit s fie admis ca student
la Universitatea din Cernui, la literatur i limbile romanice. n 1945 s-a decis
s se stabileasc la Bucureti, unde a locuit pn n 1947. Ca membru activ al
comunitii literare evreieti din Romnia, a tradus literatur rus n limba
romn i a publicat cri sub diferite pseudonime. Andr Breton, ntemeietorul
suprarealismului, afirma: Centrul lumii (suprarealiste) s-a mutat la Bucureti.
Dup un scurt interludiu la Viena, Celan se stabilete la Paris unde a ntlnit-o pe
graficiana Gisle Lestrange, cu care s-a cstorit. Poezia sa de maturitate a devenit
treptat tot mai criptic, fracturat i monosilabic, suportnd o comparaie cu
muzica lui Weber. Unii critici cred c Paul Celan a ncercat fie s distrug, fie s
refac din temelii limba german. A scris n limba german i a tradus n aceast
limb literatur romn, portughez, rus, englez i francez, iar din limba
german a tradus n romnete povestirile lui Franz Kafka.
23 noiembrie 1920 (Cernui) 20 aprilie 1970 (Paris)
PAUL CELAN PUBLISHES HIS FIRST
POETRY BOOK, SAND FROM THE URNS,
IN PARIS.
No one else could have better translated Kafka into Romanian. Kafka was the
German-speaking Jewish Czech man living in a falling empire, who had all the
reasons to feel unceasingly insecure and confused, constantly searching for his
own identity. Paul Celan was born at Cernui-Bucovina, a Romanian territory
with too many owners: the Empire, then Romania, and eventually Russia. Celan
was a Zionist by his father, who would speak German at home because his wife
was passionate about literature. Young Celan lived his childhood in a multicultural
environment and learned Romanian from the children he was playing with. At
one point, he got tired of the Zionist ideology and became an active member of
the Socialist movement and a supporter of the Republicans in the Spanish Civil
War. In 1939, he enrolled in the Faculty of Romance Languages and Literatures
at the University of Cernui. In 1945, he decided to move to Bucharest, where
he lived until 1947. As an active member of the Jewish literary community in
Romania, he translated Russian literature into Romanian and published his own
writings under various pseudonyms. At some point, Andr Breton, the founder
of Surrealism said that the centre of the (Surrealist) world moved to Bucharest.
After a short stay in Vienna, Celan settled in Paris. There he met graphic artist
Gisle Lestrange, whom he married. His mature poetry was getting more and
more encrypted, fragmented, and monosyllabic, somewhat resembling Webers
music. Some critics were of the opinion that Paul Celan tried either to destroy
the German language, or to rebuild it from scratch. He wrote in German and did
a lot of translations. He translated Romanian, Portuguese, Russian, and English
literature into German, as well as Franz Kafkas works into Romanian.
November 23, 1920 (Cernui) April 20, 1970 (Paris)
 Dintre marii devastai ai secolului trecut,
Celan e poate cel mai magnetic. Sinuciderea
lui i-a inventat mitul personal cu aceeai
for cu care poezia lui a reinventat limba
german, dup ce mai nti a devastat-o. E
imposibil s gndeti poezia secolului trecut
fr mitul Celan.

Radu Vancu

Poezia nu e plcere. Textul nu e nicidecum

bucurie. Limbajul nu e altceva dect o manier
superficial de a uita. Cine-l citete pe Celan
va nelege. Nu se poate nainta nicieri.

Dan Coman

Among last centurys most devastated

writers, Celan is perhaps the most magnetic.
His suicide led to the birth of his personal
myth using the same force he used for
reinventing the German language after
destroying it first. One cannot think of last
centurys poetry without including Celans myth
in it too.

Radu Vancu

The poetry is no pleasure. The text is no

joy either. Language is nothing else but a
superficial way to forget. Read Celan and
youll understand. You simply cannot step
forward.

Dan Coman
 DEBUTEAZ LA METROPOLITAN OPERA IONEL PERLEA MAKES HIS DEBUT IN
DIN NEW YORK CU OPERA TRISTAN I RICHARD WAGNERS TRISTAN AND
ISOLDA DE RICHARD WAGNER ISOLDE AT THE METROPOLITAN OPERA
IN NEW YORK

Rmas vduv n 1905, Margareta Perlea, nscut

Haberlein, s-a retras cu familia la Munchen, n casa
prinilor. Dovedind de copil nclinaie spre muzic, la 18
ani a fost nscris la Conservatorul din Leipzig, unde va
studia compoziia i dirijatul, dar va reveni la Munchen, la
Conservatorul din ora. Primul premiu pentru compoziie,
Premiul George Enescu, l-a obinut n anul 1926, fapt ce
l-a propulsat la pupitrul Operei Romne din Cluj. Calitatea
viziunii dirijorale a fost imediat remarcat, din 1929 pn
n 1936 funcionnd cu ntreruperi ca director al Operei
Naionale din Bucureti. Invitaia dirijrii unor opere la
Theatro DellOpera din Roma n anul 1945 l-a determinat
s rmn definitiv n Occident. Va fi la pupitrul celor
mai mari i importante teatre de oper de pe mapamond,
n 1955 fiind numit dirijorul Connecticut Symphony
Orchestra, iar n 1965 profesor de dirijat la Manhattan
School of Music, ambele posturi n locul i la recomandarea
lui Arturo Toscanini, care, n semn de apreciere, i druise
propria baghet. Efortul i-a spus cuvntul, dirijorul
romn suferind un atac cerebral care i-a afectat mobilitatea
braului drept. A nvins, ns, acest handicap reuind
nu doar s dirijeze cu mna stng, ci s interpreteze
memorabil partituri de mare dificultate. Cumnat al lui
Mircea Eliade, Ionel Perlea a susinut n mai 1969, n Sala
Palatului i a Ateneului Romn, ultimele sale concerte: era
bolnav de cancer. i-a luat, astfel, adio de la ara i de la
naiunea romn.

13 decembrie 1900 (Ograda) 29 iulie 1970 (New York)

In 1905, Margareta Perla, born Haberlain, lost her

husband and returned with her family to her parents house
in Munchen. From early childhood, Ionel Perlea had a
calling for music. At eighteen, he enrolled at the University
of Muisc and Theatre Leipzig, where he studied composing
and conducting. Later on, he transferred to the University
of Music and Performing Arts in Munich. Due to his first
award for music composition, George Enescu Prize, in
1926, he became the conductor of the Romanian National
Opera in Cluj. He was acknowledged for his exquisite
approach to conducting right away. As a result, from 1929
to 1936, with only a few breaks, he was the director of the
Romanian National Opera in Bucharest. After conducting
several operas at Theatro Dell Opera in Rome, in 1945, he
decided to settle in the West for good. He conducted the
most important opera theatres in the world. In appreciation
for his work, Arturo Toscanini gave Perlea his baton
and recommended him as a conductor of Connecticut
Symphony Orchestra (1955) and a professor of conducting
at Manhattan School of Music (1965). Perleas effort took
its toll

13 decembrie 1900, Ograda 29 iulie 1970, New York

"De cte ori gndul meu nu fuge hoinar, desctuat
de convenienele rostului meu n deprtrile
strintii, de cte ori cugetul meu nu evada din
emisferele universului muzical pentru a-mi oferi
un popas la Ograda, satul meu natal, din marea
ialomiean a spicelor de gru a Brganului,
de cte ori cu nclmintea pe marmura marilor
sli de concerte i de oper din America sau din
centrele muzicale ale Europei nu mi-a fi dorit
tlpile descule n pulberea ulielor din Ograda,
dup cum visam o plimbare n forfota strzilor
bucuretene?"

Ionel Perlea

So many times I found my thoughts roaming

around, relieved from the burden of my
responsibilities in faraway lands! So many times
my spirit escaped from the hemispheres of the
musical universe and took me for a ride at Ograda,
my native village in Ialomia, a sea of spikes
of Brgan. So many times, as I stepped on the
marble floor of the great concert halls and opera
houses in America or Europe, I only wished
I could walk barefooted in the dusty alleys of
Ograda just as much as I wished I could go for
a walk in the bustling streets of Bucharest!

Ionel Perlea
 11 MAI, A AVUT LOC PE SCENA TEATRULUI
NOCTAMBULES PREMIEREA PIESEI
CNTREA CHEAL
Autorul, Eugen Ionescu, era din Slatina. Legtura cu Frana a fost mama sa,
Marie Therese, nscut Ipcar, o alsacian de confesiune protestant. De altfel,
mare parte din copilrie i-a petrect-o n Frana. Paradisul n care a copilrit,
aa a descris perioada petrecut alturi de familia mamei sale n localitatea La
Chapelle-Anthenaise, un sat mic din nord-vestul Franei. Timpul petrecut acolo
avea s-l marcheze pentru totdeauna i s-i influeneze opera. "n Chapelle-
Anthenaise timpul nu exista! Triam doar prezentul. Triam cu har, cu bucurie".
Parintii se despart i este nevoit s se ntoarc, cu tatl su n Romania.
Bacalaureat al Colegiului Naional Carol I i absolvent al Facultii de
Litere, cu licena pentru limba i cultura francez, a debutat ca scriitor cu poezii
publicate de Tudor Arghezi n Bilete de Papagal. ns, n sclipitorul volum Nu!,
primul dintre cei atacai ca scriitori superficiali este Arghezi. n 1938 a plecat cu
o burs la Paris. Prelungirea ederii o va datora guvernului Antonescu, rmnnd
ca ataat cultural n cadrul Legaiei Romne. Ocuparea rii de ctre Armata
Roie i instaurarea regimului stalinist l-au determinat s rmn definitiv la
Paris. Rzbate greu, dar sigur. Prima lui pies de teatru, La Cantatrice Chauve
(Cntreaa cheal) a fost reprezentat la 11 mai 1950 la Thatre de la Huchette n
regia lui Nicholas Bataille, pus n scen la sugestia doamnei Monica Lovinescu,
marcnd astfel naterea teatrului absurdului. n 66 La Comedie Francaise i
prezint piesa Setea i foamea urmat de Regele moare. Opera sa dramatic va fi
scris exclusiv n limba francez, valoarea ei conducnd n anul 1970 la alegerea
primului romn ca membru titular al Academiei Franceze.
26 noiembrie 1909 (Slatina) 28 martie 1994 (Paris)
ON MAY 11, THE BALD SOPRANO
PREMIERED AT THE
NOCTAMBULES THEATRE.
The author, Eugen Ionescu, was from Slatina. He was French by his mother,
Marie Thrse born Ipcar, a protestant from Alsace. He spend most of his
childhood in France. He described the period spent with his mothers family in
La Chapelle-Anthenaise, a small village in northwest France, as the paradise
of his childhood. Those years marked his life and heavily influenced his work.
In Chappele-Anthenaise, time does not exist! You only live in the present. You
live gracefully, joyfully. Because of his parents separation, he was forced to
return to Romania with his father. He got his Baccalaureate at Carol I National
College and graduated from the Faculty of Letters with a Bachelor of Arts in
the French language and literature. His first poems were published in Tudor
Arghezis magazine Bilete de papagal. Arghezi, however, was the first writer he
criticized for being superficial in his brilliant book No! In 1938, he went to Paris
on a scholarship. Due to the support received from Antonescus government,
he extended his stay as a cultural attach for the Romanian Mission. When the
Red Army took power and the Stalinist regime was installed in Romania, he
decided to settle in Paris. Although it was hard, he managed to pull it through.
Following Monica Lovinescus advice, on May 1950, he premiered his first play
La Cantatrice Chauve (The Bald Soprano), at Thatre de la Huchette. The play
directed by Nicholas Bataille marked the beginning of the theatre of the absurd. In
1966, his plays Hunger and Thirst and Exit the King premiered at the Comdie-
Franaise. He wrote all of his plays in French. In appreciation for their value, in
1970, the French Academy elected him full member. He was the first Romanian to
receive this recognition.
November 26, 1909 (Slatina) March 28, 1994 (Paris)
"Se poate face un circ cu purici. Puricii trebuie dresai,
primul lucru care trebuie fcut este s se obin ca
puricii s nu mai sar. Cum se ajunge aici? Se pun
puricii sub un pahar. Puricii ncearc s sar, se lovesc
de sticl, cad la loc. Dintr-un anumit moment, ei nu
mai sar. Paharul poate fi ridicat. i iat-i pe purici
avansnd ncet, prostii; ei pot fi mpini cu degetul, se
poate sufla peste ei, nu mai sar.

Eugen Ionescu

One can build a flea circus. The fleas must be

trained. The first thing that needs to be done is to make
fleas no longer jump. How does one get there? Just
place the fleas inside a glass. The fleas will try to
jump, they will hit against the glass, and fall back.
At a certain point, they will no longer jump. You can
remove the glass then. You will see the fleas move
slowly, dumbed-down. You will be able to push them
forward with your finger. You may even blow on them.
They will no longer jump.

Eugen Ionescu
 TNRUL ISIDORE ISOU A LANSAT LA
FESTIVALUL DE LA CANNES FILMUL
EXPERIMENTAL I REVOLUIONAR
TRAIT DE BAVE ET DETERNITA,
PRIMUL FILM LETRIST
Filmul a fost considerat revolttor de muli critici prezeni la premier.
Devenit manifestul virtual al Letrismului n film, era nsoit de un discurs
reflexiv al autorului de 25 de ani. Isou ataca conveniile nvechite ale filmului,
introducnd conceptul de cinema discrepant, n care coloana sonor are puin
sau nimic de a face cu imaginile nsoitoare. n film, pista de sunet ncepe cu
zgomote umane urte i neplcute, care continu n volum redus de-a lungul
dialogul vorbit. Imaginea este alterat, atacat cu tehnici distructive, cum ar fi
zgrieturi i albire. Dup scandalul produs la Cannes a fost difuzat n America,
unde a influenat avangarda realizatorilor de film ca Stan Brakhage. Isidore
Isou, pseudonimul lui Ioan-Isidor Goldstein, s-a nscut ntr-o familie evreiasc
n Botoani. n 1942, la vrsta de 16 ani, a publicat Manifestul Letrismul, o
micare care avea iniial un singurul membru i a publicat un sistem de letrism
hipergrafic, care transform scrierea n semne, ideograme, desene. i-a nceput
cariera ca jurnalist de art avangardist, n timpul celui de al doilea rzboi mondial.
A fondat revista Da, mpreun cu viitorul psiholog social Sergiu Moscovici,
revist repede interzis de autoriti. Pleac la Paris, unde dezvolt mai multe
concepte care urmresc o rennoire artistic total, pornind de la elementele cele
mai de baz ale scrisului i comunicrii vizuale. n anii 60, Letrismul a influenat
micarea artistic internaional, se pare, mai puternic dect existenialismul i
suprarealismul, fiind mai aproape de a produce transformri reale dect aceste
micri. Lucrarea lui de cpti rmne La Cratique ou la Novatique (1941-1976).
31 ianuarie 1925 (Botoani) - 28 iulie 2007 (Paris)
YOUNG ISIDORE ISOU PREMIERED
AT CANNES HIS EXPERIMENTAL AND
REVOLUTIONARY FILM - TRAIT
DE BAVE ET DTERNIT, THE FIRST
LETTERIST FILM
Many critics at the premiere considered that the film was outrageous. The
virtual manifesto of Letterism in cinema was accompanied by a self-reflective
speech given by the twenty-five years old filmmaker. Isou criticized the outdated
conventions in filmmaking and introduced the concept of discrepant cinema
where the soundtrack had more or less to do with the images it accompanied.
More specifically, the film soundtrack would start with ugly, unpleasant human
sounds that are retiterated in a low voice throughout the spoken dialogue. The
motion picture is altered with destructive techniques such as scratching and
whitening. After the scandal it caused at Cannes, the film circulated in the US,
exerting a great influence on avant-garde filmmakers such as Stan Brakhage.
Isidore Isou, the pseudonym of Ioan Isidore Goldstein, was born into a Jewish
family from Botoani. In 1942, at sixteen years of age, he published The Letterism
Manifesto, a movement that initially had only one member and brought forward a
system of hypergraphic lettrism, which transformed writing into signs, ideograms,
and drawings. He started his career during World War II, when he did avant-
garde art journalism. Together with future social psychologist Sergiu Moscovici,
he founded Da magazine, which was immediately censored by the authorities. He
left for Paris, where he developed several concepts aiming for an ultimate artistic
renewal, starting with the basic elements of writing and visual communication. In
the 60s, Letterism had a great influence on the international artistic movement;
apparently, it was even stronger than existentialism and surrealism, and unlike
them, more likely to produce real transformations. La Cratique ou la Novatique
(1941-1976) is Isous masterpiece.
January 31, 1925 (Botoani) July 28, 2007 (Paris)
Cred c despre mine s-a spus cam tot ce se putea
spune de ru.

Ceea ce mi s-ar prea original i rar ar fi binele

care s-ar putea descoperi n faptele mele.

Prefer dezgustul meu actual, gustului vechi,

dezgusttor.

Isidore Isou

I think the meanest things that could be said about

me have been said.

Id find it really original and rare if the good in

my deeds were discovered.

Id rather have my new distaste than the old

distasteful taste.

Isidore Isou
 EUGEN DRGUESCU PRIMETE
PREMIUL BIENALEI DE LA VENEIA
Pictorul i graficianul Eugen Drguescu, nscut la Iai, i-a petrecut copilria
i adolescena la Vicovu de Jos i la Rdui. ntre 1932 i 1938 studiaz la
Academia de Belle-Arte din Bucureti. nc din perioada studeniei, particip cu
dou lucrri, Csua la mahala si Copil orb, la Salonul Oficial de desen i gravur,
patronat la vremea respectiv de Ministerul Culturii i Artelor. Din comisia de
selecie fceau parte Camil Ressu, Jean Al. Steriadi, Francisc irato i Marius
Bunescu. n 1939 a ctigat concursul pentru Premiul Romei, care i va permite
sa studieze n Italia. n 1940 expune apte lucrri la Salonul Oficial de toamn
din Bucureti. Adevrata afirmare i recunoatere artistic le dobndete ns
la maturitate, n Italia, unde a avut numeroase expoziii i a primit prestigioase
premii: Premiul oraului Messina, Premiul SAROM - Veneia, Medalia oraului
Florena. Are numeroase expoziii personale n Italia, Olanda, Mexic, U.S.A.,
Elveia. Ca portretist, Eugen Draguescu este capabil s surprind gestul
semnificativ, emoia micrii, trirea captivat i captivant a personajelor sale.
Portretele arheologului Lambrino, dirijorilor Constantin Silvestri i George
Georgescu, pianistului Carlo Zecchi, pictorului Georgio de Chirico care sunt
surprini n desenele sau seriile grafice de mici dimensiuni, sunt de mare elegan
i rafinament, n tehnica mixt a peniei i cretei albe, nsoit uneori cu delicate
intervenii ale acuarelei. Cteodat, desenele sale prsesc orice referin la
aspectele lumii vizibile, evolund spre o lume imaginara. Atunci cnd creaia
artistului prea definitiv fixat n limitele figurativului, se produce o schimbare
major, interesul lui ndreptnd-se ctre expresiviti abstracte, care au devenit o
constant a operei sale.
19 mai 1914 (Iai) 1993 (Roma)
EUGEN DRGUESCU WINS THE
VENICE BIENNALE AWARD.
The painter and graphic artist was born in Iai. He lived his childhood and
teenage life at Vicovu de Jos and at Rdui. From 1932 to 1938, he studied at the
Fine Arts Academy in Bucharest. While he was still a student, he exhibited two of
his paintings, The Small Slum House and The Blind Child, at the Official Drawing
and Engraving Salon organized at that time by the Ministry of Culture and Art.
The selection committee included Camil Ressu, Jean Al. Steriadi, Francisc irato,
and Marius Bunescu. In 1939, he won the Rome Prize, which allowed him to
continue his studies in Italy. In 1940, he participated in the Official Autumn Salon
in Bucharest with seven paintings. As an artist, he only gained full appreciation
in mature age and while in Italy, where he staged a series of exhibitions and was
awarded many prizes: The Messina Award, The SAROM Award (Venice), The City
of Florence Medal. He had many personal exhibitions in Italy, the Netherlands,
Mexico, United States, and Switzerland. As a portrait artist, Eugen Drguescu
could easily render significant gestures, the emotion in movement, the fascinated
and fascinating expression of his characters. The portrait of archaeologist
Lambrino, those of conductors Constantin Silvestri and George Georgescu, pianist
Carlo Zecchi, painter Georgio de Chirico are small-sized drawings or graphic
series. They have an elegant and refined touch and combine ink pen and white
chalk techniques, sometimes enriched with delicate insertions of watercolours.
Sometimes, his drawings have no reference to the visible reality; they are creating
an imaginary world. Whenever the artists work seems confined within the limits
of figurative art, a sudden change occurs; the artists interest swiftly moves towards
abstract expressions frequent elements in his works.
May 19, 1914 (Iai) 1993 (Rome)
"Prima mea ntalnire cu Brncui... Usa se deschide ncet si un btrnel "The first time I met Brncui... The door opened slowly and a white-
mbrcat in alb, cu barb alb, ne fixeaz sever cu ochi vii i ptrunztori. beared short man dressed in white appeared from behind. He looked at us
O adevrat apariie biblic. Dup o clip de ezitare, ne surde:Entrez, severely with vivid and penetrating eyes. He was like a Biblical vision.
messieurs! After a short moment of hesitation, he smiled and invited us in: Entrez,
...Un imens atelier, i el vruit, n care Coloana fr sfrit se repet n messieurs!
diferite mrimi n lemn i gips: era prima imagine ce ni se prezenta n faa We entered an enormous atelier, painted in white as well. It was full of
ochilor. ncet, ncet, se desprind din mulimea lucrrilor, Pasrea, Pasrea different sizes of the Endless Column, some made of wood, others of
Miastr, repetate de trei-patru ori n diferite mrimi i materiale... plaster. It was the first thing we laid our eyes on. Then, we slowly began
Maestrul ne-a vorbit de Modigliani, pe care-l cunoscuse bine si cruia-i to recognize three or four Miastra sculptures made in different sizes and
fusese un drag prieten. La un moment dat, Brncusi ne-a pus ntr-o grea materials. The master started telling us about Modigliani, whom he was
confuzie. Ne vorbea de o invazie de mute care amenina umanitatea. Dar close friends with and thus knew very well. At one point, Brncui lost us
noi n-am neles despre ce fel de mute vorbea i nici cnd aceast invazie to confusion. He started talking about a fly invasion that would endanger
va avea loc..." the humankind. We did not understand what kind of flies he was talking
about, or when it would happen..."
Eugen Drguescu
Revista Scriitorilor Romni, Anul I, Nr. 1, Munchen 1962 Eugen Drguescu
The Romanian Writers Magazine, Year I, 1st Issue, Munchen 1962
 CONSTANTIN SILVESTRI DIRIJEAZ CONSTANTIN SILVESTRI
PREMIERA ROMNEASC A OPEREI CONDUCTED THE PREMIERE OF
OEDIP DE GEORGE ENESCU, LA OPERA GEORGE ENESCUS OEDIP AT THE
ROMN DIN BUCURETI ROMANIAN NATIONAL OPERA IN
BUCHAREST

Muzician iconoclast, dirijor, compozitor i pianist, a avut

parte de o via agitat, curmat prematur, cu trei luni nainte de
mplinirea a 56 de ani. i trise ultimii opt ani n Anglia, ca dirijor
de succes al apreciatei Bornemouth Symphony Orchestra, pe care
are meritul de a o fi transformat dintr-un ansamblu de provincie
ntr-unul cu reputaie internaional. A deinut consecutiv
posturile de dirijor permanent al orchestrelor Filarmonicii din
Bucureti, Radiodifuziunii Naionale i Operei Romne. ntre
1959 i 1961, Silvestri a trit la Paris, unde a primit prestigioase
trofee, printre care premiul I al Academiei Charles Cross, pentru
discul cu Simfonia Din Lumea Nou, de Antonin Dvorak, i Grand
Prix du Disque, pentru Dixtuorul de sufltori, de George Enescu.
n atmosfera dezgheului provocat de raportul lui Hruciov la
congresul PCUS din anul precedent, Constantin Silvestri reuete
s debuteze ca dirijor al London Symphony Orchestra n ianuarie
1957. Numai pn la emigrarea sa dincolo de Cortina de Fier,
la finele deceniului 1950, el realizase deja peste 24 de discuri n
diverse ri est-europe, precum i cu Filarmonica din Viena.
Genial, vanitos, frmntat de ndoieli, cu o putere de munc
ieit din comun, nedreptit de cei care nu-i recunoteau sau nu
voiau s-i recunoasc talentul, revoltat de dictatele ideologice de
inspiraie sovietic impuse creatorilor romni, nehotrt dac s
rup toate punile cu ara, dar temtor c altfel nu va putea circula
liber n occident, profund dezamgit de cei care reprezentau
Romnia n strintate, inabil n a-i valorifica pe deplin
potenialul financiar odat ajuns n strintate. i, n cele din urm,
un Silvestri rpus de efort i boal i jefuit n propria ar.

31 mai 1913 (Bucureti) - 23 februarie 1969 (Londra)

The iconoclastic musician, conductor, composer and pianist

led a troubled life that ended suddenly, just three months before
his 56th anniversary. He spent his last eight years in England,
where he conducted the highly acclaimed Bornemouth Symphony
Orchestra. He was credited for having turned the provincial
ensemble into a world-renonwned orchestra. He was a permanent
conductor of the Bucharest Philharmonic, the National Radio
Orchestra of Romania and the Romanian National Opera. From
1959 to 1961, Silvestri lived in Paris, where he was awarded
numerous recognitions such as the First Prize of the Charles
Cross Academy for his interpretation of Antonn Dvoks
New World Symphony, and the Grand Prix du Disque for the
rendition of George Enescus Decet for Winds. In the new political
context created by Khrushchevs intervention at the Congress of
the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1956, Constantin
Silvestri was able to make his debut as a conductor of the London
Philharmonic Orchestra in January 1957. By late 50s, when he
emmigrated far away from the Iron Curtain, he had already
recorded 25 discs with orchestras from various Eastern European
countries, but also with the Vienna Philharmonic. He was a genius
who had a lot of vanities and doubts. Unusually hardworking, he
felt wronged by the people that could not or would not acknowlege
his talent. He retaliated against the Soviet ideology imposed on
Romanian artists. He was tormented by the decision whether
to cut ties with his country or not. He was frightened by the
thought that he would not be allowed to travel in the West. He felt
completely disappointed by the Romanian representatives abroad.
And once he settled abroad, he was incapable of fully exploiting his
financial potential. In the end, Silvestri felt victim to his hard effort
and ill health.

May 31, 1913 (Bucharest) February 23, 1969 (London)

Avea o mare rbdare i lucra o pies n cele mai mici detalii.
Pentru noi era ca o ucenicie: trebuia s ascultm ce se ntmpl
n celelalte pri ale orchestrei, chiar atunci cnd nu cntam,
pentru a ne obinui cu ceea ce vroia... Aveam n general ase
ore de repetiii, plus trei n ziua concertului. Silvestri vroia dublul
i cred c ne-am pus de acord cu 12 ore de repetiii.. mi
amintesc ochii minunai - un fulger ce comunica, i nu o raz
mortal; aa c tiam ntotdeauna ceea ce vroia de la noi...
Amintiri consemnate pe discurile BBC
He was extremely patient and worked on every piece to the
last detail. For us, it was serving an apprenticeship: even when
we were not playing, we had to listen to the other members of the
orchestra, so that we could get used to what he wanted Usually,
we rehearsed for six hours, plus three more hours on the concert
day. Silvestri wanted to double the hours, so we agreed to twelve
hours of rehearsal every day I remember his wonderful eyes
they were like lightning sending us messages, not deadly rays.
So, we knew at all times what he expected from us
BBC recordings
 VINTIL HORIA A PRIMIT PREMIUL
GONCOURT PENTRU ROMANUL
DUMNEZEU S-A NASCUT IN EXIL
Fost elev al Colegiului Sf. Sava, Vintil Horia a absolvit strlucit, dei le
urmase concomitent, Facultile de Drept, de Litere i de Filozofie ale Universitii
din Bucureti. Civa ani a activat n pres unde, cu articolele sale laice, de nuan
paoptist, va cdea n dizgraia legionarilor, adepi ai unui puritanism ortodox.
Acest aspect, apreciat de Regele Carol II, a determinat trimiterea sa ca ataat de
pres la Legaia Romn din Roma. Dat afar de guvernul legionar instaurat
n 1940, revine n diplomaie la Viena, la cderea acestuia. Dup 23 august
1944 e internat cu soia ntr-un lagr nazist. Eliberat, va pleca n Italia. In ar,
Tribunalul Poporului, o fctur juridic stalinist, i nsceneaz un proces, i l
condamn, n contumacie, la moarte. Era nvinuit c ar fi fost legionar! Alungat
de strini din ara lui, nu-i mai rmnea dect exilul. A locuit la Buenos Aires,
unde a fost profesor de Literatura Romna la Facultatea de Litere, pn n 1953.
A cltorit i a scris mult, n cele din urm stabilindu-se n Spania unde a fost
profesor universitar la Catedra de literatur comparat. Aici fondeaz colecia
Punto Omega i deine funcia de director al revistei Futuro Presente. Din opera
lui: Le chevalier de la resignation, Les impossibles, Une femme pour Lapocalips, Le
journal dun campasieu du Danube, Espania y otras mundos. n Frana a publicat
romanul Dumnezeu a murit n exil, obinnd n anul 1960 Premiul Goncourt,
premiu imediat contestat de comunistul Andr Wrmser tot pe motivul c autorul
ar fi fost legionar... Demn, scriitorul refuz premiul. Goncourt consemneaz la
anul 1960 Premiu acordat i nedecernat. Btlia pentru reabilitarea acestui mare
scriitor romn continu.
18 decembrie 1915 (Segarcea) 4 aprilie 1992 (Collado Villalba)
VINTIL HORIA IS AWARDED
PRIX GONCOURT FOR
GOD WAS BORN IN EXILE
After finishing St. Sava High-School, Vintil Horia simultaneously attended
three faculties at the University of Bucharest from which he graduated with
honours: Law School, Letters, and Philosophy. For a couple of years, he practised
journalism, but his secular articles, sometimes filled with references to the 1848
Revolution, attracted the antipathy of the Legionnaire movement (far-right
movement in Romania), which advocated an Orthodox Puritanism. King Carol
appreciated his writings and delegated him as a press attach of the Romanian
Mission in Rome. In 1944, when the Legionnaire government took power, he
was removed from his position. As soon as the government fell, he continued
his diplomatic work in Vienna. After August 23, 1944, Vintil and his wife were
sent to a Nazi camp. Upon their release, they left for Italy. Back in Romania, the
Peoples Tribunal, a Stalinist legal scam, staged a trial against him in absentia and
he received death penalty. He was charged for being a Legionnaire. Banished
from his own country, Vintil was forced to live in exile. He lived in Buenos Aires
and taught Romanian literature at the Faculty of Letters until 1953. He travelled
and wrote a lot, and eventually settled in Spain, where he worked as a professor
of comparative literature. In Spain, he founded the Punto Omega Collection and
managed Futuro Presente magazine. He authored Le chevalier de la resignation,
Les impossibles, A Woman for Apocalypse, Le journal dun campasieu du
Danube, Espania y otras mundos. In France, he published God Was Born in Exile,
for which he was awarded the Prix Goncourt in 1960. Andr Wrmser contested
the prize claiming that the author was a member of the Legionnaire movement.
Vintil refused the prize with dignity. In 1960, Goncourt stated that the prize was
awarded, yet not accepted by the recipient. The fight for the rehabilitation of this
outstanding Romanian writer continues to this day.
December 18, 1915 (Segarcea) April 4, 1992 (Collado Villalba)
"Ceea ce constituie originalitatea acestui roman e mai puin
faptul de a fi memoriile apocrife ale poetului Ovidiu exilat
la Tomis de Augustus, ct de a prezenta ntr-un ton absolut
nou imaginea omului n exil Confesiunea lui Ovidiu atinge
protestarea dureroas pe care mii de exilai, victime ale
imperiului i ale noiunii de imperiu, fac s se cutremure
pmntul de cnd exist oameni. Aceast mpcare n tristee,
pe care o regsim pn i n limba scriitorului romn, e
mpcata certitudine a unei fiine transformat n suferin,
a unui renviat care nu uit c durerea lui e trit de mii de
suferinzi."

La Revue Nouvelle, Bruxelles

The originality of this novel lies not so much in the

apocryphal memories of poet Ovid who was exiled at Tomis
by Emperor Augustus, but in the entirely new portrayal of the
exiled Ovids confession translates as the painful turmoil
of thousands of exiled, victims of both the empire and its
concept, which shook the ground ever since man existed.
This sad reconciliation, also present in the language of the
Romanian writer, is the reconciled certainty of a human being
transformed by suffering, that of a resurrected man who never
forgets that his pain is experienced by thousands of other
suffering men.

La Revue Nouvelle, Brussels

 MONICA LOVINESCU ARE PRIMA MONICA LOVINESCU GOES ON AIR
EMISIUNE LA EUROPA LIBER ON HER FIRST RADIO SHOW AT
EUROPA LIBER (FREE EUROPE)

Cine uit nu merit. Milioane de romni, n secret, ascultau n

surdin postul de radio Europa Liber. Era ca i cum undele emiteau
un soi de oxigen ntr-o poluare politic de ipocrizie i lozinci,
compensnd traiul prost cu adevrul ideilor. Vocea inegalabil
a Monici Lovinescu a druit cu tenacitate i talent o alt fa a
lumii. Din 1962 i pn la revoluia din decembrie 1989 a reuit s
ne prezinte o alt actualitate romneasc - cea real. A fcut parte
din acea categorie rar de oameni pentru care compromisul nu
exist, fiind comarul securitii din Romnia comunist. Fiica
scriitorului Eugen Lovinescu, liceniat n Litere i asisten a
scriitorului Camil Petrescu, a fcut parte dintr-o familie de scriitori;
crescut n cultul cuvintelor, n verticalitatea ideilor; jurnalist, critic
literar, scriitoare, avea s plteasc foarte scump pentru toate aceste
caliti cu moartea mamei n nchisoarea Jilava, cu atentatul asupra
propriei viei, comandat de securitate n domiciliul de la Paris.
Alturi de Virgil Ierunca, partener de-o via, a reuit din Frana s
readuc n Romnia simul normalului, scoaterea din acea adnc
amnezie a personalitilor romneti indezirabile, imparialitatea
cu care a luptat pentru valorile reale din literatur. Numeroasele
disctinctii care au recompensat-o dup 1989 nu i-au alterat aceast
imparialitate; a continuat s-i exprime ideile cu aceeai obiectivitate
ntr-o lupta continu devoratoare de mplinire personal i ne-a
lsat multe moteniri: cri, jurnale, numeroase traduceri n limba
francez a textelor scriitorilor romni, apartamentul din Paris
(pentru scriitorii tineri), casa Lovinescu, mrturia prieteniei cu
Paul Goma, Gabriel Liiceanu, Eugen Ionescu etc i ne-a mai lsat fr
putin de tgad MEMORIA DEMNITIi.

19 noiembrie 1923 (Bucureti) 20 aprilie 2008 (Paris)

Those who forget are undeserving. Millions of Romanians were

secretly listening to Europa Liber at a lower volume. It was if it
broadcasted oxygen through the political pollution full of hypocrisy
and slogans, compensating the harsh living with truthful ideas.
With her unparalleled voice, talented Monica Lovinescu tenaciously
revealed a new view on the world. From 1962 until the December
1989 Romanian Revolution, she depicted a different Romanian
reality the real one. She was one of those rare people for whom
compromise does not exist the nightmare of the secret police in
the Communist Romania. Monica Lovinescu came from a family
of writers; she was the daughter of writer Eugen Lovinescu, had
a degree in Philology and worked as the assistant of writer Camil
Petrescu. From an early age, she was brought up to treasure words
and integrity. She was a journalist, a literary critic, and a writer who
paid a hard price for her character: her mother died in the Jilava
communist prison and the secret police attempted to assassinate
her in her Paris apartment. Although in France, together with her
lifetime partner Virgil Ierunca, she managed to recreate a state
of normality for the Romanian people; she brought back to the
surface of memory the Romanian personalities blacklisted by the
communists, leading an impartial fight in support of the real values
of literature. The numerous recognitions she was awarded after the
1989 Revolution did not alter her impartiality. She continued to
express her ideas with the same objectiveness. In her never-ending
fierce fight for personal accomplishment, she left us a precious
legacy: novels, journals, numerous French translations of Romanian
writings, her apartment in Paris (for young writers), Lovinescu
House, and the proof of her friendship with Paul Goma, Gabriel
Liiceanu, and Eugen Ionescu. She also left us an undeniable heritage
THE MEMORY OF DIGNITY.

November 19, 1923 (Bucharest) April 20, 2008 (Paris)

...Nu vom mai regsi niciodat nu doar Romnia noastr
interbelic, dar nici mcar Romnia viitorului, la care am visat.
Zi de zi, de civa ani ncoace, nvm pe dinafar acelai
verdict. [...] <<Ce e de fcut?>> m-a fi ntrebat pe vremuri.
Atunci puteam s-mi rspund <<mergem nainte>>: aveam
un microfon i asculttori. Asculttori ar mai fi. Dar [azi]
fenomenul nu mai e dect acustic. E o ascultare fr inere de
minte. Uitarea se instaleaz n cuvnt n chiar momentul n care e
rostit.

(Monica Lovinescu, Jurnal inedit, 2001)

[...] We will never retrieve our inter-war Romania, not even the
future Romania we have been dreaming of. For the past years,
day by day we have been learning by heart the same verdict. ()
<<What can be done?>> I would have asked myself years ago.
Back then, I was able to come up with an answer <<We go
forward.>> I had a microphone and an audience. I might still
find an audience, but (today) the phenomenon is solely acoustic.
Its listening without memorizing. Oblivion sets in as soon as the
word is uttered.

(Monica Lovinescu Journal, 2001)

 EUGEN COERIU A FOST NUMIT EUGEN COERIU IS APPOINTED
PROFESOR LA UNIVERSITATEA PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY
DIN TUBINGEN OF TBINGEN.

Dup absolvirea liceului din Bli, din anul 1939, a

urmat cursurile universitilor din Iai, Roma i Milano.
Cum Basarabia natal i restul Romniei czuser n
minile ruilor sub forma comunismului, dup absolvirea
Facultii de Filozofie a Universitii din Milano s-a
decis s rmn n zona liber a Lumii. nc din 1951
va fi profesor la Universitatea din Montevideo. Lucrrile
n domeniul lingvisticii l vor face cunoscut pn n
Germania, unde va profesa la Bonn, iar Universitatea
din Tbingen i-a oferit o catedr din anul 1963 pn la
moarte. S-a vorbit de o iradiere universal a cursurilor
sale, aria de cercetare fiind vast: istoria limbilor,
lexicologie, etnolingvistic, dialectologie, teoria i filozofia
limbii. Cunotea 30 de limbi, inclusiv pe cele clasice.
Pentru cei mai de seam specialiti n domeniu de pe toate
meridianele lingvistul numrul 1 cptase dimensiuni
colosale, aproape astronomice, fiind gratulat cu sintagma
Gigantul de la Tbingen. Autor a peste 50 de volume,
toate de prim rang n domeniul tiinei lingvisticii, Doctor
Honoris Causa al aproape 50 de Universiti i membru
de onoare al tuturor Societilor Lingvistice de anvergur,
Eugen Coeriu a fcut parte din categoria celor care se
nasc unul pe secol, un geniu printre genii. n anul 1991
Academia Romn l-a ales, cum era, de altfel, normal,
membru de onoare. A murit nvnd limba tasmanian.

27 iulie 1921 (Mihileni) 7 septembrie 2002 (Tbingen)

After finishing high school in Bli in 1939, he did

his academic studies in Iai, Rome, and Milan. As his
native Basarabia and the rest of Romania had been taken
over by the Communists, and implicitly by the Russians,
after graduating from the Faculty of Philosophy at the
University of Milan, Coeriu decided to remain in the free
world. In 1951, he was already a professor at Universidad
de Montevideo. His writings on linguistics gained
worldwide appreciation. He taught in Bohn and, in 1963,
the University of Tbingen offered him a teaching position
that he held until his death. His classes were described as
having universal reverberations. His area of research was
impressively wide: the history of languages, lexicology,
ethnolinguistics, dialectology, the theory and philosophy
of language. He could speak thirty languages, including
classical languages. For the most respectable specialists
in his field, The No.1 Linguist had reached a colossal,
almost astronomical level, as they often referred to him as
The Tbingen Giant. He authored more than fifty books
on linguistics and all of them were highly acclaimed.
Awarded Doctor Honoris Causa of nearly fifty universities
and elected honorary member of all high-profile
Linguistics Societies, Eugen Coeriu was one of those
people that are born once in a century a genius among
geniuses. In 1991, as it was only natural, the Romanian
Academy elected him honorary member. Just before he
died, he was studying the Tasmanian languages.

July 27, 1921 (Mihileni) September 7, 2002 (Tbingen)

A promova sub orice form o limb moldoveneasc, deosebit
de limba romna este, din punct de vedere strict lingvistic, ori o
greeal naiv, ori o fraud tiinific. Din punct de vedere istoric
i practic este o absurditate, o utopie i din punct de vedere politic e
o anulare a identitii etnice i culturale a unui popor i deci un act
de genocid etnico-cultural.

Eugen Coeriu

Advocating the Moldavian language as being independent

from the Romanian language, from the point of linguistics, is
either an innocent mistake, or a scientific fraud. Historically and
practically speaking, it is an absurdity, a fantasy. From a political
perspective, it translates as the annihilation of a nations cultural
and ethnic identity. In other words, we are talking about an ethnic
and cultural genocide.

Eugen Coeriu
 PREGTETE NTLNIREA ISTORIC
DE LA IERUSALIM NTRE PAPA PAUL AL
VI-LEA I PATRIARHUL ATHENAGORAS I
Intre anii 1943-1948 este student al Facultii de Litere i Filozofie din
Bucureti, fiind i asistentul lui Anton Dumitriu, la Catedra de Logic i Istoria
Filozofiei, n ultimii doi ani. Profesorul l va introduce n atmosfera Rugului
Aprins de la Mnstirea Antim. n 1949 se nscrie la Teologie, absolvit n 1956.
Ctig aprecierea Patriarhului Justinian, care l recomand pentru o burs n
India, i l susine n obinerea paaportului mpotriva refuzului Securitii.
Va sta cinci luni la Geneva, la Institutul Ecumenic. Aici scrie Simple reflecii
despre comunism, un text foarte acuzator la adresa ideologiei comuniste, publicat
postum. Pleac la Muntele Athos i de aici la Benares, unde va lucra pentru
doctorat pn n 1959. Se ntoarce la Paris, unde n 1960 i va obine cetenia
francez. Patriarhul ecumenic Athenagoras I al Constantinopolului l trimite
ca reprezentant personal al su la Conciliul Vatican II, sub noul pap Paul al
VI-lea , ntre 1963 i 1965. Devine arhimandrit al Patriarhiei Ecumenice de
Constantinopol i face posibil ntlnirea istoric de la Ierusalim. ntre 1968
i 1989 va fi profesor la Universitatea din Beirut i arhimandrit la o mnstire
ortodox din Liban, la Deir-El-Harf. Este membru fondator al Academiei
Internaionale de tiine Religioase din Bruxelles. Dup cderea regimului
comunist se ntoarce n Romnia n 1991, i se va stabili definitiv aici dup 1995.
Colaboreaz cu Andrei Pleu la Colegiul Noua Europa. Editura Humanitas i
public seria Operelor complete.
1 decembrie 1925 (Gheorgheni, judeul Ciuc interbelic) - 19 august 2000 (Bucureti)
ORGANIZES THE HISTORICAL
JERUSALEM MEETING BETWEEN POPE
PAUL VI AND ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH
ANTHENAGORAS I
From 1943 to 1948, Scrima studied at the Faculty of Letters and Philosophy
in Bucharest. For two years, between 1946 and 1948, he was the assistant
of Anton Dumitriu at the Department of Logic and History of Philosophy.
His professor introduced him to the Burning Bush movement at the Antim
Monastery. In 1949, he enrolled at the Faculty of Theology and graduated
in 1956. In appreciation for his results, Patriarch Justinian recommended
him for a scholarship to India and supported him in obtaining a passport in
spite of the refusal of the Secret Police. For five months, Scrima studied at the
Ecumenical Institute in Geneva. That was where he wrote Simple Reflections on
Communism a book posthumously published, in which he fervently criticised
the Communist ideology. He visited Mount Athos and from there he left to
Benares, where he worked on his PhD until 1959. He returned to Paris and in
1960 he obtained French citizenship. From 1963 to 1965, he was the personal
representative of Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras I of Constantinople at
the Second Vatican Council under the new Pope Paul VI. He was appointed
Archimandrite of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople; while holding
this position, he arranged the historical Jerusalem meeting. From 1968 to 1969,
he held lectures at the University of Beirut. He was also the archimandrite of an
Orthodox monastery at Deir-El-Harf, in Lebanon. He was a founding member
of the International Academy of Religious Sciences in Brussels. His first visit
to Romania after the fall of Communism was in 1991. In 1995, he returned to
Romania for good. He collaborated with Andrei Pleu at the New Europe College.
His complete works were published by Humanitas Publishing House.
December 1, 1925 (Gheorgheni, Ciuc County in the interwar period) August
19, 2000 (Bucharest)
"S-ar putea spune c, ntr-o ncercare suprem i monstruoas,
comunismul ia asupra lui i concentreaz n el toate pcatele
lumii, ns nu pentru a o mntui, ci pentru a o duce la pierzanie.
Dar astfel, el ofer contiinei cretine oglinda ntunecat a
propriei ei imagini, locul n care aceasta i poate contempla
cderea."
"Am eu dreptul, aa de uuratic, sa l definesc, s l in in
srmanele mele conturi, s l posed pe Hristos pana la a
proiecta n El lucruri decurgnd din mrunimea unei viei pe
care El a venit s-o ridice, s o deschid, nu s o nchid?
Daca porneti de la cretinism ca religie a excluziunii, daca
faci din superioritate un pretext pentru excluziune, m tem ca
nu eti n Duhul lui Hristos. Ori El spune: Sunt acolo unde
voi nu m-ai cutat".
"One could say that, in a supreme and monstrous experiment,
Communism takes over and contains all the sins of the world,
but not so as to save the world, but to drag it into perdition.
Communism thus forces the Christian conscience to gaze at its
own image reflected by a dark mirror. Communism provides
the Christian conscience with a place where it can contemplate
its fall.
Do I have this superficial right to define Christ, to keep Him
in my poor accounts, to possess Him and project in Him petty
things originating from a world which He came to rise and
to open, yet not to close? If you see Christianity as a religion
of exclusion, if you are using superiority as a pretext for
exclusion, Im afraid you do not live in Christs Spirit. For
He says: I am where you have not sought me.

Andrei Scrima
Andrei Scrima
 APARE THE ENTROPY LAW AND THE ENTROPY LAW AND THE
THE ECONOMIC PROCESS (LEGEA ECONOMIC PROCESS COMES OUT.
ENTROPIEI I PROCESUL ECONOMIC)

Concilierea ntre domenii aparent ireconcilabile este se pare o

vocaie a romnilor. Prinul Ghyka a aplicat legile fizicii la biologic,
legndu-le matematic de numrul de aur. Profesorul Nicolae Georgescu-
Roegen este fondatorul teoriei bioeconomice, o teorie care prezint un
mod revoluionar i integrator de a vedea economia. La sfritul anilor
60, economia i ecologia preau a nu avea nici o tangen. Profesorul
le-a adus mpreun, ntr-un mod fundamentat matematic i fizic de
mare elegan. Revoluia industrial i progresul tehnic nu avea pn
atunci nici o legtur cu evoluionismul lumii vii i ecologia. Astzi
pare de la sine neles c cele dou fenomene sunt strns legate i n
interdependen, dar numai dup ce economistul romn a venit cu o
clarificare decisiv, avnd i conotaii evidente de economie politic
contemporan. Georgescu-Roegen a reliefat contradicia dintre
principiul al doilea al termodinamicii i legea entropiei - adic ntre
degradarea de neevitat a resurselor naturale, ca urmare a folosirii
lor i creterea material nelimitat. A fcut studii de matematic la
Universitatea Bucureti, a studiat statistic la Universitatea Sorbonne
din Paris, apoi n Anglia. Fiind secretarul general al comisiei de mediere
a armistiiului dintre Romnia i rile vest-europene, membre ale
Aliailor, n anul 1944 , contribuie decisiv la apropierea punctelor de
vedere ale prilor implicate. Era evident c pentru rolul pe care l-a
jucat n aceste tratative i pentru activitatea sa diplomatic din timpul
rzboiului i dup acesta, urma s ajung pe mna comunitilor romni
aservii Moscovei. A emigrat n Statele Unite ale Americii mpreun cu
soia sa . Fusese profesor la Universitatea Bucureti, nainte de emigrare.
Dup, a predat la Universitatea Vanderbilt din Nashville, Tennessee, i,
respectiv, la cele din Geneva i Strassbourg.

4 februarie 1906 (Constana) - 30 octombrie 1994 (Nashville)

Romanians seem to have a vocation for reconciliation on apparently

irreconcilable fields. Prince Ghyka applied the law of physics to biology,
using the golden ratio as a mathematical link. Professor Nicolae
Georgescu-Roegen founded the theory of bioeconomics introducing
a revolutionary and comprehensive approach to economy. In the late
60s, economy and ecology apparently had anything in common. The
professor elegantly connected them in a theory using principles of
mathematics and physics. Until then, the industrial revolution and
technical progress had nothing to do with evolutionism and ecology.
Today, they are unanimously seen as two interdependent phenomena
that are closely tied, and that is the merit of the Romanian economist
who elucidated them, shedding light on the evident implications in
contemporary political economy. Georgescu-Roegen emphasized the
contradiction between the second principle of thermodynamics and
the entropy law that is between the inevitable degradation of natural
resources due to usage and the unlimited asset growth. Georgescu-
Roegen studied mathematics at the University of Bucharest and statistics
at the Sorbonne. He continued his academic education in England.
In 1944, he was the general secretary of the Armistice Commission
that negotiated Romanias peace conditions with the members of the
Allies, and played significant role in the process of reconciliation.
Obviously, due to his contribution to these negotiations as well as to his
diplomatic activities during the war, after 1948 he would have endured
the vengeance of the Romanian communists affiliated to Moscow. Before
immigrating to the United States with his wife, he was a professor at
the University of Bucharest. In the United States, he held lectures at the
Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee as well as at universities in
Geneva and Strasbourg.

February 4, 1906 (Constana) October 30, 1994 (Nashville)

"Fizica nsi ne nva astzi c Physics in itself teaches us
nu trebuie s inem cu orice pre that we mustnt insist on making
s nghesuim realitatea ntr-un reality fit into a context with
cadru necontradictoriu. Dup no contradictions. Just as
cum principiul complementaritii Niels Bohrs principle of
formulat de Niels Bohr ne nva complementarity teaches us that
c trebuie s acceptm faptul we must accept the fact that the
c electronul se comport att electron behaves both as a wave
ca o und, ct i ca o particul and as a particle two irreducible
noiuni ireductibile ntre ele -, options. In the same way, we need
tot aa trebuie s ne mpcm to accept that thermodynamic and
acum cu existena fenomenelor mechanical phenomena coexist,
termodinamice alturi de cele even though they are completely
mecanice, chiar dac ele sunt different.
opuse."
Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen
Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen
 E. G. ROBINSON PRIMETE
POST-MORTEM OSCARUL PENTRU
NTREAGA CARIER
Singurul romn al crui nume se regsete n palmaresul celor 87 de ediii
de pn acum ale Premiilor Oscar este Edward G. Robinson, unul dintre cei
mai importani actori ai lumii, cariera sa ntinzndu-se pe parcursul a 50 de
ani, n care a aprut n peste 101 filme. Robinson s-a nscut n Bucureti, la 12
decembrie 1893, cu numele de Emanuel Goldenberg. A emigrat n SUA, alturi
de prinii lui, la vrsta de numai 10 ani, pentru ca la 22 de ani s joace deja n
piese de teatru, pe Broadway. Absolvent al American Academy of Dramatic Arts,
are un considerabil succes, interpretnd roluri de gangsteri, iar figura lui devine
emblematic pentru imaginea de biat dur a mafiotului american al anilor
30-40. Kid Galahad i Key Largo sunt doar dou dintre filmele ce i-au adus
celebritatea, n multe dintre pelicule avndu-l ca partener pe Humphrey Bogart.
n deceniile urmtoare realizeaz roluri notabile n producii precum Cele 10
porunci i The Cincinatti Kid. n contrast vizibil cu multe dintre personajele sale
de pe ecran, Robinson a fost un om sensibil, indrgostit de art i de cultur,
care a vorbit apte limbi. A fost un pasionat colecionar de art, n cele din
urm a adunat destule tablouri pentru ca n parteneriat cu Vincent Price s
deschid o galerie. Mai mult dect att, Robinson ar fi trebuit s interpreteze
partitura principal n celebrul film Naul, regizorul iniial, Peter Bogdanovich,
distribuindu-l n rolul lui Vito Corleone. Aducerea lui Francis Ford Copolla ca
regizor a fcut ca acesta s-i impun propria preferin, rolul revenindu-i lui
Marlon Brando.
12 decembrie 1893 (Bucureti) - 25 ianuarie 1973 (Hollywood, California)
E.G. ROBINSON POSTHUMOUSLY WINS
HONORARY OSCAR FOR LIFETIME
ACHIEVEMENT.
Robinson is the only Romanian ever awarded in the 87 editions of the Oscars.
With a career over fifty years and performances in more than one hundred
movies, he was one of the most important actors of the world. Robinson was born
in Bucharest on December 12, 1893. His real name was Emanuel Goldenberg.
At only ten years of age, he emigrated to the United Stated with his parents.
At twenty-two, he was already playing on Broadway. He graduated from the
American Academy of Dramatic Arts and had a huge success in gangster roles.
Everybody remembers him as the bad guy, the American gangster of the 30s
and 40s. Kid Galahad and Key Largo are only two of the movies that made him
famous. He often played with Humphrey Bogart. In the years that followed, he
gave wonderful performances in movies such as The Ten Commandments and
The Cincinnati Kid. Unlike many of his characters, Robinson was a sensitive
man drawn to art and culture. He could speak seven foreign languages. He was a
passionate art collector; he partnered with Vincent Price and, using his impressive
collection of paintings, he opened an art gallery. Whats more, Robinson was
supposed to play Vito Corleone in The Godfather as Peter Bogdanovich, the initial
director, gave him the part. Eventually, the new director, Francis Ford Copolla,
preferred Marlon Brando over him.
December 12, 1893 (Bucharest) January 25, 1973 (Hollywood, California)
Cum este s te simi pregtit pentru cele mai What is it feel like to feel prepared for the
importante roluri scrise vreodat? Este de-a most important roles ever written?Its really
dreptul frustrant. Eti gata s nfruni toate frustrating. Youre ready to take up all the
provocrile, dar acestea nu exist. challenges, only there arent any.

Edward G. Robinson Edward G. Robinson

 GEORGE EMIL PALADE A PRIMIT
PREMIUL NOBEL
Admiterea la Facultatea de Medicin din Bucureti a nsemnat o deschidere
pentru spiritul scruttor al tnrului student spre universul microscopic. Un
deceniu mai trziu, a obinut doctoratul n medicin. ntre 1942-1945 i va servi
patria n Corpul Medical al Armatei Romne, apoi, simind c se instaureaz
un sistem i un regim strin intereselor i elitelor romne, va emigra cu soia n
SUA. A fost imediat angajat la Universitatea Rockefeller din New York i a fost
invitat de Albert Claude s lucreze n acelai laborator aferent departamentului
de patologie celular. Beneficind de puterea microscopului electronic, mpreun
cu Philip Siekewitz, a stabilit rolul fraciunilor mitocondriale n producerea
energiei. Savantul romn a explicat mecanismul celular n producerea proteinelor.
Recunoaterea valorii cercetrilor sale va fi fcut devreme, n 1961, cnd a
fost ales membru al Academiei de tiine din SUA, i n 1974, cnd, alturi de
profesorii Albert Claude i Christian Duve, i s-a decernat Premiul Nobel. n ara
natal, n 1975, a fost ales membru de onoare al Academiei RSR. n 12 martie
1986 preedintele Reagan i-a conferit Medalia Naional pentru tiin, iar n
1989 a fost ales i membru de onoare al Academiei Romno-Americane de Arte
i tiine. Ultima decoraie a primit-o n anul 2007 cnd i s-a decernat Ordinul
Naional Steaua Romniei.
19 noiembrie 1912 (Iai) 8 octombrie 2008 (New York)
GEORGE EMIL PALADE WAS AWARDED
THE NOBEL PRIZE
Palades admission to the University of Medicine of Bucharest opened new
doors for the sharp spirit of the young student, leading him even closer to the
microscopic universe. A decade later, he got his PhD in medicine. From 1942 to
1945, he did his military service in the Medical Corps of the Romanian Army.
Anticipating the installation of a new regime that betrayed the national interest
and the Romanian elite, he emmigrated with his wife to the United States. He was
soon hired by the Rockefeller University in New York, and Albert Calude invited
him to do research in the laboratory of the Department of Cellular Pathology.
Thanks to Philip Siekewitz and the capabilities of digital microscopy, he was able
to establish the role of mitochondrial fractions in the production of energy. The
Romanian scientist explained the cellular mechanism within the production of
proteins. The value of his research was acknowledged quite early: first, in 1961,
when he was elected member of the American Academy of Sciences, then in 1975,
when George Emil Palade, Albert Claude, and Christian Duve were awarded the
Nobel Prize. In 1975, he was elected honorary member of the Academy of the
Socialist Republic of Romania. On March 12, 1986, President Regan awarded
him the National Medal of Science. In 1989, he became honorary member of the
American Romanian Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2007, he was awarded his
last decoration the National Order Star of Romania.
November 19, 1912 (Iai) October 8, 2008 (New York)
"Palade a fost pentru biologia celular ceea ce Einstein Palade was to cell biology what Einstein was to
a fost pentru fizic. physics.

Gnter Blobel, elev al savantului de la Gnter Blobel, former student of the Rockefeller
Rockefeller, el nsui laureat cu Nobel scientist, also a Nobel Prize winner

Am cunoscut un tnr zvelt, frumos, demn, msurat He was a handsome slender man, who showed dignity
n tot ceea ce fcea, cu un pr negru, bogat i cu ochii and balance in everything that he did. He had thick
ptrunztori. Era foarte deschis, cu mult umor, i plceau black hair and a penetrating gaze. He was very
otiile camaradeti. sociable, had a great sense of humour, and loved pulling
innocent pranks.
Ion Juvara
Ion Juvara
Multidisciplinar, prima calitate... Perfecionist. Asta
e a doua calitate a lui Palade. n toat munca lui, a Multidisciplinarity was Palades first quality;
insistat asupra rigorii i calitii, nu doar n ceea ce-l perfectionism, his second. Throughout his work, he was
privea pe el nsui, ci i pe colaboratorii si. Pentru obsessed with rigour and quality, and he expected the
el, tiina era, de asemenea, art. i, nu n ultimul rnd, same from his collaborators. For him, science was also
Palade era armant. Era un gentleman de coal an art. Last but not least, Palade was truly charming:
veche, cu o etichet i cu o carism de excepie. Radia an old school gentleman with an exceptional etiquette
autoritate, dar fr nicio urm de arogan. and charisma. He could impose authority without the
slightest sign of arrogance.
Christian de Duve
Christian de Duve
 IOAN PETRU CULIANU NCEPE
ACTIVITATEA DIDACTIC LA DIVINITY
SCHOOL DIN CHICAGO
coala general i liceul le-a urmat la Iai. Din 1967 va fi student al Facultii
de Litere, Secia Italian, a Universitii din Bucureti. Teza de licen a avut titlul
Marsilio Ficino i platonismul n Renatere. A fost ndrumat de Cicerone Poghirc s
se specializeze n Italia. S-a nscris n PCR pentru a obine bursa necesar studiilor
i s-a ndreptat spre Perugia, unde a cerut azil politic. ntre 1973-1976 a studiat
istoria religiilor la Universitatea Catolica del Sacro Cuore din Milano, pe care a
absolvit-o cu o teza despre Gnosticism. Dup o edere n Olanda, unde, dup
ce a stat o vreme n lagrul de refugiai din Groningen, a predat la Universitatea
din localitate, n 1986 s-a stabilit n SUA, acolo devenind professor la Divinity
School din Chicago. Un an mai trziu i va susine doctoratul la Sorbona.
Atunci i-a atras atenia lui Mircea Eliade, sub a crui ndrumare s-a specializat n
cretinism timpuriu, Gnosticism i istoria Renaterii. Deosebit de activ, va ine
conferine de specialitate i va publica numeroase studii i cri foarte apreciate
de Eliade pentru erudiia i spiritul de ptrundere al autorului. Considernd
revoluia ce-l nlturase pe Ceauescu o lucrare pus la cale de Moscova, a pledat
pentru restaurarea Monarhiei, fapt ce se pare c i-a cauzat sfritul, nici pn n
prezent elucidat. Specializat n gnosticism, cretinism timpuriu, istoria i cultura
Renaterii, este autorul a trei cri publicate cu ajutorul lui Mircea Eliade la mari
edituri din Frana i Italia, traduse apoi n englez: Eros et magie la Renaissance
(1984), The Tree of Gnosis: Gnostic Mythology from Early Christianity to Modern
Nihilism (1992) sau Out of this World. Otherworldly Journeys from Gilgamesh to
Albert Einstein (1991).
5 ianuarie 1950 (Iai) 21 mai 1991 (Chicago)
JOHN PETER CULIANU BECOMES A
PROFESSOR AT UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
DIVINITY SCHOOL
Culianu did his primary and secondary studies at Iai. In 1967, he was
already studying Italian at the Faculty of Letters at the University of Bucharest.
He wrote his diploma on Marsilio Ficino and Platonism in the Renaissance.
Cicerone Poghirc recommended him to specialize in Italy. After enrolling in the
Romanian Communist Party so that he could benefit from a scholarship, he left
for Perugia, where he requested political asylum. From 1973 to 1976, he studied
the history of religions at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart of Milano
and graduated with a thesis on Gnosticism. He then went to the Netherlands. At
first, he stayed in the refugee camp in Groningen, and then worked as a professor
at the university in town. In 1986, he settled in the United States and started his
activity as a professor at the University of Chicago Divinity School. A year later,
he held his PhD presentation at the Sorbonne. That was when he caught the
attention of Mircea Eliade, who helped him specialize in Early Christianity and
the history of the Renaissance. Culianu was extremely active he held conferences
and published numerous studies and books that were highly acclaimed by
Eliade for their erudition and deep analysis. In his opinion, the revolution that
ousted Ceauescu had been the work of Moscow. Therefore, he advocated the
reinstallation of Monarchy, which presumably caused his death a mystery to
this day. Specialized in Gnosticism, Early Christianity, history and culture of the
Renaissance, Culianu authored three books that, with Mircea Eliades support,
were published by big publishing houses in France and Italy, and then translated
into English: Eros and Magic in the Renaissance (1984), Out of this World.
Otherworldly Journeys from Gilgamesh to Albert Einstein (1991), and The Tree of
Gnosis: Gnostic Mythology from Early Christianity to Modern Nihilism (1992),
January 5, 1950 (Iai) May 21, 1991 (Chicago)
"Singurul univers de proporii mondiale care duce direct
la moarte prin pietrificare, prin ngheare, este universul
comunist. El nu este capabil a-i trancede n nici un
fel condiia de existen, care e falsificarea unor date
de fapt. Dintre toate universurile prezente n perimetrul
lumii... universul comunist e singurul care nu are viitor,
fiindc nu are via. Efectul su este genocidul cultural.
Cauza sa este pcatul mpotriva Spiritului."

Ioan Petru Culianu

The Communist universe is the only universe of global

proportions that leads directly to death by petrification,
by freezing. It is absolutely incapable of transcending
existing conditions, meaning falsification of data. Of
all the earthly universes... the Communist universe is the
only one without a future, because it has no life. Cultural
genocide is its effect. The sin against the Spirit is its
cause.

Ioan Petru Culianu

 LA 31 AUGUST, PRIN EDICT PAPAL, ON AUGUST 31, POPE FRANCES APPROVES
MONSENIORUL VLADIMIR GHIKA THE BEATIFICATION OF MONSIGNOR
ESTE BEATIFICAT. VLADIMIR GHIKA.

Nepot al ultimului Domnitor al Moldovei Principele Grigore V. Ghica Vod[,
nscut n ziua de Crciun a anului 1873, avea s reediteze att ct i este dat unui
om, parcursul hristic, prin toate actele sale de credin i iubire fa de semeni
i prin cupa amar a morii martirice. Personalitate plurivalent, se instruiete
n tiine politice, drept, medicin, botanic, arte, litere, filozofie, pentru c,
ulterior s urmeze Facultatea de Filozofie-Teologie a Dominicanilor din Roma
dedicndu-se apostolatului laic n lume. Astfel oameni din Roma, Paris, Tokyo,
Sidney, Buenos Aires beneficiaz de haric sa prezen ntru sntatea trupului
i a spiritului, timp de peste patru decenii. Reuete s nfiineze o nou parohie
Sfnta Tereza a muncitorilor din suburbia Parisului, i ntemeiaz Opera Frailor
i Surorilor Sf.Ioan c Societate auxiliar de misiuni. Al doilea rzboi mondial
l gsete n Romnia unde sfrete c victim a regimului comunist, ntemniat
la Jilava, omort prin tortur. Ziua morii sale, 16 Mai, va fi ziua n care va fi
sarabatorit de ctre Biserica Catolic . Autor al mai multor articole i conferine,
noteaz idei ce vor fi strnse n lucrarea Gnduri pentru zilele ce vin din care
citez Sngele pteaz ntotdeauna. Numai sngele care rscumpra nu pteaz.
Dimpotriv.El spal. Spal chiar i ceea ce e de neters. Beatificarea prin edict
papal, reprezint un act firesc, un omagiu postum ntru credin.
The grandson of the last ruling Prince of Moldova, Grigore V. Ghica, was
born on Christmas, in 1873. Through his acts of faith and his love of people as
well as through the bitter cup of his martyrdom, his walk through life somewhat
resembled Christs path. He was versatile and had solid knowledge of political
sciences, law, medicine, botanic, art, philology and philosophy. After graduating
from the Faculty of Philosophy and Theology of the Dominican College in Rome,
he spent his life in a perpetual apostolate in the secular world. For more than forty
years, he inspired people from Rome, Paris, Tokyo, Sydney, and Buenos Aires to
lead a healthy life in both body and spirit. He founded Saint Theresas Parish for
Paris slum workers. He also founded St. John Opera of Brothers and Sisters - an
auxiliary missionary society. When World War II broke out, he was in Romania.
The Communists imprisoned him at Jilava and tortured him to death. The day he
died, May 16, is now commemorated by the Catholic Church. He wrote several
articles and held many conferences. All his meditations are included in his book
Thoughts for Days Ahead. Here are some fragments: Blood always leaves a stain.
Except for the redeeming blood; this one doesnt. On the contrary, it washes away
everything, even what cannot be erased. His beatification was a natural gesture, a
posthumous tribute in the name of faith.

25 decembrie 1873, Istanbul (vechiul Constantinopol), December 25, 1873 (Istanbul/Old Constantinople in the
Imperiul Otoman - 16 mai 1954, Jilava, Bucureti) Ottoman Empire) May 16, 1954 (Jilava, Bucharest)
 Calea spre Paradis are doar lrgimea unei
persoane i nlimea unei cruci.
Se sufer proporional cu dragostea pe care o
ai. Capacitatea de a suferi este n noi aceeai cu
capacitatea de a iubi. Este, ntr-un fel, umbra ei
arztoare i teribil.

Monseniorul Vladimir Ghika

The path to Paradise is as wide as person

and as high as a cross.
One suffers just as much one loves. Our
capacity to suffer is the same with our capacity
to love. In a way, it is its terrible, mystifying
shadow.

Monsignor Vladimir Ghika