Titu Maiorescu

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Titu Maiorescu

Titu Maiorescu in 1882

Prime Minister of Romania

In office
28 March 1912 31 December 1913

Monarch Carol I

Preceded by Petre P. Carp

Succeeded by Ion I. C. Brtianu

Minister of Foreign Affairs

In office
29 December 1910 4 January 1914

Preceded by Alexandru Djuvara

Succeeded by Emanuel Porumbaru

Personal details

Born 15 February 1840

Craiova, Romania
 Died 18 June 1917 (aged 77)

Bucharest, Romania

Nationality Romanian

Political party Conservative Party

Titu Liviu Maiorescu (Romanian: [titu majoresku]; 15 February 1840 18 June 1917) was
a Romanian literary critic and politician, founder of the Junimea Society. As a literary critic, he
was instrumental in the development of Romanian culture in the second half of the 19th century.
A member of the Conservative Party, he was Foreign Minister between 1910 and 1914 and Prime
Minister of Romania from 1912 to 1913. He represented Romania at the Peace Conference in
Bucharest that ended the Second Balkan War. In politics as in culture he
favoured Germanyover France. He opposed Romania's entry in World War I against Germany,
but he nevertheless refused to collaborate with the German army after it had occupied Bucharest.

Contents
[hide]

1Biography
o 1.1Childhood
o 1.2At Theresianum Academy
o 1.3University studies
o 1.4PhD
o 1.5Career as a university teacher
o 1.6Involvement in social life
o 1.7Foundation of the Junimea Society
o 1.8Work as a literary critic
2References
3External links

Biography[edit]
Titu Liviu Maiorescu was born in Craiova, on 15 February 1840. Maiorescu's mother, born Maria
Popazu, was the sister of the bookman bishop of Caransebe, Ioan Popazu. The family Popazu
came from Vlenii de Munte. His father, Ioan Maiorescu, was the son of a Transylvanian peasant
from Bucerdea Grnoas and his name was actually Trifu, but he adopted the name Maiorescu in
order to emphasize his kindship with Petru Maior. Being a theologian by trade (having studied in
Blaj, Budapest, Vienna), Ioan Maiorescu proved to be a free thinker. He worked at a teacher in
Cernui, Craiova, Iai, Bucharest and he remained a bright personality of that epoch of formation
for the Romanian modern educational system. Ioan Maiorescu became an inspector for the
schools of Oltenia, then he worked as a teacher at the Central School of Craiova. During
the Revolution of 1848 he strengthened the link between the Walachian and Transylvanian
revolutionaries and he activated as an agent of the Interim Govern, near the German Dieta
from Frankfurt. Meanwhile, his family, consisting of his wife, Maria, born Popasu and his two
children, Emilia and Titu, travelled to Bucharest, Braov, Sibiu and Blaj, staying in Braov for a
long while and there, the future critic attended grade fifth at the Romanian gymnasium. Settling
in Vienna, Ioan Maiorescu wrote articles in the Austrian newspapers concerning Romanian and
Romanians. Returning to Romania after the Union, he became president of the Obteasca
Epitropie (The Public Trusteeship), then he worked as director of the Central Commission of the
United Principalities, then he worked as a teacher at the Saint Sava National College, as director
of Public Instruction Eforie and then as a teacher at the Superior School of Letters in Bucharest.
Childhood[edit]
Between 1846 and 1848 Titu Maiorescu attended the primary school in Craiova. During the days
of the revolution, Ioan Maiorescu was sent on a mission to Frankfurt am Main, while Maria
Maiorescu and their children travelled to Bucharest, Braov and Sibiu. In December 1848, under
the leadership of Avram Iancu, Ioan Maiorescu's family arrived in Blaj and then in Braov. Titu
Maiorescu continued primary school between 1848 and 1850 at Protodeacon Iosif Barac's
School.
Between 1850 and 1851, after finishing primary school, Titu Maiorescu was enlisted at the
Romanian Gymnasium from Schei-Braov, a gymnasium founded in 1850 through his uncle Ioan
Popazu's endeavour. He attended grade fifth at the Romanian gymnasium from Braov and
met Anton Pann, who left him an ineffaceable impression.
At Theresianum Academy[edit]
In September 1851 the Maiorescu family settled in Vienna, where his father was working within
the Ministry of Justice. Later in October Titu Maiorescu attended the first grade at the Academic
Gymnasium, which was an addendum of the Theresianum Academy for foreigners. A month
later, they equated his results from the gymnasium from Braov and he passed to the next grade.
While attending the academy in Vienna, Maiorescu a began to write his nsemnrilor zilnice (Daily
Journal) (which he kept until July 1917, in 42 notebooks that belong today to the fund of
manuscripts from the Romanian Academy Library) and he continued to write his journal until the
end of his life. His notes are a good source of knowing Maiorescu's personality. His success from
1858, when he graduated first in his class at the Theresianum Academy, was a guerdon of all his
efforts and strong will.
University studies[edit]
He was very eager to obtain his university (after only one year of studies in Berlin he obtained his
PhD at Giessen with magna cum laude, then after a year, he got his license at the Philology and
Philosophy University of Sorbona and one year later, after he studied at the University of Paris,
he took his license in Law), but his eagerness did not affect his demureness in his studies; the
foundations of Maiorescu's extremely solid culture were established during that period.
On 3 January 1857, he sent an essay signed with the name Aureliu to the Transylvania
Gazette in order to publish some of his translations from Jean Paul's works. In the following
number he intended to publish the translation of a short story written by Jean Paul and entitled
"New Year's Eve Night". Although the translation was not published at that date, the letter that
Aurel A. Mureianu edited later in the Gazette of books, no 1, in 1934 is still considered the first
publishing attempt of T. Maiorescu and it was republished under the same title. In 1858, beside
his academic activity, he worked as a teacher of psychology in private boarding schools and as
a French teacher in the house of legal counselor Georg Kremnitz.
As a preparatory for French language for the Kremnitz family, Titu Maiorescu taught the four
children of the family: Klara (his future wife), Helene, Wilhelm (future Dr. W. Kremnitz, Mite
Kremnitz's husband, born Bardeleben) and Hermann. Titu Maiorescu got his PhD in Philosophy
at Giessen with magna cum laude. The Giessen University considered, in order to allow him to
get a PhD, that the last two years at Theresianum were university studies. When he returned to
Romania, he published the article "The Measure of Height through a Barometer" in the review Isis
or Nature.
PhD[edit]
In December 1860 he got his license in Philology and Philosophy at Sorbonne due to the
acknowledgment of his doctorate from Giessen. The following year, he published his Philosophy
essay entitled Einiges Philosophische in gemeinfasslicher Form (Philosophical Considerations
for Everybody's Understanding) in Berlin, obviously under the influence of Herbart's
and Feuerbach's ideas.
On 17 December, after they considered the value of the essay Einiges Philosophische in
gemeinfasslicher Form (Some Philosophy at Everybody's Understanding) and after "a verbal
defense in front of the academic committee, brilliantly held for original opinions", the Sorbonne
committee granted him the title of "licenc s lettres" (Philology Licensed). Afterwards, Titu
Maiorescu prepared his doctorate on the thesis: La relation. Essai dun nouveau fondement de la
philosophie (The Relation. Essay on a new foundation of philosophy), until the end of the year
1861, when he left France.
Career as a university teacher[edit]
In the summer of 1862 he was assigned as a substitute lawyer at the Law Court, then he became
an attorney. He married his pupil, Clara Kremnitz. In November/December, he became a teacher
at the University of Iai and principal of the Central Gymnasium from the same town.
In 1863 he was assigned to teach a University course of history, on the subject About the History
of the Roman Republic from the Introduction of Plebeian Tribunes until the Death of Julius
Caesar Especially Regarding the Economical and Political Progress. From February until
September he was the Dean of the Philosophy Faculty of the University of Iai. On 18 September
1863 he was elected as rector of the University of Iai for a period of four years. In October he
was assigned as principal of the School Vasile Lupu from Iai. He taught Pedagogy, Romanian
Grammar, Psychology and Composition there. For the first time in Romania, he initiated the
Pedagogic Practice for pupils and one of these pupils was Ion Creang.
In 1863 Titu Maiorescu published in Iai the "Yearbook of the Gymnasium and the Boarding
School from Iai for the School Year 18621863"; the yearbook was preceded by his thesis: Why
Should the Latin Language be Studied in Gymnasium as Part of the Foundation of Moral
Education? On 28 March Titu Maiorescu's daughter, Livia, was born. She later married Dymsza;
she died in 1946. On 8 October Titu Maiorescu is elected to lead the Institute Vasilian from Iai,
which needed to be fundamentally reorganized. In order to complete this mission,
commissioned by the Minister of Public Directions from back then, Alexandru Odobescu, he
traveled on a documentary journey to Berlin and later he returned to Iai on 4 January 1864.
Between 18631864 Titu Maiorescu taught Philosophy at the Philology University of Iai.
Involvement in social life[edit]
On 10 March 1861, Titu Maiorescu held a lecture (Die alte franzsische Tragdie und die
Wagnersche Musik The Old French Tragedy and Wagner's Music) in Berlin for the benefit of
the monument of Lessing from Kamenz, which he repeated on 12 April in Paris, at the Cercle
des socits savantes (Circle of Academic Societies) and later renewed in the form of a
communication, on 27 April in Berlin, at the Philosophy Society.
On 28 November he obtained his Law Licence in Paris, on the thesis "Du rgime dotal" ("On
Dowery Law"). On 10 December he began his lecture cycle on Education Within the Family.
Afterwards he went back to Romania and settled in Bucharest in December.
When he returned to Romania, at the end of 1861, Titu Maiorescu was eager to contribute to the
progress of the recently formed state, after the Union of 1859, of the cultural and political life, of a
European level. At that time, when the Union was done and personalities of fresh energies and
cultured people were needed, people who were educated in Western Universities, Titu Maiorescu
had an early ascent, from his youth, as he was a University professor at 22 years old (in Iai), a
dean at 23 and a rector at the same age, then he became an academician (member of
the Romanian Academic Society) at 27, a deputy at 30, then a minister at age 34. But this ascent
was not always smooth or without hardships, as he was once sued because of all the calumnies
that his political opponents promoted and he was suspended from all his functions in 1864, but
the verdict of discharge from the following year proved the baselessness of all the accusation
against him.
Foundation of the Junimea Society[edit]
The years 1860 were for Maiorescu the period of popular prelections (lectures on various
problemes addressed to a quite large audience) and also the period when the foundation of
the Junimea Society took place. He founded it alongside his friends I. Negruzzi, Petre P. Carp, V.
Pogor and Th.Rosetti. He started his work as a lawyer, then he was elected principal of
the School Vasile Lupu from Iai, and then he founded the a review Convorbiri Literare in 1867.

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Although the period that followed after the Union of 1859 represented an epoch of completion of
the ideals of the generation of 1848, a few accents still had changed, the conditions were
different from the romantic youth of Heliade Rdulescu, Alecsandri or Blcescu. Maiorescu was
representing the new generation, the junimist generation, which had a new conception on social
and Romanian cultural life. On the political ideology plan, Maiorescu was a retentionist, an
advocate of a natural, organic and well prepared evolution and an adversary of the forms without
root, whose indictment he made in his article from 1868, Against nowadays direction in
Romanian culture, in which he criticized the implementation of certain institutions which were
imitated after the Western ones and to which no appropriate root corresponded in the mentalitaty,
creation and cultural legacy of the Romanian people.
Work as a literary critic[edit]
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The beginnings of Maiorescu's literary critic activity stand apart from the previous generation.
Unlike the previous years of the revolution from 1848, when an intense need of original literature
determined Heliade Rdulescu to address enthusiastic appeals for Romanian literary works, the
seventh decade of the 19th century was marked by a large number of poets and prosemen, who
had very limited artistical devices, but high ideals and pretences. It was a time when the selection
of true values was needed, on the basis of certain aesthetic criteria and Maiorescu agreed to
accomplish that task. The adversaries of his ideas depreciatively called his action a judicial
criticism, because his studies and articles did not analyse in detail the literary work that they had
discussed and they contain many apothegms on it. These are based on an ample culture, a
determined artistic taste and on impressive intuitions. The mentor of Junimea society considered
this type of criticism (neatly affirmative or negative) necessary only to that epoch of clutter of
values, as its modalities of execution would gradate later, in the literary life, when the great
writers would elevate the artistic level and implicitly would have the public's exigency augmented.
This work as a tutor, as fighter for the assertion of values, would be led by Maiorescu throughout
his entire life and would be divided between his political activity (he would become prime minister,
but he will lose a friend from his youth, P.P. Carp), his University activity (as a professor he had
and he promoted disciples of great value, like C. Rdulescu-Motru, P.P. Negulescu, Pompiliu
Eliade and others), his lawyer activity and his literary critic activity. Maiorescu was seldom
reproached for not having spent enough time on writing literary works but his work as a literary
critic profoundly marks one of the most lusty epochs in the history of Romanian literature: the
period of the great classics. The role of Junimea society and of Maiorescu himself is linked to the
creation and the assertion in the public's conscience of writers
like Eminescu, Creang, Caragiale, Slavici, Duiliu Zamfirescu and others.
Concerning his conduct, the manner that people reproached Maiorescu for his coldness, his lack
of passion, his Olympian attitude, that he seemed to hide a dry soul; for exemplifying this
statement, the famous appraisal made by the igneous N. Iorga: Nobody was warm or cold
beside him. The help that Maiorescu gave to the writers from the circle of Junimea and to his
disciples and even to his adversary, Dobrogeanu-Gherea, in an important moment of his life,
unfolded a man of great and at the same time discreet generosity. The lines that Maiorescu wrote
to Eminescu when Eminescu was ill and was worried about the fees for his boarding at the
sanatorium from Ober-Dbling prove that Maiorescu was endowed with an admirable gentleness
of heart:
Do you want to know where the means to pay your fees come from for now? Well, mister
Eminescu, are we such strangers to each other? Don't you know the love (if you allow me to use
this exact word, although it is stronger than other words), the often enthusiastic admiration that I
and our entire literary circle feels for you, for your poems, for your whole literary and political
work? But it was a real explosion of love that we, all your friends (and only these), contributed to
support the few material needs that your situation require. And you would have done the same in
using the large or small sum you had when any of your friends would have needed, so we cannot
forget a friend of your great value.

References[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has
media related to Titu
Maiorescu.

Romanian Wikisource has

original text related to this
article:

Titu Maiorescu (original

works in Romanian)

Titu Maiorescu, "Contra coalei Brnuiu", "Against Brnuiu's School" (1868)