NICOLAE IORGA (1871 - 1940)

Monumental personality of the Romanian culture, gifted with an extraordinary memory, the greatest polygraph of Romania (around 1250 published volumes and 25,000 articles). Iorga was born, like other great people, in the north of the country, in Botosani. During the primary school and the gymnasium he astonished his teachers. Finishes the National highschool in Iasi (1888); and manage to finish with "Magna cum laude" the University of Iasi in one year (1889). In the year in which Eminescu and Greanga are dieing the was already a phenomena. Make brilliant studies in Paris, Berlin and Leipzig, obtaining his doctorate degree in 1893 and become at 23 years old correspondent member of the Academy (in 1911 he will become full member). The young savant takes by contest, in 1894, the history course at th Bucharest University. He had traveled a lot in the big cities of Europe, diging in archieves for documents regarding the Romanians history. Knowns almost all the modern languages (in many of them he wrote). In 1903, take the leadership of the Semanatorul review. In 1906 sets up the "Neamul românesc" newspaper, where he was writing every day, till his assasination, proving a great love for everything that is Romanian. Was an excellent orator. He was living for many years in his house at Valenii de Munte, bought in 1907, where was the tipography of the "Neamul românesc" newspaper. From 1922, the summer courses from Valenii de Munte have been called "N. Iorga Popular University". Today is a memorial museum, with objects and furniture of the savant.

In 1940, November 27, at 5 P.M., he was lifted by force from his working desk (from his villa from Sinaia) and assasinated beastly by the legion members, at Strejnic, near Ploiesti. At 69 years old, his heart and had were riddled by bullets.

Historian of great European class, with a monumental work in this field, political man with great energy (the set up the National-democrat party, was prim-minister and close to the Royal House), Iorga was prolific also in literary history and critic.

As lirical poet, he wrote poems, singing love, nature and history. The most succesful is the historical drama Ieremia's Lady, about the tragic destiny of Elisabeta Movila. As memorialist, he let us massive volumes: Oameni care au fost and O viata de om, asa cum a fost.

Last update: 1999, September 8
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