Petre P. Panaitescu (March 11, 1900 – November 14, 1967) was a Romanian literary historian. A native of
Iași, he spent most of his adult life in the national capital
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
, where he rose to become a professor at
its main university. As such, he challenged various aspects of the dominant nationalist historiography. However, he also joined the ultra-nationalist
Iron Guard, and headed the university during the movement's
brief time in power. After the Guard was
violently suppressed at the beginning of 1941, he lost his professorial position. When a communist-dominated government entered office in early 1945, he was arrested and imprisoned. Panaitescu was freed by the end of the year, the new authorities finding useful his theories of Slavic influence on Romania's national trajectory. He worked as a researcher in the latter part of his career, retiring in 1965, two years before his death.
Biography
Education and early career
Born in
Iași to engineer Panait Panaitescu and his wife Leonia (''née'' Greceanu), he attended primary school in his native city, followed by high school in
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
. He attended the literature and philosophy faculty of the
University of Bucharest
The University of Bucharest ( ro, Universitatea din București), commonly known after its abbreviation UB in Romania, is a public university founded in its current form on by a decree of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza to convert the former Princel ...
from 1918 to 1922, and took specialty courses at
Jagiellonian University in
Kraków
Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...
from 1923 to 1924. From 1924 to 1926, he was a member of the Romanian school at
Fontenay-aux-Roses
Fontenay-aux-Roses () is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.
In 1880 a girls school École Normale Supérieure was opened in the town. It was one of the most prestigious of Paris and ...
. His first published work appeared in ''Revista istorică'' in 1917; the article dealt with a court case in the
Danubian Principalities. Other magazines to which he contributed include ''
Convorbiri Literare
''Convorbiri Literare'' ( Romanian: ''Literary Talks'') is a Romanian literary magazine published in Romania. It is among the most important journals of the nineteenth-century Romania.
History and profile
''Convorbiri Literare'' was founded by ...
'', ''Studii'', ''Arhiva românească'', ''Buletinul Comisiei Istorice a României'', ''Romanoslavica'', ''Studii și cercetări de istorie medie'', ''
Revista Fundațiilor Regale
''Revista Fundațiilor Regale'' ("The Review of Royal Foundations") was a monthly literary, art and culture magazine published in Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeas ...
'', ''Memoriile Secției Istorice a Academiei'', ''Mélanges de l’École Roumaine en France'' and ''
Viața Românească
''Viața Românească'' (, "The Romanian Life") is a monthly literary magazine published in Romania. Formerly the platform of the left-wing traditionalist trend known as poporanism, it is now one of the Writers' Union of Romania's main venues.
...
'', as well as Polish and Soviet reviews. His first book, from 1923, was a biographical study of
Nicolae Bălcescu
Nicolae Bălcescu () (29 June 181929 November 1852) was a Romanian Wallachian soldier, historian, journalist, and leader of the 1848 Wallachian Revolution.
Early life
Born in Bucharest to a family of low-ranking nobility, he used his mother' ...
.
In 1925, he earned a doctorate in history; his thesis analyzed the Polish influence on the works and personalities of the chroniclers
Grigore Ureche
Grigore Ureche (; 1590–1647) was a Moldavian chronicler who wrote on Moldavian history in his ''Letopisețul Țării Moldovei'' ('' Chronicles of the Land of Moldavia''), covering the period from 1359 to 1594.
Biography
Grigore Ureche was th ...
and
Miron Costin. Subsequently, he became a professor at his alma mater,
and was elected a corresponding member of the
Romanian Academy
The Romanian Academy ( ro, Academia Română ) is a cultural forum founded in Bucharest, Romania, in 1866. It covers the scientific, artistic and literary domains. The academy has 181 active members who are elected for life.
According to its byl ...
in 1934.
View of history, Guardist affiliation and downfall
Together with
Gheorghe I. Brătianu
Gheorghe (George) I. Brătianu (January 28 1898 – April 23–27, 1953) was a Romanian politician and historian. A member of the Brătianu family and initially affiliated with the National Liberal Party (Romania, 1875), National Liberal Par ...
and
Constantin C. Giurescu
Constantin C. Giurescu (; 26 October 1901 – 13 November 1977) was a Romanian historian, member of the Romanian Academy, and professor at the University of Bucharest.
Born in Focșani, son of historian Constantin Giurescu (historian), Constant ...
, Panaitescu was a member of the "new school" of Romanian history that published in ''Revista istorică română'' and defined itself in opposition to
Nicolae Iorga
Nicolae Iorga (; sometimes Neculai Iorga, Nicolas Jorga, Nicolai Jorga or Nicola Jorga, born Nicu N. Iorga;Iova, p. xxvii. 17 January 1871 – 27 November 1940) was a Romanian historian, politician, literary critic, memoirist, Albanologist, poet ...
and his ''Revista istorică''. He wrote a 1936 study of
Michael the Brave
Michael the Brave ( ro, Mihai Viteazul or ; 1558 – 9 August 1601), born as Mihai Pătrașcu, was the Prince of Wallachia (as Michael II, 1593 – 1601), Prince of Moldavia (1600) and ''de facto'' ruler of Transylvania (1599 – 1600). ...
that de-emphasized the dominant narrative of Michael as hero, and focused instead on the social class that dictated his actions, namely the ''
boyars
A boyar or bolyar was a member of the highest rank of the feudal nobility in many Eastern European states, including Kievan Rus', Bulgaria, Russia, Wallachia and Moldavia, and later Romania, Lithuania and among Baltic Germans. Boyars wer ...
''. The book drew a harsh review from Iorga, who claimed Panaitescu was bringing Michael down from his pedestal, and even committing
lèse-majesté
Lèse-majesté () or lese-majesty () is an offence against the dignity of a ruling head of state (traditionally a monarch but now more often a president) or the state itself. The English name for this crime is a borrowing from the French, w ...
by claiming he was not the son of
Pătrașcu the Good
Pătrașcu the Good ( ro, Pătrașcu cel Bun), (? – 24 December 1557) was a ruler of the principality of Wallachia, between 1554 and 24 December 1557, one of many rulers of Wallachia during the 16th century. A member of the House of Drăculești, ...
.
He questioned major elements of other Romanian historical myths, prioritizing material, social and cultural structures over the heroic and personalized approach. In a 1944 article, he asserted that the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
failed to directly incorporate the Principalities not because of the struggles of Romanians against the Turks (an important theme in mainstream historiography), but because the Ottomans' thrust into Europe lay along a different path, and they found it more advantageous to exploit the area indirectly. Like
Ioan Bogdan Ioan Bogdan may refer to:
* Ioan Bogdan (historian) (1864–1919), Romanian historian and philologist
* Ioan Bogdan (footballer) (born 1956), Romanian footballer
See also
* Ion Bogdan (1915–1992), Romanian footballer and manager
* Ioan
* Bog ...
, he considered that the Slavs were important in medieval Romanian history, even considering the indigenous boyar class to be of Slav origin; on the other hand, he followed
Dimitrie Onciul
Dimitrie Onciul (26 October / 7 November 1856 – 20 March 1923) was a Romanian historian. He was a member of the Romanian Academy and its president from 1920 until his death in 1923.
Biography
Onciul was born in Straja, at the time in the D ...
in downplaying the notion of
Daco-Roman continuity.
[Boia, p. 69] Challenging
Alexandru Dimitrie Xenopol's thesis regarding the Byzantine influence on national culture, he asserted that Romanians between the ninth and the eighteenth century had adopted a Slavo-Byzantine culture. For him, far from being a misfortune of history, this development was necessary given the prevailing social, economic and spiritual conditions. It also fostered national cohesion, allowing Romanians in the three historical provinces of
Moldavia
Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic alphabet, Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and for ...
,
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia (; ro, Țara Românească, lit=The Romanian Land' or 'The Romanian Country, ; archaic: ', Romanian Cyrillic alphabet: ) is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and s ...
and
Transylvania
Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
to resist foreign invasion and denationalization. He added that early Romanians failed to adopt Western culture because its technical and urban nature was alien to them.
Despite his anti-nationalist stance as a historian, Panaitescu belonged to the extreme nationalist
Iron Guard for a time. Under the
National Legionary State
The National Legionary State was a totalitarian fascist regime which governed Romania for five months, from 14 September 1940 until its official dissolution on 14 February 1941. The regime was led by General Ion Antonescu in partnership with the ...
(September 1940-January 1941), he was the University of Bucharest's rector as well as editor of ''Cuvântul'' newspaper, which was replete with historical-mythological constructs.
The sole full professor in the literature faculty who belonged to the Guard, he had kept his position and perhaps his life during the
National Renaissance Front
The National Renaissance Front ( ro, Frontul Renașterii Naționale, FRN; also translated as ''Front of National Regeneration'', ''Front of National Rebirth'', ''Front of National Resurrection'', or ''Front of National Renaissance'') was a Romani ...
regime's wave of repression against the movement in 1938-1939 thanks to the intervention of Giurescu,
Mihai Ralea
Mihai Dumitru Ralea (also known as Mihail Ralea, Michel Raléa, or Mihai Rale;Straje, p. 586 May 1, 1896 – August 17, 1964) was a Romanian social scientist, cultural journalist, and political figure. He debuted as an affiliate of Poporanism, th ...
and
Alexandru Rosetti. Ralea, a close friend of
Interior Minister Armand Călinescu
Armand Călinescu (4 June 1893 – 21 September 1939) was a Romanian economist and politician, who served as 39th Prime Minister from March 1939 until his assassination six months later. He was a staunch opponent of the fascist Iron Guard and m ...
, spent more than three hours arguing with Călinescu until the latter removed Panaitescu's name from a list of Guardists to be interned. Many of those interned were subsequently killed. Following the assassination of Iorga in late November 1940, Panaitescu and dean
Alexandru Marcu did fly the flag at half-mast, but this was quickly replaced by Guardist students with the movement's green banner.
As a result of the January 1941
suppression of the Guard, Panaitescu's university career was over, and he was suspended from his department effective March 1. Starting in June 1943, he worked at the Peace Bureau, an office created by
Foreign Minister Mihai Antonescu
Mihai Antonescu (18 November 1904 – 1 June 1946) was a Romanian politician who served as Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister during World War II, executed in 1946 as a war criminal.
Early career
Born in Nucet, Dâmbovița County, w ...
with the scope of formulating Romanian demands at the peace conference that was bound to follow when the ongoing World War II came to an end.
[Petre Otu, ]Ioan Scurtu
Ioan is a variation on the name John found in Romanian, Bulgarian, Russian, Welsh (), and Sardinian. It is usually masculine. The female equivalent in Romanian and Bulgarian is Ioana. In Russia, the name Ioann is usually reserved for the cle ...
, "P. C. R. și legionarii: P. P. Panaitescu", in ''Magazin istoric'', 1/1997, p. 3
Under communism
Due to his enthusiasm for the Iron Guard and his articles in ''Cuvântul'', he was arrested in April 1945, under the new
Romanian Communist Party-dominated government; following an agreement between former Guard leaders and Soviet agent
Alexandru Nicolschi
Alexandru Nicolschi (born Boris Grünberg, his chosen surname was often rendered as Nikolski or Nicolski; russian: Александр Серге́евич Никольский, ; June 2, 1915 – April 16, 1992) was a Romanian communist activist, ...
, Panaitescu and those imprisoned alongside him were released that December.
Starting in 1946 and through the end of 1948, he was a technical adviser at the Romanian-Russian Museum.
Meanwhile, in the summer of 1948, he became section director of the Balkan studies and research institute, which was soon folded into the Academy's history institute, where he remained until his retirement in 1965.
Also that summer, he was
stripped of his Academy membership.
It was only in 1954 that he managed to resume work openly as a researcher, at the
Nicolae Iorga Institute. For several years prior, he was obliged to write under the pseudonym Al. Grecu.
[Răzvan Pârâianu, "Dimitrie Cantemir. Cultură, umanism și educație socialistă", p. in ''Dimitrie Cantemir'', p. 220, ed. Klaus Bochmann. Leipziger Universitätsverlag, 2008, ] Despite his undesirable past, the regime found him useful as a Slavist who focused on historical ties between Romanians and Russians, or the activities of the peasantry.
[ Mihai Popa]
"Interpretarea comunistă a istoriei"
in ''Historia'', December 16, 2013 In his later years, he wrote several weighty volumes about early Romanian history, including a 1958 study of
Dimitrie Cantemir
Dimitrie or Demetrius Cantemir (, russian: Дмитрий Кантемир; 26 October 1673 – 21 August 1723), also known by other spellings, was a Romanian prince, statesman, and man of letters, regarded as one of the most significant e ...
's life and work, a 1965 analysis of written Romanian's beginnings and a posthumous 1969 introduction to Romanian cultural history.
[Aurel Sasu (ed.), ''Dicționarul biografic al literaturii române'', vol. II, p. 276. Pitești: Editura Paralela 45, 2004. ]
Notes
References
*
Lucian Boia
Lucian Boia (born 1 February 1944 in Bucharest) is a Romanian historian. He is mostly known for his debunking of historical myths about Romania, for purging mainstream Romanian history from the deformations due to ideological propaganda. I.e. as ...
, ''History and Myth in Romanian Consciousness'', Central European University Press, 2001,
{{DEFAULTSORT:Panaitescu, Petre
1900 births
1967 deaths
Writers from Iași
National Liberal Party-Brătianu politicians
Members of the Iron Guard
Romanian literary historians
Romanian medievalists
Slavists
Romanian newspaper editors
University of Bucharest alumni
Academic staff of the University of Bucharest
Rectors of the University of Bucharest
Romanian prisoners and detainees
Corresponding members of the Romanian Academy