The Romanian Writers' Society ( ro, Societatea Scriitorilor Români) was a professional association based 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 ...

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

, that aided the country's writers and promoted their interests. Founded in 1909, it operated for forty years before the early

communist regime A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state that is administered and governed by a communist party guided by Marxism–Leninism. Marxism–Leninism was the state ideology of the Soviet Union, the Cominte ...

transformed it into the

Writers' Union of Romania The Writers' Union of Romania (), founded in March 1949, is a professional association of writers in Romania. It also has a subsidiary in Chișinău, Republic of Moldova. The Writers' Union of Romania was created by the communist regime by taking ...

Background and founding

Toward the end of the 19th century, an increasing number of Romanian writers began to feel the need for a professional association that would defend their interests before editors and bookstores and facilitate mutual aid. Although the circle surrounding ''Literatură și artă'' magazine shared these objectives, the idea of a freestanding association developed later and under some pressure from foreign professional organizations concerned about intellectual property rights. Thus, the circle became the Romanian Society for Literature and Art, recognized by law in May 1904. The society included artists of all kinds, with widely diverging interests, as well as artists' descendants and art collectors. Its presidents were Dimitrie C. Ollănescu-Ascanio,

Alexandru Dimitrie Xenopol Alexandru Dimitrie Xenopol (; March 23, 1847, Iaşi – February 27, 1920, Bucharest) was a Romanian historian, philosopher, professor, economist, sociologist, and author. Among his many major accomplishments, he is the Romanian historian cred ...

and George Bengescu-Dabija, while

N. Petrașcu Nicolae Petrovici (; December 5, 1859 – May 24, 1944), known as Nicolae Petrașcu () and commonly rendered as N. Petrașcu or Pĕtrașcu,Garabet Ibrăileanu, "Edițiile poeziilor lui Eminescu (continuare)", in ''Viața Românească'', Nr. 3/1928, ...

served as secretary. Its main achievement was an international congress on intellectual property regulation held at

in 1906. Bucharest city hall donated land for the construction of an artists' house, but it appears the lot was put to a different use. In 1903-1904, the press mentioned other initiatives for setting up a writers' society; one of these belonged to

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 ...

Ilarie Chendi Ilarie Chendi (November 14, 1871 – June 23, 1913) was a Romanian literary critic. Born in Darlac, Kis-Küküllő County, now Dârlos, Sibiu County, in Transylvania, his father Vasile was a Romanian Orthodox priest, while his mother Eliza ( ...

and

Ștefan Octavian Iosif Ștefan Octavian Iosif (; 11 October 1875 – 22 June 1913) was an Austro-Hungarian-born Romanian poet and translator. Life Born in Brașov, Transylvania (part of Austria-Hungary at the time), he studied in his native town and in Sibiu before ...

. In 1908, several poets and prose writers, headed by

Cincinat Pavelescu Cincinat Pavelescu ( – November 30, 1934) was a Romanian poet and playwright. Born in Bucharest, his parents were the engineer Ion Pavelescu and his wife Paulina (''née'' Bucșan). He attended school in his native city, followed by the law ...

, founded an association they called the Romanian Writers' Society. The founding meeting was held on April 28, the 70th anniversary of the

Société des gens de lettres Lactalis is a French multinational dairy products corporation, owned by the Besnier family and based in Laval, Mayenne, France. The company's former name was Besnier SA. Lactalis is the largest dairy products group in the world, and is the sec ...

' establishment. Twenty writers were present, and the leadership committee was composed of the following: Pavelescu, president;

George Ranetti George or Gheorghe Ranetti, born George Ranete
entry in the

Dimitrie Anghel Dimitrie Anghel (; July 16, 1872 – November 13, 1914) was a Romanian poet. Anghel was of Aromanian descent from his father. His first poem was published in ''Contemporanul'' (1890). His debut editorial ''Traduceri din Paul Verlaine'' was publi ...

, vice presidents;

Constantin Sandu-Aldea Constantin Sandu-Aldea (November 22, 1874 – March 21, 1927) was a Romanian agronomist and prose writer. Born in Tichilești, Brăila County, his parents were the cart driver Sandu Petrea Pârjol and his wife Tudora. After completing studies at ...

and

Mihail Sadoveanu Mihail Sadoveanu (; occasionally referred to as Mihai Sadoveanu; November 5, 1880 – October 19, 1961) was a Romanian novelist, short story writer, journalist and political figure, who twice served as acting head of state for the communis ...

, accountants; Ioan Adam and

George Murnu George Murnu (; rup, Ioryi Murnu; 1 January 1868, Veria, Salonica Vilayet, Ottoman Empire, now in Greece – 17 November 1957, Bucharest) was a Romanian university professor, archaeologist, historian, translator, and poet of Aromanian origin. ...

, treasurers;

Emil Gârleanu Emil Gârleanu ( 4/5 January 1878 – 2 July 1914) was a Romanian prose writer. Born in Iași, his parents were Emanoil Gârleanu, a colonel in the Romanian Army, and his wife Pulcheria (''née'' Antipa). He began high school in his native c ...

and Ludovic Dauș, secretaries; Iosif, librarian; Virgil Caraivan, cashier. The original statute does not survive, but much later accounts indicate it was inspired by the French model. The small number of participants was due to the lack of interest by older writers, the opposition of certain public figures to the society's strictly professional character, and the exclusion of literary critics, a clause against which Chendi vehemently protested. The event was barely remarked by the press; Ion Scurtu predicted the "shaky" group would meet an "early demise". By the middle of the following year, amidst a deteriorating literary atmosphere, the need for a relaunch became apparent. In July 1909, Anghel and Iosif launched an appeal for a writers' congress, an effort to which Chendi rallied. Conditions did not allow for this to take place, but it was decided that a new writers' society should be founded. A sixteen-member committee would meet in August, presided over by Anghel, and the founding meeting was scheduled for early September. The initiative was promoted in the press, with the editor of ''Minerva'' newspaper,

Vasile Savel Vasile Savel (January 25, 1885–May 17, 1932) was a Romanian prose writer. Born in Fălticeni, his parents were Ecaterina and Ion, a priest and teacher; the family lived on the same road as Mihail Sadoveanu.Eugen Simion (ed.), ''Dicționarul ...

, publishing a series of articles on the need for a society and its possible goals. Although launched hurriedly in the middle of the summer holidays, the articles were a success, with responses garnered from

Constantin Rădulescu-Motru Constantin Rădulescu-Motru (; born Constantin Rădulescu, he added the surname ''Motru'' in 1892; February 15, 1868 – March 6, 1957) was a Romanian philosopher, psychologist, sociologist, logician, academic, dramatist, as well as left-nat ...

, Adam, Chendi,

Eugen Lovinescu Eugen Lovinescu (; 31 October 1881 – 16 July 1943) was a Romanian modernist literary historian, literary critic, academic, and novelist, who in 1919 established the ''Sburătorul'' literary club. He was the father of Monica Lovinescu, and the u ...

, Sadoveanu, Scurtu, Anghel, Iosif and Nicolae N. Beldiceanu. Additionally,

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 ...

, Simion Mehedinți,

Corneliu Moldovanu Corneliu Moldovanu (pen name of Corneliu Vasiliu; 15 August 1883 – 2 September 1952) was a Romanian poet, prose writer and playwright. Born in Bârlad, his parents were Dumitrache Vasiliu, a merchant, and his wife Ruxandra (''née'' Rășca ...

Dimitrie Teleor Dimitrie is the Romanian form of a Slavic given name. Notable persons with that name include: ;First name * Dimitrie Alexandresco (1850–1925), Romanian encyclopedist * Dimitrie Anghel (1872–1914), Romanian poet * Dimitri Atanasescu (1836–1907 ...

and Aurel Alexandrescu-Dorna opined on the topic in their own periodicals. Of the responders, only Iorga objected, considering the idea materialistic and unsuitable for "the true purposes of national literature". Sadoveanu had an important role in the preparatory work, enlisting the help of his friends from ''

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. ...

''. The constituent meeting took place as scheduled, in the amphitheater of Gheorghe Lazăr High School, under Anghel's direction. Twenty-five writers attended, while a further twenty-five, who were then in other parts of the

Romanian Old Kingdom The Romanian Old Kingdom ( ro, Vechiul Regat or just ''Regat''; german: Regat or ) is a colloquial term referring to the territory covered by the first independent Romanian nation state, which was composed of the Romanian Principalities: Wallachia ...

or in

Bukovina Bukovinagerman: Bukowina or ; hu, Bukovina; pl, Bukowina; ro, Bucovina; uk, Буковина, ; see also other languages. is a historical region, variously described as part of either Central or Eastern Europe (or both).Klaus Peter BergerT ...

and Transylvania, gave their proxy votes to attendees or sent letters of affiliation. (Newspaper accounts differ slightly, with some giving a figure of 47 total participants. Of the twenty 1908 society founders, sixteen were present.) The meeting discussed the society's name, elected the committee and drafter a plan of action. The Romanian Writers' Society (SSR) name was selected, and its objectives of defending and aiding writers defined. It specified member would be divided into categories of active, honorary and donors. One of the criteria for active membership was the holding of Romanian citizenship, a problem for the many participants from Transylvania, Bukovina and Macedonia who were foreign nationals. It was decided that older writers and leading critics would soon be invited to join, with the exception of Iorga, in view of his "negative and offensive" attitude; they would be free to choose between active and honorary status. The committee elected was composed of Sadoveanu, president; Anghel, vice president; Gârleanu, secretary and librarian; Artur Stavri,

Octavian Goga Octavian Goga (; 1 April 1881 – 7 May 1938) was a Romanian politician, poet, playwright, journalist, and translator. Life and politics Goga was born in Rășinari, near Sibiu. Goga was an active member in the Romanian nationalisti ...

, Iosif, Chendi,

Ion Minulescu Ion Minulescu (; 6 January 1881 – 11 April 1944) was a Romanian avant-garde poet, novelist, short story writer, journalist, literary critic, and playwright. Often publishing his works under the pseudonyms I. M. Nirvan and Koh-i-Noor (the latte ...

Zaharia Bârsan Zaharia Bârsan ( – December 13, 1948) was an Austro-Hungarian-born Romanian playwright, poet and actor. He was born in Sânpetru, Brassó County, in what was then the Transylvania region of Austria-Hungary. His parents were Zaharie Bâr ...

, members; Lovinescu and Pavelescu, accountants. In order to give the society a more permanent character, it was decided to organize literary meetings in towns and in the countryside, and well as in Transylvania and Bukovina; to acquire a headquarters; to publish a bulletin and to gain legal recognition.

Early years

Over the following months, the committee offered the honorary presidency to Queen Elisabeth and attempted to attract older writers. Of these,

Alexandru Vlahuță Alexandru Vlahuță (; 5 September 1858 – 19 November 1919) was a Romanian writer. His best known work is '' România pitorească'', an overview of Romania's landscape in the form of a travelogue. He was also the main editor of ''Sămănătorul ...

seemed the most sensitive to the problems of younger writers. After obtaining a pledge of financial aid from minister

Spiru Haret Spiru C. Haret (; 15 February 1851 – 17 December 1912) was a Romanian mathematician, astronomer, and politician. He made a fundamental contribution to the ''n''-body problem in celestial mechanics by proving that using a third degree approx ...

, he launched a public appeal for a writers' publishing house in ''

Universul ''Universul'' was a mass-circulation newspaper in Romania. It existed from 1884 to 1953, and was run by Stelian Popescu from 1914 to 1943 (with a two-year break during World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbrevi ...

'' newspaper. He believed the press should operate under its own committee formed of Vlahuță's generational colleagues, and the SSR committee rejected the project, which later failed.

Titu Maiorescu Titu Liviu Maiorescu (; 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 ...

Ioan Slavici Ioan Slavici (; 18 January 1848 – 17 August 1925) was a Romanian writer and journalist from Hungary, later from Romania. He made his debut in ''Convorbiri literare'' ("Literary Conversations") (1871), with the comedy ''Fata de birău'' ("The M ...

Barbu Ștefănescu Delavrancea Barbu Ștefănescu Delavrancea ; pen name of Barbu Ștefan; April 11, 1858 in Bucharest – April 29, 1918 in Iași) was a Romanian writer and poet, considered one of the greatest figures in the National awakening of Romania. Early life and ...

and

Ion Luca Caragiale Ion Luca Caragiale (; commonly referred to as I. L. Caragiale; According to his birth certificate, published and discussed by Constantin Popescu-Cadem in ''Manuscriptum'', Vol. VIII, Nr. 2, 1977, pp. 179-184 – 9 June 1912) was a Romanian playw ...

all kept their distance from the new organization. Rădulescu-Motru's political views caused his departure, but

Mihail Dragomirescu Mihail Dragomirescu (March 22, 1868 – November 25, 1942) was a Romanian aesthetician, literary theorist and critic. Born in Plătărești, Călărași County, he completed primary school in his native village in 1881, followed by Bucharest's G ...

joined in 1911. Invited to join, the Imperial Russian-born Jewish critic

Constantin Dobrogeanu-Gherea Constantin Dobrogeanu-Gherea (born Solomon Katz; 1855, village of Slavyanka near Yekaterinoslav (modern Dnipro), then in Imperial Russia – 1920, Bucharest) was a Romanian Marxist theorist, politician, sociologist, literary critic, and jour ...

penned an open letter to Anghel in which he lamented that membership was based not on the value of one's work but on one's birth certificate, ironically observing that he could not obtain it, as a trip to Russia would be hazardous for him. Anghel replied that Gherea could join, as he held Romanian citizenship. However, a number of non-citizen Jewish writers and critics sided with Gherea, creating an unfavorable atmosphere for the SSR. Amid rising polemics, in January 1910 the society asked the Romanian Parliament to reject a law granting citizenship to Jewish critic Eugen Porn. The appearance of ''Cumpăna'' magazine, edited by four leaders of the SSR (Anghel, Chendi, Iosif and Sadoveanu), appeared to be a secessionist gesture and nearly led to the society's dissolution. The break in the friendship between Anghel and Iosif also proved unfortunate. Nevertheless, the SSR remained active, within its first six months organizing meetings in

Ploiești Ploiești ( , , ), formerly spelled Ploești, is a city and county seat in Prahova County, Romania. Part of the historical region of Muntenia, it is located north of Bucharest. The area of Ploiești is around , and it borders the Blejoi commu ...

Buzău The city of Buzău (formerly spelled ''Buzeu'' or ''Buzĕu''; ) is the county seat of Buzău County, Romania, in the historical region of Muntenia. It lies near the right bank of the Buzău River, between the south-eastern curvature of the Car ...

Galați Galați (, , ; also known by other alternative names) is the capital city of Galați County in the historical region of Western Moldavia, in eastern Romania. Galați is a port town on the Danube River. It has been the only port for the most par ...

and

Piatra Neamț Piatra Neamț (; german: Kreuzburg an der Bistrița (Siret), Bistritz; hu, Karácsonkő) is the capital city of Neamț County, in the historical region of Western Moldavia, in northeastern Romania. Because of its privileged location in the Easter ...

, as well as a tour through Bukovina. A temporary headquarters, with a library and donated artistic objects, was set up in a hotel apartment; this was destroyed by fire in January 1911. Conferences in Transylvania's

Sibiu Sibiu ( , , german: link=no, Hermannstadt , la, Cibinium, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Härmeschtat'', hu, Nagyszeben ) is a city in Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania. Located some north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Ci ...

(March 1911) and Arad (April–May 1911) proved invigorating and had a notable impact on the Romanian literary scene. The second general meeting, held that November, saw the admission of at least 37 new members, including

Alexandru Macedonski Alexandru Macedonski (; also rendered as Al. A. Macedonski, Macedonschi or Macedonsky; 14 March 1854 – 24 November 1920) was a Romanian poet, novelist, dramatist and literary critic, known especially for having promoted French Symbolism in hi ...

Ioan Alexandru Brătescu-Voinești Ioan Alexandru Brătescu-Voinești (January 1, 1868 – December 14, 1946) was a Romanian short story writer and politician. The scion of a minor aristocratic family from Târgoviște, he studied law and, as a young man, drew close to the ''Junim ...

(later considered a founder),

Duiliu Zamfirescu Duiliu Zamfirescu (30 October 1858 – 3 June 1922) was a Romanian novelist, poet, short story writer, lawyer, Nationalism, nationalist politician, journalist, diplomat and memoirist. In 1909, he was elected a list of members of the Romanian Acade ...

and Dragomirescu, as well as the young

Tudor Arghezi Tudor Arghezi (; 21 May 1880 – 14 July 1967) was a Romanian writer, best known for his unique contribution to poetry and children's literature. Born Ion N. Theodorescu in Bucharest, he explained that his pen name was related to ''Argesis'', th ...

Gala Galaction Gala Galaction (; the pen name of Grigore or Grigorie Pisculescu, (the quarter "Pantelimon" is presumed to preserve his memory) ; April 16, 1879—March 8, 1961) was a Romanian Orthodox clergyman and theologian, writer, journalist, left-wing a ...

and Nicolae Davidescu. A new committee was chosen, with Gârleanu as president. Soon, a law recognizing the SSR as a legal entity was adopted, coming into effect in March 1912. Henceforth, it could receive donations and subsidies. A first subsidy, granted by Constantin C. Arion, came to 3000 lei and was divided among the members. An almanac for 1912 and 1913 was printed, although the planned bulletin had yet to appear. The society continued to consolidate following its November 1912 congress, when Dragomirescu was elected president. Although

Alexandru Davila Alexandru Davila (; February 12, 1862 – October 19, 1929) was a Romanian dramatist, diplomat, public administrator, and memoirist. Biography The son of Carol Davila, a distinguished military physician of French origin, and Ana Racoviţă (a de ...

, Brătescu-Voinești, Anghel, Natalia Anghel, Sadoveanu and his colleagues from

Iași Iași ( , , ; also known by other alternative names), also referred to mostly historically as Jassy ( , ), is the second largest city in Romania and the seat of Iași County. Located in the historical region of Moldavia, it has traditionally ...

(some of whom later returned) subsequently withdrew, ten new members were received in 1912, eighteen in 1914 and ten in 1915. The first bulletin appeared in 1916; it mentioned that in June 1915, at the close of

George Diamandy George Ion Diamandy or Diamandi, first name also Gheorghe or Georges (February 27, 1867 – December 27, 1917), was a Romanian politician, dramatist, social scientist, and archeologist. Although a rich landowner of aristocratic background, he was o ...

's first stint as president, there were 108 members, of whom 33 were founders. (The latter number was off: six were omitted, and this was later corrected.) The SSR was accumulating wealth due to the annual 3000-leu subsidy, a bequest of 10,000 lei from the late King Carol I, membership fees and admission fees to lectures and theatrical shows. By the mid-1910s, the society was beginning to commemorate deceased writers and build monuments in their honor.

World War I and interwar period

Unsurprisingly, the society's activities diminished once Romania entered World War I in 1916. Its presidents during the war and its aftermath were Zamfirescu (1916), Sadoveanu (1917-1919) and Dragomirescu (1919-1921). During the latter's tenure, the congress of March 1920 decided to expel those writers proven to have collaborated with the pro-German press during the wartime occupation of Bucharest. However, the measure was not put into effect, as such individuals, including Arghezi, Galaction and

Dem. Theodorescu Dem. Theodorescu (most common rendition of Demetru Theodorescu or Teodorescu, first name also Mitică; October 26, 1888 – April 11, 1946) was a Romanian journalist, humorist, and critic, remembered for his social-themed novels but also for his c ...

, continued to appear in the membership lists. After the 1918 union of

, the Banat, Bukovina and

Bessarabia Bessarabia (; Gagauz: ''Besarabiya''; Romanian: ''Basarabia''; Ukrainian: ''Бессара́бія'') is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds of Be ...

with Romania, there was a massive influx of new members. Moldovanu, who was president from 1921 to 1923, in fact declared that he wanted all Romanian writers to join. At the beginning of his second term, there were 223 active members; another 40 entered during the subsequent presidencies of Sadoveanu (1923-1924) and Goga (1925).

Liviu Rebreanu Liviu Rebreanu (; November 27, 1885 – September 1, 1944) was a Romanian novelist, playwright, short story writer, and journalist. Life Born in Felsőilosva (now Târlișua, Bistrița-Năsăud County, Transylvania), then part of the Kingd ...

subsequently became president, remaining until February 1932; during his term, there was an attempt to address the problem posed by the numerous dilettantes who had become members. The statutes were modified and committees set up to remove those who did not fulfill the conditions for admission. A 1928 list shows that as of January 1925, there were 18 honorary and 155 active members; at the beginning of 1939, there were 239 active members. The prestige the SSR had acquired ensured that a secessionist group founded by

Romulus Dianu Romulus Dianu (born Romulus Dima; March 22, 1905–August 25, 1975) was a Romanian prose writer, journalist and translator. Biography Born in Bucharest, his parents were ''Căile Ferate Române'' worker Gheorghe Dima, a relative of composer ...

in 1933, the Association of Independent Writers, proved a failure; and that regional writers' groups in

Oltenia Oltenia (, also called Lesser Wallachia in antiquated versions, with the alternative Latin names ''Wallachia Minor'', ''Wallachia Alutana'', ''Wallachia Caesarea'' between 1718 and 1739) is a historical province and geographical region of Romania ...

, Transylvania and

remained of marginal importance. Thanks to the importance of contemporary writers, as well as the symbolic capital acquired by some of them (including Goga,

Alexandru Lapedatu Alexandru I. Lapedatu (14 September 1876 – 30 August 1950) was Cults and Arts and State minister of Romania, President of the Senate of Romania, member of the Romanian Academy, its president and general secretary. Family Alexandru Lapedatu w ...

Ion Pillat Ion Pillat (31 March 1891 – 17 April 1945) was a distinguished Romanian poet. He is best known for his volume ''Pe Argeș în sus'' (''Upstream on the Argeș'') and ''Poeme într-un vers'' (''One-line poems''). His maternal grandfather wa ...

Nichifor Crainic Nichifor Crainic (; pseudonym of Ion Dobre ; 22 December 1889, Bulbucata, Giurgiu County – 20 August 1972, Mogoșoaia) was a Romanian writer, editor, philosopher, poet and theology, theologian famed for his traditionalist activities. Crai ...

, Rebreanu and

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 their presence in influential government and legislative posts, the interwar period saw the SSR receiving a series of subsidies from certain ministries (

Education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Va ...

Arts The arts are a very wide range of human practices of creative expression, storytelling and cultural participation. They encompass multiple diverse and plural modes of thinking, doing and being, in an extremely broad range of media. Both hi ...

Finance Finance is the study and discipline of money, currency and capital assets. It is related to, but not synonymous with economics, the study of production, distribution, and consumption of money, assets, goods and services (the discipline of fina ...

Labor Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the la ...

, Interior) as well as other institutions. In certain years, funding also came from the profits of the

Constanța Casino The Constanța Casino ( ro, Cazinoul din Constanța) is a defunct casino, located in Constanța, Romania. It has been designated by the Romanian Ministry of Culture and National Patrimony as a historic monument. The casino is on the Constanța ...

, from the fees received during the monthlong festival of Bucharest and from the fairly generous sums paid by the studios for film censorship. After many promises that were never honored, in 1934 the city hall granted a lot for a Writers' Palace. This was centrally located on Carol I Boulevard and valued at some 4.5 million lei. The following year, upon the initiative of Nicolae M. Condiescu, who served as president from 1935 to 1939, a building fund was set up. Due to generous donations from Condiescu's associate

King Carol II Carol II (4 April 1953) was King of Romania from 8 June 1930 until his forced abdication on 6 September 1940. The eldest son of Ferdinand I of Romania, Ferdinand I, he became crown prince upon the death of his grand-uncle, King Carol I of Roman ...

, as well as from ministries and banks, the fund quickly reached 6.8 million lei. Representing only a small part of SSR revenue were membership fees (almost invariably overdue), tickets to conferences and plays and admissions from balls. The society tried its hand in business: a lottery, two movie theaters (in

Brașov Brașov (, , ; german: Kronstadt; hu, Brassó; la, Corona; Transylvanian Saxon: ''Kruhnen'') is a city in Transylvania, Romania and the administrative centre of Brașov County. According to the latest Romanian census (2011), Brașov has a popu ...

and Arad), postcards with the faces of famous writers, medals; these either resulted in small revenues or in losses. In 1931, the failure of the Marmorosch Blank Bank severely impacted the society, which had deposits of over 10 million lei, of which it recovered but a small part. Using what it had left over, it somewhat managed to meet its statutory objectives. Starting just after World War I, the society granted pensions to the widows and children of deceased writers (Macedonski, Chendi,

George Coșbuc George Coșbuc (; 20 September 1866 – 9 May 1918) was a Romanian poet, translator, teacher, and journalist, best remembered for his verses describing, praising and eulogizing rural life, its many travails but also its occasions for joy. In 19 ...

, Gârleanu, Slavici and

Panait Istrati Panait Istrati (; sometimes rendered as ''Panaït Istrati''; August 10, 1884 – April 16, 1935) was a Romanian working class writer, who wrote in French and Romanian, nicknamed ''The Maxim Gorky of the Balkans''. Istrati appears to be the ...

, as well as to the sisters of

Mihail Eminescu Mihai Eminescu (; born Mihail Eminovici; 15 January 1850 – 15 June 1889) was a Romanian Romantic poet from Moldavia, novelist, and journalist, generally regarded as the most famous and influential Romanian poet. Eminescu was an active membe ...

). It also financed writers who found themselves in difficult straits, such as Maria Cunțan,

Ion Gorun Ion Gorun (pen name of Alexandru I. Hodoș; December 30, 1863–March 30, 1928) was an Imperial Austrian-born Romanian prose writer, poet and translator. Biography Born in Roșia, Sibiu County, his parents were Iosif Hodoș and his wif ...

, Panait Mușoiu, Artur Enășescu, Eugen Boureanul,

Caton Theodorian Caton Theodorian, or Teodorian (May 14, 1871 – January 8, 1939), was a Romanian playwright, poet, short story writer and novelist. A maternal nephew of the politician Eugeniu Carada, he was, through his Oltenian father, a scion of the boyar no ...

, Alexandru Obedenaru and

George Bacovia George Bacovia (; the pen name of Gheorghe Vasiliu ; – 22 May 1957) was a Romanian symbolist poet. While he initially belonged to the local Symbolist movement, launched as a poet by Alexandru Macedonski with the poem and poetry collection ( ...

. In 1939, this burden was somewhat lessened when the Ralea-led Labor Ministry founded the Writers' Pension Fund. Every year, the society gave out aid that amounted to almost twice what it paid in pensions. From 1929 to 1931, two travel grants of 50,000 lei each were handed out, and another one was given for 1936-1937. The SSR granted ''

Căile Ferate Române Căile Ferate Române (; abbreviated as the CFR) is the state railway carrier of Romania. As of 2014, the railway network of Romania consists of , of which (37.4%) are electrified. The total track length is , of which (38.5%) are electrifie ...

'' rail passes; their number fluctuated between 16 and 45. It also funded rest trips to the

Sâmbăta de Sus Sâmbăta de Sus (german: Obermühlendorf; hu, Felsőszombatfalva) is a commune in Brașov County, Transylvania, Romania. It is composed of two villages, Sâmbăta de Sus and Stațiunea Climaterică Sâmbăta (''Felsőszombatfalvi üdülőtelep'') ...

palace and the main hotel in

Bușteni Bușteni () is a small mountain town in the north of Prahova County, Muntenia, Romania. It is located in the Prahova Valley, at the bottom of the Bucegi Mountains, that have a maximum altitude of . Its name literally means tree-logs in Romanian. ...

. In 1936, Bucharest city hall decided to grant house lots to five writers annually, but the measure ended up being purely financial. A substantial annual expenditure for the SSR were the loans it paid to its members, rarely paid back on time.

Prizes

The society's prizes served a double role: material rewards for writers, but also the building of reputations. According to a 1924 statute, they were divided into two categories: those established by the society itself and those started by private individuals, institutions or authorities on the society's behalf. The first category comprised three annual prizes; the first two were for poetry and prose, while the third had varying purposes such as debut works, translation or sonnets. The second category included other prizes, generally more substantial: the I. Al. Brătescu-Voinești prize for the novel (20,000 and later 25,000 lei); the C. A. Rosetti prize, started by ''Viitorul'' newspaper (20,000 lei); the Socec prize for poetry, from 1924 to 1930 (10,000 lei); the King Carol II prize, from 1934 to 1940 (25,000 lei). Others came from private donations, such as the Ștefan I. Costacopol prize for criticism, involving 6000 lei and awarded from 1931 to 1945; or from prize money that was returned. The statute specified that the awarding committee was to be selected by the SSR leadership. The interwar press was rife with disgruntled comments and contestations of successive prize committees, but overall, very few obvious mistakes were made. The prose prize went to: Calistrat Hogaș (1922),

Gheorghe Brăescu Gheorghe Brăescu (30 January 1871, Iaşi - 15 March 1949) was a Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the n ...

(1923),

Lucia Mantu Lucia Mantu (pen name of Camelia Nădejde; September 22, 1888 – November 1971) was a Romanian prose writer. Born in Iași, her parents were Gheorghe Nădejde and his wife Ecaterina (''née'' Băncilă); she was a niece of Ioan and Sofia Nădej ...

Jean Bart Jean Bart (; ; 21 October 1650 – 27 April 1702) was a French Admiral, naval commander and privateer. Early life Jean Bart was born in Dunkirk, France, Dunkirk in 1650 to a seafaring family, the son of Jean-Cornil Bart (c. 1619-1668) who has b ...

and Rebreanu (1924),

Henriette Yvonne Stahl Henriette Yvonne Stahl (January 9, 1900 – May 25/26, 1984) was a Romanian novelist, short story writer and translator. Biography Born in Sankt Avold, Alsace-Lorraine, in the German Empire (now Saint-Avold in the Moselle department of Fran ...

, Brăescu and Davidescu (1925), Boureanul, Rebreanu and I. A. Bassarabescu (1926), Boureanul,

Vasile Demetrius Vasile Demetrius (pen name of Vasile Dumitrescu; October 1, 1878–March 15, 1942) was an Austro-Hungarian-born Romanian prose writer, poet and translator. Born in Șcheii Brașovului, his parents were Dumitru Ogea, who built and maintained ...

and Savel (1927), Hortensia Papadat-Bengescu,

Emanoil Bucuța Emanoil Bucuța (born Emanoil Popescu; June 27, 1887 – October 7, 1946) was a Romanian prose writer and poet. Born in Bolintin-Deal, Giurgiu County, his parents were Ioniță Popescu, a butler, and his wife Rebeca-Elena (''née'' Bucuța). Movi ...

and Ion Foti (1928),

I. C. Vissarion Iancu Constantin Vissarion (born Iancu Visarion, also credited as Ion Vissarion; 2 February 1879 – 5 November 1951) was a Romanian prose writer, poet, and political agitator, also known as an inventor, esotericist, and promoter of pseudoscience ...

, Davidescu and Demetrius (1929), Alexandru Cazaban, Brăescu and

Mateiu Caragiale Mateiu Ion Caragiale (; – January 17, 1936), also credited as Matei or Matheiu, or in the antiquated version Mateiŭ,Sorin Antohi"Romania and the Balkans. From Geocultural Bovarism to Ethnic Ontology" in ''Tr@nsit online'', Institut für die ...

(1930),

Ion Petrovici Ion (Ioan) Petrovici (June 14, 1882 – February 17, 1972) was a Romanian professor of philosophy at the University of Iași and titular member of the Romanian Academy. He served as Minister of National Education in the Goga cabinet and Ministe ...

and

Camil Petrescu Camil Petrescu (; 9/21 April 1894 – 14 May 1957) was a Romanian playwright, novelist, philosopher and poet. He marked the end of the traditional novel era and laid the foundation of the modern novel era in Romania. Life Petrescu was born in Bu ...

(1931),

Sergiu Dan Sergiu Dan (; born Isidor Rotman or Rottman; December 29, 1903 – March 13, 1976) was a Romanian novelist, journalist, Holocaust survivor and political prisoner of the communist regime. Dan, the friend and collaborator of Romulus Dianu, was noted ...

and

George Mihail Zamfirescu George Mihail Zamfirescu (born Gheorghe Petre Mihai; 13 October 1898 – 8 August 1939) was a Romanian prose writer and playwright. He was born in Bucharest, the son of Petre Mihai, a drayman, and his wife Lina (Raluca) Costache. Between 1905 ...

(1932), G. M. Vlădescu and Galaction (1933), Mircea Damian and

Victor Ion Popa Victor Ion Popa (; July 29, 1895 in Bârlad – March 30, 1946 in Bucharest) was a Romanian dramatist. He went to primary school in the village of Călmăţui, a village in the Grivița commune, in the former Tutova County, where his father was a ...

(1934),

Anton Holban Anton Holban (; 10 February 1902, in Huşi – 15 January 1937, in Bucharest) was a Romanian novelist. He was the nephew of Eugen Lovinescu. The son of Gheorghe Holban (whom had from his father’s side Germanic ancestry) and Antoaneta Lovin ...

, Neagu Rădulescu, Horia Furtună,

Mihail Celarianu Mihail Celarianu (August 1, 1893 – 1985) was a Romanian poet and novelist. A native of Bucharest, he was the third of eight children born to Constantin Celarianu, an officer in the Romanian Army, and his wife Antoaneta (''née'' Pricup). Aft ...

and

Octav Dessila Octav Dessila (December 4, 1895 – July 29, 1976) was a Romanian novelist and playwright. Born in Bucharest, his parents were Iorgu Dessila, a ''Căile Ferate Române'' employee, and his wife Aristița (''née'' Gheorghiu). He was part of the firs ...

(1935), Papadat-Bengescu and

Mircea Eliade Mircea Eliade (; – April 22, 1986) was a Romanians, Romanian History of religion, historian of religion, fiction writer, philosopher, and professor at the University of Chicago. He was a leading interpreter of religious experience, who establ ...

(1936), Mircea Gesticone, Dauș and Ioan Missir (1938), Zamfirescu and Radu Boureanu (1939). The poetry prize recipients were: George Gregorian and Al. T. Stamatiad (1922),

Claudia Millian Claudia Millian (also Millian-Minulescu; February 21, 1887 – September 21, 1961) was a Romanian poet. Born in Bucharest, her father was Ion Millian, an engineer of Greek origin; her mother was Maria (''née'' Negoescu). She attended primary ...

and G. Talaz (1923), Davidescu and Moldovanu (1924), Foti, Constantin Râuleț and

Adrian Maniu Adrian Maniu (February 6, 1891 – April 20, 1968) was a Romanian poet, prose writer, playwright, essayist, and translator. Born in Bucharest, his father Grigore, a native of Lugoj, was a jurist and professor of commercial law at the University of ...

(1925),

Aron Cotruș Aron Cotruș (; 2 January 1891 – 1 November 1961) was a Romanian poet, diplomat, and member of the fascist Iron Guard. Life He was born in 1891 in Hașag, Sibiu County, at the time in Austria-Hungary. After attending secondary school in Blaj ...

, Ion Dongorozi,

Radu Gyr Radu Gyr (; pen name of Radu Ștefan Demetrescu ; March 2, 1905, Câmpulung-Muscel – 29 April 1975, Bucharest) was a Romanian poet, essayist, playwright and journalist. Biography Early life Gyr was the son of actor Ștefan "Coco" Dumitres ...

and Bacovia (1926),

Perpessicius Perpessicius (; pen name of Dumitru S. Panaitescu, also known as Panait Șt. Dumitru, D. P. Perpessicius and Panaitescu-Perpessicius; October 22, 1891 – March 29, 1971) was a Romanian literary historian and critic, poet, essayist and fiction wri ...

, George Dumitrescu, Artur Enășescu and Pillat (1927),

Vasile Voiculescu Vasile Voiculescu (, literary pseudonym V. Voiculescu; 27 November 1884 – 26 April 1963) was a Romanian poet, short-story writer, playwright, and physician. Biography Early life and education Voiculescu was born in Pârscov, Buzău County ...

Zaharia Stancu Zaharia Stancu (; October 7, 1902 – December 5, 1974) was a Romanian prose writer, novelist, poet, and philosopher. He was also the director of the National Theatre Bucharest, the President of the Writers' Union of Romania, and a titular memb ...

and Boureanu (1928), Celarianu, Arghezi and Talaz (1929),

Ion Barbu Ion Barbu (, pen name of Dan Barbilian; 18 March 1895 –11 August 1961) was a Romanian mathematician and poet. His name is associated with the Mathematics Subject Classification number 51C05, which is a major posthumous recognition reserved ...

Lucian Blaga Lucian Blaga (; 9 May 1895 – 6 May 1961) was a Romanian philosopher, poet, playwright, poetry translator and novelist. He was a commanding personality of the Romanian culture of the interbellum period. Biography Blaga was born on 9 May 1895 ...

and

Eugen Jebeleanu Eugen Jebeleanu (; 24 April 1911 – 21 August 1991) was a Romanian poet, translator, journalist and scholar. Biography He was born in Câmpina, where he attended elementary school. After graduating from high school in Braşov at age 11 in 19 ...

(1930),

Eugeniu Sperantia Eugeniu Sperantia ( – January 11/12, 1972) was a Romanian poet, aesthetician, essayist, sociologist and philosopher. He was born in Bucharest to folklorist Theodor Speranția and his wife Elena (''née'' Cruceanu), a relative of poet Mihail ...

and Stamatiad (1931),

Ilarie Voronca Ilarie Voronca (pen name of Eduard Marcus; 31 December 1903, Brăila—8 April 1946, Paris) was a Romanian avant-garde poet and essayist. life and career Voronca was of Jewish ethnicity. In his early years, he was connected with Eugen Lovine ...

D. Nanu Dumitru G. Nanu (October 26, 1873 – February 12, 1943) was a Romanian poet and translator. Born in Câmpulung to Gheorghe Nanu and his wife Zoia (''née'' Hristodos), he attended primary school in his native town, followed by Matei Basara ...

and Virgil Gheorghiu (1932), Boureanu and

Dan Botta Dan Botta (; September 26, 1907 – January 13, 1958) was a Romanian poet and essayist. Life Born in Adjud, his parents were the physician Theodor Botta and his wife Aglaia (''née'' de Franceschi), an orphanage director; his brother was po ...

(1933), Dumitrescu,

N. Crevedia Nicolae Crevedia (born Niculae Ion Cârstea; December 7, 1902 – November 5, 1978) was a Romanian journalist, poet and novelist, father of the writer-politician Eugen Barbu. Of Muntenian peasant roots, which shaped his commitment to agrarian and ...

Simion Stolnicu Simion Stolnicu (pen name of Alexandru I. Botez; November 6, 1905–November 29, 1966) was a Romanian poet. Born in Puchenii-Moșneni, Prahova County, his parents were Al. Botez, a ''Căile Ferate Române'' clerk, and his wife Ecaterina ('' ...

and Maria Banuș (1934), Mircea Streinul, Emil Gulian, Maniu and Vlaicu Bârna (1935),

Ștefan Baciu Ștefan Aurel Baciu ( pt, Estêvão Baciu, es, Esteban Baciu; October 29, 1918 – January 6, 1993) was a Romanian and Brazilian poet, novelist, publicist and academic who lived his later life in Hawaii. A precocious, award-winning, young author ...

(1936),

Iulian Vesper Iulian Vesper (pen name of Teodor C. Grosu; November 22, 1908–February 11, 1986) was an Austro-Hungarian-born Romanian poet and prose writer. Born in Horodnic de Sus, Suceava County, in the Bukovina region, his parents were Constantin Grosu ...

, Teofil Lianu and

Șerban Bascovici Șerban Bascovici (born Șerban-Vasile Bascovitz; January 1, 1891–March 19, 1968) was a Romanian poet Born in Bucharest to Gheorghe Bascovitz and his wife Ecaterina, he attended Matei Basarab National College (Bucharest), Matei Basarab High S ...

(1938), Celarianu,

Emil Giurgiuca Emil Giurgiuca (December 27, 1906–March 3, 1992) was an Austro-Hungarian-born Romanian poet. Born in Diviciorii Mari, Cluj County, in the Transylvania region, his parents were Ioan Giurgiuca, a priest, and his wife Pelaghia (''née'' Băieș ...

, Gyr and Aurel Chirescu (1939). During the same period, the society hosted or participated in events to commemorate deceased writers, as well as celebrations of living ones for various occasions. Relations with

PEN International PEN International (known as International PEN until 2010) is a worldwide association of writers, founded in London in 1921 to promote friendship and intellectual co-operation among writers everywhere. The association has autonomous Internationa ...

and with foreign writers' societies were strengthened, their representatives welcomed to Romania. Likewise, SSR committee members were invited to societies and congresses abroad.

World War II

The outbreak of World War II had important ramifications for the society's activities. At the time, its president was N. I. Herescu, who took over after Condiescu's death. Following significant territorial losses by Romania during the summer of 1940, a significant number of writers became refugees. They received aid from the society, which dramatically depleted its funds. After the

National Legionary State The National Legionary State was a Totalitarianism, totalitarian Fascism, fascist regime which governed Kingdom of Romania, Romania for five months, from 14 September 1940 until its official dissolution on 14 February 1941. The regime was led by ...

came to power that September, the committee aligned itself with regime policy, and in early October decided to expel eleven Jewish writers:

Felix Aderca Felix Aderca (; born Froim-Zelig roim-ZeilicAderca; March 13, 1891 – December 12, 1962),

, Camil Baltazar, Dan, A. Dominic,

Scarlat Froda Scarlat is a Romanian male given name and surname that may refer to: * Scarlat Callimachi *Scarlat Callimachi (hospodar) *Scarlat Cantacuzino * Scarlat Ghica *Cristina Scarlat Cristina Scarlat (; born 3 March 1981) is a Moldovan pop singer. She ...

, Virgil Monda,

I. Peltz Isac Peltz or Ițig Peltz (12 February 1899–10 August 1980) was a Romanian prose writer and journalist. Born into a Bucharest Jewish family of small craftsmen, his father Nathan Peltz was a tailor, while his mother Estera (''née'' Rotenberg) ...

Mihail Sebastian Mihail Sebastian (; born Iosif Mendel Hechter; October 18, 1907 – May 29, 1945) was a Romanian playwright, essayist, journalist and novelist. Life Sebastian was born to a Jewish family in Brăila, the son of Mendel and Clara Hechter. After ...

, Leopold Stern, A. Toma and Voronca. The project for a Writers' Palace was temporarily abandoned, with its fund loaned for the benefit of the army. (The promissory notes probably became invalid after the nationalization of the banks in June 1948.) Due to a fall in subsidies and other revenue and a rise in aid and loans disbursed, the number of prizes awarded fell. Thus, the only honorees were Nicolae Ottescu, Ruxanda Levente, George Lesnea, Pompiliu Constantinescu, Gheorghiu, George Ionescu and Bascovici in 1940; Stahl, Demetrius, Alexandru Busuioceanu, Eugen Bălan,

Radu Tudoran Radu Tudoran (; born Nicolae Bogza; March 8, 1910 – November 18, 1992) was a popular Romanian novelist. He was born Nicolae Bogza in Blejoi, Prahova County, the younger brother of Geo Bogza, and son of . After graduating from the military h ...

, Dumitru Almaș,

Dragoș Protopopescu Dragoș Protopopescu (17 October 1892 – 11 April 1948) was a Romanian writer, poet, critic and philosopher. He was born in Călărași, the son of Constantin Popescu and Octavia Blebea. After going to school in his native city, he pursued his ...

Otilia Cazimir Otilia Cazimir (pen name of Alexandra Gavrilescu; February 12, 1894 – June 8, 1967) was a Romanian poet, prose writer, translator and publicist, nicknamed the "poetess of gentle souls", known as a children's poems author. Biography Origins ...

Ion Buzdugan Ion Alion Buzdugan ( Romanian Cyrillic and russian: Ион Буздуган, born Ivan Alexandrovici Buzdâga;Onisifor Ghibu, "Trei luni din viața Basarabiei", in '' Societatea de Mâine'', Nr. 13/1924, p. 283Constantin Poenaru, "Viața bucovine ...

and Stelian Constantin-Stelian, in 1941; Alexandru Al. Philippide, Mihail Șerban, Cotruș,

Ovidiu Papadima Ovidiu Papadima (June 23, 1909, Sinoe, Constanța County – May 26, 1996, Bucharest) was a Romanian literary critic, folklorist, and essayist. He studied at the Alexandru Papiu Ilarian High School in Târgu Mureș, graduating at the top of his ...

, Boureanu,

Octav Sargețiu Octav Sargețiu (born Dumitru V. Popa; October 23, 1908–November 21, 1994) was a Romanian poet. Born in Vlad Țepeș, Călărași County, his parents Vișan Popa and Maria (''née'' Cristea) were peasants. He attended the normal school for te ...

, Mircea Mărcoiu and Laura Dragomirescu in 1942. The society continued to maintain relations with similar bodies in Italy, Germany, Spain, France, Croatia, Slovakia and Finland. The events of 23 August 1944 forced another radical change for the society. At the beginning of September, a group of thirty writers called for a general assembly, citing the absence of Herescu (who was abroad and unable to return) and the presence in the committee of individuals compromised by collaboration with the deposed

Ion Antonescu Ion Antonescu (; ; – 1 June 1946) was a Romanian military officer and marshal who presided over two successive wartime dictatorships as Prime Minister and ''Conducător'' during most of World War II. A Romanian Army career officer who made ...

regime. The meeting happened later in the month, and was declared valid, despite the absence of many members who did not reside in Bucharest. The assembly, attended by the Jewish writers removed in 1940, proceeded to elect a committee, with the most votes going to the list headed by

Victor Eftimiu Victor Eftimiu (; 24 January 1889 – 27 November 1972) was a Romanian poet and playwright. He was a contributor to ''Sburătorul'', a Romanian literary magazine. His works have been performed in the State Jewish Theater of Romania. Eftim ...

as president. The new committee members were N. D. Cocea, Papadat-Bengescu,

Cezar Petrescu Cezar Petrescu (; December 1, 1892–March 9, 1961) was a Romanian journalist, novelist, and children's writer. He was born in Hodora, Iași County, the son of Dimitrie Petrescu, an engineer and a teacher. After attending elementary school ...

, Cazaban, Celarianu, Stancu (who resigned and was replaced by Perpessicius),

Mihai Beniuc Mihai Beniuc (; 20 November 1907 – 24 June 1988) was a Romanian socialist realist poet, dramatist, and novelist. He was born in 1907 in Sebiș, Arad County (at the time in Austria-Hungary), and attended the Moise Nicoară High School in Arad ...

Lucia Demetrius Lucia Aurora Demetrius (February 16, 1910–July 29, 1992) was a Romanian novelist, poet, playwright and translator. Life Born in Bucharest, her parents were the writer Vasile Demetrius and his wife Antigona (''née'' Rabinovici). Her father ...

, Boureanu, Cicerone Theodorescu and Jebeleanu. By the end of November, successive meetings of the committee had resulted in an unknown number of expulsions, with a further 46 members suspended but given the possibility of accounting for their past deeds. The list presented in the 1945 bulletin indicates that 28 members were purged. Not among these were several who had already received public opprobrium (Davidescu, Crevedia, Marta Rădulescu), or those who had gone into voluntary exile (Cotruș, Eliade, Busuioceanu). In their place, Cocea proposed inviting 51 new members, of whom twenty mainly left-leaning individuals were accepted: Banuș,

Ury Benador Ury Benador (pen name of Simon Moise Grinberg; May 1, 1895 – November 23, 1971) was a Romanian playwright and prose writer. Born in Mihăileni, Botoșani County, his parents were Moise Fridl, a Yiddish-language writer, and his wife Liba (''n ...

Geo Bogza Geo Bogza (; born Gheorghe Bogza; February 6, 1908 – September 14, 1993) was a Romanian avant-garde theorist, poet, and journalist, known for his left-wing and communist political convictions. As a young man in the interwar period, he was known ...

George Călinescu George Călinescu (; 19 June 1899, Bucharest – 12 March 1965, Otopeni) was a Romanian literary critic, historian, novelist, academician and journalist, and a writer of classicist and humanist tendencies. He is currently considered one of the mos ...

Ion Călugăru Ion Călugăru (; born Ștrul Leiba Croitoru, Ion Călugăru, Ioan Lăcustă''"Uzina care încearcă să gonească morții". Note nepublicate (1948)'' at thMemoria Digital Library retrieved February 17, 2010 also known as Buium sin Strul-Leiba Croi ...

, Emil Dorian, Alexandru Kirițescu, Barbu Lăzăreanu, George Magheru,

Alexandru Mironescu Alexandru Mironescu (July 23, 1903–January 20, 1973) was a Romanian prose writer. Born in Tecuci, his parents were Victor Mironescu and his wife Elena. After attending Dimitrie Cantemir High School in Bucharest, he obtained degrees in chemis ...

, Dinu Nicodin,

Miron Radu Paraschivescu __NOTOC__ Miron Radu Paraschivescu (; 2 October 1911 – 17 February 1971) was a Romanian poet, essayist, journalist, and translator. Born in Zimnicea, Teleorman County, he went to high school in Ploiești, after which he studied fine arts, firs ...

, Dan Petrașincu,

Ion Pas Ion Pas (born Ioan M. Pascu; October 6, 1895 – May 20, 1974) was a Romanian novelist, translator and left-wing politician. Born in Bucharest, his parents were Marin Pascu, a small-time craftsman, and his wife Maria (''née'' Ispas). He attended ...

Alexandru Rosetti Alexandru Rosetti (October 20, 1895 – February 27, 1990) was a Romanian linguist, editor, and memoirist. Born in Bucharest, his parents were Petre Rosetti Bălănescu, a lawyer and landowner, and his wife Zoe (''née'' Cornescu), whose father wro ...

George Silviu George Silviu (pen name of Silvius Goliger; January 2, 1901 – May 16, 1971) was a Romanian poet, playwright, translator and lawyer. Born into a Jewish family in Focșani, his parents were Iancu Goliger, an architect, and his wife Hermina. Aft ...

Henric Sanielevici Henric Sanielevici (, first name also Henri, Henry or Enric, last name also Sanielevich; September 21, 1875 – February 19, 1951) was a Romanian journalist and literary critic, also remembered for his work in anthropology, ethnography, sociology ...

Tudor Teodorescu-Braniște Tudor Teodorescu-Braniște (April 12, 1899 – March 23, 1969) was a Romanian journalist. Born in Pitești, he was editor at a number of newspapers, including '' Adevărul'' and, from 1944 to 1947, ''Jurnalul de Dimineaţă'', which was ultimat ...

, Tudoran and

Gheorghe Zane Gheorghe Zane (April 11, 1897 – May 22, 1978) was a Romanian economist and historian. Born in Galați, he attended Vasile Alecsandri National College before enrolling in the law faculty of the University of Iași. He graduated from that instit ...

Final years

By May 1945, when Eftimiu was speaking to justify the purges and welcome rising Soviet influence, he was responding to the policies of the new

Romanian Communist Party The Romanian Communist Party ( ro, Partidul Comunist Român, , PCR) was a communist party in Romania. The successor to the pro-Bolshevik wing of the Socialist Party of Romania, it gave ideological endorsement to a communist revolution that woul ...

-dominated government. These were in the process of transforming the SSR into a tool for achieving the party's objective of a literary activity entirely subordinate to the authorities. Meanwhile, the society's professional role was largely ceded for a time to the Union of Artists', Writers' and Journalists' Syndicates, a body founded in August 1945. Much easier to manipulate, the latter began handling both material reward and penalties, such as the purges of October 1947. Following the membership overhaul of 1944-1945, the total number of affiliates rose to 268. A further 32 writers were admitted during the May 1946 congress, and probably as many were taken in at the September 1947 assembly that re-elected Eftimiu as president. The new committee also included Galaction, Cocea, Cezar Petrescu, Celarianu, Ion Popescu-Puțuri, Lucia Demetrius, Călugăru, Theodorescu, Dinu Bondi and Stancu as members; Carol Ardeleanu and

Dumitru Corbea Dumitru Corbea (born Dumitru Cobzaru; September 6, 1910 – March 26, 2002) was a Romanian poet and prose writer. Born in Sârbi, Botoșani County, his parents Dumitru Cobzaru and Ecaterina (''née'' Filipescu) were peasants. After completing ...

as accountants;

Vintilă Russu-Șirianu Vintilă Russu-Șirianu (April 20, 1897–February 25, 1973) was an Austro-Hungarian-born Romanian journalist, memoirist, and translator. Born in Arad, his father was journalist and activist , whose uncle was the writer Ioan Slavici. After a ...

, Bogza, Teofil Rudenco,

Agatha Bacovia Agatha Bacovia (born Agatha Grigorescu; March 8, 1895 – October 12, 1981) was a Romanian poet. Biography Born in Mizil, her parents were Șerban Grigorescu and his wife Maria (''née'' Anastasiu). Her mother died shortly after giving birth, a ...

, Toma and C. Argeșanu as the honoring jury; and Baltazar,

Aurel Baranga Aurel Baranga (born Aurel Leibovici; June 20, 1913 – June 10, 1979) was a Romanian playwright and poet. Born into a Jewish family in Bucharest, his parents were company clerk Jean Leibovici and his wife Paulina. He graduated from Matei Basa ...

, Oscar Lemnaru, Tudor Șoimaru and

Sașa Pană Sașa Pană (; pen name of Alexandru Binder; 8 August 1902—22 August 1981) was a Romanian avant-garde poet, novelist, and short story writer. Biography Born to a Jewish family in Bucharest, he trained as a physician in Iași and Bucharest, b ...

as alternate members. During the same assembly, Stancu pointedly condemned those who were resisting the nascent regime and its cultural policies. Near the end of the month, a meeting of ethnic Hungarian writers in

Cluj ; hu, kincses város) , official_name=Cluj-Napoca , native_name= , image_skyline= , subdivision_type1 = County , subdivision_name1 = Cluj County , subdivision_type2 = Status , subdivision_name2 = County seat , settlement_type = City , le ...

decided to join the SSR, so that the latter changed its name to the Society of Writers from Romania in January 1948. At the same time, Stancu was elected to replace Eftimiu, who went on to chair the

National Theatre Bucharest The National Theatre Bucharest ( ro, Teatrul Naţional "Ion Luca Caragiale" București) is one of the national theatres of Romania, located in the capital city of Bucharest. Founding It was founded as the ''Teatrul cel Mare din București'' ("Gra ...

. In early 1949, a reorganization assembly was announced. This took place in late March, in the presence of the state and party leadership; it was decided to transform what was by then the Society of Writers from the Romanian People's Republic into the Union of Writers from the Romanian People's Republic, now the

. A new statute was adopted, and a literary fund established. Victor Durnea
"Societatea scriitorilor români"
, in ''Dacia literară'', nr. 2/2008

Presidents

(1909-1911) *

(1911-1912) *

(1912-1914) *

(1914-1916) *

(1916-1917) *Mihail Sadoveanu (1917-1919) *Mihai Dragomirescu (1919-1921) *

(1921-1923) *Mihail Sadoveanu (1923-1924) *

(1924-1925) *

(1925-1932) *Corneliu Moldovanu (1932-1935) * Nicolae M. Condiescu (1935-1939) * N. I. Herescu (1939-1944) *

(1944-1948)

Notes

{{Authority control 1909 establishments in Romania Organizations established in 1909 1949 disestablishments in Romania Romanian writers' organizations