LA?ZA?REANU, BARBU

LA?ZA?REANU, BARBU (originally Baruch Lazarovici ; 1881–1957), Romanian author and journalist. Born in Boto?ani, Moldavia, La?za?reanu had to leave school because of his socialist activities and in 1907 was expelled from Romania because of his support for the rebellious peasants. He settled in Paris, where he joined the editorial staff of the Socialist daily L'Humanité and also lectured at a workers' university. When he was finally allowed to return to Romania, La?za?reanu settled in Bucharest, where he began his literary career in earnest. He published two volumes of a five-volume edition of the essays of Constantin *Gherea-Dobrogeanu (1925–27), and wrote for many general and Jewish periodicals. Between the two world wars, La?za?reanu made important contributions to the study of Romanian folklore and enriched Romanian literary historiography with original interpretations, including studies of the writers I.L. Caragiale (1922), B.P. Ha?deu (1927), and M. Eminescu (1924). The comprehensiveness and diversity of his research was praised by one of Romania's greatest writers, Tudor Arghezi. After the change of regime at the end of World War ii, La?za?reanu was elected to the Romanian Academy and was appointed director of its library. Glose si comentarii de istoriografie literara? (1958), a collection of his articles and studies on classical literature and folklore, comprising some of La?za?reanu's contributions to the Romanian and Yiddish press, was issued as a posthumous tribute by the Romanian State Publishing House for Literature and the Arts.

bibliography:

Cri?an, in: Gazeta Literara? (Feb. 13, 1958); J. Peltz, Cum i-am cunoscut (1964), 78–86.

[Abraham Feller]