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 in the north of the country, in Botosani. During the primary school and the gymnasium he astonished his teachers. He finished the National highschool in Iasi (1888); and managed to finish with "Magna cum laude" the University of Iasi in one year (1889). In the year in which Eminescu and Greanga were dieing, Iorga was already a phenomenon. He made brilliant studies in Paris, Berlin and Leipzig, obtaining his doctorate degree in 1893 and at 23 became at a correspondent member of the Academy (and full member in 1911). In 1894, he took the history course at the Bucharest University. He had traveled a lot in the big cities of Europe, digging in the archives for documents regarding the Romanian history. He knew almost all the modern languages and wrote in many of them. In 1903, he took the leadership of the Semanatorul review. In 1906, he 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 the tipography of the "Neamul românesc" newspaper was located. From 1922, the summer courses from Valenii de Munte have been called "N. Iorga Popular University". Today, his house 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 members of the Romanian nationalistic and anti-Semitic group the Iron Guard 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 prime 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.