Elena Bacaloglu
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Elena A. Bacaloglu, also known as Bakaloglu, Bacaloglu-Densusianu, Bacaloglu-Densușeanu etc. (
Francized Francization (in American English, Canadian English, and Oxford English) or Francisation (in other British English), also known as Frenchification, is the expansion of French language use—either through willful adoption or coercion—by more a ...
''Hélène Bacaloglu''; December 19, 1878 – 1947 or 1949), was a Romanian journalist, literary critic, novelist and
fascist Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural soci ...
militant. Her career in letters produced an introduction to the work of
Maurice Maeterlinck Maurice Polydore Marie Bernard Maeterlinck (29 August 1862 – 6 May 1949), also known as Count/Comte Maeterlinck from 1932, was a Belgian playwright, poet, and essayist who was Flemish but wrote in French. He was awarded the 1911 Nobel Prize in ...
(1903), several other critical essays, and two novels. She married and divorced writer Radu D. Rosetti, then Ovid Densusianu, the
Symbolist Symbolism or symbolist may refer to: *Symbol, any object or sign that represents an idea Arts *Artistic symbol, an element of a literary, visual, or other work of art that represents an idea ** Color symbolism, the use of colors within various c ...
poet and literary theorist. Bacaloglu lived most of her later life in the
Kingdom of Italy The Kingdom of Italy (, ) was a unitary state that existed from 17 March 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 10 June 1946, when the monarchy wa ...
, where she affiliated with the literary and political circles. Her subsequent work included campaigns for
Pan-Latinism Pan-Latinism is an ideology that promotes the unification of the Romance peoples, Romance-speaking peoples. Pan-Latinism first rose to prominence in France particularly from the influence of Michel Chevalier (1806–1879) who contrasted the "Latin ...
and Romanian
irredentism Irredentism () is one State (polity), state's desire to Annexation, annex the territory of another state. This desire can be motivated by Ethnicity, ethnic reasons because the population of the territory is ethnically similar to or the same as the ...
. This second career peaked upon the close of World War I, when Bacaloglu became involved with
Italian fascism Italian fascism (), also called classical fascism and Fascism, is the original fascist ideology, which Giovanni Gentile and Benito Mussolini developed in Italy. The ideology of Italian fascism is associated with a series of political parties le ...
. Introduced to
Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 un ...
and
Benedetto Croce Benedetto Croce, ( , ; 25 February 1866 – 20 November 1952) was an Italian idealist philosopher, historian, and politician who wrote on numerous topics, including philosophy, history, historiography, and aesthetics. A Cultural liberalism, poli ...
, she helped transplant fascism on Romanian soil. Her National Italo-Romanian Cultural and Economic Movement was a minor and heterodox political party, but managed to earn attention with its advocacy of political violence. This classical Romanian fascist movement merged into the more powerful National Romanian Fascio, then reconstructed itself under Bacalogu's own leadership. It survived the troubles of 1923, but was disbanded by government order in 1925, and was entirely eclipsed by the
Iron Guard The Iron Guard () was a Romanian militant revolutionary nationalism, revolutionary Clerical fascism, religious fascist Political movement, movement and political party founded in 1927 by Corneliu Zelea Codreanu as the Legion of the Archangel M ...
. Shunned by Mussolini, Bacaloglu lived her final decades in relative obscurity, enmeshed in political intrigues. Her fascist ideas were taken up by some in her family, including her brother Sandi and her son Ovid O. Densusianu.


Biography


Early life and literary debut

The Bacaloglus, whose name is the Turkish for "grocer's son" (var. ''Bakkaloğlu''), were a family of social and political importance, descending from the Bulgaro-Romanian Ion D. H. Bacaloglu, a recipient of the
Order of Saint Stanislaus The Order of Saint Stanislaus (, ), also spelled Stanislas, was a Polish order of knighthood founded in 1765 by King Stanisław August Poniatowski of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It remained under the Congress Poland, Kingdom of Pola ...
.Gheorghe G. Bezviconi, ''Necropola Capitalei'', Nicolae Iorga Institute of History, Bucharest, 1972, p.58 Elena's ancestors were first mentioned in
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
about 1826, having settled in
Wallachia Wallachia or Walachia (; ; : , : ) is a historical and geographical region of modern-day Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians. Wallachia was traditionally divided into two sections, Munteni ...
as foreign nationals, and set up business as land speculators. Elena's father was Bucharest civil administrator Alexandru Bacaloglu (1845–1915), related to scientist
Emanoil Bacaloglu Emanoil Bacaloglu (; – 30 August 1891) was a Wallachian and Romanian mathematician, physicist and chemist. Born in Bucharest and of Greeks of Romania, Greek origin, he studied physics and mathematics in Paris and Leipzig, later becoming a pro ...
. He was married to Sofia G. Izvoreanu (1854–1942). Alexandru and Sofia's children, other than Elena, were: Constantin (1871–1942), a
University of Iași The Alexandru Ioan Cuza University (; acronym: UAIC) is a public university located in , Romania. Founded by an 1860 decree of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza, under whom the former was converted to a university, the University of , as it was named ...
physician; Victor (1872–1945), an engineer, writer and journalist; and George (Gheorghe) Bacaloglu, an artillery officer and literary man. Another brother, lawyer Alexandru "Sandi" Bacaloglu, was less known until a 1923 incident propelled him into the public arena. Elena was born in Bucharest on December 19, 1878.Calangiu ''et al.'', p.xxi Compared to other Romanian women of the ''
fin de siècle "''Fin de siècle''" () is a French term meaning , a phrase which typically encompasses both the meaning of the similar English idiom '' turn of the century'' and also makes reference to the closing of one era and onset of another. Without co ...
'', and even to some men, she was highly educated, taking her diplomas at the
University of Bucharest The University of Bucharest (UB) () is a public university, public research university in Bucharest, Romania. It was founded in its current form on by a decree of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza to convert the former Princely Academy of Bucharest, P ...
Faculty of Letters and the ''
Collège de France The (), formerly known as the or as the ''Collège impérial'' founded in 1530 by François I, is a higher education and research establishment () in France. It is located in Paris near La Sorbonne. The has been considered to be France's most ...
''. Her study interests were
French culture The culture of France has been shaped by Geography of France, geography, by History of France, historical events, and by foreign and internal forces and groups. France, and in particular Paris, has played an important role as a center of high ...
, art history, and philosophy. Nicolae Scurtu
"Note despre prozatoarea Elena Bacaloglu"
, in ''
România Literară ''România Literară'' is a cultural and literary magazine from Romania. In its original edition, it was founded on 1 January 1855 by Vasile Alecsandri and published in Iași until 3 December 1855, when it was suppressed. The new series appeared ...
'', Nr. 22/2015
It was in Paris (where she was chaperoned by Constantin Bacaloglu) that she met Ovid Densusianu, her future lover. However, her first marriage was to Radu D. Rosetti, who was to become a highly successful lawyer and a minor
neoromantic The term neo-romanticism is used to cover a variety of movements in philosophy, literature, music, painting, and architecture, as well as social movements, that exist after and incorporate elements from the era of Romanticism. It has been used ...
poet. Reportedly, she fell "madly in love", and convinced her reluctant parents to approve of him."Diverse. Din Capitală. Drama din strada Lucacĭ", in '' Epoca'', June 18, 1898, p.2 They were engaged on December 19, 1896, and had their religious wedding in January of the next year, with politician
Nicolae Filipescu Nicolae Filipescu (December 5, 1862 – September 30, 1916) was a Romanian politician. Filipescu was the Mayor of Bucharest between February 1893 and October 1895. It was during his term the first electric tramways circulated in Bucharest. Betwe ...
as godfather. They had a daughter together. The marriage did not last: by 1897, unable to make ends meet, Rosetti deserted his wife and daughter, who moved back into Alexandru Bacaloglu's home. In June 1898, she attempted suicide by shooting herself in the chest, and was saved by an emergency intervention on her right lung. The Rosetti–Bacaloglu divorce was registered in 1899.Nastasă (2010), p.51 On August 7, 1902, Elena married Ovid Densusianu, who was fast becoming the theoretician of Romanian Symbolism. Historian Lucian Nastasă describes theirs as an odd union. Elena was "extremely beautiful"; Ovid, much less educated than his wife, was also "short and limp". They had a son, Ovid Jr (or Ovid O. Densusianu), born in March or April 1904.Maria Șveț, "Ovid-Aron Densușianu", in ''Calendar Național 2004: Anul Ștefan cel Mare și Sfânt'',
National Library of Moldova The National Library of Moldova (, BNRM) located in Chișinău, Moldova is the main library of the state which is responsible for conservation, valorization and protection of written cultural heritage. The National Library operates according to t ...
, Chișinău, 2004, p.110.
Bacaloglu's editorial debut was in 1903, when Editura Socec published her monograph ''Despre simbolizm și Maeterlinck'' ("On Symbolism and Maeterlinck"). Together with the essays of Alexandru Bibescu (1893) and
Izabela Sadoveanu-Evan Izabela Sadoveanu-Evan (, last name also Sadoveanu-Andrei, first name also Isabella or Izabella; born Izabela Morțun, pen names I.Z.S.D. and Iz. Sd.;
(1908), it constitutes an early Romanian attempt to define the limits of Symbolism,
Decadence Decadence was a late-19th-century movement emphasizing the need for sensationalism, egocentricity, and bizarre, artificial, perverse, and exotic sensations and experiences. By extension, it may refer to a decline in art, literature, science, ...
and modernity. In Bacaloglu's interpretation, Symbolism and Decadentism were the two sides of a coin: while the Decadents gave voice to the late-19th-century "degeneration" of the Latin race, the Symbolists epitomized the Latin "revival", a triumph of mysteries and metaphysics. Straddling these two eras were Maeterlinck's ''
Hothouses ''Hothouses'' (or ''Hot House Blooms'', ) (1889) is a book of symbolism (arts), symbolist poetry by the Belgium, Belgian Nobel laureate Maurice Maeterlinck. Most of the poems in this collection are written in octosyllabic verse, but some are in f ...
'', which she was the first to discuss from a Romanian perspective. According to literary historian Angelo Mitchievici, ''Despre simbolizm'' tackles the literary critic's perspective as a "participatory-
impressionistic Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...
formula, not lacking in refinement". In 1906, Bacaloglu also published her
psychological novel In literature, psychological fiction (also psychological realism) is a narrative genre that emphasizes interior characterization and motivation to explore the spiritual, emotional, and mental lives of its characters. The mode of narration examin ...
, ''În luptă'' ("In Combat"), followed in 1908 by another novelistic work, ''Două torțe'' ("Two Torches").Calangiu ''et al.'', p.xxi; Onofrei ''et al.'', p.243 Her writing was poorly reviewed by the literary chronicler at ''
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. ...
'', who argued that ''În luptă'' was impossible to read through. The book was presented to the
Romanian Academy The Romanian Academy ( ) 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 bylaws, the academy's ma ...
as a candidate for the annual literary prize, but was rejected with objections regarding Bacaloglu's "tortured" writing technique and her poor grasp of literary Romanian. Other magazines, including '' Noua Revistă Română'' and '' Convorbiri Critice'', hosted samples of her literary work.


Relocation to Italy

Meanwhile, Bacaloglu had separated from Densusianu, divorcing him in 1904. Having traveled through much of Western Europe, she spent most of her time in Italy, writing articles for '' Il Giornale d'Italia'', ''Madame'', and the political magazine ''
L'Idea Nazionale ''L'Idea Nazionale'' (Italian for "The National Idea") was an Italian political newspaper associated with the Italian Nationalist Association (ANI), which merged with the National Fascist Party in 1923. The paper was published between 1911 and 192 ...
''.Sallusto, p.174 For a few months in 1908, she had an affair with the poet-playwright
Salvatore Di Giacomo Salvatore Di Giacomo (12 March 1860 – 5 April 1934) was an Italian poet, songwriter, playwright and fascist, one of the signatories to the Manifesto of the Fascist Intellectuals. Di Giacomo is credited as being one of those responsible for ...
, whose ''Assunta Spina'' she translated for ''Convorbiri Critice'' (August 1909). She later married a third time, to an Italian. In the early 1910s, Bacaloglu was living in Rome, where, in September 1912, she published a monograph about the love affair between Romanian poet
Gheorghe Asachi Gheorghe Asachi (, surname also spelled Asaki; 1 March 1788 – 12 November 1869) was a Moldavian, later Romanian, prose writer, poet, painter, historian, dramatist, engineer, border maker, and translator. An Enlightenment-educated polymath and ...
and his Italian muse, Bianca Milesi. A recipient of the ''Bene Merenti'' medal, granted by the Romanian King
Carol I Carol I or Charles I of Romania (born Karl Eitel Friedrich Zephyrinus Ludwig von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen; 20 April 1839 – ), was the monarch of Romania from 1866 to his death in 1914, ruling as Prince (''Domnitor'') from 1866 to 1881, and as ...
,Burcea (2005), p.101 she translated into French the prose work of his consort, Carmen Sylva."Transeuntes literarios", in ''
La Gaceta Literaria ''La Gaceta Literaria'' () was a bimonthly avant-garde literary, arts and science magazine which appeared in Madrid, Spain, between 1927 and 1932. It is known for its leading contributors and editorial board members. History and profile ''La Gac ...
'', Nr. 46/1928, p.4
She also represented Romania at the
Castel Sant'Angelo Castel Sant'Angelo ( ), also known as Mausoleum of Hadrian (), is a towering rotunda (cylindrical building) in Parco Adriano, Rome, Italy. It was initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his family. ...
National Exhibit, and, as "Hélène Bacaloglu", gave French-language conferences about Di Giacomo. During the period, she came into conflict with Romanian antiquarian
Alexandru Tzigara-Samurcaș Alexandru Tzigara-Samurcaș (; also known as Al. Tzigara, Tzigara-Sumurcaș, Tzigara-Samurcash, Tzigara-Samurkasch or Țigara-Samurcaș; April 4, 1872 – April 30, 1952) was a Romanian art historian, Ethnography, ethnographer, Museology, museolog ...
. Mandated by the Romanian government, Tzigara replaced Bacaloglu at the National Exhibit's Romanian Committee. He described Bacaloglu as an illegitimate, self-appointed, representative, and noted that the Italian press also mistrusted her abilities. Bacaloglu presented her own version of the events in a protest to the curators, later published as a brochure. Her conferences on Di Giacomo were received with more sympathy: Alberto Cappelletti gave them a good review in ''Il Giorno'', and E. Console republished them as a fascicle, but all such collaborations ended abruptly when her collaborators became dissatisfied with her character and the quality of her prose. She still continued to be held in esteem by her Romanian peers and, in 1912, was voted into their
Romanian Writers' Society The Romanian Writers' Society () was a professional association based in Bucharest, Romania, that aided the country's writers and promoted their interests. Founded in 1909, it operated for forty years before the early Communist Romania, communist re ...
. Shortly after the outbreak of World War I, Bacaloglu turned to political activism and interventionism, campaigning for still-neutral Romania to join the
Entente Powers The Allies or the Entente (, ) was an international military coalition of countries led by the French Republic, the United Kingdom, the Russian Empire, the United States, the Kingdom of Italy, and the Empire of Japan against the Central Powers ...
, and supporting the annexation of Romanian-inhabited
Transylvania Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...
. To this goal, she published in Bucharest the Italian-language essay ''Per la Grande Rumania'' ("For
Greater Romania Greater Romania () is the Kingdom of Romania in the interwar period, achieved after the Great Union or the related pan-nationalist ideal of a nation-state which would incorporate all Romanian speakers.Irina LivezeanuCultural Politics in Greate ...
") and the French-language ''Preuves d'amour. Conférences patriotiques'' ("Proofs of Love. Patriotic Conferences"). In Bacaloglu's activity, irredentism blended with the cause of
Pan-Latinism Pan-Latinism is an ideology that promotes the unification of the Romance peoples, Romance-speaking peoples. Pan-Latinism first rose to prominence in France particularly from the influence of Michel Chevalier (1806–1879) who contrasted the "Latin ...
. She joined the Pan-Latin association ''Latina Gens'', which welcomed in members of all "
Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
" nations and looked forward to a "Latin federation" of states. Working for this organization, she became close to Italian General
Luigi Cadorna Marshal of Italy Luigi Cadorna, (4 September 1850 – 21 December 1928) was an Italian people, Italian general, Marshal of Italy and Count, most famous for being the Chief of Staff of the Italian Army from 1914 until 1917 during World War I ...
, described by Romanian officials as her "protector","2a tornata di venerdì 16 giugno 1922. Interrogazioni e interpellanza"
in ''Atti Parlamentari. Legislatura XXVI: CXXVII'', p.6329
and
Foreign Minister In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral r ...
Sidney Sonnino Sidney Costantino, Baron Sonnino (; 11 March 1847 – 24 November 1922) was an Italian statesman, 19th prime minister of Italy and twice served briefly as one, in 1906 and again from 1909 to 1910. In 1901, he founded a new major newspaper, '' Il ...
. Her efforts to popularize the Romanian cause among the troops fighting on the northern Italian front were interrupted in October 1917 by the
Battle of Caporetto The Battle of Kobarid (also known as the Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo, the Battle of Caporetto or the Battle of Karfreit) took place on the Italian front of World War I. The battle was fought between the Kingdom of Italy and the Central P ...
, which Italy lost, forcing Bacaloglu to take refuge in
Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...
. She subsequently played a part in creating the "Romanian Legion in Italy". Grouping Romanians from Transylvania and Italian sympathizers, this military formation fought the
Central Powers The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,; ; , ; were one of the two main coalitions that fought in World War I (1914–1918). It consisted of the German Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulga ...
in Italy. However, Bacalogu and ''Latina Gens'' were not invited at the Legion's founding ceremony, held at
Cittaducale Cittaducale (locally ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Rieti in the Italian region Lazio, located about northeast of Rome and about southeast of Rieti. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 6,799 and an area of . It was ...
in June 1918. According to
Victor Babeș Victor Babeș (; 28 July 1854 in Vienna – 19 October 1926 in Bucharest) was a Romanian physician, bacteriologist, academician and professor. One of the founders of modern microbiology, Victor Babeș is author of one of the first treatises of ba ...
, the Transylvanian doctor and publicist, Elena Bacaloglu was "the great propagandist of Romanianism abroad, and especially so in Italy". The cause of "Greater Romania" fascinated two of Bacaloglu's three brothers: Victor, the author of patriotic plays, created one of the first all-Romanian newspapers in
Bessarabia Bessarabia () 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 Bessarabia lies within modern-day Moldova, with the Budjak region covering the southern coa ...
; George fought with distinction during the war of 1916, fulfilled several diplomatic missions, and was later a
Prefect Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area. A prefect' ...
of
Bihor County Bihor County (, ) is a county (județ) in western Romania. With a total area of , Bihor is Romania's 6th largest county geographically and the main county in the historical region of Crișana. Its capital city is Oradea (Nagyvárad). Toponymy ...
, Transylvania. Elena, Constantin and Victor were all correspondents for George Bacaloglu's cultural review, ''Cele Trei Crișuri'', well into the 1930s.


Fascist experiment

After the war, Elena Bacaloglu remained in Italy as a correspondent of ''
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 or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 No ...
'', the Bucharest daily. One of the first Romanians to gain familiarity with the modern far-right movements in Europe, and, historians assess, driven by an "enormous ambition", she contemplated transplanting
Italian fascism Italian fascism (), also called classical fascism and Fascism, is the original fascist ideology, which Giovanni Gentile and Benito Mussolini developed in Italy. The ideology of Italian fascism is associated with a series of political parties le ...
into Greater Romania. This project had preoccupied her since the " red biennium" of 1919–1920, when she presented a
proto-fascist Proto-fascism represents the direct predecessor ideologies and cultural movements that influenced and formed the basis of fascism. A prominent proto-fascist figure is Gabriele D'Annunzio, the Italian nationalist whose politics influenced Benit ...
appeal to the Italian nationalist Gabriele d'AnnunzioHeinen, p.103 and wrote articles for ''
Il Popolo d'Italia ''Il Popolo d'Italia'' (; ) was an Italian newspaper published from 15 November 1914 until 24 July 1943. It was founded by Benito Mussolini as a pro-war newspaper during World War I, and it later became the main newspaper of the Fascist movemen ...
''.
Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 un ...
, who presided over the '' Fasci Italiani'' paramilitaries, also received Bacologlu's letters, but was noticeably skeptical at first. She also addressed Italian journalists
Giuseppe Bottai Giuseppe Bottai (3 September 1895 – 9 January 1959) was an Italian journalist and member of the National Fascist Party of Benito Mussolini. Early life Born in Rome, Bottai was son of Luigi Bottai, a wine dealer with republican sympathies, and ...
and Piero Bolzon, who agreed to become members of Bacaloglu's Romanian fascist steering committee. At the time, Bacaloglu was also a friend of philosopher and fascist admirer
Benedetto Croce Benedetto Croce, ( , ; 25 February 1866 – 20 November 1952) was an Italian idealist philosopher, historian, and politician who wrote on numerous topics, including philosophy, history, historiography, and aesthetics. A Cultural liberalism, poli ...
, and corresponded with him on a regular basis. Just as she was embarking on this ideological mission, Bacaloglu was drawn into a conflict with the Romanian political establishment. In the
Italian Chamber of Deputies The Chamber of Deputies () is the lower house of the bicameral Italian Parliament, the upper house being the Senate of the Republic (Italy), Senate of the Republic. The two houses together form a perfect bicameral system, meaning they perform ...
, Mussolini's
National Fascist Party The National Fascist Party (, PNF) was a political party in Italy, created by Benito Mussolini as the political expression of Italian fascism and as a reorganisation of the previous Italian Fasces of Combat. The party ruled the Kingdom of It ...
took up her cause: in August 1920, deputy
Luigi Federzoni Luigi Federzoni (27 September 1878 – 24 January 1967) was an Italian nationalist and later Fascist politician. Biography Federzoni was born in Bologna. Educated at the university there, he took to journalism and literature, and for several ye ...
accused the Romanian state of trying to kidnap and silence Bacaloglu, "a person of the highest respectability". In 1922, the tribunal of
Casale Monferrato Casale Monferrato () is a town in the Piedmont region of Northwest Italy, northwestern Italy, in the province of Alessandria. It is situated about east of Turin on the right bank of the Po River, Po, where the river runs at the foot of the Montfe ...
heard her complaint against Romania over copyright issues. Bacaloglu again complained that Romanian ''
Siguranța ''Siguranța'' was the generic name for the successive secret police services in the Kingdom of Romania. The official title of the organization changed throughout its history, with names including Directorate of the Police and General Safety () ...
'' agents tried to kidnap her during the
Genoa Conference The Economic and Financial Conference was a formal conclave of representatives from 34 European countries held in the ancient Palazzo San Giorgio of Genoa, Italy, from 10 April to 19 May 1922. Unlike the previous International Monetary and Econo ...
. The same year, fascist deputy Alessandro Dudan took Bacaloglu's side in her conflict with Romanian authorities, noting that the latter were abusing their powers. Bacaloglu and her claims were shunned by successive Romanian Ambassadors, who simply noted that she suffered from a "mania for persecution". Mussolini himself acknowledged Bacaloglu's admiration. He corresponded with Bacaloglu, sending her point-by-point instructions about "Latin expansionism" and about economic cooperation against
capitalism Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their use for the purpose of obtaining profit. This socioeconomic system has developed historically through several stages and is defined by ...
. These were made public by Bacaloglu in her brochure ''Movimento nazionale fascista italo-romeno. Creazione e governo'' ("National Italo-Romanian Fascist Movement. Creation and Steering"), published in Milan after Mussolini's victorious "
March on Rome The March on Rome () was an organized mass demonstration in October 1922 which resulted in Benito Mussolini's National Fascist Party (, PNF) ascending to power in the Kingdom of Italy. In late October 1922, Fascist Party leaders planned a march ...
". Seeking to "draw the fascist chief ussolinicloser to Romania's political course", Bacaloglu also made visible efforts to prevent a rapprochement between Italy and Romania's rival, Regency Hungary. She denounced Romania's foreign policies in articles she wrote for the Italian newspapers, depicting liberal politicians as lackeys of the
French Republic France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. At some point in 1921, with Mussolini's acquiescence, Bacaloglu established an Italo–Romanian fascist association, later known as National Italo-Romanian Cultural and Economic Movement (MNFIR). Her followers began setting up fascist leagues in Romania—one of the first such clubs was founded in the Transylvanian regional capital,
Cluj Cluj-Napoca ( ; ), or simply Cluj ( , ), is a city in northwestern Romania. It is the second-most populous city in the country and the seat of Cluj County. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest (), Budapest () and Belgrade ( ...
. The main difference between the Italian and Romanian fascists was their respective stance on the "
Jewish Question The Jewish question was a wide-ranging debate in 19th- and 20th-century Europe that pertained to the appropriate status and treatment of Jews. The debate, which was similar to other " national questions", dealt with the civil, legal, national, ...
": the Italo-Romanian Movement was
antisemitic Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...
; the original ''Fasci'' were not.Francisco Veiga, ''La mística del ultranacionalismo: Historia de la Guardia de Hierro, Rumania, 1919–1941'',
Autonomous University of Barcelona The Autonomous University of Barcelona (; Spanish: ; ; UAB) is a public university mostly located in Cerdanyola del Vallès, near the city of Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain. , the university consists of 57 departments in the experimental, lif ...
, Bellaterra, 1989, p.140.
The goal was supported by other Constantin Bacaloglu, in his work at Iași University. Working with the antisemitic opinion leader,
A. C. Cuza Alexandru C. Cuza (8 November 1857 – 3 November 1947), also known as A. C. Cuza, was a Romanian far-right politician and economist. Early life Cuza was born in Iași into a family of mixed Armenian-Greek origins. He was the grandson of Moldav ...
, he gave endorsement to rioters who called for the expulsion of most Romanian Jewish students, and tolerated fascist symbolism. However, according to political scientist Emanuela Costantini, the antisemitic agenda of the Movement was comparatively "moderate"; she highlights instead Bacaloglu's other ideas: "an anti-industrialism in the
populist Populism is a contested concept used to refer to a variety of political stances that emphasize the idea of the " common people" and often position this group in opposition to a perceived elite. It is frequently associated with anti-establis ...
mold", and a version of nationalism heavily inspired by the ''
Action Française ''Action Française'' (, AF; ) is a French far-right monarchist and nationalist political movement. The name was also given to a journal associated with the movement, '' L'Action Française'', sold by its own youth organization, the Camelot ...
''. The Romanian branch of Italian fascism was always minor, and vied for attention with a plethora of paramilitary groups. As suggested by Costantini, it shared their
anticommunism Anti-communism is Political movement, political and Ideology, ideological opposition to communism, communist beliefs, groups, and individuals. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia, and it reached global ...
and contempt for democracy, but was the only one to be directly inspired by Mussolini. In 1922, MNFIR split, and its more powerful sections, presided upon by Titus Panaitescu Vifor, merged with the National Romanian Fascio (FNR). However, in 1923, Bacaloglu reentered central politics as leader of the reconstructed MNFIR, directly modeled on the ''Fasci Italiani''. On December 30 of that year, she founded the propaganda weekly ''Mișcarea Națională Fascistă'', of which she was also the "political director". Only about a hundred people were persuaded to join, even though, as historian Francisco Veiga notes, many represented the more active strata of Romanian society (soldiers, students). Powerful cells gravitated around the
University of Cluj A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...
(Transylvania) and Constantin Bacaloglu's own Iași University. Women themselves were largely absent: still not granted the vote under the 1923 Constitution, they generally preferred enrollment in specifically
feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...
organizations, and were never popular with the more significant Romanian fascist parties (including, from 1927, the
Iron Guard The Iron Guard () was a Romanian militant revolutionary nationalism, revolutionary Clerical fascism, religious fascist Political movement, movement and political party founded in 1927 by Corneliu Zelea Codreanu as the Legion of the Archangel M ...
).


Antifascist clampdown and disgrace

Throughout its short existence, Bacaloglu's association was very vocal in condemning the Romanian status-quo and the
Treaty of Versailles The Treaty of Versailles was a peace treaty signed on 28 June 1919. As the most important treaty of World War I, it ended the state of war between Germany and most of the Allies of World War I, Allied Powers. It was signed in the Palace ...
. She believed that the
Little Entente The Little Entente was an alliance formed in 1920 and 1921 by Czechoslovakia, Romania and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (Yugoslavia from 1929 on) with the purpose of common defense against Hungarian revisionism and the prospect of ...
, which was partly dedicated to countering
Italian irredentism Italian irredentism ( ) was a political movement during the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Kingdom of Italy, Italy with irredentism, irredentist goals which promoted the Unification of Italy, unification of geographic areas in which indig ...
but included Romania, would leave the two countries prey to capitalist and Jewish exploitation. Some reports suggest that the "Romanian fascio" took it upon itself to threaten enemies of the deposed, but politically ambitious, Crown Prince Carol (who did not in fact approve of the Romanian fascists). Petre Țurlea, "Din nou despre poziția Partidului Naționalist Democrat față de evrei", in Vasile Ciobanu, Sorin Radu (eds.),
Partide politice și minorități naționale din România în secolul XX
'', Vol. IV, TechnoMedia, Sibiu, 2009, p.139.
In October 1923,
Nicolae Iorga Nicolae Iorga (17 January 1871 – 27 November 1940) was a historian, politician, literary critic, memoirist, Albanologist, poet and playwright. Co-founder (in 1910) of the Democratic Nationalist Party (PND), he served as a member of Parliament ...
, a historian who opposed Carol's return, accused the organization of sending him
hate mail Hate mail (as electronic, posted, or otherwise) is a form of harassment, usually consisting of invective and potentially intimidating or threatening comments towards the recipient. Hate mail often contains exceptionally abusive, foul or otherwi ...
. The MNFIR became the object of government repression, soon after the antisemitic student
Corneliu Zelea Codreanu Corneliu Zelea Codreanu (; 13 September 1899 – 30 November 1938), born Corneliu Zelinski and commonly known as Corneliu Codreanu, was a far-right Romanian politician, the founder and charismatic leader of the Iron Guard or ''The Legion of ...
was arrested on charges of terrorism. Codreanu had attempted to assassinate the staff of ''
Adevărul (; meaning "The Truth", formerly spelled ''Adevĕrul'') is a Romanian daily newspaper, based in Bucharest. Founded in Iași, in 1871, and reestablished in 1888, in Bucharest, it was the main left-wing press venue to be published during the Kingd ...
'', including the Jewish manager Iacob Rosenthal, and, during the interrogations, implicated other fascist alliances. His testimony was disputed by ''Vestul României'', the pro-fascist newspaper of
Timișoara Timișoara (, , ; , also or ; ; ; see #Etymology, other names) is the capital city of Timiș County, Banat, and the main economic, social and cultural center in Western Romania. Located on the Bega (Tisza), Bega River, Timișoara is consider ...
, which claimed: "The attempt ..is not the work of terrorists, as was quickly proclaimed by some of our colleagues, but the mere revenge of one Sandi Bacaloglu who wished to defend the honor of his sister, that had been compromised by one ''Adevărul'' article, wherein it had been claimed that Elena Bacaloglu had been convicted for immodesty by the appellate court of Genoa." Several other theories circulate regarding Codreanu's motivation, but it is known that his group of assassins included an FNR man, Teodosie Popescu, and also that the act was celebrated in the FNR media. The news was taken up in another Transylvanian paper, ''Clujul'', which claimed that "the lawyer Bacaloglu" had "taken revenge on his sister's slanderer". Also according to ''Clujul'', Vifor, who lived in Rome and was not involved in the Rosenthal incident, remained recognized as the "fascist leader"—as FNR president. Meanwhile, George Bacaloglu, interviewed by the press, denied any connection with his sister's movement. According to historian Armin Heinen, the MNFIR was never a fully fledged party, whereas Vifor's more powerful movement could present a more attractive platform to some of Bacaloglu's disillusioned followers. The FNR was explicitly
Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...
as well as
corporatist Corporatism is an ideology and political system of interest representation and policymaking whereby corporate groups, such as agricultural, labour, military, business, scientific, or guild associations, come together and negotiate contracts ...
, and as such still had little to do with the Mussolinian program. Somewhat larger in numbers, it managed to absorb two other nationalist political clubs, emerging from this fusion with a program supporting dictatorial politics and the expulsion of all foreigners. Sandi Bacaloglu was soon imprisoned, facing charges of attempted assassination and sedition. The court only cleared him of the more serious charges, and fined him 50 Lei. Accounts differ as to what became of Elena Bacaloglu's fascist party. She is credited as a founder of the successor
National Fascist Movement The National Fascist Movement (, MNF) was a Romanian political movement formed in 1923 by the merger of the National Romanian Fascia and the National Italo-Romanian Cultural and Economic Movement. With its roots in an avowedly pro-Italian grou ...
(MNF), closed down by
Romanian Police The Romanian Police (, , ) is the national police force and main civil law enforcement agency in Romania. It is subordinated to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and it is led by a General Inspector with the rank of Secretary of State. Duties T ...
in 1925. However, this mainly Transylvanian party did not have a direct link with the Bacaloglus. Before the police clampdown, the FNR announced in ''Clujul'' its goal of destroying "the intrigues of foreigners", and its motto ("The Fascio does not forget!")."Mișcarea fașcistilor români. Programul fașcistilor"
in ''Clujul'', Nr. 6/1924 (digitized by the
Babeș-Bolyai University The Babeș-Bolyai University ( , , commonly known as UBB) is a public research university located in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Established in 1581 as Academia Claudiopolitana, it underwent several reorganizations over the centuries, eventually taking ...
br>Transsylvanica Online Library
It also informed Transylvanians that Sandi Bacaloglu, recently freed and presenting himself as a Mussolini envoy, was not a fascist, and could not claim to represent any local fascist party. Bacaloglu became a ''
persona non grata In diplomacy, a ' (PNG) is a foreign diplomat that is asked by the host country to be recalled to their home country. If the person is not recalled as requested, the host state may refuse to recognize the person concerned as a member of the diplo ...
'' and was deported from Italy once Mussolini grew aware of her dissident stance. A Romanian police report of the period suggests that "the Fascist Party of Romania" intended to join up with Cuza and Codreanu's
National-Christian Defense League The National-Christian Defense League (, LANC) was a far-right political party of Romania formed by A. C. Cuza. Origins The LANC had its roots in the National Christian Union, formed in 1922 by Cuza and the famed physiologist Nicolae Paulescu. ...
(LANC) and the Romanian Action, into a "National Christian Party". In October 1925, however, Cuza officially announced that the National Romanian Fascio, the Romanian Action, and the Transylvanian Social-Christian Party had voted to dissolve and merge with the League, with the common goal being "the elimination of the kikes". Sandi Bacaloglu signed his name to the appeal as a Fascio representative, and became a member of the LANC's executive council, on par with
Ioan Moța Ioan Moța (; Certeju de Sus, Nojag, Hunedoara County, 15 December 1868 - Bucharest, 20 November 1940) was a Romanian Romanian Orthodox Church, Orthodox priest, Romanian nationalism, nationalist politician, and journalist, as well as father to pr ...
, Ion Zelea Codreanu,
Iuliu Hațieganu Iuliu Hațieganu (April 14, 1885 – September 4, 1959) was a Romanian internist doctor particularly recognized for research done in the field of tuberculosis. He founded in Cluj a valuable school of internal medicine. Today, Cluj University of ...
, Valeriu Pop, Iuniu Lecca. Afterward, Sandi Bacaloglu ran in the general election of 1926 on the same list as Cuza and Codreanu. In 1927, his sister still held claim to being leader of "the national fascist movement", with temporary headquarters in "the Solacoglu House",
Moșilor Moșilor (literally, ''Elders'') is a residential quarter in Bucharest's Sector 2. It houses the Foișorul de Foc, St. Sylvester's Church, and Olari Church. Its name derives from the main avenue Calea Moșilor which in turn is named after a w ...
. She also pursued her dispute with the Romanian state. She claimed that the authorities still owed her some 4 million Lei, which she tried to obtain from Interior Affairs Minister
Octavian Goga Octavian Goga (; 1 April 1881 – 7 May 1938) was a Romanian far-right politician, poet, playwright, journalist, and translator. Biography Early life Octavian Goga was born on 1 April 1881 in the village of Rășinari, on the northern sl ...
and from Writers' Society president
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 King ...
. In her letters to Rebreanu, she made transparent allusions to the possibility of mutual help but, researcher Andrei Moldovan suggests, was incoherent and needlessly haughty.


Later years

In 1928, Bacaloglu left Romania on a visit to the
Kingdom of Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
, where she continued to campaign for Pan-Latinism and collaborated with ''
La Gaceta Literaria ''La Gaceta Literaria'' () was a bimonthly avant-garde literary, arts and science magazine which appeared in Madrid, Spain, between 1927 and 1932. It is known for its leading contributors and editorial board members. History and profile ''La Gac ...
''. The latter introduced her as "that Central European feminine type, dedicated to journalism, to embassy work, to zigzagging and daring missions." For his part, Vifor had probably put his activity on hold by January 1929, when he was assigned a diplomatic post in
Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
. He later returned to Bucharest as a representative of Balcan Oriente news agency.Burcea (2005), p.102 Also in 1929, the Romanian fascio was revived a third and final time, when a certain Colonel August Stoica tried to use it in his coup against government, variously described as an "operatic plot" or a "shambolic conspiracy". The conspirators were rounded up and made subject to a public trial, during which prosecution invoked the Mârzescu Law against fascist as well as communist sedition. Bacaloglu herself remained active on the margin of Romanian politics, witnessing from the side as Prince Carol retook his throne with the help of
Iuliu Maniu Iuliu Maniu (; 8 January 1873 – 5 February 1953) was a Romanian lawyer and politician. He was a leader of the National Party of Transylvania and Banat before and after World War I, playing an important role in the Union of Transylvania wi ...
and the
National Peasants' Party The National Peasants' Party (also known as the National Peasant Party or National Farmers' Party; , or ''Partidul Național-Țărănist'', PNȚ) was an Agrarianism, agrarian political party in the Kingdom of Romania. It was formed in 1926 throu ...
. She approached the Maniu government and the
Foreign Ministry In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral re ...
with offers of support and complaints about past persecutions, but these were poorly received. She was eventually allowed to return to Italy in support of the Romanian propaganda effort, protected by the National Peasantist undersecretary,
Savel Rădulescu Savel Rădulescu (October 19, 1885 – August 27, 1970) was a Romanian diplomat. He started his career in 1921 and worked as secretary of Nicolae Titulescu at the League of Nations. For his diplomatic activity he was distinguished with the Soverei ...
(and, allegedly, by the
League of Nations The League of Nations (LN or LoN; , SdN) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference (1919–1920), Paris Peace ...
'
Nicolae Titulescu Nicolae Titulescu (; 4 March 1882 – 17 March 1941) was a Romanian politician and diplomat, at various times ambassador, finance minister, and foreign minister, and for two terms served as president of the General Assembly of the League of Nati ...
), but lost endorsement in a subsequent transfer of power. She continued with her appeals to Rebreanu (who was also being asked to help George Bacaloglu revive ''Cele Trei Crișuri'') and writer-bureaucrat Eugen Filotti. In 1931, she claimed that a conspiracy, headed by diplomat Filip Lahovary and the leaders of the National Liberal Party, wanted to assassinate her "through hunger" and prevented her from even talking to people of influence.Moldovan, p.44 Bacaloglu also stated that, in exchange for recognition of financial support, she could obtain Mussolini's endorsement for the National Peasantists, who were in the opposition. Sandi Bacaloglu carried on a LANC activist and then joined the successor
National Christian Party The National Christian Party () was a far-right authoritarian and strongly antisemitic political party in Romania active between 1935 and 1938. It was formed by a merger of Octavian Goga's National Agrarian Party and A. C. Cuza's National-Chr ...
(PNC), running in the legislative election of 1937 in Bucharest's Black Sector. As a Bucharest PNC leader, he also led street battles with a more minor LANC splinter group, the Fire Swastika. By then, Elena's son by Densusianu was also entering public life. Educated in Italy and Romania, Ovid Jr trained as a schoolteacher and then became a press officer at the Interior Ministry. He also had prospects of becoming a writer, and is especially remembered for a 1937 novel, ''Stăpânul'' ("The Master"). He adhered to his mother and uncle's fascist ideology: he was a staff writer for the Iron Guard paper '' Porunca Vremii'', translated the political essays of Mussolini and Antonio Beltramelli, and campaigned in support of Italy during the Ethiopian War. In May 1936, he helped
Mihail Manoilescu Mihail Manoilescu (; December 9, 1891 – December 30, 1950) was a Romanian journalist, engineer, economist, politician and memoirist, who served as Foreign Minister of Romania during the summer of 1940. An active promoter of and contributor to ...
establish the local network of Fascist Action Committees (CAUR). Always a staunch critic of fascism, Ovid Densusianu Sr died unexpectedly on June 8, 1938, after surgery and
sepsis Sepsis is a potentially life-threatening condition that arises when the body's response to infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs. This initial stage of sepsis is followed by suppression of the immune system. Common signs and s ...
. A year into World War II, Elena was again living in Rome, but had to return to Romania because, as she put it, "fake Latin nationalists" wanted her gone. She was issued new papers attesting her move to Bucharest, and was still living there in April 1945. During the same interval, Titus Vifor reactivated his fascism. He was assigned by the Iron Guard's "
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 ...
" to direct the Romanian Propaganda Office in Rome, together with writers
Aron Cotruș Aron Cotruș (; 2 January 1891 – 1 November 1961) was a Romanian poet, diplomat, and member of the Fascism, fascist Iron Guard. Life He was born in 1891 in Loamneș, Hașag, Sibiu County, at the time in Austria-Hungary. After attending secondar ...
and
Vintilă Horia Vintilă Horia (; December 18, 1915 – April 4, 1992) was a Romanian writer, winner of the Prix Goncourt. His best known novel is '' God Was Born in Exile'' (1960). Life and career Horia was born in Segarcea, a small town in Dolj County, Ro ...
, and, in May 1941, became its president. In old age, Bacaloglu witnessed the August 1944 Coup,
Soviet occupation During World War II, the Soviet Union occupied and annexed several countries effectively handed over by Nazi Germany in the secret Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of 1939. These included the eastern regions of Poland (incorporated into three differe ...
, and the transition from fascism to democracy, then to communism. In 1947 she sold the letters she had received from Italian literati to the publicist I. E. Torouțiu, who passed them on to the
Romanian Academy Library The Romanian Academy ( ) 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 bylaws, the academy's mai ...
. She maintained friendly contacts with the left-leaning writer
Gala Galaction Gala Galaction (; the pen name of Grigore or Grigorie Pișculescu ; April 16, 1879—March 8, 1961) was a Romanian Orthodox clergyman, theologian, writer, journalist, left-wing activist, as well as a political figure of the People's Republic ...
, but nevertheless lived to see the effects of political retaliation and recession on the Bacaloglu family: her daughter by Rosetti was sacked from her government job. Bacaloglu died later that year (or, according to some sources, in 1949),Calangiu ''et al.'', p.xxxv and was buried in
Bellu cemetery Șerban Vodă Cemetery (commonly known as Bellu Cemetery) is the largest and most famous cemetery in Bucharest, Romania. It is located on a plot of land donated to the local administration by Baron Barbu Bellu. It has been in use since 1858. T ...
. She was survived by Ovid Jr. After the official establishment of
Communist Romania The Socialist Republic of Romania (, RSR) was a Marxism–Leninism, Marxist–Leninist One-party state, one-party socialist state that existed officially in Romania from 1947 to 1989 (see Revolutions of 1989). From 1947 to 1965, the state was ...
, he focused on his work as a philologist, but was still arrested in 1958, and spent six years as a political prisoner. He died in Bucharest, on April 19, 1985.


Notes


References


"Buletin politic etc."
in ''Vestul României'', Nr. 32/1923 (digitized by the
Babeș-Bolyai University The Babeș-Bolyai University ( , , commonly known as UBB) is a public research university located in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Established in 1581 as Academia Claudiopolitana, it underwent several reorganizations over the centuries, eventually taking ...
br>Transsylvanica Online Library
*"O mare prietenă a Italiei: Elena Bacaloglu", in ''Cele Trei Crișuri'', Nr. 7-8/1933, p. 95–96 *
Victor Babeș Victor Babeș (; 28 July 1854 in Vienna – 19 October 1926 in Bucharest) was a Romanian physician, bacteriologist, academician and professor. One of the founders of modern microbiology, Victor Babeș is author of one of the first treatises of ba ...
, "Răspuns rostit de D-l Prof. Dr. Victor Babeș", in George Bacaloglu, ''Ardealul ca isvor cultural: Discurs de recepțiune rostit la Ateneul Român la 1 iunie 1924. Publicațiile Secției de Propagandă Crișul Negru, No. 10'', Cele Trei Crișuri, Oradea-Mare, 1924, p. 12–16 *
Maria Bucur Maria Bucur (born 2 September 1968 in Bucharest, Romania) is an American-Romanian historian of modern Eastern Europe and gender in the twentieth century. She has written on the history of eugenics in Eastern Europe, memory and war in twentieth-cen ...
, "Romania", in Kevin Passmore (ed.), ''Women, Gender and Fascism in Europe, 1919–45'',
Manchester University Press Manchester University Press is the university press of the University of Manchester, England, and a publisher of academic books and journals. Manchester University Press has developed into an international publisher. It maintains its links with t ...
, Manchester, 2003, p. 57–78. * Carmen Burcea
"Propaganda româneascã în Italia în perioada interbelică"
in ''Revista de Științe Politice și Relații Internaționale'', No. 1/2005, p. 94–108 *Anca Calangiu, Mihai Vatan, Maria Negraru, ''Ovid Densusianu 1873–1938. Biobibliografie'', Central University Library, Bucharest, 1991. *
George Călinescu George Călinescu (; 19 June 1899 – 12 March 1965) 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 most important Romani ...
, ''Istoria literaturii române de la origini până în prezent'',
Editura Minerva Editura Minerva is one of the largest publishing houses in Romania. Located in Bucharest, it is known, among other things, for publishing classic Romanian literature, children's books, and scientific books. The company was founded in Bucharest in ...
, Bucharest, 1986 *Roland Clark, ''Sfîntă tinerețe legionară. Activismul fascist în România interbelică'',
Polirom Polirom or Editura Polirom ("Polirom" Publishing House) is a Romanian publishing house with a tradition of publishing classics of international literature and also various titles in the fields of social sciences, such as psychology, sociology, and ...
, Iași, 2015. *Emanuela Costantini, ''Nae Ionescu, Mircea Eliade, Emil Cioran: antiliberalismo nazionalista alla periferia d'Europa'', Morlacchi Editore, Perugia, 2005. * Nicoleta Epure
"Relațiile româno-italiene de la sfârșitul Primului Război Mondial la 'Marșul asupra Romei' (noiembrie 1918 – octombrie 1922). Geneza unor contradicții de lungă durată"
in the
Dimitrie Cantemir Christian University Dimitrie Cantemir Christian University () is a private university in Bucharest. The university was founded in 1990 by Momcilo Luburici and Corina-Adriana Dumitrescu as the Dimitrie Cantemir Independent University, which has since developed 17 fac ...
''Analele UCDC. Seria Istorie'', Vol. I, Nr. 1, 2010, p. 112–117 *Armin Heinen, ''Legiunea 'Arhanghelul Mihail': o contribuție la problema fascismului internațional'',
Humanitas (from the Latin , "human") is a Latin noun meaning human nature, civilization, and kindness. It has uses in the Enlightenment, which are discussed below. Classical origins of term The Latin word corresponded to the Greek concepts of (loving ...
, Bucharest, 2006. *Ion Mezarescu, ''Partidul Național-Creștin: 1935–1937'', Editura Paideia, Bucharest, 2018. * Angelo Mitchievici, ''Decadență și decadentism în contextul modernității românești și europene'',
Editura Curtea Veche Editura Curtea Veche ( Curtea Veche Publishing House) is a publishing house based in Romania, located on Aurel Vlaicu Street 35, Bucharest. It has a tradition in editing works of Romanian literature. After the Romanian Revolution of 1989, Curtea V ...
, Bucharest, 2011. * Andrei Moldovan
"Din corespondența lui Liviu Rebreanu"
in '' Vatra'', Nr. 11/2011, p. 20–68 *Lucian Nastasă, *
''Intimitatea amfiteatrelor. Ipostaze din viața privată a universitarilor "literari" (1864–1948)''
, Editura Limes, Cluj-Napoca, 2010. ;
e-book An ebook (short for electronic book), also spelled as e-book or eBook, is a book publication made available in electronic form, consisting of text, images, or both, readable on the flat-panel display of computers or other electronic devices. Al ...
version at the
Romanian Academy The Romanian Academy ( ) 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 bylaws, the academy's ma ...
George Bariț Institute of History *
''Antisemitismul universitar în România (1919–1939). Mărturii documentare''
Editura Institutului pentru Studierea Problemelor Minorităților Naționale & Editura Kriterion, Cluj-Napoca, 2011. *Neonila Onofrei, Lucreția Angheluță, Liana Miclescu, Cornelia Gilorteanu, Tamara Teodorescu, ''Bibliografia românească modernă (1831–1918). Vol. I: A-C'', Editura științifică și enciclopedică, Bucharest, 1984 *
Stanley G. Payne Stanley George Payne (born September 9, 1934) is an American historian of modern Spain and Europe, European fascism at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He retired from full-time teaching in 2004 and is currently Professor Emeritus at its Dep ...
, ''A History of Fascism, 1914–1945'',
University of Wisconsin Press The University of Wisconsin Press (sometimes abbreviated as UW Press) is a Non-profit organization, non-profit university press publishing Peer review, peer-reviewed books and journals. It publishes work by scholars from the global academic comm ...
, Madison, 1995. *Filippo Sallusto, ''Itinerari epistolari del primo Novecento: lettere e testi inediti dell'archivio di Alberto Cappelletti'', Luigi Pellegrini Editore, Cosenza, 2006. * Raluca Tomi
"Italieni în slujba Marii Uniri. Mărturii inedite"
in ''Revista Istorică'', Nr. 3–4/2010, p. 279–292 (republished b
The Research Group for the History of Minorities
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bacaloglu, Elena 1878 births 1940s deaths 20th-century Romanian essayists Romanian literary critics Romanian women literary critics Romanian novelists Romanian opinion journalists Romanian women journalists Romanian newspaper editors Romanian newspaper founders Women newspaper editors Romanian Fascist propagandists Romanian women novelists 20th-century Romanian women writers Romanian women essayists Romanian writers in French 20th-century Romanian translators Romanian–French translators Italian–Romanian translators Impressionism Romanian women in business 20th-century Romanian women politicians Romanian fascists Women fascists Terrorism in Romania Leaders of political parties in Romania Writers from Bucharest Romanian people of Bulgarian descent University of Bucharest alumni Collège de France alumni Romanian expatriates in Italy Romanian people of World War I People deported from Italy Burials at Bellu Cemetery