Henric Streitman
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Henric Ștefan Streitman (first name also Henric Șt., Enric, Henri or Henry, last name also Streitmann, Streittman, Ștraitman; February 16, 1870 – ''circa'' March 30, 1950) was a
Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
n journalist, translator and political figure, who traversed the political spectrum from socialism to the far-right. A physicist, social commentator and publisher, in his early years he was a promoter of
natural selection Natural selection is the differential survival and reproduction of individuals due to differences in phenotype. It is a key mechanism of evolution, the change in the Heredity, heritable traits characteristic of a population over generation ...
ideas as well as a translator of
Marxist Marxism is a political philosophy and method of socioeconomic analysis. It uses a dialectical and materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to analyse class relations, social conflic ...
and
naturalist Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...
literature. Respected for both his polemical stances and his erudition, he was also rendered controversial by his inconsistencies and his alleged corruption. Often struggling financially, Streitman set up several short-lived periodicals, and involved himself in the cultural and political debates, from 1889 to the time of his death. A Romanian Jew, Streitman left
Judaism Judaism () is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic, Monotheism, monotheistic, ethnic religion that comprises the collective spiritual, cultural, and legal traditions of the Jews, Jewish people. Religious Jews regard Judaism as their means of o ...
for political reasons. He returned to it following a death in the family, though he continued to publicize his
agnosticism Agnosticism is the view or belief that the existence of God, the divine, or the supernatural is either unknowable in principle or unknown in fact. (page 56 in 1967 edition) It can also mean an apathy towards such religious belief and refer t ...
in his essays of the 1930s. He also discarded socialism before 1916, moving closer to the National Liberal Party, and working alongside
Ion G. Duca Ion Gheorghe Duca (; 20 December 1879 – 29 December 1933) was a Romanian liberal politician, diplomat, and lawyer who briefly served as Prime Minister from November to December 1933. A leading figure in the National Liberal Party, Duca hel ...
and
Constantin Banu Constantin Gheorghe Banu (March 20, 1873 – September 8, 1940) was a Romanian writer, journalist and politician, who served as Arts and Religious Affairs Minister in 1922–1923. He is remembered in literary history as the founder of '' Flacăra ...
. He endorsed the
Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not an explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are calle ...
during the early stages of World War I, and was consequently detained by the
German Army The German Army (, 'army') is the land component of the armed forces of Federal Republic of Germany, Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German together with the German Navy, ''Marine'' (G ...
following its occupation of southern Romania. Streitman was sent us a hostage to
Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
, but released by the end of 1917; returning to
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 ...
, he was recovered by the
Germanophile A Germanophile, Teutonophile, or Teutophile is a person who is fond of Culture of Germany, German culture, Germans, German people and Germany in general, or who exhibits German patriotism in spite of not being either an ethnic German or a German ...
press, endorsing Romania's capitulation. This controversial activity was held against him by political adversaries throughout the interwar period. When Streitman returned to public life in the 1920s, it was primarily as an
anticommunist 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 ...
. He affiliated with the right-wing People's Party, serving two terms in the
Senate of Romania 2012–2016 2008–2012 In December 2008, the Democratic Liberal Party (Romania), Democratic Liberal Party (PDL) and the Alliance PSD+PC, political alliance established between the Social Democratic Party of Romania, Social Democratic Party ...
, where he represented
Bukovina Bukovina or ; ; ; ; , ; see also other languages. is a historical region at the crossroads of Central and Eastern Europe. It is located on the northern slopes of the central Eastern Carpathians and the adjoining plains, today divided betwe ...
; in that context, he publicly endorsed a Polish–Romanian alliance against the
Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
. Also employed as an adviser by the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs 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 ...
, he drew notice for his close collaboration with the titular minister,
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 ...
, and for his early support of
European integration European integration is the process of political, legal, social, regional and economic integration of states wholly or partially in Europe, or nearby. European integration has primarily but not exclusively come about through the European Union ...
. In a contrasting move, Streitman also associated with figures on the Romanian far-right, including
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
Pamfil Șeicaru Pamfil is a Romanian given name and surname. Notable people with the name include: * Pamfil Polonic (1858–1943), Romanian archaeologist and topographer * Pamfil Yurkevich Pamfil Danilovich Yurkevich (; 28 February 1826 – 16 October 1874) w ...
, and eventually joined the
National Agrarian Party The National Agrarian Party ( or ''Partidul Național-Agrarian'', PNA) was a right-wing agrarian party active in Romania during the early 1930s. Established and led by poet Octavian Goga, it was originally a schism from the more moderate People' ...
in 1932. However, in the late 1930s, the ascent of
antisemitism 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 ...
put his political career on hold. Streitman turned to
collaboration Collaboration (from Latin ''com-'' "with" + ''laborare'' "to labor", "to work") is the process of two or more people, entities or organizations working together to complete a task or achieve a goal. Collaboration is similar to cooperation. The ...
with the military-fascist dictatorship of
Ion Antonescu Ion Antonescu (; ; – 1 June 1946) was a Romanian military officer and Mareșal (Romania), marshal who presided over two successive Romania during World War II, wartime dictatorships as Prime Minister of Romania, Prime Minister and ''Conduc ...
during World War II, becoming president of the Central Jewish Office. Though reviled in Antonescian propaganda as a Jewish pillar of the old regime, he was trusted for his earlier connection with Goga, and also vetted by
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
. This assignment pitted him against non-collaborationists such as A. L. Zissu, who resented his appeals to compliance. His was a largely ceremonial office, with many of its functions supplanted by the executive leader, Nandor Gingold. Ultimately sidelined in December 1942, Streitman survived the war by a few years. Unlike Gingold, he was never brought before the
Romanian People's Tribunals The two Romanian People's Tribunals (), the Bucharest People's Tribunal and the Northern Transylvania People's Tribunal (which sat in Cluj) were set up by the post-World War II government of Romania, overseen by the Allied Control Commission to try ...
. Slowly forgotten by the time of his death in 1950, he was survived by a son, Max-Radu, who had acted as a lawyer for champions of left-wing causes, and was allowed a second career as a classical musician.


Biography


Early years

Streitman was a native of
Piatra Neamț Piatra Neamț (; ; ) is the capital city of Neamț County, in the historical region of Western Moldavia, in northeastern Romania. Because of its very privileged location in the Divisions of the Carpathians, Eastern Carpathian mountains, it is con ...
town, which is located in mountainous
Western Moldavia Western Moldavia (, ''Moldova de Apus'', or , also known as Moldavia, is the core historic and geographical part of the former Principality of Moldavia situated in eastern and north-eastern Romania. Until its union with Wallachia in 1878, the P ...
. His exact birthday was given by a writer friend,
Tudor Arghezi Ion Nae Theodorescu (21 May 1880 – 14 July 1967) was a Romanian writer who wrote under the pen name Tudor Arghezi (. He is best known for his unique contribution to poetry and children's literature. Biography Early life He graduated from Sai ...
, as February 16, 1870;
Tudor Arghezi Ion Nae Theodorescu (21 May 1880 – 14 July 1967) was a Romanian writer who wrote under the pen name Tudor Arghezi (. He is best known for his unique contribution to poetry and children's literature. Biography Early life He graduated from Sai ...
, "75 de ani", in ''
Bilete de Papagal ''Bilete de Papagal'' was a Romanian left-wing publication edited by Tudor Arghezi, begun as a daily newspaper and soon after issued as a weekly satirical and literary magazine. It was published at three different intervals: 1928–1930, 1937–1938 ...
'', Issue 46, 1945, p. 1
he is known to have had a sister, Ida, who was five years his junior."Capitala în 24 ore. Un nou asasinat comis în str. Filaret", in ''
Timpul ''Timpul'' (Romanian for "The Time") is a literary magazine published in Romania. Originally a political newspaper, it was the official platform of the Conservative Party between 1876 and 1914. The publication is still active (2018) and publish ...
'', May 24, 1945, p. 2
The Streitmans practiced Judaism, and, like the majority of Romanian Jews living before 1920, were non-emancipated, and not yet eligible for Romanian citizenship; later in life, Henric rejected being labeled with the term "
Israelite Israelites were a Hebrew language, Hebrew-speaking ethnoreligious group, consisting of tribes that lived in Canaan during the Iron Age. Modern scholarship describes the Israelites as emerging from indigenous Canaanites, Canaanite populations ...
", which he regarded as a pretentious euphemism. According to his own definitions, his father was "one of our town's leading men of culture". When he was aged five, his family hosted
Velvel Zbarjer Velvel Zbarjer (1824, Zbarazh – 1884), birth name Benjamin Wolf Ehrenkrantz (a.k.a. Velvl Zbarjer, Zbarjur, Zbarzher, etc.), a Galicia (Central Europe), Galician Jew, was a Brody singer. Following in the footsteps of Berl Broder, his "mini ...
, an itinerant singer, whose presence impressed Henric; shortly after this, Zbarjer was expelled from the
Principality of Romania The United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia (), commonly called United Principalities or Wallachia and Moldavia, was the personal union of the Moldavia, Principality of Moldavia and the Wallachia, Principality of Wallachia. The union was ...
for having publicized a poem "critical of the country's injustices." Young Streitman was privately tutored, in both German and French, by the Count Jurawski, a Polish refugee. As he recalled decades later, "the all-knowing, all-forgiving" Jurawski was also an amateur scientist who introduced his pupils, and Moldavians in general, to
Lamarckism Lamarckism, also known as Lamarckian inheritance or neo-Lamarckism, is the notion that an organism can pass on to its offspring physical characteristics that the parent organism acquired through use or disuse during its lifetime. It is also calle ...
and
Darwinism ''Darwinism'' is a term used to describe a theory of biological evolution developed by the English naturalist Charles Darwin (1809–1882) and others. The theory states that all species of organisms arise and develop through the natural sel ...
. Enrolled at high school, Streitman also followed politics, and was close to the budding socialist movement of students in the newly-formed
Kingdom of Romania The Kingdom of Romania () was a constitutional monarchy that existed from with the crowning of prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen as King of Romania, King Carol I of Romania, Carol I (thus beginning the Romanian royal family), until 1947 wit ...
. A 1936 note in '' Rampa'' magazine dates Steitman's debut to 1888, when the young man was published by
Traian Demetrescu Traian Rafael Radu Demetrescu (; also known under his pen name Tradem or, occasionally, as Traian Demetrescu-Tradem; December 5, 1866 – April 17, 1896) was a Romanian poet, novelist and literary critic, considered one of the first symbolist auth ...
's ''Revista Olteană''. In 1889, he began collaborating with
Garabet Ibrăileanu Garabet Ibrăileanu (; May 23, 1871 – March 11, 1936) was a Romanian-Armenian literary critic and theorist, writer, translator, sociologist, University of Iași professor (1908–1934), and, together with Paul Bujor and Constantin Stere, fo ...
's journal ''Școala Nouă'', appearing alongside the young socialists Izabela Andrei, Panait Mușoiu,
Raicu Ionescu-Rion Raicu Ionescu-Rion (born Raicu Ionescu; August 24, 1872 – April 19, 1895) was a Romanian literary critic and socialist commentator. Born in Bălăbănești, Galați County, he came from a poor peasant family. He attended primary school in T ...
. His articles covered a vast category of subjects, introducing the Romanian public to developments in sociology, hard science, and philology. The only speaker of German in that group, Streitman is presumably by some as the author of articles signed ''I. Chilieanu'' (others believe this was Ibrăileanu's own pen name). Both the anonymous article and Streitman's signed pieces discuss the differences between literary naturalism and
realism Realism, Realistic, or Realists may refer to: In the arts *Realism (arts), the general attempt to depict subjects truthfully in different forms of the arts Arts movements related to realism include: *American Realism *Classical Realism *Liter ...
, and the naturalism vs. "pornography" debate of the 1880s. The young author completed his education abroad, and trained in several fields. He studied physics and chemistry at the universities of
Göttingen Göttingen (, ; ; ) is a college town, university city in Lower Saxony, central Germany, the Capital (political), capital of Göttingen (district), the eponymous district. The River Leine runs through it. According to the 2022 German census, t ...
,
Zurich Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The ...
,
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
, and then at the Technical College Stuttgart.Podoleanu, p. 311 In July 1889, the illegal newspaper ''Sozialdemokrat'' claimed that Streitman, "a cowardly and totally characterless person", acted as a police informant "in order to save himself from possible expulsion". Allegedly as a result of his reports, the
Kingdom of Württemberg The Kingdom of Württemberg ( ) was a German state that existed from 1806 to 1918, located within the area that is now Baden-Württemberg. The kingdom was a continuation of the Electorate of Württemberg, which existed from 1803 to 1806. Geogr ...
prosecuted a
Marxist Marxism is a political philosophy and method of socioeconomic analysis. It uses a dialectical and materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to analyse class relations, social conflic ...
organizer,
Eduard Fuchs Eduard Fuchs (31 January 1870, Göppingen – 26 January 1940, Paris) was a German Marxist scholar of culture and history, writer, art collector, and political activist. Early life Fuchs's father was a shopkeeper. Early in his life, the you ...
. Throughout this interval as an expatriate, Streitman continued to send his articles to ''Școala Nouă'', before it ultimately succumbed in May 1890. In
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, Streitman was university colleagues with several prominent Romanian intellectuals of various political hues:
Barbu Brănișteanu Barbu may refer to: People * Barbu (name), a list of people with the name and surname ''Barbu'' * Alejandro Barbudo Lorenzo, nicknamed ''Barbu'', Spanish footballer Places * Barbu, Iran, a village in the Bushehr Province of Iran * Barbu, Norway, ...
, Gheorghe Gh. Longinescu,
Simion Mehedinți Simion Mehedinți (; October 19, 1868 – December 14, 1962) was a Romanian geographer, the founding father of modern Romanian geography, and a titular member of the Romanian Academy. A figure of importance in the ''Junimea'' literary club, ...
,
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 ...
, etc. He also traveled out of
Central Europe Central Europe is a geographical region of Europe between Eastern Europe, Eastern, Southern Europe, Southern, Western Europe, Western and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Central Europe is known for its cultural diversity; however, countries in ...
, and heard lectures in philosophy at Rome University. Marian Petcu
''Evoluții recente în jurnalismul autohton''
Contributors.ro, December 9, 2016
According to academic Marian Petcu, it remains unclear whether he ever specialized in any particular field. Other records suggest that Streitman eventually obtained a
Sc.D. A Doctor of Science (; most commonly abbreviated DSc or ScD) is a science doctorate awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. Africa Algeria and Morocco In Algeria, Morocco, Libya and Tunisia, all universities accredited by the s ...
in
physical chemistry Physical chemistry is the study of macroscopic and microscopic phenomena in chemical systems in terms of the principles, practices, and concepts of physics such as motion, energy, force, time, thermodynamics, quantum chemistry, statistical mech ...
, and a license degree in Philosophy. G. Brătescu
"Uniunea Ziariștilor Profesioniști, 1919 – 2009. Compendiu aniversar"
in ''Mesagerul de Bistrița-Năsăud'', December 11, 2009
Streitman's earliest contributions to cultural journalism also include a profile of poet
Mihai Eminescu Mihai Eminescu (; born Mihail Eminovici; 15 January 1850 – 15 June 1889) was a Romanians, Romanian Romanticism, Romantic poet, novelist, and journalist from Moldavia, generally regarded as the most famous and influential Romanian poet. Emin ...
, published in June 1891 by a
radical-liberal Radicalism (from French ) was a political movement representing the leftward flank of liberalism between the late 18th and early 20th century. Certain aspects of the movement were precursors to a wide variety of modern-day movements, ranging f ...
newspaper, ''
Românul ''Românul'' (, meaning "The Romanian"; originally spelled ''Romanulu'' or ''Românulŭ'', also known as ''Romînul'', ''Concordia'', ''Libertatea'' and ''Consciinti'a Nationala''), was a political and literary newspaper published in Bucharest, Ro ...
''. Reportedly, the young writer made his full debut in journalism in 1894, when he contributed regularly to the same ''Românul''. However, he was by then affiliated with the Sotir Circle of socialists,
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 ...
, and began contributing to the socialist magazine, '' Munca''. Among his colleagues there was a female journalist, Rachel Vermont, who became his wife. Together, they completed and circulated translations of scientific and scientistic literature. In 1894, Henric and Rachel Streitman published the first volume of
Max Nordau Max Simon Nordau (born Simon Maximilian Südfeld; 29 July 1849 – 23 January 1923) was a Hungarian Zionism, Zionist leader, physician, author, and Social criticism, social critic. He was a co-founder of the Zionist Organization together with Theo ...
's '' Degeneration''.Angheluță ''et al.'', p. 408Teodora Dumitru, ''Rețeaua modernităților: Paul de Man – Matei Călinescu – Antoine Compagnon'', p. 216. Bucharest: Museum of Romanian Literature, 2016. A boy (named Max-Radu Streitman)Death announcement for "H. St. Streitman, jurnalist-pensionar", in ''
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 ...
'', March 31, 1950, p. 2
was born to the couple in September 1895; this was announced in '' Lupta'', which also noted that Henric was at the time a staff journalist at ''Țara'' newspaper. As a traditionalist reviewer, Ilarie Chendi spoke of the Streitmans' work as part of a "Jewish translation" phenomenon which had taken up cultural space in ''
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 ...
'' Romania; he also noted similar contributions by Saniel Grossman,
Adolphe Stern Adolphe Stern (November 17, 1848 – October 18, 1931) was a Jewish-Romanian lawyer and politician. Life Stern was born on November 17, 1848, in Bucharest, Romania. The son of a jeweler, Stern went to study law in Berlin after finishing high s ...
, and I. Hussar. Chendi identified Nordau as a main reference for Jews active in
Romanian literature Romanian literature () is the entirety of literature written by Romanian authors, although the term may also be used to refer to all literature written in the Romanian language or by any authors native to Romania. Early Romanian literature inc ...
, "a sort of protective father-figure for the Romanian Jews." In their introductory study to ''Degeneration'', the Streitmans highlighted the connections between Nordau and socialism, but also introduced footnotes claiming to correct the author for his disagreements with Marxism. A year later, the literary duo returned with a version of
August Bebel Ferdinand August Bebel (; 22 February 1840 – 13 August 1913) was a German socialist activist and politician. He was one of the principal founders of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). Bebel, a woodworker by trade, co-founded the Sa ...
's ''Woman''.Podoleanu, p. 312 Streitman's work was soon acknowledged in the literary profession, and discussed by Constantin Stamatin-Nazone in his 1894 essay ''Profilurĭ'' ("Profiles"). As argued by historian of journalism G. Brătescu, Streitman impressed and influenced the greats of Romanian journalism with his "subtle, malicious, ironic, doubting, often indulgent" writing style. Moreover, Brătescu writes, Streitman was an "erudite" and a competent reader of both secular and religious literature. In 1902, he followed up with the booklet ''Oamenii zilei. Instantanee'' ("People of the Day. Snapshots"), signing it with the pen name ''Almaviva''.


''Prezentul'' and ''Viitorul''

Streitman's political stances became the subject of controversy when it came to his ignoring the territorial and cultural conflicts opposing Romania and
Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...
. In October 1897, as a representative of ''Liberalul'' newspaper, he was invited by the Hungarian literary community to visit
Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...
. He accepted the invitation, as did his colleagues Brănișteanu and Henric Sanielevici; most Romanian journalists rejected it, noting that their newspapers were in fact banned from even reaching
Transleithania The Lands of the Crown of Saint Stephen (), informally Transleithania (meaning the lands or region "beyond" the Leitha River), were the Hungarian territories of Austria-Hungary, throughout the latter's entire existence (30 March 1867 – 16 ...
. In June 1900, Streitman and Petre I. Sturdza attended the Budapest premiere of Radu D. Rosetti's play, ''O lecție'', and were fêted there by Hungarian journalists. According to ''
Gazeta Transilvaniei ''Gazeta de Transilvania'' was the first Romanian-language newspaper to be published in Transylvania. It was founded by George Bariț in 1838 in Brașov. It played a very important role in the awakening of the Romanian national conscience in Tran ...
'', this implied that Streitman had "Hungarian sympathies", and had thus befriended Romania's rivals. In May 1899, as the Conservative Party took control of the administration, it identified Streitman as a publicist for the rival National Liberal Party. He was reportedly harassed by General Ion Algiu, leader of the
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 ...
, who asked him to end such activities or be deported as a foreign national. In February 1903, Streitman was ultimately naturalized Romanian by special vote of the
Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
."Cronica săptămâneĭ. Indigenatele", in ''Egalitatea'', Issue 6/1903, p. 45 Covering this event, the community newspaper ''Egalitatea'' described him as ''fost evreŭ'' (a "former Jew"). According to a 1937 report in ''
Új Kelet ''Új Kelet'' (; Hungarian translation: "New East") is a Hungarian-language Zionist Jewish newspaper published first in Kolozsvár (Cluj) in Transylvania, Romania in 1918. Prior to the annexation of Transylvania to Hungary in 1940 when it cease ...
'' review, Streitman had embraced
Romanian Orthodoxy The Romanian Orthodox Church (ROC; , ), or Romanian Patriarchate, is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox Christian churches, and one of the nine patriarchates in the Eastern Orthodox Church. S ...
—this was after the National Liberals' chairman,
Dimitrie Sturdza Prince Dimitrie Sturdza (, in full Prince Dimitrie Alexandru Sturdza-Miclăușanu; 10 March 183321 October 1914) was a Romanian statesman and author of the late 19th century, and president of the Romanian Academy between 1882 and 1884. He is an a ...
, had "predicted a great career for him in case he converted." As a result, both Henric and Rachel "discreetly sunk their heads under holy water at some church in the suburbs".H. E., "Jelentéktelen üggyé zsugorodott a 'kétázak' keresztelkedésről szóló szenzáció. Niemerower főrabbi nyilatkozata. Szenzációhajhász lapok fújták fel néhány ember kitérési akcióját", in ''
Új Kelet ''Új Kelet'' (; Hungarian translation: "New East") is a Hungarian-language Zionist Jewish newspaper published first in Kolozsvár (Cluj) in Transylvania, Romania in 1918. Prior to the annexation of Transylvania to Hungary in 1940 when it cease ...
'', Vol. XX, Issue 5, January 1937, p. 3
Henric now took on the Christian name "Ștefan", which he kept for the rest of his life. He denounced his own baptism soon after, when his pious mother died, leaving him "overcome with remorse". He recited the ''
kaddish The Kaddish (, 'holy' or 'sanctification'), also transliterated as Qaddish, is a hymn praising God that is recited during Jewish prayer services. The central theme of the Kaddish is the magnification and sanctification of God's name. In the lit ...
'' in her memory at Malbim Synagogue, where he continued to pray regularly, always wrapped in a ''
tallit A tallit, taleth, or tallis is a fringed garment worn as a prayer shawl by religious Jews. The tallit has special twined and knotted fringe (trim), fringes known as ''tzitzit'' attached to its four corners. The cloth part is known as the ''beged ...
''. For a while, Streitman affiliated with the Romanian Society for Literature and Arts, an abortive
professional organization A professional association (also called a professional body, professional organization, or professional society) is a group that usually seeks to advocacy, further a particular profession, the interests of individuals and organisations engaged in ...
, noted for attempting to group under one roof the Romanian writers and their non-emancipated Jewish colleagues. This body, created by
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. 3/192 ...
, officially admitted him in December 1904. Streitman worked at ''Secolul'' ("The Century"), alongside
Dumitru Karnabatt Dumitru or Dimitrie Karnabatt (last name also Karnabat, Carnabatt or Carnabat, commonly known as D. Karr; October 26, 1877 – April 1949) was a Romanian poet, art critic and political journalist, one of the minor representatives of Symbolism. He ...
; their employer was M. Ghimpa, who was acting on behalf of a National Liberal politico,
Eugeniu Stătescu Eugeniu Stătescu (25 December 1836 – 30 December 1905) was a Romanian politician who served as the Minister of Internal Affairs from 10 April 1881 until 8 June 1881 and as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 9 June 1881 until 30 July 1881 during ...
. They left ''Secolul'' in October 1902, together with the entire editorial team, being signed up by Vasile Epurescu at another National Liberal sheet, ''Observatorul'' ("The Observer"). Streitman became its editor in chief, seconded by Karnabatt. He took his journalistic career further when he a new daily, ''Prezentul'' ("The Now") and, in 1908, the weekly ''Cuvinte Libere'' ("Free Words"). ''Prezentul'' was engaged in polemics with '' Furnica'', the satirical magazine. The latter hosted rhyming jokes about Streitman's supposed
sensationalism In journalism and mass media, sensationalism is a type of editorial tactic. Events and topics in news stories are selected and worded to excite the greatest number of readers and viewers. This style of news reporting encourages biased or emoti ...
. A "political magazine", ''Cuvinte Libere'' drew praise in ''
Sămănătorul ''Sămănătorul'' or ''Semănătorul'' (, Romanian language, Romanian for "The Sower") was a Literary magazine, literary and Political journalism, political magazine published in Romania between 1901 and 1910. Founded by poets Alexandru Vlahuță ...
'' for the "distinguished urbanity of its polemical tone". Streitman's coworkers and employees were Rudolf Uhrinowsky, ridiculed by ''Furnica'' for his unusual surname, poet
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. Eftimi ...
, and (Eftimiu noted) Adrien Le Corbeau, already famous as a habitual plagiarist. Joining them as literary contributors were three young poets, all of them representing the Romanian Symbolist movement:
Mihail Cruceanu Mihail Cruceanu (December 13, 1887 – July 7, 1988) was a Romanian poet. He was born in Iași to Mihail Cruceanu, a doctor, and his wife Ecaterina (''née'' Petrovanu). He attended high school in Ploiești and Pitești, earning his degree in ...
, Al. T. Stamatiad, and
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 ...
. Streitman also bonded with a Symbolist author and
Christian socialist A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words ''Christ'' and ''Chr ...
,
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 ...
, and prayed together with him at an unnamed synagogue in December 1908. In his account of the visit, Galaction proposed a Romanian–Jewish alliance: "a nation who knows how to pray in that way Jews can pray is invincible, impregnable"; Galaction also referred to Streitman as a "highly intelligent and prestigious journalist". Streitman remained a practicing Jew into the 1940s, whereas his wife never reverted back to Judaism. According to Eftimiu, ''Prezentul'' was a struggling business, occupying an unheated room on Macca Arcade, with Streitman often missing out on payments for his staff. In March 1910, Streitman's entire mobile property was confiscated by court order, and auctioned off to pay off his debt to an R. Goldemberg. The two papers did not survive this, and Streitman returned to regular publishing work. He was soon appointed editor in chief of '' Viitorul'', a newspaper put out by the National Liberals, with
Ion G. Duca Ion Gheorghe Duca (; 20 December 1879 – 29 December 1933) was a Romanian liberal politician, diplomat, and lawyer who briefly served as Prime Minister from November to December 1933. A leading figure in the National Liberal Party, Duca hel ...
and
Constantin Banu Constantin Gheorghe Banu (March 20, 1873 – September 8, 1940) was a Romanian writer, journalist and politician, who served as Arts and Religious Affairs Minister in 1922–1923. He is remembered in literary history as the founder of '' Flacăra ...
as managers, while he was also a "very close" collaborator of Banu's own review, ''
Flacăra ''Flacăra'' (Romanian for "The Flame") is a weekly literary magazine published in Bucharest, Romania. History and profile ''Flacăra'' was started in 1911. The first issue was published on 22 October 1911. The founder was Constantin Banu and t ...
''. Still a nominal left-winger, Streitman announced in December 1912 that he would be putting out a new magazine of his own, ''Realitatea'' ("Reality"), its mission being to "strip public life of all ideology, of all phraseology"; during those years, he was being approached by right-wing politicians, becoming friends with Duca, then also with
Constantin Angelescu Constantin Angelescu (10 June 1869 – 14 September 1948) was a Romanian politician who served as ad interim/acting Prime Minister of Romania for five days, between 30 December 1933 and 3 January 1934. He was: Doctor of Medicine in Paris, Pleni ...
and
Constantin Argetoianu Constantin Argetoianu ( – 6 February 1955) was a Romanian politician, one of the best-known personalities of interwar Greater Romania, who served as the Prime Minister between 28 September and 23 November 1939. His memoirs, ''Memorii. Pentru ...
. According to one account, he chaperoned a "stunningly beautiful actress" whom Duca was secretly dating. In January 1913, Streitman became involved with Romania's first journalists' union, the General Association of the Press. Alongside Karnabatt, Constantin Bacalbașa, Constantin Costa-Foru, Scarlat Lahovary,
Constantin Mille Constantin Mille (; December 21, 1861 – February 20, 1927) was a Romanian journalist, novelist, poet, lawyer, and Socialism, socialist militant, as well as a prominent human rights activist. A Marxism, Marxist for much of his life, Mille was not ...
, Barbu Brănișteanu, I. Hussar, he held seat on a steering committee which approved of new entries. In 1910 and 1911, Streitman worked as a translator for Biblioteca Lumen company, publishing
Henri Murger Louis-Henri Murger (27 March 1822 – 28 January 1861), also known as Henri Murger and Henry Murger, was a French novelist and poet. He is chiefly distinguished as the author of the 1847-1849 book '' Scènes de la vie de bohème'' (''Scenes ...
's ''Scènes de la vie de bohème'', Bebel's ''Women and Socialism'', and the short stories of
Vladimir Korolenko Vladimir Galaktionovich Korolenko (, ; 27 July 1853 – 25 December 1921) was a Russian writer, journalist and humanitarian of Ukrainian origin. His best-known work includes the short novel '' The Blind Musician'' (1886), as well as numerous shor ...
. Streitman's version of Henri James de Rothschild's play, ''La Rampe'', was used in production by the Alexandru Davila company. N. D. Cocea, a fellow socialist and a theater chronicler, noted that the production failed, not least of all because of Streitman's adaptation. According to Cocea, Streitman had an "elevated style" of writing, but was also a "very busy man", which meant that his text was published with many grammatical mistakes. One of Streitman's last journalistic ventures for 1913 was a series of interviews on the "Jewish Question", which was published as a brochure by the Union of Romanian Jews, Union of Native Jews. A Romanian rival, Romulus Cioflec, argued that the set mainly featured known Philo-Semitism, philosemites such as Alexandru Ciurcu and Constantin G. Dissescu. During February 1914, his former associate Sanielevici exposed him as the pseudonymous ''Quidam'' of Cocea's ''Facla'' newspaper. Sanielevici, who opposed Cocea's politics, also attacked Streitman as "blacklisted by the Social Democratic Party of Germany, German social-democratic party. A chemist, a charlatan, a socialist, a police worker, again a socialist, a journalist, a Mosaic believer, a Christian and again a Mosaic, a mystic, a philosopher, and a con man." In March, alongside Brănișteanu, Lahovary, Mille, Uhrinowsky, Petre Locusteanu and Alexandru Mavrodi, Streitman was present at the "Franco–Romanian brotherhood" banquet, honoring visitor Stéphane Lauzanne.


World War I and People's Party

Streitman's advocacy came to a halt during the debates and campaigns of World War I. In 1914, when Romania was still neutral territory, he published a monograph on the life and ideas of Jean Jaurès, the recently assassinated French Section of the Workers' International, SFIO leader. In tandem, Streitman was also the staff writer for ''Naționalul'' newspaper, put out by Toma Stelian in support of the Allies of World War I, Allied Powers. His old adversaries at ''Furnica'' alleged that he was in business with his National Liberal contacts, a middleman for "compensation" exports to countries of the Central Powers. Streitman stayed behind enemy lines after the The Romanian Debacle, occupation of southern Romania. According to several accounts, he was one of eight Jews picked up as hostages by the
German Army The German Army (, 'army') is the land component of the armed forces of Federal Republic of Germany, Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German together with the German Navy, ''Marine'' (G ...
, and initially held at Hotel Imperial; the same round-up also included Romanian figures who had supported the Allies: Ciurcu, Constantin Antoniade, Alexandrina Cantacuzino, Constantin Cantacuzino-Pașcanu, Nicolae Malaxa, Mina Minovici, and Constantin Rădulescu-Motru. Despite being described as "very ill", he was one of the prisoners dispatched to a facility in Săveni, Ialomița, Săveni. A polemical memoir of these episodes appeared as ''Porcii'' ("The Swine"), and was signed by "Arhibald"—the pen name used by Streitman's fellow exile, Ghiță Rădulescu. In October 1917, Rădulescu and Streitman were picked out for deportation into
Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
; they were selected for a comfortable exile in Troyan, where Streitman appeared "in a mountaineer's attire". "Arhibald" claims that Streitman's disease was simulated throughout their Bulgarian exile: "when he forgets that he has to faint, he is as talkative as can be". Streitman and the Troyan group were released on December 23, 1917, though some accounts suggest that he was also interned for a while at Tismana Monastery."Cuvântarea dlui Dr. Valeriu Pop...", p. 4 He was active in occupied Bucharest following Treaty of Bucharest (1918), Romania's armistice (May 1918), an editorial director of Virgil Arion's ''Renașterea'' newspaper, which promoted reconciliation with the Germans. According to Alexandru Macedonski of ''Literatorul'' (himself a
Germanophile A Germanophile, Teutonophile, or Teutophile is a person who is fond of Culture of Germany, German culture, Germans, German people and Germany in general, or who exhibits German patriotism in spite of not being either an ethnic German or a German ...
), Streitman's arrival at ''Renașterea'' was good news, Streitman being "one of the most brilliant Romanian journalists", "a man of great culture and a writer of great talent". The newspaper riled up patriotic sensibilities with pro-German stances, such as when it asked that Romanian civilians who had publicly celebrated German spring offensive, German defeats in France be jailed. "Arhibald" suggests that ''Renașterea'' was secretly owned by the Germanophile leader, Petre P. Carp, with Jewish publisher Leon Alcaly as his front man. As he notes, Streitman's tenure there pitted him against his own contributions in the earlier stages of war: Streitman now claimed that nobody had ever supported going to war against the Central Powers. The same author includes Streitman and philosopher Iosif Brucăr among a largely Jewish, and more generically foreign, category of intellectuals "passing as Romanians at the German gazettes"; he claims to have found both men's signatures on a memorandum asking the German occupiers to provide them with price-controlled cheese, in return for propaganda services. After the First Armistice at Compiègne, German capitulation, Streitman returned at the center of Romanian cultural life. He became known as the owner of a library and art salon, Hasefer, which occupied a Venetian Gothic architecture, Venetian-style villa in Bucharest. In January 1919, he was at the forefront of trade unionism in Greater Romania, becoming co-founder of the Union of Professional Journalists (UZP). At age 44, he was the oldest member, unanimously voted in as UZP President following a proposal made by
Pamfil Șeicaru Pamfil is a Romanian given name and surname. Notable people with the name include: * Pamfil Polonic (1858–1943), Romanian archaeologist and topographer * Pamfil Yurkevich Pamfil Danilovich Yurkevich (; 28 February 1826 – 16 October 1874) w ...
. A detailed account by researcher Aurelia Lăpușan notes that Streitman was only elected because the favorite, Nicolae Constantin Batzaria, declined to take office. A February 1920 note by fellow Jewish writer I. Peltz informed the general public that Steitman was again preparing his own "entirely original magazine for social and political critique". Streitman also reentered politics, now as a committed
anticommunist 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 ...
. As Brătescu writes, he rejected socialism altogether after the October Revolution, and supported the National Liberal Party without joining its ranks. Alongside reporter Adolphe Clarnet and novelist Dinu Nicodin, he joined the entourage of politician Nicolae Săveanu, always appearing in Săveanu's company at Casa Capșa restaurant. Before the 1920 Romanian general election, electoral year 1920, Streitman joined the politically diverse People's Party (PP), where he worked alongside the Romanian nationalist poet,
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 ...
. The Jewish journalist sent articles to the PP's own press organ, ''Îndreptarea''. He was an enthusiastic follower of the party leader, General Alexandru Averescu. In retrospect, he spoke of Averescu as an "imperturbable and incorruptible" figures, chosen by providence to enact a program of "prosperity and order". Streitman was nominated for an eligible seat in a Jewish circumscription, in the newly attached region of Transylvania. Goga campaigned in his favor, telling Jewish voters that "a Jewish intellectual of the Romanian Old Kingdom, Old Kingdom" would be best positioned to advance their demands; Streitman failed at convincing them, probably because Transylvanian Jews wished to be considered separate from the Old-Kingdom Jews. More recognition of his public role in Jewish and Romanian life came in early 1921, when the PP government assigned him to welcome back in Romania Moses Gaster, the expelled Jewish community leader and scholar. Streitman met Gaster at Curtici, and led him to Arad, Romania, Arad, inspiring his subsequent address to the city's Jewish community.


1920s controversy

Following the 1920 setback, Streitman focused his political ambitions on another one of Greater Romania's newer regions, campaigning for the Jewish vote in
Bukovina Bukovina or ; ; ; ; , ; see also other languages. is a historical region at the crossroads of Central and Eastern Europe. It is located on the northern slopes of the central Eastern Carpathians and the adjoining plains, today divided betwe ...
during the 1922 Romanian general election, race of 1922. As a PP candidate, he was involved in the provincial conflict opposing two advocates of Jewish rights: Mayer Ebner, of the People's Council Party, and Benno Straucher, of the Jewish National People's Party. While Straucher became a National Liberal ally, Streitman and Karl Klüger where signed by Ebner onto a People's Council Party list for the Senate: Streitman for Storozhynets, Storojineț, Klüger for Chernivtsi, Cernăuți. Streitman worked as a councilor for the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs 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 ...
, which probably interrupted his senatorial mandate. Records of the time describe him as "formerly a senator". At that stage, Streitman was being courted by the radical Modernist literature, modernists and the avant-garde. Resuming his contacts with the socialists, he was taken up by ''Facla''—reportedly, this was his last-ever steady employment by a publication of any kind. In his articles there, Streitman used the pen name ''Omul de pe stradă'' ("Man on the street").Geo Șerban, "Mozaic. 'Omul de pe stradă', un faimos condei", in ''Realitatea Evreiască'', Issues 454–455, July–August 2015, p. 16 According to literary critic Geo Șerban, the choice of name still echoed Streitman's commitment to "social emancipation". As noted by a younger ''Facla'' journalist, Nicolae Carandino, he was "convinced that the democratic pseudonym increased [the articles'] circulation."Carandino, p. 149 Streitman's essays were also featured in ''Contimporanul'', a political and art magazine put out by Cocea's pupil, Ion Vinea: his name appears ''Contimporanul'' pages from the very first issue, on June 3, 1922. He thus joined the original ''Contimporanul'' crew, which mainly comprised left-wing or politically independent social critics, generally adverse to the National Liberal Party. These included, among others, Eugen Filotti, Benjamin Fondane, Nicolae L. Lupu, Camil Petrescu, and Dem. Theodorescu. Streitman was also one of the guest writers for the special issue honoring
Tudor Arghezi Ion Nae Theodorescu (21 May 1880 – 14 July 1967) was a Romanian writer who wrote under the pen name Tudor Arghezi (. He is best known for his unique contribution to poetry and children's literature. Biography Early life He graduated from Sai ...
's contribution to literary life. As "V. Dănoiu", Fondane celebrated in Streitman a contributor to both Romanian journalism and
Romanian literature Romanian literature () is the entirety of literature written by Romanian authors, although the term may also be used to refer to all literature written in the Romanian language or by any authors native to Romania. Early Romanian literature inc ...
: "[In Streitman,] the Jews have given us a journalist who could become illustrious in any foreign literature, considering his gracious style, his subtlety and delicious irony." Benjamin Fondane, V. Dănoiu
"Evreii în Cultura Română. I"
in ''Contimporanul'', Issues 39–40/1923, [p. 4] (digitized by the Babeș-Bolyai University]
Transsylvanica Online Library
. For the identification of Fondane as "Dănoiu", see Sofia Milancovici
"Benjamin Fundoianu / Benjamin Fondane: o biografie româno-franceză"
in the Vasile Goldiș West University of Arad, Goldiș University of Arad ''Studii de Știință și Cultură'', Issue 1 (12), March 2008, p. 77
In April 1922, Streitman appeared as a witness in the Dealul Spirii Trial, which saw militants of the newly formed Romanian Communist Party indicted for sedition. He defended some members of the group (specifically Gheorghe Cristescu, Alexandru Dobrogeanu-Gherea, and David Fabian), arguing that there was no evidence for their labeling as traitors and terrorists. In June, as a political chronicler for ''Contimporanul'', he criticized the communist movement as a whole: "Forever meddling and creating havoc, [extremists] 'exaggerate' the teachings, aspirations and goals of the new movements and parties. Worse still: they spoil the leaders' plans". In July 1923, he represented the Jewish Romanians at a congress of Minorities of Romania, ethnic minority journalists, hosted by Árpád Paál in Arad, Romania, Arad. Also that year, he collected a volume of his ''Revizuiri'' ("Revisions"), republishing his 1894 translation from Nordau in 1924; his wife Rachel remained focused on Darwinist literature, and, before the echoes of the Scopes Trial were first felt in Romania, had translated a Darwinian popularization booklet by Émile Ferrière. Going over ''Revizuiri'', Streitman's old friend Ibrăileanu found them to be unusually misanthropic and Intellectualism, intellectualist, suggesting that their critique of social life in the 1920s was perhaps exaggerated. Overall, according to his colleague Fondane, Streitman remained an "isolated" journalist, shunned by his press colleagues, "many of whom are Jews". Eventually, two Jewish avant-garde magazines took up his work: ''Puntea de Fildeș'' and Isac Ludo's ''Adam''. The former also published his portrait, done by M. H. Maxy. In August 1925, ''Facla'' published a piece by Streitman which asked Romanians to create an openly antisemitic political party. His text was seen as provocative and tasteless by the National Liberal newspaper, ''Mișcarea''. Both Streitman and Klüger were reelected to Senate on the Averescu–Ebner platform during the 1926 Romanian general election, race of May–June 1926, which returned the PP to government. He took 270 votes, whereas the second-placed Stinodela Scala, a National Liberal, only took 9. The PP's selection was hotly contested in Romania's radical-right circles. ''Universul'' newspaper ran a press campaign claiming to expose Goga as a hypocrite or an opportunist: Goga's "national fanaticism", ''Universul'' claimed, had been proven as a hoax by his political association with the "erstwhile Jewish" Streitman and the Hungarians in Romania, Hungarian Béla Barabás. As a newspaper of the opposition Peasants' Party (Romania), Peasants' Party, ''Dreptatea'' similarly noted that PP candidate Ioan Lupaș was assuring his constituents that Averescu had "kept no company with the Hungarians, nor with the Jews", conveniently "forget[ting] Mr H. St. Streitman"."Polemici. Indelicatețe", in ''Dreptatea'', December 6, 1928, p. 1 Other nationalist venues accused Streitman of harboring anti-Romanian sentiments, and implied that his patron, Goga, was politically incompetent. A rumor circulated that, at the height of the preceding world war, Streitman had called the Romanians "a gang of thieves, consumed with alcoholism and syphilis". The antisemitic attack on Streitman was taken up in Parliament of Romania, Parliament by the opposition National-Christian Defense League (or LANC), through the voice of Transylvanian Valeriu Pop. Pop, who noted that the supposed quote could be traced back to ''Die Weltkampf'' paper (of the Militant League for German Culture), accused the PP of having betrayed the cause of "nationalist activity". Streitman was publicly defended by another parliamentarian, Mișu Papp-Craiova, who called himself a man of "antisemitic principles". Papp-Craiova argued: "Streitman was the only Jew to have exhibited a dignified attitude during the war. [...] this particular Jew has never described himself as a Jew, but has always said he was a Romanian."


With Titulescu

In August 1924, Streitman became an Officer of the Order of the Star of Romania, Star of Romania. By 1927, he had been made a Commander in the Order of St. Sava and a Knight of Order of Polonia Restituta, Polonia Restituta. Streitman was among the diplomats who worked at tightening Romania's links with the Second Polish Republic, Polish Republic, in the context of the Polish–Romanian alliance. He was an official rapporteur at the Polish–Romanian Conference, held at Galați, and contributed an essay on the history behind that cooperation. It was taken up by ''Societatea de Mâine'' magazine, with an editorial note announcing that Streitman was working on three "literary volumes": ''Între da și nu'' ("Between Yes and No"), ''Ziua e scurtă'' ("The Day Is Short"), ''Elogiul ipocriziei'' ("In Praise of Hypocrisy"). Of his planned volumes, only ''Între da și nu'' came out, in late 1928, at Editura Cultura Națională,"Curier literar", in ''Cuvântul'', December 23, 1928, p. 2 earning attention as a "paradoxical and savory" work. Streitman announced at the time that he was writing a "major book" of Biblical criticism, which focused on Paul the Apostle and Jewish Christianity. Averescu's premiership ended abruptly in June 1927. Streitman still served in the Foreign Ministry after the National Liberals carried the day, and, during the mandate of
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 ...
, traveled extensively in Europe. Nevertheless, he maintained a correspondence on the subject with Averescu, informing him about things he had "seen, heard, and thought about" during his trips. One anecdote suggests that Streitman unwittingly uncovered Titulescu's superficiality while traveling with him through the Kingdom of Italy. The Romanian diplomat asked Streitman to explain Italian fascism, and was informed about its precursor, Georges Sorel; Titulescu "went deep into his thoughts for a moment", persuaded that he had once met Sorel. It consequently emerged that he was thinking of historian Albert Sorel, whose classes Titulescu had once attended."Tatarescu, Titulescu és a kor nagy szociális problémái. Pamfil Seicaru folytatja támadásait Tatarescu ellen", in ''
Új Kelet ''Új Kelet'' (; Hungarian translation: "New East") is a Hungarian-language Zionist Jewish newspaper published first in Kolozsvár (Cluj) in Transylvania, Romania in 1918. Prior to the annexation of Transylvania to Hungary in 1940 when it cease ...
'', Vol. XXIII, Issue 185, August 1940, p. 3
By 1928, Streitman had returned to his career in the national press, managing the newspapers ''Dimineața'' and ''
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 ...
''. This period coincided with the rise of a National Peasants' Party, which threatened with revolution. Its messages, including alarmist announcements by Ionel Țăranu, were given exposure by Streitman; during October, Streitman was called in to testify at Țăranu's trial, which lasted into 1929. Meanwhile, the People's Party made Streitman its Chamber of Deputies of Romania, Lower Chamber candidate in the 1928 Romanian general election, December election, moving him from Storojineț to Cernăuți. Although no longer holding a seat in Parliament, Streitman was one of Romania's delegates to the 25th Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference, while also representing Romania within a journalists' version of the Little Entente, alongside Filotti and Emil Fagure. He also remained active as an adviser of the Romanian far-right. In his own pamphlet, ''Mustul care fierbe'' ("The Frothing Must"), Octavian Goga paid homage to Streitman as the "fine analyst". Goga cited his admiration for Streitman against those who reproached him his antisemitism: "I have never professed that stupid kind of intolerance." At the time, Streitman also advised and financed his friend Șeicaru to set up the nationalist daily, ''Curentul''. In its original edition, this political tribune employed other Jewish men of letters, among them F. Brunea-Fox and Moses Rosen. In 1929, Streitman launched a new magazine of his own, the short-lived ''Observatorul Politic și Social'' ("Political and Social Observer"), with contributions from Mihail Manoilescu. The periodical is noted by historian Simion Costea for its advocacy of a Federal Europe and its popularization of Richard von Coudenhove-Kalergi's ideas on the subject—including Kalergi's belief that "modern Judaism" was a natural ally in constructing the European ethos. In August 1929, Streitman led a Romanian journalists' delegation to Poland, also speaking in front of the Polish Commission in the Free City of Danzig. He signed up for the 1931 Romanian general election, 1931 electoral campaign as a PP candidate, again in Bukovina. During the interval, he continued to support Titulescu, who was representing Romania at the League of Nations, against those who wanted him sacked. In a 1931 piece, the artist and commentator Ion Sava suggested that Streitman had become too wordy in defending Titulescu, and was failing to draw the general public toward his cause.


Between ''Facla'' and the far-right

When, in 1932, Goga left the PP to found his own
National Agrarian Party The National Agrarian Party ( or ''Partidul Național-Agrarian'', PNA) was a right-wing agrarian party active in Romania during the early 1930s. Established and led by poet Octavian Goga, it was originally a schism from the more moderate People' ...
(PNA), Streitman followed suit, thereafter serving on that group's executive committee and writing for Goga's ''Țara Noastră''. Fellow writer Alexandru Robot notes that Streitman had remained in part an investigative journalist, since he still "squeezed himself though the keyholes of various ministries".Alexandu Robot, "Căți noui. H.-St. Streitman, ''Mi se pare că...''", in '' Rampa'', January 19, 1934, pp. 1–2 He also endured as a confidant of Duca, who had since become chairman of the National Liberal Party. Their closeness perplexed Arghezi, who viewed Duca as a dishonorable figure, writing in July 1930: "Two opinions on who Mr I. G. Duca are now circulating around Bucharest. One is that of all people who got to know him, and the other one is only held by Mr H. St. Streitmann". When Duca ultimately became prime minister in late 1933, Streitman recorded his friends premonition that he would end up being assassinated by the Iron Guard: "Now begins the I. G. Duca tragedy..." In September 1932, a nationalist doctrinaire, Nichifor Crainic, spoke of Streitman as both a "distinguished intellectual" and an "Wandering Jew, Ahasuerus" unable to find his place in society, noting that had "switched quite a few religions without settling for any single one". As noted in 1934 by Argetoianu, Streitman was again a politically confused person, since he wrote for "all sorts of publications"—driven mainly by material needs, he was "always meaningful" and "intelligent", a "superior Semitic people, Semite". Argetoianu's notebook records a joke about "Streitman's salute", which was neither the Roman salute, fascist salute nor the Raised fist, communist raised fist, but "arm extended, palm turned up, to pick up something or other". He also recorded how Streitman and Clarnet colluded to obtain larger gifts from their political patron Titulescu. Streitman's own wealth, consisting of "an oak desk and other unspecified items", was confiscated by another court order from his home on Calea Plevnei 72. It was auctioned off in April 1932, this time to repay sums borrowed from Banca Centrală a Țării Românești. Following up on ''Între da și nu'', Streitman returned in late 1933 with the volume ''Mi se pare că...'' ("Signs Point to..."), at Editura Librăriei Leon Alcaly, Alcaly Publishers. A praise of
agnosticism Agnosticism is the view or belief that the existence of God, the divine, or the supernatural is either unknowable in principle or unknown in fact. (page 56 in 1967 edition) It can also mean an apathy towards such religious belief and refer t ...
and relativism,Doctorul Ygrec, "Caleidoscopul vieții intelectuale. Litere, știință, artă: ''Mi se pare că...''", in ''
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 ...
'', December 29, 1933, p. 2
it appeared on Pompiliu Păltânea's list of notable prose works for 1934. According to Păltânea: "Mr. Henri Streitman reveals his very own manner [...] of searching for the truth through the most distant detours, those that run into surprises and open up grand perspectives." Robot was critical of Streitman's relativistic approach, describing him as a "puppy [...] urinating on some tree." Doctor Ygrec, the reviewer at ''Adevărul'', found the book amusing overall, but objected to its "commonplace" jokes about God as an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic deity. Underneath this covering, "it would seem to me that Mr. Streitman is a religious man". On June 5, 1935, Streitman was present at Filantropia Hospital for the Memorial service in the Eastern Orthodox Church, funeral wake of Octavian's brother, Eugen Goga. Weeks later, the PNA merged with Streitman's old adversaries, the LANC. As noted by Brătescu, the Jewish Streitman became an election agent for the resulting National Christian Party (PNC), a notoriously antisemitic force; ''Dreptatea'', by then a National Peasantist paper, likewise reported that Streitman and Tudor Vianu, both of them Jews, had remained active within a "nationalist, and furthermore antisemitic, movement". ''Új Kelet'' contrarily claimed that Streitman had "cut off all contact" with Goga following the unification. Streitman enjoyment of relativism and networking between rival groups once pushed him to deliberately introduce the far-right philosopher Nae Ionescu to his left-wing critic, Carandino. He explained that: "In life, one must learn to abstract the opinions in one's writings". Although befriending the fascists, Streitman still assisted with leftist causes. Also in 1932, he joined the staff of ''Facla'', where he was colleagues with several leftist and rightist political commentators: Carandino, Sergiu Dan, Ion Călugăru, N. Davidescu, Sandu Eliad. By August 1933, Max-Radu, a practicing attorney, was handling legal defense for participants in the Grivița strike of 1933, Grivița strike of February. A while after the Duca assassination, Streitman Sr was a correspondent for N. D. Cocea's extreme-left magazine, ''Reporter'', which published his essays (signed ''Quidam'' and ''Alcest''); but also worked with the right-wing Ion Gigurtu at ''Libertatea''. In January 1933, ''Libertatea''s debate club also included Streitman as a guest speaker, introducing a lecture by Argetoianu. In a 1934 review, the young writer Geo Bogza referred to Streitman as one of Romania's five model-journalists, and the prime analyst of his day; the list also included Arghezi, Brunea-Fox, Vinea, and Tudor Teodorescu-Braniște. At the time, Streitman was completing an edition of works by Ion Heliade Rădulescu, which was to feature his comparative essay on the links between Rădulescu's poetry and the Bible. On May 21, 1937, he was one of several journalists awarded First Czechoslovak Republic, Czechoslovakia's Order of the White Lion—other recipients for that day include Brănișteanu, Fagure, Demostene Botez, Ion Clopoțel, Romulus Dianu, and Constantin Gongopol. An occasional contributor to the Zionism, Zionist review ''Renașterea Noastră'', Streitman was still personally involved in debates about the "Jewish Question" in Romania. In late 1929, Streitman, Galaction, Felix Aderca and Wilhelm Filderman contributed to Iancu Klein's volume, ''Combaterea antisemitismului'' ("Defeating Antisemitism")—which also included pieces by several Romanian politicians—Mihai Antonescu, Paul Negulescu, Constantin Rădulescu-Motru, Alexandru Vaida-Voevod—, Jewish banker Aristide Blank, socialist Leon Ghelerter, and Zionist A. L. Zissu. During February 1934, he was a guest lecturer at a conference on this topic, organized Hasmonaea club and Rădulescu-Motru; he debated the religious aspect, while Mihai Ralea spoke on sociological issues, and Sami Singer discussed Zionism. In the years leading up to World War II, Romania made antisemitism an official policy. Goga took over as prime minister and, on the first day of 1938, withdrew the free travel permits on Căile Ferate Române, Romania's railway network for all Jewish journalists, specifically including Streitman. Max-Radu was arrested the following month, being tried as an alleged confidence man.


Nazi collaboration

Under Romania during World War II, successive fascist regimes, Romania sealed its alliance with
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
and the Axis Powers, and returned with more policies of that nature. On July 13, 1940, Streitman found himself included on lists of "Judaic writers" or "Hebrew thistles", who had "nothing in common with the spiritual structure of the Romanian peasant". Two days later, the ban on his entire work was made official. On August 16, Șeicaru briefly mentioned Streitman in ''Curentul'' as "one of the very characteristic personalities of a political world which today's events are irrevocably liquidating". When the Iron Guard imposed its National Legionary State, Streitman was among the Jews expelled from the Bucharest Journalists' Syndicate (September 23, 1940), though its leaders made sure that he would preserve his pension rights. The Guardists were eventually thrown out by ''Conducător''
Ion Antonescu Ion Antonescu (; ; – 1 June 1946) was a Romanian military officer and Mareșal (Romania), marshal who presided over two successive Romania during World War II, wartime dictatorships as Prime Minister of Romania, Prime Minister and ''Conduc ...
during the Legionnaires' rebellion and Bucharest pogrom, clashes of January 1941. In March, I. P. Prundeni wrote in the official newspaper, ''Porunca Vremii'', that there could be no return to the democratic regime as embodied by Titulescu and his followers. Prundeni referred to Streitman as one of Titulescu's Jewish backers, and claimed that he had once served time in prison. Radu Lecca, appointed as Jewish Affairs Commissioner, initially considered relaxing some of the Antisemitic laws in Romania, antisemitic decrees, and consulted Zissu on the issue. As recalled by Zissu, they also discussed Streitman: "I drew up a little portrait of him, depicting him as a first-rate newspaperman, willing to do just about anything for cash, as one who was never active in Jewish political life, and as a liar." Antonescu's takeover generally increased pressures on the Jewish community. As reported by diarist Emil Dorian, in December 1941 Streitman was one of the pro-government Jews who took over as leaders of the revamped Jewish Community: "The Jews are amazed, almost horrified. [...] they are confused by the role of Streitman, and they don't know the government official policies and the reasons for this situation, for which one cannot find enough people". Lecca soon began organizing a system of coercion, which was to be supervised in his name by the so-called Central Jewish Office (CE). It was seen by the German envoys as the Romanian answer to a ''Judenrat'', capable of assisting in the enforcement of the "Final Solution". Streitman was selected by Lecca to preside over this body, taking over as such on February 7, 1942. He probably owed his appointment to his good rapport with all sides of the political spectrum, and especially to his friendship with Antonescu's friend, Veturia Goga. According to University of Haifa scholar Béla Vágó, he may also have been favored by a Judenberater, special German envoy, Gustav Richter, who also approved of Lazar Halberthal (Streitman's proposal for the Bucharest Jewish Community Presidency, and formerly a Macabi București sportsman). The CE was also afforded some recognition by the underground Union of Romanian Jews (UER), whose leader, Filderman, allowed colleague David "Dadu" Rosenkranz to head the CE's Section of Professional Reeducation. Lucian Zeev-Herșcovici
"David (Dadu) Rosenkranz. Din viața unui avocat și lider evreu din România în secolul XX"
in ''Revista ProLitera'', February 3, 2018
Scholar Carol Iancu views Streitman, as well as others in the CE, as "traitors and collaborators"—by contrast with the informal Jewish leaders, who stood in opposition to Antonescu. The former journalist remained a figurehead, publishing appeals to calm and obedience, and leaving most administrative work to his second-in-command, Nandor Gingold, M. D. Ethnically Jewish, but a lapsed Catholic by religion, Gingold justified his own compliance by noting that obvious resistance to Nazi demands would bring immediate destruction upon the Romanian Jews. Similarly, in the Jewish weekly ''Gazeta Evreiască'', Streitman informed his fellow Jews that the moment required a special kind of reasoning: "with our heads, and not with our nerves, and not with our backbone." Although conflicted due to the religious prohibitions, the CE had to comply with an official order to relocate the Jewish cemetery on Sevastopol Street. Its eviction in May 1942 was overseen by Streitman, Gingold, Halberthal, and a Sephardic Jews in Romania, Sephardi delegate, Marco Prezente. This attitude made Streitman an adversary of the dissident Jews, who still refused to take Lecca's orders. A memoir by the then-Chief Rabbi, Alexandru Șafran, defines him as "a well-liked journalist, but a perfidious character"; while Gingold "never lost an opportunity to show his contempt", Streitman attended synagogue services regularly, and (though still depicted as a convert to Christianity) burst into tears upon hearing one of Șafran's sermons. The cleric also notes that he attended CE meetings chaired by Streitman, who used his speaking time to insult Zissu. Dorian, who spoke with him in July 1942, reports being stunned by his apparent indifference to news about the Holocaust in surrounding countries: a "salon moralist", he was recommending that "the Jewish people change its outlook on death". Streitman "cannot find justification for the Jewish people's immense zest for life, for living in any conditions and at whatever price." In early August, Streitman found himself opposed by Zissu, who called him a traitor and a renegade. According to historian Hildrun Glass, Zissu was making himself known as the "intransigent" community leader, and, as result of his conflict with Streitman, was interned at the Târgu Jiu internment camp, Târgu Jiu camp for political prisoners. Zissu himself explained that the internment came as a result of a provocation, after being told that Jews would be forced to contribute 4 billion Romanian leu, lei in "special taxes". He recalls having insulted not just Streitman, but also Rabbi Șafran; he was only arrested because a Romanian inspector general, present at that meeting, deduced that he had also insulted Antonescu.


Sacking, postwar obscurity, and death

Although they countersigned Lecca's extortion measures, no CE official was ever directly involved in the main criminal Holocaust in Romania, actions against the Jews, including the deportations to Transnistria Governorate, Transnistria. While providing Jewish labor for Antonescu's regime, Rosenkranz also directed relief efforts for survivors of the Iași pogrom and Vapniarka concentration camp, Vapniarka. Iosif Brucăr was asked by Streitman to lead the CE's Education Department, but refused all collaboration. Designated by the Zionist Executive to that same position, Theodor Loewenstein-Lavi used it as a platform for Jewish nationalism. This again infuriated Zissu, who argued that the Executive was acting immorally. In September 1942, Lavi's appointment was also reviewed by Richter, who was enraged by Lavi's history as an anti-Nazi; he was dismissed, and the Zionist Executive was outlawed. In the aftermath of the incident, Zionist leader Mișu Benvenisti was advised by Streitman to embark for Mandatory Palestine, British Palestine, and thus save himself from Richter's vengeance. Streitman himself only served in the CE between February and December 30, 1942, being succeeded by Gingold. Scholar Yehuda Bauer notes that Streitman had ultimately resigned after witnessing Gingold's attempts to "abolish the autonomy of the communities", an additional sign that Gingold's policies were habitually "disobeyed and undercut." The new CE executive subsequently put Streitman and Brucăr, alongside banker Aristide Blank, on a list of Jewish hostages; according to Brucăr, this list showed Gingold's priorities: "he was not there to protect the Jews, but to persecute and remove them". Streitman's supervision was assigned to the 31st Romanian Police, Police Precinct, which still recorded his address as Calea Plevnei 72. Streitman's last years brought his return to activism, this time as a Revisionist Zionism, Revisionist Zionist, working for a massive Jewish resettlement in Palestine. The 1944 Romanian coup d'état, anti-Nazi coup of August 1944 toppled Antonescu and brought Romania into the Allies of World War II, Allied Camp. In February 1945, Arghezi and his magazine ''
Bilete de Papagal ''Bilete de Papagal'' was a Romanian left-wing publication edited by Tudor Arghezi, begun as a daily newspaper and soon after issued as a weekly satirical and literary magazine. It was published at three different intervals: 1928–1930, 1937–1938 ...
'' openly celebrated Streitman's 75th birthday, making note of his book collection having been restored, and praising his "exemplary marriage, that of a husband, father, and grandfather." Shortly after, Streitman's sister, Ida Schapira, was strangled by a burglar in her home on Filaret Street, Bucharest. Rosenkranz, though still criticized by his peers for his past as a "slave-driver", returned to politics around the same time, when he became general secretary of the legalized UER. He later moved to the left, joining the Jewish Democratic Committee, which also accepted Loewenstein-Lavi. In March 1945, public prosecutor Mihail de Mayo interrogated Șafran and Streitman regarding their history with the CE. Streitman was also placed under investigation by a "purification committee" assigned to the Federation of the Jewish Communities in Romania (FCER). A year later, his colleagues at the CE leadership were brought in front of the
Romanian People's Tribunals The two Romanian People's Tribunals (), the Bucharest People's Tribunal and the Northern Transylvania People's Tribunal (which sat in Cluj) were set up by the post-World War II government of Romania, overseen by the Allied Control Commission to try ...
, whereupon Gingold and Vasile Isăceanu were given life sentences. All other former CE leaders were stripped of their voting rights, by government order, in July 1946—ahead of the 1946 Romanian general election, November election. Streitman survived the 1947 establishment of a Communist Romania, communist regime, which, although Anti-Zionism, anti-Zionist, preferred to ignore him and his political stances. Censorship in Communist Romania, Communist censorship intervened retroactively against ''Mi se pare că..'', copies of which were placed under restricted use. Max-Radu was allowed to perform as a pianist, and, by mid-1947, was managing a "Tudor Vladimirescu people's atheneum" in Bucharest. In May 1948, he was giving concerts at another such institution, named after communist leader Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej. Writer Enric Furtună noted in 1951 that he knew "nothing about Henric, not even if he's still alive", and asked if he may have made his way to Israel. While some files kept by the FCER report that Streitman died in Israel in 1949, Rachel and Max-Radu published a notice of Henric's death in ''Adevărul'' on March 31, 1950, which was a day after his burial at the Jewish Cemetery on Giurgiului Highway, Bucharest. They asked the public not to follow up with sympathy visits.


Legacy

Shortly before Streitman's death, the regime had clamped down on Zionist activity. It imprisoned Loewenstein-Lavi, who emigrated to Israel in 1957; after acting as a public defender of the Zionists, Rosenkranz also left the country in 1961. Streitman appears as a background character in Alexandru Voitin's historical play ''Adio, majestate!'', fragments of which were first published in December 1967. In the 1972 stage production, he was played by Gheorghe Lazarovici. Carandino's moral and intellectual portrait of his deceased colleague, published as part of his 1979 book ''De la o zi la alta'', calls Streitman "not a reactionary, but a conservative [who] preferred the peacefulness of bourgeois life over any revolution, as long as the revolution was not [just] spiritual." He rates Streitman as one of the "sharpest journalists of that era".Carandino, p. 191 Also in 1979, another journalist-turned-memoirist, A. P. Samson, briefly covered Streitman's transition from socialist to "far-right Jew", noting that he was "never one to display a firmness of conviction". Samson believed that Streitman was also a "remarkable writer", whose style evoked François Rabelais. Streitman's literary contribution remained largely ignored, including after the Romanian Revolution of 1989. Writing in 2015, Șerban noted: "An absurd silence covers [Streitman's] journalistic activity, which is undeniably valuable. Somebody ought to take the initiative of bringing him back into contemporary life, at the very least with a basic selection from the hundreds of texts he left us in those newspapers he wrote for over several decades." A modern UZP appeared in 1990, and claimed legal succession from the interwar equivalent, with Streitman as is founding president. This narrative was disputed in 2016 by Marian Petcu, who traces its lineage only to a syndicate established in 1955 for the communist press; in discussing the issue, Petcu notes that the earliest UZP was itself generally unprofessional, describing Streitman as "in turn a socialist, a liberal, a (nationalist) populist and a fascist, who traversed two religions and many an ideology, four sciences, five universities, [...] but who, in 1919, was invested with the attributes of maximal professionalism in homegrown journalism."


Notes


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Streitman, Henric 1870 births 1950 deaths 20th-century Romanian essayists Romanian male essayists Romanian opinion journalists Romanian propagandists Jewish writers Contimporanul writers Romanian book publishers (people) Romanian magazine editors Romanian magazine founders Romanian newspaper founders Romanian newspaper editors Adevărul editors 20th-century Romanian translators French–Romanian translators German–Romanian translators Romanian Marxist journalists Jewish socialists Romanian anti-communists Romanian trade unionists People's Party (interwar Romania) politicians National Agrarian Party politicians European integration pioneers Jewish Romanian politicians Romanian Zionists Revisionist Zionists Members of the Senate of Romania Romanian civil servants Romanian diplomats Officers of the Order of the Star of Romania Commanders of the Order of St. Sava Knights of the Order of Polonia Restituta Commanders of the Order of the White Lion Romanian collaborators with Nazi Germany Jewish collaborators with Nazi Germany The Holocaust in Romania People from Piatra Neamț 20th-century Romanian Jews Jews from Western Moldavia Converts to Eastern Orthodoxy from Judaism Members of the Romanian Orthodox Church Jewish agnostics Romanian agnostics Naturalised citizens of Romania Romanian expatriates in Germany Humboldt University of Berlin alumni University of Göttingen alumni University of Stuttgart alumni University of Zurich alumni Romanian physical chemists Romanian people of World War I Romanian prisoners of war Romanian people taken hostage World War I prisoners of war held by Germany World War I prisoners of war held by Bulgaria People interned during World War I