Radu Gyr

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Radu Gyr (pen name of Radu Demetrescu; March 2, 1905, Câmpulung-Muscel - 29 April 1975, Bucharest) was a Romanian poet, essayist, playwright and journalist.

He studied at the University of Bucharest, where he received his Ph.D. in Literature and became a Senior Lecturer. He joined the Iron Guard legionnaire movement, becoming in time a local commander.

Gyr received numerous awards for his writings. During the National Legionary Government he was appointed General Manager of the Romanian Theaters. Under his administration the Baraşeum Jewish Theater (later State Jewish Theater) was founded (although it was not allowed to operate until after the January 1941 fall of the Legionary Government).

[edit] In prison

He was imprisoned for 20 years and he was never completely rehabilitated as a writer. His first years as a political prisoner began as soon as the Iron Guard lost their battle with Ion Antonescu. After spending time in prison, Radu Gyr was sent to fight on the Eastern Front, a form of punishment which was reserved for former Legionnaires.

In 1958 he was sentenced to death by the Communist authorities because of his subversive poem Ridică-te Gheorghe, ridică-te Ioane! ("Arise Gheorghe, Arise Ioan!"). The poem had asked for peasants to oppose in every way the regime's agricultural policies: it had been issued as the last wave of brutal collectivization was taking hold of the rural landscape.

His sentence was commuted to life imprisonment, but he served only a few years, dying soon after his release.

[edit] Published works

• Plânge Strâmbă-Lemne (roughly: "The Wood Bender Crieth"; 1927)
• Cerbul de lumină ("A Deer of Light"; 1928)
• Stele pentru leagăn ("Stars for the Cradle"; 1936)
• Cununi uscate ("Dried-up Wreaths"; 1938)
• Corabia cu tufănici ("The Ship of Chrysanthemums"; 1939)
• Poeme de război ("War Poems"; 1942)
• Balade ("Ballads"; 1943) - as well as a series of lyricised tales.