George Ivașcu

George Ivaşcu (July 22, 1911 – June 21, 1988) was a Romanian literary critic.

Biography

Born in Cerțești, Galați County, he graduated from the Gheorghe Roşca Codreanu High School in Bârlad in 1929. He then entered the University of Iaşi, graduating from its Letters and Philosophy Faculty in 1933.^[1] He subsequently obtained a doctorate in Philology.^[2] A librarian at his Iaşi faculty in 1932, he became a teaching assistant there upon graduation and until 1935. From that year until 1937, he was secretary of the Institute of Romanian Philology and of its publication. In 1939, he was editorial secretary at George Călinescu's Jurnalul Literar, and until 1940, when he moved to Bucharest, he was a high school teacher in Iaşi. From 1941 to 1956, he taught at Gheorghe Lazăr High School and at Spiru Haret High School.^[1] A member of the Romanian Communist Party from the period when it was banned by the Kingdom of Romania prior to 1944 (according to his own testimony, he joined in 1935), he was among those who, in 1948, alongside Lucrețiu Pătrășcanu, fell out of favour with the new Communist regime. Tried and sentenced to death, his penalty was first commuted to hard labour; then, following a review of his case, he was declared innocent and freed in 1954.^[2]

During his time as teacher, he was also editorial secretary at the weekly Vremea and editor at Timpul magazine. From 1945 to 1946, he served as editor-in-chief of N. D. Cocea's Victoria daily. From 1958 to 1968, he headed the University of Bucharest's History of Romanian Literature Department, also directing the History of Contemporary Romanian Literature department there from 1966 to 1968. Ivaşcu was editor-in-chief of Contemporanul magazine from 1955 to 1971, and was also in charge of Lumea from 1963 to 1966, as well as of Arcades and Revue Roumaine. He directed România Literară from 1971 until his death. He was a member of the Romanian Journalists' Council and of the Academy of Social and Political Sciences. In 1969 and 1971, he received the Romanian Writers' Union Prize.^[1]

He and Florica Georgescu-Condurachi had one daughter, Voichiţa. Georgescu-Condurachi fled to Paris in 1978, followed by their daughter in 1981. Subsequently, Ivaşcu wrote to dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu, addressing him as "beloved conducător", in order to "disavow" his daughter's deed. According to poet Mircea Dinescu and historian Stelian Tănase, the letter was probably a formality, meant to ensure retention of his privileges, such as his position at România Literară.^[2]

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