Eduardo Lemaitre
Encyclopedia
Eduardo Lemaitre Román (17 September 1914 - 25 November 1994, Cartagena
, Colombia
) was a prominent historian, writer, journalist and politician who lived in Cartagena, Colombia
. He held the positions of Representative (1943), Senator (1950) and Governor (1962) of Colombia's Bolivar department
. He also served as Ambassador to UNESCO.
(Colegio del Rosario, Bogotá
), acquired his doctorate degree in political law from National University of Colombia
(Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá
) and further pursued specialization in administrative law on Sorbonne
(La Sorbonne, Paris) and in Hispanic studies on Universidad Central de Madrid (since 1970 called Complutense University of Madrid
).
He was acting president on History Academy of Cartagena, and corresponding member of various Colombian and foreign academies, including the Colombian Academy of History. He has been rector of the University of Cartagena
1954-57 and professor of human studies at the University of the Andes
in Bogotá. In administrative field, Lemaitre held important positions in private companies and his own family firm (Daniel Lemaitre & asc.) or founded by him as Gráficas El Faro y otras.
During his political career he served several mandates as Cartagena councilor, he was elected to house of representatives in 1943, in senate in 1950, and finally he served as governor of Bolívar department
in 1962. He was also Colombian ambassador to United Nations' UNESCO
. In 1982, the government of President Julio Cesar Turbay
awarded him one of the highest honors in Colombia, the Orden de Boyacá (Cruz de Boyacá)
As a journalist, Lemaitre was owner and editor of “El Fígaro de Cartagena” in 1941-1948 period, till it was burned down during April 9, 1948 riots. In 1949 he worked as director of El Siglo (today El Nuevo Siglo) (translated “The Century”), where his management was quite controversial, because in his first editorial he wrote that he's at disposition “to work for national understanding. It is impossible that politics will continue in this tone of stridency.” However, the liberal press felt that El Siglo editorial column was kept up under belligerent tone and didn't “soften” political issues. Also, for several years he wrote weekly column in “El Tiempo”, one of the largest newspapers in Colombia.
”, 10 September 1978).
The huge reception of his works should be precisely credited to readability of his novels and strong narrative force that grabs the reader from the first to the last page, not diminishing value of historical accuracy, especially in Historia general de Cartagena (1983)
which has been classified as a “classic” within summarized works on country's history.
Eduardo Lemaitre remains a preeminent historian for Cartagena.
List of history books he authored include:
His plays were written and performed during 1960s, which was period of experimental theater, avantgard student movement at all levels, and especially inside theater. Lemaitre therefore considered that country has entered stage for theatrical closure, as the modern avantgarde theater is “very complicated” and only a small minority could understand “its psychological and literary subtlety”.
After its release Iphigenia was referred as one “elementary” piece, written by a “bourgeois for bourgeois”, which doesn't “raises pathological concerns”.
Additionally, Lemaitre wrote for television ten scripts about Colombian historical topics, produced under the name “Revivamos nuestra historia” (transl.“Relive our history”).
Cartagena, Colombia
Cartagena de Indias , is a large Caribbean beach resort city on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Coast Region and capital of Bolívar Department...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
) was a prominent historian, writer, journalist and politician who lived in Cartagena, Colombia
Cartagena, Colombia
Cartagena de Indias , is a large Caribbean beach resort city on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Coast Region and capital of Bolívar Department...
. He held the positions of Representative (1943), Senator (1950) and Governor (1962) of Colombia's Bolivar department
Bolívar Department
Bolívar is a department of Colombia. It was named after one of the original nine states of the United States of Colombia. It is located to the north of the country, extending from the coast at Cartagena near the mouth of the Magdalena River, then south along the river to a border with Antioquia.Its...
. He also served as Ambassador to UNESCO.
Biography
He graduated from El Rosario UniversityOur Lady of the Rosary University
The Universidad del Rosario is a university originally founded on Roman Catholic principles, in 1653 by Fray Cristobal de Torres. Located in Bogotá, Colombia, due to its important place in Colombian history, it is known as "The Cradle of the Republic". It had also a primary and secundary school...
(Colegio del Rosario, Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
), acquired his doctorate degree in political law from National University of Colombia
National University of Colombia
The Universidad Nacional de Colombia , also called UNAL or just UN, is a public, national, coeducational, research university, located primarily in Bogotá, Medellín, Manizales and Palmira, Colombia...
(Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
) and further pursued specialization in administrative law on Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
(La Sorbonne, Paris) and in Hispanic studies on Universidad Central de Madrid (since 1970 called Complutense University of Madrid
Complutense University of Madrid
The Complutense University of Madrid is a university in Madrid, and one of the oldest universities in the world. It is located on a sprawling campus that occupies the entirety of the Ciudad Universitaria district of Madrid, with annexes in the district of Somosaguas in the neighboring city of...
).
He was acting president on History Academy of Cartagena, and corresponding member of various Colombian and foreign academies, including the Colombian Academy of History. He has been rector of the University of Cartagena
University of Cartagena
The University of Cartagena , also called Unicartagena, is a public, departmental, coeducational, research university based primarily in the city of Cartagena, Bolívar, Colombia...
1954-57 and professor of human studies at the University of the Andes
University of the Andes, Colombia
The University of the Andes , is a coeducational, nonsectarian private university located in city centre Bogotá, Colombia. Founded in 1948, the University has 9 faculties: Administration, Architecture and Design, Arts and Humanities, Sciences, Social Sciences, Law, Economics, Engineering and...
in Bogotá. In administrative field, Lemaitre held important positions in private companies and his own family firm (Daniel Lemaitre & asc.) or founded by him as Gráficas El Faro y otras.
During his political career he served several mandates as Cartagena councilor, he was elected to house of representatives in 1943, in senate in 1950, and finally he served as governor of Bolívar department
Bolívar Department
Bolívar is a department of Colombia. It was named after one of the original nine states of the United States of Colombia. It is located to the north of the country, extending from the coast at Cartagena near the mouth of the Magdalena River, then south along the river to a border with Antioquia.Its...
in 1962. He was also Colombian ambassador to United Nations' UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
. In 1982, the government of President Julio Cesar Turbay
Julio César Turbay Ayala
Julio César Turbay Ayala was a Colombian politician, member of the Colombian Liberal Party, elected president of the Senate of Colombia and and, was president of Colombia from 1978 to 1982.- Biographic data :...
awarded him one of the highest honors in Colombia, the Orden de Boyacá (Cruz de Boyacá)
As a journalist, Lemaitre was owner and editor of “El Fígaro de Cartagena” in 1941-1948 period, till it was burned down during April 9, 1948 riots. In 1949 he worked as director of El Siglo (today El Nuevo Siglo) (translated “The Century”), where his management was quite controversial, because in his first editorial he wrote that he's at disposition “to work for national understanding. It is impossible that politics will continue in this tone of stridency.” However, the liberal press felt that El Siglo editorial column was kept up under belligerent tone and didn't “soften” political issues. Also, for several years he wrote weekly column in “El Tiempo”, one of the largest newspapers in Colombia.
Historian works
Lemaitre said that "literary activity" with which he most closely identify himself was history. He didn't considered himself historian, since this was “so dignified, so serious, so graceful word. I am a publicist. I feel able to publicize history in a sociable form, pleasant, serious and funny at the same time.” (--“El EspectadorEl Espectador
El Espectador is a newspaper with national circulation within Colombia, founded by Fidel Cano Gutiérrez on 22 March 1887 in Medellín and published since 1915 in Bogotá...
”, 10 September 1978).
The huge reception of his works should be precisely credited to readability of his novels and strong narrative force that grabs the reader from the first to the last page, not diminishing value of historical accuracy, especially in Historia general de Cartagena (1983)
which has been classified as a “classic” within summarized works on country's history.
Eduardo Lemaitre remains a preeminent historian for Cartagena.
List of history books he authored include:
- Cartagena en el siglo XVII (1949)
- Rafael Reyes (1952)
- Antecedentes y consecuencias del once de noviembre de 1811: testimonios relacionados con la gloriosa gesta de la independencia absoluta de Cartagena de Indias (1961)
- Panamá y su separación de Colombia (1971)
- Cartagena colonial (1973)
- La bolsa o la vida, cuatro agresiones imperialistas contra Colombia (1974)
- Cartagena de Indias (1976)
- Epistolario de Rafael Núnez con Miguel Antonio Caro (1977)
- Núnez y su leyenda negra (1977)
- Breve historia de Cartagena 1501-1901 (1979)
- Bolívar, de Cartagena a Santa Marta (1980)
- Historia del Canal del Dique: sus peripecias y vicisitudes (1982)
- Autógrafos de varias personas de gran distinción y elevado carácter oficial (1983)
- El general Juan José Nieto y su época (1983)
- Historia general de Cartagena (1983)
- Contra viento y marea. La lucha de Rafael Núnez por el poder (1990)
Plays
Eduardo Lemaitre's writing also extended beyond histories. He wrote theatrical plays, which include:- La aventura de don Melón y dona Endrina (1961), inspired by texts from the “El Libro del Buen AmorThe Book of Good LoveThe Book of Good Love , considered to be one of the masterpieces of Spanish poetry, is a semi-biographical account of romantic adventures by Juan Ruiz, the Archpriest of Hita, dating from 1330....
” (~1330) (transl.“Book about pleasant passions”) from Juan RuizJuan RuizJuan Ruiz , known as the Archpriest of Hita , was a medieval Spanish poet. He is best known for his ribald, earthy poem, Libro de buen amor .-Origins:...
, ArchpriestArchpriestAn archpriest is a priest with supervisory duties over a number of parishes. The term is most often used in Eastern Orthodoxy and Eastern Catholic Churches, although it may be used in the Latin rite of the Roman Catholic Church instead of dean or vicar forane.In the 16th and 17th centuries, during...
of Hita, and its imitation and one of the greatest works of Spanish literature, tragicomedyTragicomedyTragicomedy is fictional work that blends aspects of the genres of tragedy and comedy. In English literature, from Shakespeare's time to the nineteenth century, tragicomedy referred to a serious play with either a happy ending or enough jokes throughout the play to lighten the mood.-Classical...
“La CelestinaLa CelestinaLa Celestina , actually called Tragicomedia de Calisto y Melibea or Comedia de Calisto y Melibea, in English Tragicomedy of Calisto and Melibea), is a work composed entirely in dialogue published by Fernando de Rojas in 1499...
” (1499) from Fernando de RojasFernando de RojasFernando de Rojas was a Spanish author about whom little information is known. He possibly attended the University of Salamanca. Although his family was of Jewish ancestry, they were conversos, or Jews who had converted to Christianity under pressure from the Spanish crown...
which has premiered at theater Colón por la Cooperativa de Artistas La Carreta (aka.Teatro Colon) directed by Bernardo Romero Lozano, during the theatrical festival same year. - Iphigenia (1966), based on novel from Venezuelan writer Teresa de la ParraTeresa de la Parra-Life:She was born Ana Teresa Parra Sanojo in Paris, the daughter of Rafael Parra Hernáiz, Venezuelan Ambassador in Berlin, and Isabel Sanojo de Parra.As a member of a wealthy family, Ana Teresa spent part of her childhood at her father's hacienda, Tazón...
of the same name (Iphigenia: Diary of a young lady who wrote because she was bored (1924)), and performed by group of artists from National Television, first in Cartagena and then at the Teatro Colon.
His plays were written and performed during 1960s, which was period of experimental theater, avantgard student movement at all levels, and especially inside theater. Lemaitre therefore considered that country has entered stage for theatrical closure, as the modern avantgarde theater is “very complicated” and only a small minority could understand “its psychological and literary subtlety”.
After its release Iphigenia was referred as one “elementary” piece, written by a “bourgeois for bourgeois”, which doesn't “raises pathological concerns”.
Additionally, Lemaitre wrote for television ten scripts about Colombian historical topics, produced under the name “Revivamos nuestra historia” (transl.“Relive our history”).
External links
- Library of Congress Book List
- Gran enciclopedia de Colombia
- Revivamos nuestra historia at MuseoVintage.com