Gustavo Gabriel Levene
Encyclopedia
Gustavo Gabriel Levene was an Argentinian historian and writer.
, Catamarca
, Argentina
where he begins his elementary studies, later moving to Buenos Aires
, where he finishes his secondary studies. He enrolls at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Buenos Aires
but he later drops out. He then continued his studies at the Faculty of Humanities and Educational Science at the University of La Plata, from where he graduated with a professor's degree. As such, he holds several positions in different high schools, and was director of the Cangallo Schule school from 1962 to 1965. He was also assistant to the minister of education, and member of the editorial board of the Biblioteca de Mayo (May's Library) of the Senate.
He was a prolific historian who conceived history from a human perspective through the common life of his historical characters, their traditions and beliefs. This point of view was unique during a time in which history was written based on heroic military facts or about people who were able to change the course of history. Among his works it stands out the New Argentine History, Costumbrist and Social View from the Conquest to Our Days () and History of the Argentine Presidents (Historia de los presidentes argentinos), the latter covering from Bernardino Rivadavia
's presidency to the third presidency of Juan Domingo Perón. His interpretation of the nation's history adheres to the liberal tradition, viewing the colonial period like an arid and unprogressive era, having in Bernardino Rivadavia his early nineteenth century hero, and viewing Juan Manuel de Rosas
as a reactionary, defender of the colonial system who was useful for the British interests. He stepped into the historical playwright with Mariano Moreno, a play that won the First National Prize of Literature 1957. He went on to write other historical plays about the personalities of José de San Martín
and Juan Martín de Pueyrredón
in the The Unknown (El desconocido), Bernardino Rivadavia in Bernardino, Esteban Echeverría
in The Tomorrow (El mañana) and Lucio V. Mansilla in A Man at the Mirror (Un hombre ante el espejo). However, it is Childhood in Catamarca (Niñez en Catamarca) his most known and piece of work, which is an autobiographic tale that has been adopted by many Argentine schools as a lecture book. Gustavo G. Levene died in Buenos Aires, in 1987.
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Biography
Gustavo Gabriel Levene was born on August 30, 1905, in San Fernando del Valle de CatamarcaSan Fernando del Valle de Catamarca
San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca is a city in northwestern Argentina and capital of Catamarca Province, on the Río Valle River, at the feet of the Cerro Ambato....
, Catamarca
Catamarca Province
Catamarca is a province of Argentina, located in the northwest of the country. The province has a population of 334,568 as per the , and covers an area of 102,602 km². Its literacy rate is 95.5%. Neighbouring provinces are : Salta, Tucumán, Santiago del Estero, Córdoba, and La Rioja...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
where he begins his elementary studies, later moving to Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, where he finishes his secondary studies. He enrolls at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Buenos Aires
University of Buenos Aires
The University of Buenos Aires is the largest university in Argentina and the largest university by enrollment in Latin America. Founded on August 12, 1821 in the city of Buenos Aires, it consists of 13 faculties, 6 hospitals, 10 museums and is linked to 4 high schools: Colegio Nacional de Buenos...
but he later drops out. He then continued his studies at the Faculty of Humanities and Educational Science at the University of La Plata, from where he graduated with a professor's degree. As such, he holds several positions in different high schools, and was director of the Cangallo Schule school from 1962 to 1965. He was also assistant to the minister of education, and member of the editorial board of the Biblioteca de Mayo (May's Library) of the Senate.
He was a prolific historian who conceived history from a human perspective through the common life of his historical characters, their traditions and beliefs. This point of view was unique during a time in which history was written based on heroic military facts or about people who were able to change the course of history. Among his works it stands out the New Argentine History, Costumbrist and Social View from the Conquest to Our Days () and History of the Argentine Presidents (Historia de los presidentes argentinos), the latter covering from Bernardino Rivadavia
Bernardino Rivadavia
Bernardino de la Trinidad Gónzalez Rivadavia y Rivadavia was the first president of Argentina, from February 8, 1826 to July 7, 1827 . He was a politician of the United Provinces of Río de la Plata, Argentina today...
's presidency to the third presidency of Juan Domingo Perón. His interpretation of the nation's history adheres to the liberal tradition, viewing the colonial period like an arid and unprogressive era, having in Bernardino Rivadavia his early nineteenth century hero, and viewing Juan Manuel de Rosas
Juan Manuel de Rosas
Juan Manuel de Rosas , was an argentine militar and politician, who was elected governor of the province of Buenos Aires in 1829 to 1835, and then of the Argentine Confederation from 1835 until 1852...
as a reactionary, defender of the colonial system who was useful for the British interests. He stepped into the historical playwright with Mariano Moreno, a play that won the First National Prize of Literature 1957. He went on to write other historical plays about the personalities of José de San Martín
José de San Martín
José Francisco de San Martín, known simply as Don José de San Martín , was an Argentine general and the prime leader of the southern part of South America's successful struggle for independence from Spain.Born in Yapeyú, Corrientes , he left his mother country at the...
and Juan Martín de Pueyrredón
Juan Martín de Pueyrredón
Juan Martín de Pueyrredón y O'Dogan was an Argentine general and politician of the early 19th century. He was appointed Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata after the Argentine Declaration of Independence.-Early life:Pueyrredón was born in Buenos Aires, the fifth of...
in the The Unknown (El desconocido), Bernardino Rivadavia in Bernardino, Esteban Echeverría
Esteban Echeverría
José Esteban Antonio Echeverría was an Argentine poet, fiction writer, cultural promoter, and political activist who played a significant role in the development of Argentine literature, not only through his own writings but also through his organizational efforts...
in The Tomorrow (El mañana) and Lucio V. Mansilla in A Man at the Mirror (Un hombre ante el espejo). However, it is Childhood in Catamarca (Niñez en Catamarca) his most known and piece of work, which is an autobiographic tale that has been adopted by many Argentine schools as a lecture book. Gustavo G. Levene died in Buenos Aires, in 1987.
Works
- Fiction
- Minuto meridiano (1930)
- Niñez en Catamarca (1946)
- Poetry
- Poemas para mi infancia de hoy (1967)
- Drama
- Mariano Moreno (1953), First National Prize of Literature 1957.
- Bernardino (1960)
- El desconocido (1967)
- El mañana: escenificación del romance de Esteban Echeverría y Mariquita Sánchez (1975)
- Teatro histórico argentino (1980), anthology integrated by Mariano Moreno, Bernardino, El mañana, El desconocido, Un hombre ante el espejo.
- Children's Literature
- Sultán (2003), illustrated by Marcela Purita. A tale selected from Niñez en Catamarca.
- History
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- La Argentina se hizo así (1960)
- Historia de los presidentes argentinos (1961), with Alberto Palcos, Boleslao Lewin, Ricardo Rodríguez Molas and Félix Luna
- Hombres de la Argentina, de Mayo a Caseros (1962), with Gregorio Weimberg, et al.
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- Breve historia de la independencia argentina (1966)
- Para una antología del odio argentino (1975)
- La Argentina Hoy (1979)
- Hombres de la Argentina: de mayo a la crisis del 30 (1987)
- Zoology
- Vida animal (1949)