Iosif Constantin Dragan
Encyclopedia
Iosif Constantin Drăgan (ˈjosif konstanˈtin drəˈɡan; June 20, 1917 – August 21, 2008) was a Romania
n and Italian
businessman, writer and historian. In 2005, he was the second wealthiest Romanian, according to the Romanian financial magazine Capital, having a wealth estimated at $850 million. According to the same financial magazine, in 2006, he became the wealthiest Romanian, at $ 1.3-1.6 billion.
Drăgan was involved in a series of controversies, including some alleged deals with the Securitate
, his admiration of Romanian Fascist leader Ion Antonescu
and being one of the main figures in the Protochronist current of Romanian historiography.
in 1938, and earned in 1940 a scholarship at the University of Rome
, where he studied political science and economics, earning a Ph.D. in law. At the time, Drăgan was attracted to fascist
ideals and the Iron Guard
, representing a corporatist
trend inside the latter.
Drăgan explained his views on the Fascist Iron Guard in 1940 in the pro-Mussolini newspaper Conquiste d'Impero in two articles entitled "The Mistique of Codreanu's Legionnaires" and "Romanian Corporatism: Pieces of Legionnaire Doctrine". In 1987, based on these articles, the Italian magazine Il Panorama called him "a Legionnaire", but Drăgan sued them and won the trial, as they were not able to bring a proof that he was an actual member of the organization.
, in 1948, he established a gas distribution company in Italy, Butan Gas. After the war, with the Romanian Communist Party
gaining power in Romania, he was not allowed for 30 years to return to Romania.
, of the Statue of Decebalus
, a 40-meter high statue that is the tallest rock sculpture in Europe.
He has written many historical works associated with the Protochronism
nationalist
movement in Romanian history, which was later promoted by Nicolae Ceauşescu
's regime. Despite being a sympathiser of the Iron Guard, Drăgan became a semi-official collaborator of Ceauşescu and the Communist regime
, and as a result, he had access to some documents never published before on Ion Antonescu
, using them in a four volume-book which put him in a good light.
, it was alleged that he supported financially Eugen Barbu
and Corneliu Vadim Tudor
to launch their far right
România Mare
newspaper. Nevertheless, in 2008, Vadim denied that he got any funding from Drăgan. Together with Vadim Tudor, he was the founder of "Liga Mareşal Ion Antonescu" in 1990, later renamed to "Liga Mareşalilor" following the changes in the Romanian legislation which disallowed the praise of the pro-Nazi
dictator.
At age 78, Drăgan married Daniela Veronica Guşă, aged 22 at the time, the daughter of Ştefan Guşă
, a Romanian Army General involved in the 1989 Revolution who died of cancer in 1994. Drăgan also has an older son, Mike Fink, born in 1971, who, in 2005, announced he could not contact by any means his father in the previous three years. Ziua
reached the conclusion that Drăgan was being held captive by his younger wife and his business partners. However, he was seen dining in a restaurant only a few days later in Bucharest, together with his wife.
He died on August 21, 2008, at his house in Palma de Mallorca
, Spain
.
Many of the links for references below are non-functional. Could those who provided them please update the links or remove the references, ideally replacing them with reliable substitute sources. thank you.
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n and Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
businessman, writer and historian. In 2005, he was the second wealthiest Romanian, according to the Romanian financial magazine Capital, having a wealth estimated at $850 million. According to the same financial magazine, in 2006, he became the wealthiest Romanian, at $ 1.3-1.6 billion.
Drăgan was involved in a series of controversies, including some alleged deals with the Securitate
Securitate
The Securitate was the secret police agency of Communist Romania. Previously, the Romanian secret police was called Siguranţa Statului. Founded on August 30, 1948, with help from the Soviet NKVD, the Securitate was abolished in December 1989, shortly after President Nicolae Ceaușescu was...
, his admiration of Romanian Fascist leader Ion Antonescu
Ion Antonescu
Ion Victor Antonescu was a Romanian soldier, authoritarian politician and convicted war criminal. The Prime Minister and Conducător during most of World War II, he presided over two successive wartime dictatorships...
and being one of the main figures in the Protochronist current of Romanian historiography.
Early life
Born in Lugoj, he graduated from Law School at the University of BucharestUniversity of Bucharest
The University of Bucharest , in Romania, is a university founded in 1864 by decree of Prince Alexander John Cuza to convert the former Saint Sava Academy into the current University of Bucharest.-Presentation:...
in 1938, and earned in 1940 a scholarship at the University of Rome
University of Rome La Sapienza
The Sapienza University of Rome, officially Sapienza – Università di Roma, formerly known as Università degli studi di Roma "La Sapienza", is a coeducational, autonomous state university in Rome, Italy...
, where he studied political science and economics, earning a Ph.D. in law. At the time, Drăgan was attracted to fascist
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
ideals and the Iron Guard
Iron Guard
The Iron Guard is the name most commonly given to a far-right movement and political party in Romania in the period from 1927 into the early part of World War II. The Iron Guard was ultra-nationalist, fascist, anti-communist, and promoted the Orthodox Christian faith...
, representing a corporatist
Corporatism
Corporatism, also known as corporativism, is a system of economic, political, or social organization that involves association of the people of society into corporate groups, such as agricultural, business, ethnic, labor, military, patronage, or scientific affiliations, on the basis of common...
trend inside the latter.
Drăgan explained his views on the Fascist Iron Guard in 1940 in the pro-Mussolini newspaper Conquiste d'Impero in two articles entitled "The Mistique of Codreanu's Legionnaires" and "Romanian Corporatism: Pieces of Legionnaire Doctrine". In 1987, based on these articles, the Italian magazine Il Panorama called him "a Legionnaire", but Drăgan sued them and won the trial, as they were not able to bring a proof that he was an actual member of the organization.
Business in Italy
In 1941, he started a company which exported Romanian petroleum products to Fascist Italy. After World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, in 1948, he established a gas distribution company in Italy, Butan Gas. After the war, with the Romanian Communist Party
Romanian Communist Party
The Romanian Communist Party was a communist political party in Romania. Successor to the Bolshevik wing of the Socialist Party of Romania, it gave ideological endorsement to communist revolution and the disestablishment of Greater Romania. The PCR was a minor and illegal grouping for much of the...
gaining power in Romania, he was not allowed for 30 years to return to Romania.
Protochronism and the relation with Ceauşescu
In 1967, he started the "European Foundation Drăgan", a foundation which has the goal to promote the "values of the Romanian civilization". He is also the founder of two publishing houses (Nagard in Italy and Europa Nova in Romania), a privately-owned university, Universitatea Europeană Drăgan (founded in 1991 in Lugoj), a TV station, a radio station (Radio NovaFm) and a weekly newspaper (Redeşteptarea) and a daily local newspaper (Renaşterea Bănăţeană), all in Romania. He also funded the construction, near OrşovaOrsova
Orșova is a port city on the Danube river in southwestern Romania's Mehedinți County. It is one of four localities in the county located in the Banat historical region. It is situated just above the Iron Gates, on the spot where the Cerna River meets the Danube.- History :The first documented...
, of the Statue of Decebalus
Statue of Decebalus
The Statue of Dacian king Decebalus is a 40-meter high statue that is the tallest rock sculpture in Europe. It is located on the Danube's rocky bank, near the city of Orşova, Romania....
, a 40-meter high statue that is the tallest rock sculpture in Europe.
He has written many historical works associated with the Protochronism
Protochronism
Protochronism is a Romanian term describing the tendency to ascribe, largely relying on questionable data and subjective interpretations, an idealised past to the country as a whole...
nationalist
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
movement in Romanian history, which was later promoted by Nicolae Ceauşescu
Nicolae Ceausescu
Nicolae Ceaușescu was a Romanian Communist politician. He was General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 to 1989, and as such was the country's second and last Communist leader...
's regime. Despite being a sympathiser of the Iron Guard, Drăgan became a semi-official collaborator of Ceauşescu and the Communist regime
Communist Romania
Communist Romania was the period in Romanian history when that country was a Soviet-aligned communist state in the Eastern Bloc, with the dominant role of Romanian Communist Party enshrined in its successive constitutions...
, and as a result, he had access to some documents never published before on Ion Antonescu
Ion Antonescu
Ion Victor Antonescu was a Romanian soldier, authoritarian politician and convicted war criminal. The Prime Minister and Conducător during most of World War II, he presided over two successive wartime dictatorships...
, using them in a four volume-book which put him in a good light.
After 1989
After the Romanian Revolution of 1989Romanian Revolution of 1989
The Romanian Revolution of 1989 was a series of riots and clashes in December 1989. These were part of the Revolutions of 1989 that occurred in several Warsaw Pact countries...
, it was alleged that he supported financially Eugen Barbu
Eugen Barbu
Eugen Barbu was a Romanian modern novelist, short story writer, journalist, and correspondent member of the Romanian Academy. The latter position was vehemently criticized by those who contended that he plagiarized in his novel Incognito and for the anti-Semitic campaigns he initiated in the...
and Corneliu Vadim Tudor
Corneliu Vadim Tudor
Corneliu Vadim Tudor is leader of the Greater Romania Party , writer, journalist and a Member of the European Parliament...
to launch their far right
Far right
Far-right, extreme right, hard right, radical right, and ultra-right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or quantitative position a group or person occupies within right-wing politics. Far-right politics may involve anti-immigration and anti-integration stances towards groups that are...
România Mare
Greater Romania Party
The Greater Romania Party is a Romanian radical right-wing, ultra-nationalist political party, led by Corneliu Vadim Tudor. The party is sometimes referred to in English as the Great Romania Party....
newspaper. Nevertheless, in 2008, Vadim denied that he got any funding from Drăgan. Together with Vadim Tudor, he was the founder of "Liga Mareşal Ion Antonescu" in 1990, later renamed to "Liga Mareşalilor" following the changes in the Romanian legislation which disallowed the praise of the pro-Nazi
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
dictator.
At age 78, Drăgan married Daniela Veronica Guşă, aged 22 at the time, the daughter of Ştefan Guşă
Stefan Gusa
Ştefan Guşă or Guşe was a Romanian general who was the Chief of the General Staff of the Romanian Armed Forces between 1986 and 1989....
, a Romanian Army General involved in the 1989 Revolution who died of cancer in 1994. Drăgan also has an older son, Mike Fink, born in 1971, who, in 2005, announced he could not contact by any means his father in the previous three years. Ziua
Ziua
Ziua was a major Romanian daily newspaper published in Bucharest. It was published in Romanian with a fairly sizeable and often informative English section. Ziua was founded in 1994 by Sorin Roşca Stănescu, eventually becoming foreign-owned...
reached the conclusion that Drăgan was being held captive by his younger wife and his business partners. However, he was seen dining in a restaurant only a few days later in Bucharest, together with his wife.
He died on August 21, 2008, at his house in Palma de Mallorca
Palma de Mallorca
Palma is the major city and port on the island of Majorca and capital city of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands in Spain. The names Ciutat de Mallorca and Ciutat were used before the War of the Spanish Succession and are still used by people in Majorca. However, the official name...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
History
- 1973: Romania: paese dei due mondi, Nagard/Milano
- 1976: Noi tracii şi istoria noastra multimilenară, Scrisul Românesc/Craiova (1976), Dacia (1980)
- Translations:
- We, the Thracians and our multimillenary history, Nagard/Milano (1976)
- Les Roumains, peuple multimillénaire de l'Europe, Editions Europe/Rome (1983)
- 1977: Aurel C. Popovici
- 1977: Idealuri şi destine: eseu asupra evoluţiei conştiinţei europene, Cartea Românească
- 1986: Mileniul imperial al Daciei, Editura Ştiinţifică şi Enciclopedică
- 1986: Antonescu. Mareşalul României şi războaiele de reîntregire, (4 vols.), Nagard/Venice (1986-1990), Fundaţia Europeană Drăgan (1991),
- 1993: Il mondo dei Traci, Nagard/Rome
- 1994: Istoria Românilor, Europa Nova/Bucharest
- 1996: Adevarata istorie a românilor, Nagard/Milano
- 2000: Imperiul romano-trac, Europa Nova/Bucharest
Autobiography
- 1971: În serviciul Europei, Nagard/Milano
- 1973-2005: Prin Europa (5 vols./2112 pages) Editura Eminescu/Dacia (1973-80), Europa Nova (1997), RAO (2005) ISBN 9735768267
- Uitarea este, în fond, o trădare
- Europa Phoenix
- În drum spre Roma
- În lumea petrolului
- Mediterana, vrajă şi primejdie
- 1982: Din ţara lui Dracula, Nagard/Milano
- 1990: Italia mea, Franco Orlandi/Milano
Marketing and others
- 1972: Marketing for Africa's development, Nagard/Milan
- 1972: Tabele pentru trasarea curbelor la proiectarea şi execuţia căilor de comunicaţie with D. A. Sburlan, Ceres/Bucharest
- 1986: Entropy and bioeconomics : the new paradigm of Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen, with Mihai C. Demetrescu, Nagard/Milano, (1986-1991)
- 1987: Geoclimate and history, Nagard/Rome, with Ştefan Airinei
- in Romanian: Geoclima şi istoria, Europa Nova (1993)
- 1996: Practica prospectarii pieţei: tehnici de cercetare în marketing, with M. C. Demetrescu, Europa Nova
- 1998: Noul marketing la începutul mileniului III, with M. C. Demetrescu, Europa Nova
Many of the links for references below are non-functional. Could those who provided them please update the links or remove the references, ideally replacing them with reliable substitute sources. thank you.