Mircea Vulcanescu
Encyclopedia
Mircea Vulcănescu was a prominent Romania
n philosopher, economist, ethics teacher and sociologist.
, graduating in 1925. He was then more attracted to sociology
, due to his field experiences (monograph campaigns) under the coordination of professor Dimitrie Gusti
. Gusti became one of his most admired mentors, alongside Nae Ionescu
. He was also Gusti's assistant at the University of Sociology in Bucharest
. He started working towards a Ph.D. degree in law and sociology at the University of Paris
, but dropped out later, due to the coming of the communist regime and his imprisonment. In the winter of 1927 he started collaborating with Gândirea
. King Carol the 2nd and, later, King Mihai the 1st offered him awards and distinctions for the services done to the Romanian nation and its culture.
From June 1935 to September 1937 he was director of the Customs Service, while in 1940 he was director of Casa Autonomă de Finanţare şi Amortizare. From January 27, 1941 to August 23, 1944, he was Undersecretary
at the Ministry of Finance, in the Ion Antonescu
government.
After the establishment of the communist
regime, he was arrested on August 30, 1946, tried as a war criminal, and sentenced on October 9, 1946 to 8 years in prison. Incarcerated in Aiud
, he died after 6 years, due to the harsh treatment he was subjected to. Fellow prisoners told the story of his death: he and a group of 12 other convicts form his cell were all punished to stay naked, without any clothes or chairs, in a very cold and wet cavern in the prison's dungeon, for reciting poetry (poetry was very popular in prisons that communists used to condemn people just for being intellectuals; it was one of the few resorts of resisting the mental torture). An young man fell to the floor, risking to die of a lung disease, and Mircea Vulcănescu practically forced him to stay on top of him, rather than on the wet stone floor, and thus saved his life. He said: "I'm an old man, how can I let a young man like you die?". Yet he was only 48, an age many do not regard as "old". Soon after this, the young man was better, but Mircea Vulcănescu developed pneumonia, and soon after he died. His last words to the world were: "Do not avenge us!"
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 philosopher, economist, ethics teacher and sociologist.
Biography
He studied philosophy and law 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:...
, graduating in 1925. He was then more attracted to sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
, due to his field experiences (monograph campaigns) under the coordination of professor Dimitrie Gusti
Dimitrie Gusti
Dimitrie Gusti was a Romanian sociologist, ethnologist, historian, and voluntarist philosopher; a professor at the University of Iaşi and the University of Bucharest, he served as Romania's Minister of Education in 1932-1933...
. Gusti became one of his most admired mentors, alongside Nae Ionescu
Nae Ionescu
Nae Ionescu was a Romanian philosopher, logician, mathematician, professor, and journalist. Near the end of his career, he became known for his antisemitism and devotion to far right politics, in the years leading up to World War II.-Life:...
. He was also Gusti's assistant at the University of Sociology in Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
. He started working towards a Ph.D. degree in law and sociology at the University of Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
, but dropped out later, due to the coming of the communist regime and his imprisonment. In the winter of 1927 he started collaborating with Gândirea
Gândirea
Gândirea , known during its early years as Gândirea Literară - Artistică - Socială , was a Romanian literary, political and art magazine.- Overview :Founded by Cezar Petrescu and D. I...
. King Carol the 2nd and, later, King Mihai the 1st offered him awards and distinctions for the services done to the Romanian nation and its culture.
From June 1935 to September 1937 he was director of the Customs Service, while in 1940 he was director of Casa Autonomă de Finanţare şi Amortizare. From January 27, 1941 to August 23, 1944, he was Undersecretary
Undersecretary
An under secretary is an executive government official in many countries, frequently a career public servant, who typically acts as a senior administrator or second-in-command to a politically-appointed Cabinet Minister or other government official...
at the Ministry of Finance, in the 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...
government.
After the establishment of the communist
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...
regime, he was arrested on August 30, 1946, tried as a war criminal, and sentenced on October 9, 1946 to 8 years in prison. Incarcerated in Aiud
Aiud
Aiud is a city located in Alba county, Transylvania, Romania. The city has a population of 28,934 people. It has the status of municipality and is the second-largest city in the county, after county seat Alba Iulia. The Aiud administrative region is 142.2 square kilometres in area.- Administration...
, he died after 6 years, due to the harsh treatment he was subjected to. Fellow prisoners told the story of his death: he and a group of 12 other convicts form his cell were all punished to stay naked, without any clothes or chairs, in a very cold and wet cavern in the prison's dungeon, for reciting poetry (poetry was very popular in prisons that communists used to condemn people just for being intellectuals; it was one of the few resorts of resisting the mental torture). An young man fell to the floor, risking to die of a lung disease, and Mircea Vulcănescu practically forced him to stay on top of him, rather than on the wet stone floor, and thus saved his life. He said: "I'm an old man, how can I let a young man like you die?". Yet he was only 48, an age many do not regard as "old". Soon after this, the young man was better, but Mircea Vulcănescu developed pneumonia, and soon after he died. His last words to the world were: "Do not avenge us!"
Main Works
- The theory and sociology of economic life. Prolegomena to the study of morphological economy of a village, 1932
- The eleventh hour, 1932
- The two Romanias, 1932
- The war for reuniting kin, 1938
- The social appearance of two counties, 1938
- The Romanian dimension of existence, 1943