Mihai Eminescu

Mihai Eminescu (born in January 15, 1850 in Botoşani – died in June 15, 1889 in Bucharest) raised not only poetry, whose best representative he was to become, but also Romanian literary prose, literary and political journalism to the highest levels of modern European thinking and feeling. Its fragrance is unique, bearing a strong national color.

Eminescu had only twenty years in which to fully accomplish his work, i.e. between 1864 and 1883, but in this short interval he deeply influenced Romanian consciousness, ardently promoting the ideas of social equity, of the preservation of our people’s national unity, its independence and sovereignty, fighting for truth and beauty in life and in art.

He awoke in the Romanian people a kind of historic self- awareness alighting from ancient Dacia, and offered it the prospect of further development – equal within the nations of the world, sharing tragic historic events without ever being submitted, able to build its „great future” in the intense rhythm of European culture and civilization.

His enthusiastic and daring patriotic ideas, his artistically sparkling thinking and feeling, his unmatched contribution to the Romanian history of art and culture and its universal acknowledgement led to his being called „our national genius”, „the unmatched poet”, „the builder of generations”, „the best of poets”, „creator of unique beauty” not only by the most illustrious personalities of Romanian culture, starting with: Titu Maiorescu, B.P. Hasdeu, Nicolae Iorga, C. Rădulescu- Motru, Dimitrie Guti, Simion Mehedinţi, Tudor Vianu, Şerban Cioculescu, Pompiliu Constantinescu, D. Murăraşu, Zoe Dimitrescu- Buşulenga.

In recognition of this large appreciation, ever more marked in the last century, the Executive Committee of UNESCO decided to honour the completion of a century since Mihai Eminescu’s death through a recommendation which, rendering homage to the great Romanian poet, honours the entire culture of mankind.