Anton Bacalbaşa
| Anton C. Bacalbașa | |
|---|---|
Photograph of Bacalbașa, ca. 1890
|
|
| Born |
February 21, 1865 Brăila |
| Died | October 1, 1899 (aged 34) |
| Pen name |
|
| Occupation |
|
| Nationality | Romanian |
| Period | ca. 1881–1899 |
| Genre | |
| Literary movement | |
Anton Costache Bacalbașa (Romanian pronunciation: [anˈton kosˈtake bakalˈbaʃa], commonly known as Toni or Tony Bacalbașa, pen names Rigolo, Wunderkind,Inot,Jus., Wus., Zig. etc.; February 21, 1865 – October 1, 1899) was a Romanian political journalist, humorist and politician, chiefly remembered for his antimilitaristic series Moș Teacă. Together with his brothers Ioan and Constantin, he entered public life as a republican and socialist militant. For a while, his career was intertwined with that of Marxist doyen Constantin Dobrogeanu-Gherea, who inspired in him the idea of a socialist art addressed to the masses. He was himself a popularizer of Marxist ideas, and one of the first Marxist intellectuals in Romanian political history.
After 1893, Bacalbașa was at the center of Marxist politics, as an executive of the Romanian Social Democratic Workers' Party (PSDMR). While active within the socialist movement and making his essential contributions to Romanian comediography, Toni joined Ion Luca Caragiale, his close friend, in editing the satirical magazine Moftul Român. He helped Constantin Mille to turn Adevărul daily into a socialist tribune, serving as its editor and directing its short-lived literary supplement (Adevărul Literar). His choice of subjects and his perceived harshness were the subject of several controversies, and, in 1894, he defended the Adevărul office building from rioting anti-socialist students. Over the following years, Bacalbașa drifted away from both Adevărul and the PSDMR, switching his allegiance to the political club formed around Nicolae Fleva.
At the time of his death, aged 34, Bacalbașa had served in the Assembly of Deputies as a representative of the Conservative Party. Despite this change in politics, he is mainly credited for his early contributions to Romanian literature, most of which reflect his critique of the political mainstream in the monarchical era. He created the stereotype of the cruel, violent and incompetent officer, and brought to public attention the hazing of young recruits.
...
Wikipedia