MIHAI EMINESCU BIOGRAPHICAL DATA THE LIFE AND WORK OF THE NATIONAL POET

1. MIHAI EMINESCU, BIOGRAPHICAL DATA: THE LIFE AND WORK
OF THE NATIONAL POET
Mihai Eminescubiographical data (Mihai Eminescudate biografice),Mihai Eminescu,the life andworkof
the poet(Mihai Eminescuviatasi operapoetului),Mihai Eminescureferat (Mihai Eminescureferat),Mihai
Eminescu viata si activitatea literara apoetului (Mihai Eminescuviata si activitatealiterara apoetului).
Mihai Eminescu wasthe greatest Romanian poet, prose writer and journalist,considered byRomanian
readers and posthumous literary critics as the most important poetic voice in Romanian literature.
Mihai Eminescu biography
Born January 15, 1850 Botoşani
Died June 15, 1889 Bucharest, buried in Bellu
Chronological table
1736The probable yearof birthof PetreaEminovici,apeasantfromthe village of Călinesti,nearSuceava
(Bucovina), the oldest of the Eminovici attested in official documents. Great-grandfather of the poet.
1780Vasile Eminovici isborn,the onlysonof PetreaEminovici andhiswife Agafia. He isalsoapeasant,a
farmer. He also had the gift of singing. He is the grandfather of the poet.
1812 On February 10,Gheorghe Eminovici is born,son of Vasile Eminovici and his wife,Ioana. He isthe
fatherof the poet.He broke awayfromthe environmentof hisnative village and,leavingBucovina,settled
in Moldova.
1816 The poet's mother, Raluca Jurascu, is born, the daughter of the stolnic Jurascu from Joldesti.
1840 On June 29, Gheorghe Eminovici marries Raluca Jurascu.
1841 OnMay12,Gheorghe Eminovici,servant,waselevated tothe rankof journeyman. Serban,the first
child of the Eminovics, was born this year.
1843OnFebruary2,Nicolae (Nicu),the secondchild,isborn. 1844George (Iorgu),the thirdchild,isborn.
1845 On May 5, Ruxandra, the fourth child, is born. 1846 On July 1, Ilie, the fifth child, is born.
1848 Maria,the sixth child,isborn. Yearof birthis probable. 1850On January15,Mihail (Mihai ashe was
called in the family), the poet, the seventh child, is born in Botosani.
1852 Aglaia, the eighth child, is born. 1854 Henrieta (Harieta), the ninth child, is born.
1856 Matei,the tenthchild, isbornonNovember16. The date whenVasile wasborn,the eleventhchild
of the Eminovici couple, is not known.
1857 Inthe month of August,the walkerEminovici led,with passports,five children tostudy,acrossthe
border, in Cernăuti, including Mihai. It is not known what courses Mihai attended this year.
1858-1859 ChildMihai attendedthe 3rdgrade atthe "National Hauptschule"inChernivtsi,beingranked
15th among 72 students.
1859-1860 He attended the 4th grade, being ranked 5th among 82 students.

2. 1860-1861 Enrolled at the Ober-Gymnasium in Chernivtsi, the student Eminovici Mihai passes the first
class, being ranked 11th in the first semester and 23rd in the second semester.
1861-1862 Follows the 2nd class.
1862-1863 He repeated the class, but from April 16, 1863, he left the classes permanently, althoughhe
hadagoodacademicsituation. Leavingforthe EasterholidaysinIpotesti,he neverreturnedtoschool.Ilie,
who studied medicine at Davila's school in Bucharest, dies.
The student Eminovici Mihai appliesto the Ministry of Educationin Bucharestfor asubsidy tocontinue
hisstudiesorascholarship. He wasrefused"asthere wasnovacancyforascholarship". Throughaddress
no. 9816of March21,tothe gymnasiuminBotosani,he ispromisedthathe will be received"withoutfail
onthe occasionof the vacation,after,however,he fulfillsthe conditionsof the competition".Thestudent
Eminovici goes toCernăuti where the Fanny Tardini-Vladicescu theatertroupe gave performances. On
October 5,Eminovici enteredasatrainee atthe court inBotosani,then,shortlyafter,he wasacopyistat
the county permanent committee.
1865
OnMarch5,Eminovici resigns,withthe requestthatthe salarydue forthe monthof Februarybe handed
over to his brother Serban. On March 11, the young MG Eminovici applies for a passport to cross into
Bucovina. Inthe fall,he stayswithhisteacherAron Pumnul,asacaretakerof hisLibrary. Hiseducational
situation was "private". But he knew the Fist's library to the last volume. 1866 On January 12/24, Aron
Pumnul dies. Withthiscircumstance,sevenhighschool studentsprintabrochure with"teardrops...atthe
grave of their much-loved teacher".
The second of these poems is signed: M. Eminoviciu, privatist. On February 25/March 9, the magazine
FamiliafromPestpublishedhispoemDe-asavea...Iosif Vulcan,the directorof the magazine,changedhis
name fromEminovici toEminescu,aname thatthe poetadoptedimmediatelyandforever. OnMay15/27,
his poem O calarire în zori is published. In June, he leaves Bucovina and settles in Blaj with the stated
intention of resuminghisstudies. On July16/29,Familiamagazine publishes hispoemFromAbroad,on
August 14/26 the poem La Bucovina, on September 11/23 Speranta, and on October 16/28 Misterele
noptii. In five consecutive issuesfrom October and November, the same magazine publishes hisshort
story Lantul de aur, translated after Onkel Adam, a Swedish writer. He wasalso in Alba Iulia for ashort
time, where he participates on August 27-28 in the annual meeting of "Astra". In autumn he leftBlajul
andwenttoSibiu,where he wasintroducedtoN.Densusianu; fromhere he crossed the mountainsashe
could and came to Bucharest.
1867
He joins Iorgu Caragiale's band, where he plays the role of prompter and copyist. With this band they
toured Brăila, Galati, Giurgiu, Ploiesti. He read a lot from Schiller, from which he translated his poem
Besignatiune. The poem WhatI wishforyou, sweetRomania, appearsinFamily fromApril 2/14,andon
June 18/30 the poem La Heliade.
1868
He isemployedasaprompterinMihai Pascaly'stroupe,whichhadconcentratedseveral theatricalforces:
Matei Millo,FannyTardini-VladicescuandactorsfromIorguCaragiale'stroupe. Duringthe summer,this

3. band playedin Brasov,Sibiu,Lugoj, Timisoara,Aradand otherBanattowns. Iosif Vulcanmet himonthe
occasionof thistourandobtainedfromEminescuthe poemsLaoartistaandAmorul unei marmure,then
publishedinFamiliaonAugust18/30andSeptember19/October1. Seeingthese poemsinthe Family,the
pilgrim Gheorghe Eminovici asked Iosif Vulcan for news on the fate of his son, wandering in the
world. SettledinBucharest,EminescumetILCaragiale. Pascaly,beingpleasedwithEminescu,hireshim
for the second time as a prompter and copyist of the National Theatre.
OnSeptember29,Eminescusignedthe legal contractinthiscapacity. IgetalivingroomfromPascaly,but
in return, he obliges himself to translate for the great actor The Art of Dramatic Representation –
Developed scientificallyandinitsorganicconnectionby ProfessorDr.EnricTheodorRotscher(afterthe
second edition). The unfinishedtranslation, writtenonseveral hundred pages,isamongthe remaining
manuscripts. Now he starts his novel project Wild Genius.
1869
On April 1, together with other young people, he founded the "Orientul" literary circle, which aimed,
among other things, to collect fairy tales, popular poems and documents related to the history and
literature of the homeland. OnJune 29,the cornicesof members of the "Orient",who were to visitthe
various provinces, were fixed. Eminescu was assigned to Moldova.
Inthe summer,he meetshisbrotherIorgu,anofficer,bychance inCismigiu,whoadviseshimtoresume
ties withFarnilia. The poetflatly refuses. On the occasionof the death of the former rulerof Muntenia,
Barbu Dimitrie Stirbey, publishes in a leaflet the poem known as The Death of Prince Stirbey. In the
summer,he goesontourwiththe bandPascalytoIasi andCernăuti. FamiliaMagazine continuestopublish
his poems: Corrupt Junes on January 31/February 12 and Amicului FI on March 31/April 11. On the
occasionof the lasttournament,Eminescureconcileswithhisfamily,andhisfatherpromiseshimaregular
subsidy to attend university courses in Vienna, where all his colleagues from Chernivtsi were.
On October 2, Eminescu enrolled at the Faculty of Philosophy as an extraordinary student, as a simple
auditor, therefore,missing hisbaccalaureate. Here he metI. Slavici and otherRomanian studentsfrom
TransylvaniaandBucovina. He reconnectswithhisoldcolleaguesfromCernăuti andBlaj. He enrollsinthe
twoexistingstudentsocieties,whichthenmerge intoone - ``RomaniaJună''. The lettersandtelegramsto
the parents to send the maintenance money are increasing.
1870
Together withadelegationof students,EminescuvisitsformerrulerAl. I.Cuza,atDobling. Inthe winter
semester 1869/1870,Eminescu attendedthe courses withsome regularity. Afterthis, Eminescudidnot
enroll again until the winterof 1871/72,when twoconsecutive semestersfollow. Instead,his thirstfor
reading wasunquenchable. Frequent,withgreatinterest,the Universitylibrary. He wasalsoconcerned
aboutsome problemsthathe wouldpublish. OnJanuary7/19and9/21,he publishesinAlbinafromPest
the article O scriere crítica, in which he defends Aron Pumnul against a brochure by D. Petrino from
Cernăuti, and on January 18/30 in Familia, ourtheatrical repertoire the first signed with the full name,
and the second with the initials ME He then moves on to the political situation of the Romanians and
other cohabiting nationalities in Austria-Hungary, publishing, under the pseudonym Varro, in the
Federationof Pest,three closelyrelatedarticles:Let'smake acongress,publishedonApril 5/17,Inunion
e strength, on April 10/22, and Balance, on April 22/May 4 and April 29/May 11, for which he was cited

4. by the publicprosecutorfromPest. The Federationof April 5/17respondswiththanksforthese articles,
but cannot specify the time whenthe publication of the novel mentionedby Varro could begin. Itwas
probably about the novel projectNaturi Catilinare. on April 22/May 4and April 29/May 11,for whichhe
wascitedbythe publicprosecutorfromPest. The Federationof April 5/17respondswiththanksforthese
articles,butcannotspecifythe time whenthe publicationof the novel mentionedbyVarrocouldbegin.It
was probablyaboutthe novel projectNaturi Catilinare. onApril 22/May4andApril 29/May11,forwhich
he was cited bythe public prosecutorfrom Pest. The Federationof April 5/17responds with thanksfor
these articles,butcannotspecify the time whenthe publicationof the novel mentionedbyVarrocould
begin. It was probably about the novel project Naturi Catilinare.
On April 15,he publishesthe poemVenere si MadonăinLiteraryConversationsfromIasi,andonAugust
15, Epigonu. OnJune 17,he wrote to Iacob Negruzzi,the editorof LiteraryConversations, clarifyingthe
fundamental idea of Epigonii.
TogetherwithN.Teclu,president,Eminescu,assecretary,signs,inMarch,anappeal forthe collectionof
funds for the celebration in Putna, and on September 4/16 he writes to Iacob Negruzzi asking him to
publish InLiterary Conversationsthe note he sends,"about the planned meetingat the tomb of Stefan
the GreatinPutna". Alsothenhe sendsthe storyFat-Frumosfromthe tear,whichisprintedinConvorbiri
literare,inthe issuesof November1and15. ArrivingincognitoinVienna,IacobNegruzzi communicated
to Eminescu the strong impressioncaused bythe poetin the bosom of the "Junimea"society fromIasi,
throughthe poemspublishedbyhiminConvorbiri literare. He suggeststhataftercompletinghisstudies,
he should settle in Iasi.
1871
Inseveral lettersfromFebruary,he informsNegruzzi abouthisliteraryprojectsandwarmlyrecommends
Slavici. Sendthe poemMortuaest.; whichappearsin Convorbiri literare fromMarch1, followedbytwo
other poems: guardian angel and Noaptea..., which are printed on June 15.
OnApril 8newstyle,"Româniajună"holdsaleadershipunificationmeeting,electingitsfirstcornitet,with
I.Slavici,president,andEminescu, librarian. OnAugust1,inthe meetinginCernăuti,preparationswere
completed for the celebration in Putna, set for August 15/27. On this occasion, Eminescu revisits the
places of his childhood and adolescence. It deviates even to Botosani and Ipotesti. On August 6, he
addresses TituMaiorescu fromIpotesti, givinghim some information regardingthe organizationof the
celebration. Inthe Românul newspaperof August3/15,EminescupublishesalettertogetherwithPamfil
Dan,amemberof the celebrationcommittee,inwhichhe explainsthe significance of the meetingofthe
Romanian youth around the tomb of Stefan the Great. Among the talented young people, active
participantsinthe celebration, the painter Bucevski and the composer Ciprian Porumbescu stood out.
Due to some contradictory currents within the "România jună" company, Eminescu resigned together
withSlavici fromthe managementcommittee,inthe fall of the year. Bothare accusedof beingattached
tothe ideasof "Junimii"fromIasi. Inhisstudyof the New Direction,TituMaiorescuhighlightsEminescu's
merits asapoet,"poetinall the powerof the word",citing himimmediatelyafterAlecsandri. The study
will be published starting this year in Literary Conversations.
Among the many literary projects, this year Proletarul probably takes an initial shape, under the
impression of the poet'sreadingsabout the eventsof the Paris Commune. The poem will be continued
and perfectedinthe followingyears. He isworkingonthe poemPanoramaof Desertions. OnDecember
16, in a letter to Serban, who is in the country, he writes anxiously that he has a great lack of money,

5. having debts for rent, then"at the bar, atthe cafe, finally, everywhere". Because of this, he intendsto
move to another university in the province.
1872
The probable yearof hismeetingwithVeronicaMicle,inVienna. OnFebruary10,inalettertohisparents,
he complains thathe was ill,which is whyhe isin a verybad state of mind, aggravated bythe sadnews
he receivedfrom home. On March18, he finds outthat"this yearis reallya badyear" because of illness
and all kinds of shortages. On April 8, he requests money to enroll in the second semester. He also
complains about the lack of an overcoat. In these circumstances he leaves Vienna and comes to the
country. OnSeptember1,he participatesinameetingof "Junimia"inIasi,where he readsexcerptsfrom
Panorama of desertions. Egypt and the beginning of the Middle Ages, then the short story Poor
Dionysus. The presence of the poetinthe countryisalsoconfirmedbyaletterthatEminescusendsfrom
Botosani, in August, to Titu Maiorescu,
On September 7, Eminescu reads two poems in the "Junimii" session: Angel and Demon and Blue
Flower. The poemEgypt would appearon October 1stin Literary Conversations,and Angel andDemon
and Blue Floweron April 1stof the followingyear. PoorDionis isprintedonDecember 1,1872andagain
on January 1, 1873.
Secured by a monthly subsidy of 10 guldens, from "Junimia", Eminescu leaves for Berlin. A letterfrom
Serban dated 30 November details that the poet had been away for several weeks prior to this
date. Enrollment at the University of Berlin took place on December 18. This time, Eminescu was
registeredasanordinarystudent,basedonagraduationcertificate fromthe gymnasiuminBotosani.The
courseshe hadsignedupfor,orthathe hadmarkedtofollow,were veryvaried:inthe fieldofphilosophy,
history, economics and law.
1873
Worksonfolklore:the firstversionsbeginatCălinandLuceafărul. Inordertoensure amodestexistence,
he soon had to accept a position at the Romanian consulate in Berlin, under the leadership of Teodor
Rosetti,laterN.Kretulescu. The tensionbetweenfatherandsonledthe poettoaskforhisexpulsionand
the issuance of a certificate proving that he attended two semesters until July 14. This certificate was
issuedtohimonJuly26. However,Rosetti made iteasierforhimtostayinBerlinbyincreasing hissalary,
and on December 8 he re-enrolled at the University for the winter semester. No exam passed. On
September 21, IorguEminovici, asoldier, commitssuicide, buthis deathis onlydeclared onNovember
2. He had been buried in Ipotesti, without authorization and without a death declaration.
1874
Between January17/29and May7,there isarich correspondence betweenMaiorescu andEminescu,in
which the poetwas proposedto urgently obtainhis doctorate in philosophy inorder tobe appointeda
professor at the University of Iasi. The Minister of Education sends him to Berlin the amount of 100
guildersforsubmittinghisdoctorate. Duringthe summer,he wasgiventhe taskof officiallyresearching,
forthe Romanianstate,the Koenigsbergdocuments,butthroughaletterdatedSeptember19,addressed
to the secretary of the diplomaticagency inBerlin,he explainswhy he abandoned thistask andwhyhe
took the road tocountry, toreturn toBerlinfor examsin November. On September1, however,he was
appointed to the post of director of the Central Library in Iasi.

6. On October 7,Maiorescu met Al. Lambrior that Eminescucannot go abroadso soon todo hisdoctorate,
being stopped by some serious events in his family. Two sisters had contracted typhus at the baths in
Bohemia, brother Serban, who had shown signs of mental alienation, was hospitalized on October 10
through the intervention of the Romanian agency in Berlin. The poet had begun to suffer from an
inflammation of the ankle. On November 28, the agency in Berlin announced the death of Serban.
In addition to his duties at the library, Eminescu now teaches logic lessons at the Academic Institute
insteadof Xenopol. The literaryconversationsof December1publishthemEmperorandproletarian. On
November 8, he promised to come one Thursday to the literary evening at Veronica Micle's, to read a
poem with asubject taken fromfolklore. Contributor toBrockhaus's Lexicon. He spends the autumnin
the companyof Slavici,stayingatSamsonBodnarescu's. He publishesanarticle onConstantinBălăcescu
in Convorbiri literare from November 1, reproducing many of his poems.
1875
In the first part of the year, he puts order in the library and proposes to enrich it with old Romanian
manuscriptsandbooks. InareportdatedMarch6,addressedtoMaiorescu,the Ministerof Education,he
submits arich listof old printsandmanuscripts foracquisition. The translationfromGerman of aPaleo-
Slavic grammar begins. On June 15, he receives Maiorescu's letter offering him the position of school
inspector forthe districtsof Iasi and Vaslui. On July1sthe isinvited totake uphis new post, andonJuly
2ndhe handsoverthe librarytoD.Petrino,the authorof the pamphletcriticizedbyEminescuinhisarticle
O scriere crítica. Alsoatthistime, he isreplacedatschool because of the strike declaredbythe students
of some classes.
On August 10, he submits a report to the ministry on the findings made during the conferences with
teachersfromIasi county. Note the teacherCreangafromschool no. 2fromPacurari,Iasi. OnSeptember
5,he sendsareportwithproposalsforthe reorganizationof schoolsinVaslui County. InConvorbiriliterare
from February 1st he publishesthe poem Făt Frumos dintei, and on April 1sthe also publishes there a
short report on the writing of Pseudo-cyngeticos by Al. I. Odobescu. On March 14, during the public
lectures of "Junimia", he deliversthe conference that he printsin LiteraryConversations fromAugust1
under the title Austrianinfluence onRomaniansfromthe principalities. OnMay26,he submittedtothe
ministry alaudatoryreportona didacticbookcompiledbyI. Creangaandothers. He introducesCreanga
to "Junimea". Changing the government Eminescu is made available by royal decree no. 1013 of June
3.Throughhisreportof June 22tothe Ministryof Education,D.PetrinorequeststhatEminescu,aformer
librarian, be prosecuted for "stolen" objects and books. The Ministry submits the report to the Iasi
Prosecutor's Office. However, in his conclusion of December 17, the investigating judge declares that
"there is no room for further action".
On August 15, Raluca Eminovici died in Ipotesti. Left without a job, Eminescu gets the position of
proofreaderandeditorof the unofficial part of the local newspaperCurierul de lasi. He regularlyattends
the "Junimii" meetings. He often visits Creanga in his bojdeuca. Literary conversations published his
poems Melancolie, Crăiasadin povesti, Lacul si Dorintaon September 1,Călin on November1, andThe
Undead on December 1. The Courier de Iasi had numerous columns written by Eminescu, without a
signature. In this form, the sketch appears on June 9

7. On the anniversary, the short story Cezarain the numbers from August 6, 11,13, 15 and 18. He makesa
trip to Bucharest, where, through Maiorescu, he befriends Mite Kremnitz. However, Veronica Micle
remains his idol.
1877
He continueshisjournalisticactivityatCurierul de Iasi. Inapolemical form, he defendsMaiorescu'slogic
manual, under the title Critical observations,in the Curierul de Iasi fromAugust 12, andonce againthe
review of Maiorescu's logic,in Convorbiri literare from September 1. Publishes theatrical chroniclesin
connection with the performances he attends. He often visits the house of old Micle and attends the
meetings of the "Junimii", buthe feelsmore andmore alone, afact thathe communicatesto Slavici on
September 20, and on October 12 he states to him that the Iasi have became "unsufferable".
Beinginvitedtojointhe editorial office of the Timipul Eminescunewspaper,he leavesIasi inthe second
half of October and comes to Bucharest, where he dedicates himself to journalism. The year passes
withoutthe poethavingpublishedevenaverse. OnDecember18,however,Negruzzi getsexcitedabout
the seriesof articlesinTimipul, Oldiconsandnew icons "wonderfullywrittenandwonderfullythought
out". Eminescu,however,didnothave the moneyevenfora photographrequestedbyNegruzzi inIasito
put his face in the picture with the portraits of the Junimists.
1878
Intensive journalistic activity. He does notanswer the lettersreceived from Iasi. He barely attendsthe
weeklymeetingsinMaiorescuandMite Kremnitz. Rossi'sarrival inBucharestoccupieshisevenings.Under
the title Representatiile Rossi publishes a short theatrical chronicle in Time from January 28. And the
Romanian performancesconcernhim:on October6,he publishes aleafletwiththe title Openingof the
1878-1879 season. After numerousinsistences, he sendsNegruzzi fourpoems: The Story of the Woods,
The Storyof the Linden,LonelinessandFarte suntde tine...,whichare publishedinLiteraryConversations
fromMarch1. OnApril 16, he publishedapamphletinTimpul,Easter,whichimpressedCaragialesomuch
that fifteen years later he would reproduce it in Moftul român (1893). On May 26, he reads poems at
Maiorescu's home, with Alecsandri alsopresent, the celebrant from Montpellier for the Latin Ginta. In
July, advised by the doctor, he takes leave from the newspaper and goes to Floresti-Dolj, Nicolae-
Mandrea'sestate. Here he istranslating,onbehalf of the Ministryof CultsandPublicEducation,the first
volume of the bookFragmentsfromthe historyof RomaniansbyEudoxiuHurrnuzaki,recentlypublished
inGerman. OnJuly13,he writesfromFloresti,addressingCaragiale andRonetti-Roman,fellow editors,a
letter full of humor and sarcasm.
AfterreturningfromFloresti,he wasofferedtomove toMaiorescu,butthe poetrefused. OnSeptember
17, he makes a review in the Timipul aboutCuvente den vexani, volume I, by Hasdeu. He participates,
betweenNovember11and13,inthe 15thanniversaryof "Junimia"inIasi,goingtogetherwithSlaviciand
Caragiale, all three on behalf of Maiorescu.
1879
He fullysatisfiesNegruzzi'srepeatedrequestsandsendshimtoIasi poemsthatare publishedinLiterary
Conversations: Pajul Cupidon..., Oh, stay, On the same street..., on February 1st, How many times,my
love...The prayerof aDacandSotender..,onSeptember1,Leave itautumn,There are yearsinthemiddle,
When the voice itself, Trembling with wood, Goodbye, Parting and the faded sheet, on October 1. His

8. passionforMite Kremnitzgrows,towhomhe teachesRomanianlanguage lessonsandgivesherthepoem
So Tender in manuscript. The fact alarmed Maiorescu, as can be seen from a note by the critic on June
1st: "Difficult Eminescu era".
OnAugust6,StefanMicle dies. Eminescuwritesto Veronica. Micle'swidow comestoBucharestandasks
him to interview for the urgency of his pension. Together they make impossible marriage plans. He
immerseshimself more andmore inthe workof ajournalist. Inthe editorial office,he hasapredominant,
but tiring, role.
In a letter toHenrieta, he complains thathe has alot of work andthat he is sickphysically, but more so
mentally. Fromthe familyhe receivesonlyimputations,especiallyaddressedbyhisfather.Hehasneither
time normoodtoevencongratulate Matei, whohadsenthimaweddinginvitation. He feelsoldandwould
like todie. He doesn'tsee hisheadin debt. He publishedonlyone poem:O,mother.., whichappearsin
Literary Conversations from April 1. Negruzzi writes to him accusing him of not sending him any more
collaborations. He gives up on his proposed marriage to Veronica Micle. Mite Kremnitz states that the
poet'sheartwasignitedbyanewflame. MaiorescuspecifiesthatitisaladyPoenaru-Lecca,whoprobably
inspires him. in the poems that he does not publish, but reads them at the weekly literary meetings.
On December 6, Veronica complains to Hasdeu that Maiorescu persuaded Eminescu not to keep his
promise tomarryher. 1881He writesonMarch18,askingforgivenessof hissickfatherfornot beingable
tocome tosee him. The "donutsandbrasauve shop"keepsitclose tothe "dugheana". He complainsthat
his "soul issourwithinkandpens". Atthe same time,he alsowritestoNegruzzi,sayingthathe doesnot
find a spare minute to answer the letters received. However, he informs him that Maiorescu senthim
Letter III,which he read several timesat "Junimea"in Bucharest. Inthe eveningof March28,Maiorescu
read it in the bosom of "Junimii", in Iasi. After the publication of Letter I in Literary Conversations on
February 1st,andLetterIIonApril 1st,LetterIIIisalsoprintedon May1st. Foritsanti-liberal character,it
is reproduced on May 10 in Timpul. The Cycle of Letters ends with the publication of Letter IV on
September1inConvorbiri literare.Absorbedinjournalisticactivity,he still findstime andrevisestheshort
story Ceara, the final form of which he entrusts to Maiorescu, between the pages of a brochure that
contained Schiller's ballad Manusa, translated into thirteen languages; in Romanian by Eminescu.
He is working onthe perfection of Luceafărand the various formsof May I have only one desire. Inthe
Times of October4,Eminescupublishesanintroductiontothe seriesof Words,anecdotes,jokes,etc. of
E. Baican, andin the October 10th issue,he deals,in anin-depth article, withthe importance of the old
language in the church books. On November 21, on the occasion of the unveiling of Eliade's statue,he
writes anarticle attacking thatEliade is the firstmodern Romanianwriter. The epistolaryrelationswith
Veronica become strained because of Caragiale, with whom Eminescu quarrels at the Christmas tree
celebration in Mite Kremnitz.
1882
At the newspaper, Eminescuis flankedstarting fromJanuary1 bya directorand aneditorial committee
thatwassupposedtotemperhispolemical spirit. However,the reorganizationof the editorial officewas
inoperative, because the poet continued to write in his own style. On March 28, he signs a "prim-
Bucuresti" asareviewof the firstvolume of short storiespublishedbyI.Slavici.He doesnotpublishany
poems during the whole year. Instead, he reads Luceafărul several times in the "Junimii" meetings in
Maiorescu. Mite Krernnitz translates it into German. It is often reported in the Maiorescu house.

9. In the evening of September 13, in the poet's absence, probably, "the eternally beautiful poems of
Eminescu" are readagain. Inthe eveningof October 8,he readsand corrects,together withMaiorescu,
Luceafărul, which he presents polished at "Junimea" from October 28.
Reconciled with Veronica, he writes andreceives numerousletters. He informshim of his plansforlife
togetherinBucharest. Onseveral occasions,VeronicawasbrieflyinBucharest. Butsoonthe relationship
between them breaks down.
1883
InJanuary,Eminescuishospitalizedforawhile. Inhisabsence,Luceafărul inGerman,translatedbyMite
Kremnitz,isreadatMaiorescu,intwolines. The poem, inRomanian,seesthe lightof dayinthe Almanac
of the studentsociety"Româniajună"from Viennapublishedwiththe mentionof April. The appearance
of the Almanac is announced in Timpul, starting from May14 to June 26. In the evening of March 23,at
the "Junimii" meeting in Maiorescu, the presence of Iosif Vulcan is reported. Probably with this
circumstance,Eminescugave himthe textof the followingpoemsthatappearedinthe Familyduringthe
coming months:Sadusamorul...(onApril 24),Whenthe memories...(onMay15),Adio(onJune 5),Ce e
amorul... (on July 17), Beside poplars without a husband... (on August 28), And if... (on November 13).
OnJune 4,Timpul announcedEminescu'sdeparture toIasi,toassistasthe newspaper'scorrespondentat
the celebrationof the unveilingof the statue of Stefan the Great. He findshisoldfriends,I.Creangaand
Miron Pompiliu. Onthis occasion,he read the poem Doinato the Junimistsfrom Iasi,gathered inIacob
Negruzzi'shouse,whichwasthenprintedinConvorbiri literare fromJuly1. InBucharest,onJune 23,ina
stiflingheat,Eminescushowssignsof mental alienation. OnJune 28,the disease broke outinfull. Onthe
same day,he ishospitalizedinthe sanatoriumof Dr.Sutu. OnAugust12,MaiorescuisvisitedbyGheorghe
Eminovici and the poet's brother (the lieutenant), who ask for reports on the patient. The literary
conversations in August reproduce the poem Luceafărul from the Vienna Almanac. On October 20,
Eminescu was sent by friends to Vienna and hospitalized in the Ober-Dobling sanatorium, being
accompanied onthe wayby Chibici. Tothe friends'contributions isaddedthe sumof 2000lei,resulting
from the sale of entrance ticketstothe Athenaeum, where Alecsandri read the playFântânaBlanduziei
on October 14.
On December 21, the volume with Eminescu's poems appears in Socec, with a short preface signed by
TituMaiorescu,andthe author'sportrait. Strongimpression,inadditiontothose previouslypublishedby
the poet, the volume also includes 26 new poems. 1884 On January 8, Gheorghe Eminovici, the poet's
father, diesin Ipotesti,andon March7,Neculai Eminovici (Nicu) takes hisownlife byshootinghimself,
alsoinIpotesti. OnJanuary1,EminescuwasvisitedbyMaiorescuandhiscousin,C.Popazu,fromVienna,
who had the task of seeing the poet as often as possible at the sanatorium. On January 12, Eminescu
writestoChibici andexpresseshisdesire tocome tothe country. OnFebruary4,he writestoMaiorescu,
expressing the same wish. Dr. Obersteinerproposes onFebruary10 thatthe patienttake atripthrough
Italy. Maiorescu, replying to Eminescu's letter, he shows everyone's joy for his complete recoveryand
informshimthatChibici will arrive inVienna,because togethertheywill take a6-weekpleasuretripsouth
of the Alps to Venice, Padua and Florence. Petre Carp, visiting Eminescu in Dobling, makes the same
proposals to Maiorescu.

10. OnFebruary26,Eminesculeavesthe sanatoriumand,accompaniedbyChibici,makesthe recommended
tripthroughItaly. He arrivesinBucharestonMarch27,receivedatthe stationbyseveral friends. OnApril
7, Eminescu left for Iasi with the same companion. Contributions for ongoing maintenance.
OnSeptember24,Eminescuwasappointedtothe postof sub-librarianof the Central LibraryinIasi. He is
presentatthe annual banquetof ``Junimia''onOctober25. InNovemberhe issickandhospitalizedinSt.
Spiridon hospital. In December, Vlăhuta visits him. The literary conversations of January andFebruary
publish twenty-one of the twenty-six poems, publishedas unpublished in the volume from Socec. His
poemDiana,notincludedinthe volume,isprintedinthe Februaryissue. Inthe Familyof February12,the
poem From the night... appears,the last of the groupof those given to Iosif Vulcan in the spring of the
previous year.
1885
The second edition of the volume of poems, with the same content, appears atSocec. The Julyliterary
talksare publishedbySaraonthe hill. Eminescucontinuedhismodestjobatthe libraryandtaughtlessons
at the commercial school. He is absentinthe monthsof JulyandAugust, followingacure atLiman,near
Odesa, fromwhere he writesaskingfor moneytopaytaxes. Atthe beginningof September,he still had
notcome toIasi. SocecPublishingHouse giveshim500lei forthe volume of poems. 1886He iskeptinthe
service of the library, where he fulfills deleted roles: he writes the payrolls, the addresses for their
forwarding, various circulars for the return of borrowed books and for convening the library
committee. The illustrated epoch of January 1 publishes Dalila (excerpt). The entire poem appeared
posthumously in Literary Conversations on 1 February 1890.
Romania libera onMarch 2informs abouta conference published byVlăhută onEminescu, praisingthe
poems andharshlycriticizingthose whohaddifferentopinionson them. Duringthe summer,Eminescu
becomes alienated again. On November 9, he was replaced in the post at the library and, following a
medical consultation,he wastransportedtothe hospice atthe NeamtMonastery. 1887Spring,Eminescu
goes to Botosani,to hissister Henrieta, andis hospitalizedin the local St. Spiridonhospital. Duringthis
time,relief committeesare organizedinIasi,whichlaunchpublicsubscriptionlistsforthe maintenance
and care of the poet. OnJuly13,he goestoIasi foradoctor'sconsultation. Theyrecommendsendingthe
patient to Vienna and Hall, where he leaves on July 15, accompanied by the doctoral student Grigore
Focsa. From Hall he returns to Botosani, where he stays under the care of doctor Isac and his sister
Henrieta,startingfromSeptember1. InDecember,the theatertroupe of the Vlădicescubrothers,known
to the poet, gives a showin Botosani for the benefit of the sick. Literary conversations on February1st
published hispoemDe ce numi vii,andthe issue of July1st Kamadeva. 1888Eminescu hasthe desire to
finish some works thathe remembers thathe left inmanuscript. He mentionsto Henrietathe grammar
of the Sanskrit language, left in manuscript at the Central Library in Iasi. By registered letter, he asks
Maiorescutosendthe libraryandthe remainingmanuscriptstoBucharest. The critic,however,doesnot
give anyanswertothisletter. InDecember,the theatertroupe of the Vlădicescubrothers,knowntothe
poet,givesashowinBotosani forthe benefitof the sick. LiteraryconversationsonFebruary1stpublished
hispoemDe ce numi vii,andthe issue of July1stKamadeva. 1888Eminescuhasthe desire tofinishsome
worksthathe remembersthathe leftinmanuscript. He mentionstoHenrietathe grammarof theSanskrit
language, leftinmanuscriptatthe Central LibraryinIasi. Byregistered letter,he asksMaiorescutosend
the libraryandthe remainingmanuscriptstoBucharest. The critic,however,doesnotgive anyanswerto
this letter. InDecember,the theatertroupe of the Vlădicescubrothers,knowntothe poet,givesashow

11. in Botosani forthe benefitof the sick. Literaryconversations onFebruary 1stpublished hispoem De ce
nu mi vii,and the issue of July1stKamadeva. 1888 Eminescuhasthe desire tofinish some worksthathe
remembers that he left inmanuscript. He mentions to Henrietathe grammar of the Sanskritlanguage,
leftinmanuscriptatthe Central LibraryinIasi. Byregisteredletter,he asksMaiorescutosendthe library
and the remaining manuscripts to Bucharest. The critic, however, does not give any answer to this
letter. 1888 Eminescu has the desire to finish some works that he remembers that he left in
manuscript. He mentions to Henrieta the grammar of the Sanskrit language, left in manuscript at the
Central Library in Iasi. By registered letter, he asks Maiorescu to send the library and the remaining
manuscriptstoBucharest. The critic,however,doesnotgive anyanswertothisletter. 1888Eminescuhas
the desire to finishsome worksthathe remembersthat he leftin manuscript. He mentionstoHenrieta
the grammarof the Sanskritlanguage,leftinmanuscriptatthe Central LibraryinIasi. Byregisteredletter,
he asks Maiorescuto sendthe libraryand the remaining manuscriptsto Bucharest. The critic,however,
does not give any answer to this letter.
IacobNegruzzi submitstothe office of the Chamberof Deputiesapetitionfromanumberof citizensfrom
all parts of the country, for adraft law by which the state wouldgrant the poet a lifetime pension. The
proposal is also supported by M. Kogălniceanu. The chamber votes a monthly aid of 250 lei. Only on
November 23, the bill goesto the Senate, where itis supported by N. Gane as rapporteur. The lawwill
only be voted on in April next year.
VeronicaMicle comestoBotosani andconvincesEminescutopermanentlymove toBucharest,wherehe
leavesonApril 15. Here he hasamodestbeginningof literaryactivity. He readsinasmall circle of friends
Lais,whichturnsouttobe the translationof the piece Le joueurde flute byEmile Augier. Mr.Beldiman's
lconarii isprintedin free Romaniafrom November13andIar iconarii onNovember 20. InDecember,he
participatesinthe appearance of the magazine FântânaBlanduziei,where he writesarticlesonDecember
4and11,signingwithhisinitials. Inthe December25issue of the magazine,the publicationof thevolume
of poems, the third edition, is announced, with an addition of three poems compared to the previous
editions: La steaua, De ce nu mi vii and Kamadeva.
1889
OnFebruary3,Eminescuwasadmittedtothe Marcutahospital inBucharestandthenhe wastransported
to the Caritas sanatorium. On April 13, a guardianship is instituted for the legal assistance of the
patient. On the night of June 15, at 3 o'clock, the poet dies in the sanatorium of Dr. Sutu in Plantelor
Street, Bucharest. The Românul newspaper from June 16 announces in the news: Eminescu is no
more. The funeral takes place onJune 17. The bodyof the deceasedisdepositedinthe pitinthe shadeof
alindentree inthe Bellucemetery. InOctober,the fourtheditionof the volume of poemsfromSocecwill
be printed,withastudyof Maiorescu,entitled:Poetul Eminescu. OnOctober14,HenrietaEminovici,the
sister who hadtaken care of Eminescuin hislast yearsof life,dies inBotosani. VeronicaMicle haddied
since August 3rd in the rental of some nuns from the Văratec Monastery.
I. Creanga also dies in this year.
The life and work of Mihai Eminescu - Report
Mihai Eminescu (born as Mihail Eminovici) (b. January 15, 1850, Botoşani or Ipoteşti - d. June 15, 1889,
Bucharest) wasaRomanianpoet,prose writerandjournalist,consideredbyRomanianreadersandliterary

12. critics asthe mostimportantwriterromantic fromRomanianliterature,beingnicknamedthe "luminary
of Romanian poetry".
Eminescu was active in the literary society Junimea, and worked as an editor at Timpul, the official
newspaper of the Conservative Party. He published hisfirst poemat the age of 16, andat 19he wentto
study inVienna. The manuscripts of the poetMihai Eminescu, 46volumes,approximately14,000pages,
were donatedtothe RomanianAcademybyTituMaiorescu,inthe meetingof January25,1902.Eminescu
was hospitalized on February3, 1889 atthe Mărcuţa hospital in Bucharest andthen he wastransported
to the sanatorium Caritas.
On June 15, 1889, around 4 o'clock in the morning, the poet died in Dr. Şuţu's sanatorium. On June 17,
Eminescu wasburied inthe shade of alinden tree inthe Bellucemetery. He waselectedposthumously
(October 28, 1948) a member of the Romanian Academy.
Biography. Date and place of birth:
In a register of the members of the Junima, Eminescu himself listed his date of birth as December 20,
1849, andin the documentsof the gymnasiumin Cernăuţi where Eminescu studied,the date islistedas
December 14, 1849. However, Titu Maiorescu, in the work Eminescu and his poems (1889) cites ND
Giurescu's researchinthisregard andtakeshisconclusion regardingthe date and place of birthof Mihai
Eminescu on January 15, 1850, in Botoşani.
This date results from several sources, including a file with notes on baptisms from the archive of the
Uspenia (Domnească) church in Botoşani; in this file, the date of birth is entered as "15 January 1850",
and of baptism asthe 21st of the same month. The date of birthis confirmed bythe poet's oldersister,
Aglae Drogli,who,however,maintainsthatthe place of birthshouldbe consideredthe village ofIpoteşti.
Mihai Eminescuisthe seventhof the elevenchildrenof the commonerGheorghe Eminovici,fromafamily
of Romanianpeasantsfromthe northof Moldova,andRalucaEminovici,née Juraşcu,daughterofastolnic
fromJoldeşti. The familydescendedonthe paternal line fromTransylvania,fromwhere theyemigrated
to Bucovina due to serf exploitation, military obligations and religious persecution. His grandparents,
Vasile and Ioana, live in Călineștii lui Cuparencu, not far from Suceava, a commune founded by
Transylvanian emigrants. They die because of the cholera epidemic of 1844, and the poet, born much
later, does not know them and does not evoke them in his writings.
Gheorghe, the first sonof Vasile,the poet'sfather, movesfrom Bucovinato Moldovaand performsthe
function of estate administrator. He wasraisedtothe rankof ahouseholderandfoundedhishousehold
inIpoteşti,inthe Botoşani Land. The firstborn,Şerban(b.1841),studiesmedicine inVienna,fallsill with
tuberculosisanddiesalienatedin1874.Niculae,bornin1843,will contractavenereal diseaseandcommit
suicide inIpoteşti,in 1884.Iorgu,(b. 1844) studies at the MilitaryAcademy inBerlin. He hasasuccessful
career, but dies in 1873 from a cold contracted while on a mission.
Ruxandra wasborn in1845, butdied inchildhood. Ilie,born in1846, wasMihai's playmate,describedin
several poems. He diesin1863followingatyphusepidemic. Maria,bornin1848or1849,livedonlyseven
and ahalf years. Aglae (b.1852, d.1906), wasmarriedtwice, livesin Ipotesti and hastwo boys,Ioanand
George. He sufferedfromBasedow-Gravesdisease. Mihai wasthe seventh son. Afterhim, around1854,
Harieta,the poet'syoungersister,wasborn,the one whotookcare of himafterhisillness. Matei,bornin
1856,isthe onlyone wholeftdirectdescendants. He studiedPolytechnicinPrague andbecame acaptain

13. in the Romanian army. He fought with Titu Maiorescu, trying to prevent the publication of the
posthumous work.
The last child, Vasile, died at one and a half years old, the date of birth or death not being known. A
possible explanation is that in the 19th century life expectancy did not exceed 40 years, epidemics of
typhus,tuberculosis,hepatitiswere frequent,andthere wasnotreatmentforsyphilis,the diseasebeing
incurable until the inventionof penicillin. ChildhoodShe spentherchildhoodinBotoşani andIpoteşti,in
her parents'house andinthe surroundings,intotal freedomof movementandcontactwithpeople and
nature, a state evoked with deepnostalgia in her later poetry (Fiindbăiet... or O , stay). Between1858
and 1866, he intermittently attended the National Hauptschule (Oriental Orthodox Primary School) in
Chernivtsi. He attendedthe 4thgrade here inthe school year 1859/1860. We don't know where he does
the first two primary classes, probably in a private pension. Its teachers are Ioan Litviniuc and Ioan
Zibacinschi, and its director is Vasile Ilasievici. Experienced teaching staff, its teachers participate in
cultural life and prepare school textbooks. Finished primary school with good academic results.
He didnotfeel connected,affectively,tohisteachersanddoesnotevoke theminhiswritings.Heattended
the third grade at the "Nationale Hauptschule" in Chernivtsi,being ranked 15thamong 72 students. He
finished the 4thgrade ranked5thoutof 82students,afterwhichhe completedtwoclassesof secondary
school. Between 1860 and 1861 he was enrolled at the Ober-Gymnasium, a German high school in
Chernivtsi foundedin1808, the onlyhighschool educationinstitutionatthat time inBucovinaannexed
by the HabsburgEmpire in 1775.It is imposedover the yearsthrough good administrative organization
and great severity in the educational process. The teachers were mainly recruited from Austria, they
prepared studies and collaborated in the publications of the time. A chair of Romanian was also
established, quite late, after 1848.
ItisoccupiedbyAronthe Fist. KnownasLepturariuRomanian,infourvolumes,printedinViennabetween
1862 and 1865, the first history of Romanian literature in texts. He attends classes at Ober Gymnasium
and his brothers, Şerban, Nicolae, Gheorghe and Ilie. He finished first grade with good academic
results. He hasnograde inRomanianinthe firstsemesterandisclassifiedbyMironCălinescu,erudite in
the historyof the RomanianOrthodox Church. The studentEminovici Mihai passedthe firstclass,being
ranked 11th in the first semester and 23rd in the second semester.
In the second grade, which he repeated, his teacher was Ion G. Sbiera, Aron Pumnul's successor atthe
chair, collector of popular creations and author of academic studies. Aron Pumnul qualified, in both
semesters,withtopmarksinRomanian. He scoredinsufficientinone semesteratValentinKermanner(in
Latin) andatJohannHaiduk,inbothsemesters(inmathematics). He laterconfessedthathis turningaway
from mathematics was due to the poor teaching method. On April 16, 1863, he permanently left the
courses,althoughhe hadagoodacademicsituation. He hadverygoodgradesinall subjects. IonG.Sbiera
gave himthe qualificationvorzüglich(eminent) inRomanian. Leavingforthe EasterholidaysinIpotesti,
he never returned to school.
In 1864, the student Eminovici Mihai applied to the Ministry of Education in Bucharest for a subsidy to
continue his studies or a scholarship. He was refused, "there being no vacancy for a scholarship". On
March 21,1864,throughaddressno. 9816tothe gymnasiuminBotoşani, he waspromisedthathe would
be received"withoutfail onthe occasionof the holiday,after,however,he fulfillsthe conditionsof the
competition". The studentEminovici wenttoCernăuţi where the FannyTardini-Vladicescutheatertroupe
gave performances. On October 5, 1864, Eminovici entered as a practitioner at the Court of Botoşani,

14. then, after a short time, he was a copyist at the permanent county committee. On March 5, 1865,
Eminovici resigned,withthe requestthatthe salarydue forthe monthof Februarybe handedovertohis
brotherŞerban. OnMarch11,youngM. Eminovici appliedforapassporttocrossintoBucovina. Inthe fall
he stayed with his teacher, Aron Pumnul, as a caretaker of his library. His school situation was
"private". But he knew Pumnul's library to the last volume.