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Benjamin Fondane

Benjamin Fondane (Fundoianu or B.)

Writer Romanian born in Iasi (Moldova) on November 14, 1898. From his real name: Benjamin Wechsler, son of Isaac Wechsler (trader) and Adela Schwarzfeld. (Who belonged to a known family of Jewish intellectuals.)
Benjamin was the youngest of the family; throughout his life he q were close friends with his older sister Lina.

Isaac Wechsler was a businessman whose parents were from Hertza, region in the north of Moldova.

The poet also spoke about in his poems Hertza (Sasa as the poet said as the Pana), but he never travelled there.

It was his uncle, Moses Schwartzfeld philologist, editor of a newspaper published "Equality" in Iasi for several decades, which has provided many details on the youth of Benjamin Fondane.

Between 1916-18 he had regular collaboration to publish in Rampaet "Chemarea" translations of Yiddish poetry and its own "sonnets biblical" in the journals "Hatikvah", "Lumea Evree", "Bar-Kokhba," Hasmonaea " .

After studying at Iasi, the young poet who wrote poems "down" in Bucharest (1919) in the atmosphere of the 20s. Is the poet Ion Minulescu who helped and supported.
Collaborations with frequent reviews Umanitatea, Rampa, Adevarul literar si artistic, Contimporanul, Sburatorul literar.

Benjamin Fundoianu (B. Fondane) is very active in groups vanguard of Bucharest, surrounded by Ion Vinea, Stefan Roll, Ilarie Voronca, Sasa Pana, F. Brunea Fox, Marcel Iancu, MH Maxy, Iosif Ross.
In 1921 he published a book of essays devoted to authors and french "Images Book of France. "This occurrence is very interesting because he writes about a country he has not yet visited!

His love for France began its expensive: it says the total dependency of Romanian literature in respect of French literature, and it began to stir critics!
In 1922 he founded the theater avant-garde "Insula" ( "The Island"), inspired by the scene of Jacques Copeau, in collaboration with his older sister, who was Line actress, and her husband, Armand Pascal, the director.

Fondane embarks on the scene with passion and becomes an ardent protagonist of the avant-garde in Bucharest.
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In 1923 drama "Insula" is closed, as a result of financial difficulties, but also anti-Semitic reactions.
He continued collaboration with the magazine avant-garde "Contimporanul" led by Ion Vinea and Marcel Iancu and publish a series of articles on Leon Chestov in "Adevarul literar si artistic."

In December 1923 he went to Paris and it would never return to his country of origin: Romania.
It Remy de Gourmont that houses rue des Saints-fathers, where he fills the office of the custodian and librarian.
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He meets his idol, Leon Jules Chestov at Gaultier.
Line Her sister and her brother-in-law Armand Pascal, who works with Gaston Baty arrive in Paris and will live 15, rue Jacob.

It always will publish texts in the journals vanguard of Bucharest Integral, headed by F. Brunea Fox.
Benjamin Fondane and Ilarie Voronca assume Parisian editorial of the journal.

In Paris, he began to write in french, change of domicile to the rue Monge and is engaged in the insurance company "L'Abeille" where he became acquainted with Genevieve Tissier.

1927: Collaboration with Integral: french texts and Romania.
In 1927vient published the interview by Tzara and Fondane Voronca in "Integral. "June and July is published a special issue on surrealism and french Romanian: Editorial Fondane; pieces of Max Jacob, Tzara.

He published three poems in the French language: "SOS", "A Madame Sonia Delaunay" and "Scenes from the life of the Lapps' (fragment of a manuscript entitled" Project Ulysse1927 ").

1928: Fondane approximates discontinuity of the group, led by Claude Sernet and Arthur Adamov, and collaborates with the new magazine "Unu" (Bucharest), led by Sasa Pana.

He published his first book in french: Three scenarios. Ciné poems (Papers mind again), illustrated with a photo of Man Ray.

In July 1929 July: he left for Argentina, where he was invited by Victoria Ocampo to submit
films avant-garde and to give lectures at the University of Buenos Aires. He writes about "Constantin Brancusi" in Cahiers de l'Etoile.

In February 1930 he completed the first version of the rogue Rimbaud, whose manuscript was rejected by Gallimard.

In Bucharest, has arrived Privelisti "volume" (Landscape) in Bucharest: entre1917 poems and 1923. Artaud.

He continues his work as a poet, publishing in Bucharest and always makes friends in Paris, various personalities of the time, including A. Artaud. He entered the Paramount studios in Joinville-le-Pont as assistant director and scriptwriter.
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In 1931 Fondane wife Genevieve Tissier (July 28).

Collaboration: "Unu" (fragments of Ulysses), "Sur", the magazine founded by Victoria Ocampo.
Journal of the Poets "(Brussels)," Cahiers du Sud, "an article about Heidegger:" On the road to Dostoevsky: Martin Heidegger (the same text will be published in Spanish in "Out").

Fondane publish an anthology of Romanian poetry as well as fragments of Ulysses. (In Brussels)

It works in "Philoctetes" and an early version of the poem that became "The Exodus. "

1933: Publication of "rogue" Rimbaud at the Denoël.
Publication of Ulysses to Cahiers du Journal of Poets (Brussels).
Collaboration with Cahiers du Sud: articles on Kierkegaard, an excerpt from the rogue Rimbaud, texts on the Gogol, on the Ulysses.

He works at Cahier bleu: "About the Church of M. Celine "and" Raising the curtain "to Cahiers yellow" Cinema 33 ";

In Février1933 he began to note the contents of his conversations with Chestov, these notes later form the bulk of Meetings with Leon Chestov.

His cinema continues with the film "Rapt in Switzerland" with Dimitri Kirsanoff. (Fondane had adapted for the screen Ramuz's novel: The separation of races.)

Collaboration with Cahiers du Sud, Cahier bleu (texts on Gide and Poe) Cahiers Jewish Viata Studenteasca, Romanian student magazine published in Paris ( "Calling all students:" Tomorrow, in the concentration camps, it will be too late. ")

In 1934 he met with Martin Buber Chestov.

Her family then visit him in Paris: his mother, his sister Rodica and his brother-in-law Paul Daniel.

In 1936 he published "unhappy" at Conscience Denoël: tests on Chestov, Husserl, Heidegger, Bergson, Gide, Kierkegaard, and continued collaboration with Cahiers du Sud, in Sur, Schweitzer Annals in The Jewish Journal of Geneva.

In April 1936: he left for Argentina to turn Tararira "." And she returned to Paris in October. : 1937 literary activity very intense publishes the poem to Cahiers du Titanic Journal of Poets (Brussels). Articles about philosophers have been published in The Journal of Philosophy: A Book about Leo Chestov: Kierkegaard and existential philosophy. "

Collaboration followed at the magazine Le Rouge et le Noir (Brussels): Articles 7 (heading "The philosophy alive") and a fragment of Titanic.

In 1938 he published "False Treaty aesthetic" among Denoël.

That same year he won the French (subscription organized by Ballard and Cahiers du Sud).

In the "Cahiers du Sud" his chronicles are published under the heading: "The philosophy alive." Join the debate around the text created by J. Bénet: "With cards rigged": "The man in front of the history or the sound and fury."

In 1940: Mobilized (216 th Infantry Regiment at Sainte Assisi, near Fontainebleau). Is he escaped prisoner. Reprinted, he was released for health reasons; operated from appendicitis, it is hospitalized at Val de Grace late September.

In February 1941 he returned to his home in the street Rollin and continues to write.

In 1942 he attended Lescure, Lupasco, Cioran, attend some courses at the Sorbonne Bachelard; his Argentinean friends are unsuccessfully trying to bring in Argentina. (What premonition of his tragic destiny).

In 1943: Publishes a fragment of Baudelaire "in the" Cahiers du Sud, "another fragment in Area" french "
His latest philosophical texts: "The existential Monday and Sunday on the History" was handed to Editions Gallimard in 1944 who will publish a year after 1945 in the volume "The Existence," led by Jean Grenier.

On March 7, he was arrested by the French police and his sister Line. They were interned at Drancy and then deported to Auschwitz on May 30 (the penultimate convoy of Drancy No. 75).

On October 3, Fondane was murdered in the gas chamber of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

His work has been published and republished, including unreleased tracks.

In Paris there is a place that bears his name, the atmosphere of the avant-garde was raised in seminars organized by the Museum of Literature in Bucharest by Paul Daniel, Sasa Pana Academician. Al.Philippide, Dorina Radulescu and published in "13" ROTONDE Bucharest 1976.


Text: Cleopatra Lorintiu

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