Vasile G. MorÈ›un (November 30, 1860 â€" July 20, 1919) was a Romanian
politician, playwright and prose writer.Born in Roman, he came from a
wealthy Moldavian boyar family,[1] and was of Armenian origin.[2]
After studying at the private Institutul Academic in Iași and at the
Parisian Collège Sainte-Barbe, he enrolled in the literature and
philosophy faculties at Paris and Brussels, but did not graduate.[1]
He returned to Romania in 1885, and by 1892 had begun the passionate
acquisition of an art collection that was famous in its day.[3]
Morțun founded and led, alone or in collaboration with Ioan Nădejde,
Constantin Mille and Vintilă Rosetti, numerous gazettes and
magazines: Dacia viitoare, Muncitorul, Revista socială, Ciocoiul and
ÃŽnainte!. Beginning in 1885, he edited the literature section of the
socialist magazine Contemporanul. He also contributed to Adevărul,
Almanahul social-democrat, Calendarul pozitivist, Critica socială,
Drepturile omului, Evenimentul literar, Flacăra, Generația nouă,
Literatură și știință, Lumea nouă, Lumea nouă științifică
și literară, Munca, Revista democrației române, Rodica, Telegraful
Român, Viața Românească and Viața socială. Aside from political
articles, he published prose poems that remained in the pages of
various periodicals, articles on dramatic theory (Chestii teatrale, in
Contemporanul, 1887) and plays (Ștefan Hudici, Zulniea Hâncu, both
1891). He wrote a few translations and adaptations from Jules de
Marthold (Pascal Fargeau, novel, 1882), Edmond Gondinet, Alexander
Pushkin, Leo Tolstoy, Mikhail Lermontov and Fyodor Dostoyevsky; these
remained in the pages of Contemporanul. Morțun published an edition
of Mihai Eminescu's work (Proză și versuri, 1890), which included
several posthumous writings.[1]A socialist journalist and activist, he
was a leader of the Romanian Social Democratic Workers' Party and
entered parliament on its lists, but was among its prominent members
who joined the National Liberal Party in 1899.[1][4] Beginning in
January 1888, when he was elected to represent Roman County as the
first socialist in the Assembly of Deputies,[5] Morțun served
multiple terms there,[1] and was its President from December 1916 to
April 1918.[4] Additionally, he entered the Senate in 1914. He was
Minister of Public Works from March 1907 to December 1910 and Interior
Minister from January 1914 to December 1916, under Dimitrie Sturdza
and Ion I. C. Brătianu.[4]As Interior Minister, Morțun took part in
the Crown Council meeting of August 1914, supporting Romania's
neutrality in World War I; and in the session of August 1916, where he
backed Romania's entry into the war on the side of the Allies. During
the two years of neutrality, he led counterespionage efforts against
the Central Powers, who had numerous spies working in the country, and
coordinated efforts by the Romanian Police to lay the groundwork for
the eventual seizure of Transylvania from Austria-Hungary.[4] Once
Romania entered the war, the ministry was involved in securing
provisions for the army and ensuring public order, including in newly
occupied territories.[6]
politician, playwright and prose writer.Born in Roman, he came from a
wealthy Moldavian boyar family,[1] and was of Armenian origin.[2]
After studying at the private Institutul Academic in Iași and at the
Parisian Collège Sainte-Barbe, he enrolled in the literature and
philosophy faculties at Paris and Brussels, but did not graduate.[1]
He returned to Romania in 1885, and by 1892 had begun the passionate
acquisition of an art collection that was famous in its day.[3]
Morțun founded and led, alone or in collaboration with Ioan Nădejde,
Constantin Mille and Vintilă Rosetti, numerous gazettes and
magazines: Dacia viitoare, Muncitorul, Revista socială, Ciocoiul and
ÃŽnainte!. Beginning in 1885, he edited the literature section of the
socialist magazine Contemporanul. He also contributed to Adevărul,
Almanahul social-democrat, Calendarul pozitivist, Critica socială,
Drepturile omului, Evenimentul literar, Flacăra, Generația nouă,
Literatură și știință, Lumea nouă, Lumea nouă științifică
și literară, Munca, Revista democrației române, Rodica, Telegraful
Român, Viața Românească and Viața socială. Aside from political
articles, he published prose poems that remained in the pages of
various periodicals, articles on dramatic theory (Chestii teatrale, in
Contemporanul, 1887) and plays (Ștefan Hudici, Zulniea Hâncu, both
1891). He wrote a few translations and adaptations from Jules de
Marthold (Pascal Fargeau, novel, 1882), Edmond Gondinet, Alexander
Pushkin, Leo Tolstoy, Mikhail Lermontov and Fyodor Dostoyevsky; these
remained in the pages of Contemporanul. Morțun published an edition
of Mihai Eminescu's work (Proză și versuri, 1890), which included
several posthumous writings.[1]A socialist journalist and activist, he
was a leader of the Romanian Social Democratic Workers' Party and
entered parliament on its lists, but was among its prominent members
who joined the National Liberal Party in 1899.[1][4] Beginning in
January 1888, when he was elected to represent Roman County as the
first socialist in the Assembly of Deputies,[5] Morțun served
multiple terms there,[1] and was its President from December 1916 to
April 1918.[4] Additionally, he entered the Senate in 1914. He was
Minister of Public Works from March 1907 to December 1910 and Interior
Minister from January 1914 to December 1916, under Dimitrie Sturdza
and Ion I. C. Brătianu.[4]As Interior Minister, Morțun took part in
the Crown Council meeting of August 1914, supporting Romania's
neutrality in World War I; and in the session of August 1916, where he
backed Romania's entry into the war on the side of the Allies. During
the two years of neutrality, he led counterespionage efforts against
the Central Powers, who had numerous spies working in the country, and
coordinated efforts by the Romanian Police to lay the groundwork for
the eventual seizure of Transylvania from Austria-Hungary.[4] Once
Romania entered the war, the ministry was involved in securing
provisions for the army and ensuring public order, including in newly
occupied territories.[6]
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