in memoriam professori ioan constantinescu - literaturacomparata.ro
in memoriam professori ioan constantinescu - literaturacomparata.ro
in memoriam professori ioan constantinescu - literaturacomparata.ro
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
ACTA IASSYENSIA COMPARATIONIS, 6/2008<br />
RAŢIONAL-IRAŢIONAL / RATIONAL-IRRATIONAL / RATIONNEL-IRRATIONNEL<br />
IN MEMORIAM PROFESSORIS IOAN CONSTANTINESCU<br />
________________________________________________________________________________<br />
A Compell<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>in</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>g Legacy<br />
On his return f<strong>ro</strong>m a long exile <st<strong>ro</strong>ng>in</st<strong>ro</strong>ng><br />
Germany, the late P<strong>ro</strong>fessor Ioan<br />
Constant<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>in</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>escu restored the former<br />
Chair of Comparative Literature at the<br />
Al. I. Cuza University of Iasi. He<br />
founded here a BA <st<strong>ro</strong>ng>in</st<strong>ro</strong>ng> Comparative<br />
Studies and a MA <st<strong>ro</strong>ng>in</st<strong>ro</strong>ng> Comparative<br />
Literature and Cultural Anth<strong>ro</strong>pology.<br />
He coord<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>in</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>ated doctoral theses <st<strong>ro</strong>ng>in</st<strong>ro</strong>ng><br />
comparative literature and theatre<br />
studies. He <st<strong>ro</strong>ng>in</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>itiated an annual<br />
symposium dedicated to Mihai<br />
Em<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>in</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>escu and the correspond<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>in</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>g<br />
journal Studii em<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>in</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>escologice/<br />
Em<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>in</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>escu Studies. He laid the basis for<br />
a yearly academic journal of<br />
comparative studies (nowadays Acta<br />
Iassyensia Comparationis). He<br />
cont<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>in</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>ued to publish prestigious books:<br />
translations f<strong>ro</strong>m Novalis, Tieck and<br />
Kleist, essays of comparative literature,<br />
polemical commentaries on the<br />
Romanian extreme right, as well as<br />
orig<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>in</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>al plays. He offered an <st<strong>ro</strong>ng>in</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>spir<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>in</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>g<br />
model (saddly, rather unpopular among<br />
Romanians!) of joyful <st<strong>ro</strong>ng>in</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>tellectual<br />
labour. He established a consistent pace<br />
for high performances. And he k<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>in</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>dly<br />
conveyed to us the irresistible,<br />
spectacular Tieck “virus”.<br />
The highly demand<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>in</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>g P<strong>ro</strong>fessor<br />
Ioan Constant<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>in</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>escu didn’t seem to have<br />
favourite disciples and he designated no<br />
followers. Still, we, those who teach<br />
comparative literature at Iasi today, are<br />
the lucky beneficiaries of an<br />
extraord<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>in</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>ary legacy – one that is never<br />
consumed by <st<strong>ro</strong>ng>in</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>tense use; on the<br />
contrary. This is a tremendous<br />
p<strong>ro</strong>fessional and <st<strong>ro</strong>ng>in</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>tellectual opportunity<br />
for us – an honour, but also a great duty<br />
that we gladly and gratefully accept.<br />
36<br />
Un héritage imposant<br />
Après son retour d’un exil assez<br />
long en Allemagne, le feu P<strong>ro</strong>fesseur<br />
Ioan Constant<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>in</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>escu a rétabli la Chaire<br />
de Littérature comparée à l’Université<br />
Al. I. Cuza de Iassy. Il y a fondé<br />
ensuite une Section de Littérature<br />
comparée et un Master en Littérature<br />
comparée et Anth<strong>ro</strong>pologie culturelle.<br />
Il a dirigé des thèses doctorales en<br />
littérature comparée et en théât<strong>ro</strong>logie. Il<br />
a <st<strong>ro</strong>ng>in</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>itié un symposium annuel dédié à<br />
Mihai Em<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>in</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>escu et la publication d’une<br />
revue associée, Studii em<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>in</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>escologice/<br />
Études sur Em<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>in</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>escu. Il a aussi<br />
envisagé la publication d’une revue<br />
annuelle de littérature comparée (Acta<br />
Iassyensia Comparationis). Cependant,<br />
il a cont<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>in</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>ué à publier des traductions<br />
(Novalis, Tieck, Kleist), des essais de<br />
littérature comparée, des notes polémiques<br />
sur l’extrême d<strong>ro</strong>ite <strong>ro</strong>uma<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>in</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>e, des<br />
pièces de théâtre orig<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>in</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>ales. Il a été un<br />
modèle (peu populaire, hélas, parmi<br />
les Rouma<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>in</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>s !) de travail <st<strong>ro</strong>ng>in</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>tellectuel<br />
hardi et ple<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>in</st<strong>ro</strong>ng> de joie. Il nous a imposé<br />
un rythme d’étude soutenu. Et il nous<br />
« a contam<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>in</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>é » tous avec le « virus » Tieck.<br />
Selon toute apparence, le très<br />
exigeant P<strong>ro</strong>fesseur Ioan Constant<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>in</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>escu<br />
n’a pas eu de disciples favoris. Il n’a<br />
désigné aucun successeur. Mais, en<br />
enseignant la littérature comparée à<br />
Iassy aujourd’hui, nous sommes<br />
devenus les bénéficiaires d’un héritage<br />
extraord<st<strong>ro</strong>ng>in</st<strong>ro</strong>ng>aire, que l’emploi constant<br />
n’arrive pas à épuiser. C’est une chance<br />
p<strong>ro</strong>digieuse pour nous – et un énorme<br />
privilège, que l’on assume avec une<br />
reconnaissance p<strong>ro</strong>fonde.<br />
Mihaela Cernăuţi-Go<strong>ro</strong>deţchi