(1907-1986)
Mircea Eliade was an erudite in the comparative history of religions, novelist, essayist, philosopher. He was born in 1907, March 8, in Bucharest and had died in 1986, April 22, in Chicago - US. Mircea Eliade was a personality of mondial renown.
His father was Gh. Eliade an infantry capitain. Being a precocious child, he had made his debut at 13 years old, at the Popular Sciences Newspaper. He had spent his childhood in Ramnicu-Sarat, Cernavoda and Bucuresti. In his adolescence, being student at the 'Spiru Haret' highschool he had written articles and short stories. Mircea Eliade have had finished the Letters and Philosophy University in Bucharest, at 21 years old, and went to India, at Calcutta, studying the sanscrite and yoga with Dasgupta. He was living in the house of his teacher and he have falled in love with Maitreyi, the daughter of his host (life experience which will be reflected in his first novel.
He had returned in the country, after 3 years, and obtained his doctorate with a disertation about yoga. He was the universitary assistent of Nae Ionescu. In 1933 he had published the novel Maitreyi, which was a big succes (was awarded). He had a religions history course. Mircea Eliade had published the novels: Intoarcea din rai, Lumina ce se stinge, Domnisoara Christina, Nunta in cer, Secretul doctorului Honigberger and the story La tiganci.
In 1940 he was cultural attaché in London, and next in Lisbon. After the war he remained in exile in Paris and published his famous work Religions History Treatise (1949). From 1957, he had lived in Chicago where he was the head of the religions history department at the University. Begining with 1979 he had published his capital scientific work: The history of the religious believes and ideas, 3 volumes, for which the French state awarded him with the Honour Legion and the French Academy with Bordin Prize.
He had wrote over 40 scientific studies (translated in 16 languages) and 20 novels, stories and short stories.
