{{Short description| Romanian journalist, novelist, and children's writer (1892–1968)}} {{more citations needed|date=January 2021}} {{Infobox writer | embed = | honorific_prefix = | name = Cezar Petrescu | honorific_suffix = | image = Cezar Petrescu.jpg | image_size = | image_upright = | alt = | caption = Petrescu in June 1956 | native_name = | native_name_lang = | pseudonym = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1892|12|01}} | birth_place = [[Cotnari|Hodora]], [[Iași County]], [[Kingdom of Romania]] | death_date = {{Death date and age|1961|03|09|1892|12|01}} | death_place = [[Bucharest]], [[Socialist Republic of Romania|Romanian People's Republic]] | resting_place = [[Bellu Cemetery]], Bucharest | occupation = journalist, novelist, children's writer | language = [[Romanian language|Romanian]] | nationality = | citizenship = | education = | alma_mater = [[Alexandru Ioan Cuza University]] | period = | genre = | subject = | movement = | notable_works = | spouse = | partner = | children = | relatives = | awards = | signature = Cezar Petrescu's signature.svg | signature_alt = | years_active = | module = | website = | portaldisp = }} '''Cezar Petrescu''' ({{IPA|ro|ˈt͡ʃezar peˈtresku}}; December 1, 1892 – March 9, 1961) was a [[Romania]]n journalist, [[novelist]], and [[children's literature|children's writer]].
He was born in [[Cotnari|Hodora]], [[Iași County]], the son of Dimitrie Petrescu, an engineer and a teacher. After attending elementary school in his native village, he pursued his studies at high schools in [[Roman-Vodă National College|Roman]] and [[Iași]]. From 1911 he attended the Faculty of Law at the [[Alexandru Ioan Cuza University|University of Iași]], graduating in 1915.
Petrescu was inspired by the works of [[Honoré de Balzac]], attempting to write a Romanian [[Literature cycle|novel cycle]] that would mirror Balzac's ''[[La Comédie humaine]]''. He was also under the influence of the ''[[Sămănătorul]]'' critique of Romanian society.
As a journalist, Petrescu made himself known as one of the editors of the [[magazine]] ''[[Gândirea]]'', alongside [[Nichifor Crainic]] and [[Lucian Blaga]]. For a long time, he was a member of the [[National Peasants' Party]], and wrote extensively for its press, especially for ''[[Aurora (newspaper)|Aurora]]''.
His major work consists of novels such as ''Întunecare'' ("Darkening"; 1928), ''Calea Victoriei'' (the name of a [[Bucharest]] avenue; 1930), ''Dumenica orbului'' ("The Blind Man's Sunday"; 1934), and ''Noi vrem pământ'' ("We Demand Land"; 1938).
Despite having directed the newspaper ''România'', the organ of king Carol II's personal regime (1938-1940), and justified the antisemitic by-laws and laws of June-August 1940, Petrescu became a member of the [[Romanian Academy|Academy]] of the [[Socialist Republic of Romania|Romanian People's Republic]] in 1955.<ref>Philippe Henri Blasen: La «primauté de la nation roumaine» et les «étrangers» (Cluj-Napoca: Casa Cărții de Știință, 2022), 212</ref>
Notwithstanding his prolific output as a novelist, Petrescu is mostly remembered for his children's book ''Fram, ursul polar'' ("[[Fram, the polar bear]]"—the circus animal character was named after ''[[:ro:Fram, ursul polar|Fram]]'', the ship used by [[Fridtjof Nansen]] on his expeditions).
He died in [[Bucharest]] in 1961, and is buried in the city's [[Bellu Cemetery]].
[[File:Muzeul Cezar Petrescu.jpg|thumb|The Cezar Petrescu Museum in [[Bușteni]]]] In 1967, a memorial museum was created in [[Bușteni]], in the mansion Petrescu acquired in 1937, and lived in until 1960.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.histmuseumph.ro/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=58&Itemid=71|language=ro|title=Muzeul Memorial "Cezar Petrescu" Bușteni|date=July 11, 2010|website=histmuseumph.ro|access-date=December 1, 2020}}</ref> Streets are named after him in [[Brăila]], Bucharest, Bușteni, [[Cluj-Napoca]], [[Dumbrăvița, Timiș|Dumbrăvița]], [[Iași]], [[Mangalia]], [[Bârnova|Păun]], [[Roman, Romania|Roman]], and [[Târgu Jiu]].
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Portal |Children's literature}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Petrescu, Cezar}} [[Category:Gândirea]] [[Category:National Peasants' Party politicians]] [[Category:People from Iași County]] [[Category:Romanian children's writers]] [[Category:Romanian magazine editors]] [[Category:Romanian magazine founders]] [[Category:Romanian newspaper editors]] [[Category:Romanian newspaper founders]] [[Category:Romanian male novelists]] [[Category:Titular members of the Romanian Academy]] [[Category:Burials at Bellu Cemetery]] [[Category:1892 births]] [[Category:1961 deaths]] [[Category:20th-century Romanian novelists]] [[Category:20th-century Romanian male writers]] [[Category:Alexandru Ioan Cuza University alumni]] [[Category:20th-century Romanian journalists]] [[Category:20th-century Romanian male journalists]]