Benjamin Crémieux

Benjamin Crémieux (1888–1944) was a French author, critic and literary historian.

Dr Benjamin Crémieux
Born	1 December 1888 Narbonne, France
Died	14 April 1944 Buchenwald concentration camp, Germany
Education	Sorbonne, PhD, 1928
Occupation(s)	Writer, critic and historian

Early life

Crémieux was born to a Jewish family in Narbonne, France in 1888.[1] His family had long ties in the region, having 'settled in France as early as the 14th century'.[2]^:452

Military service

He fought in World War I during his obligatory military service in the French Army and was severely wounded during battle.[1][2]^:452 After the war he focused on studying Italian literature and history.[2]^:452

Career

Crémieux contributed to a variety of literary magazines and journals, including La Gazette du Franc,[3]^:270 and the influential literary journal Nouvelle Revue Française (NRF). He started writing for the NRF in 1920 and Jean Paulhan invited him to be a member of the journal's editorial committee as early as 1926.[4][5][6]^:22

In 1928 he defended his doctoral thesis Essai Sur l'évolution littéraire de l'Italie de 1870 á nos jours at the Sorbonne, which was published later that year.[7]^:41 He published one of his most important texts in 1931, Inquiétude et Reconstruction, which provided a survey of French literature since the turn of the century.[8]^:139

He also served in a variety of service roles. He was 'chief of the Italian bureau of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs'[7]^:41 and the permanent secretary of the French section of the PEN Club.[8]^:139

In 1940, Crémieux joined the French underground and became a leader of the Maquis.[1]

Death

In April 1943, two Gestapo agents detained Crémieux in Marseilles.[2]^:458 He was arrested, imprisoned, and deported to Nazi Germany, where, in April 1944 he was executed in the Buchenwald concentration camp.[2]^:458.

Legacy

Crémieux introduced a number of important literary figures to the French public through his translations, including Luigi Pirandello and Italo Svevo;[8]^:138 he was also an early champion of the works of Marcel Proust.[7]

References

1. "Benjamin Crémieux". www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org. Retrieved 2021-02-23.
2. Braun, Sidney D. 1987. "Benjamin Crémieux: Jew and Frenchman." Judaism 36 (4) (Fall): 451. ProQuest 1304358030.
3. Jannarone, Kimberly (2005). "The Theatre before Its Double: Artaud Directs in the Alfred Jarry Theatre". Theatre Survey. 46 (2): 247–273. doi:10.1017/S0040557405000153. ISSN 1475-4533. S2CID 194096618.
4. "Benjamin Crémieux - Site Gallimard". www.gallimard.fr. Retrieved 2021-02-25.
5. "En Toutes Lettres: Cent Ans de Littérature à La Nouvelle Revue Française". Paris Update. 2009-10-27. Retrieved 2021-02-23.
6. Cornick, Martyn (1995). Intellectuals in History: The Nouvelle Revue Française Under Jean Paulhan, 1925-1940. Rodopi. ISBN 978-90-5183-797-1.
7. Wellek, René (1955-01-01). A History of Modern Criticism, 1750-1950. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-05451-4.
8. Eustis, Alvin (1974). "Rivière's Crew: Crémieux, Fernandez, Arland". L'Esprit Créateur. 14 (2): 138–145. ISSN 0014-0767. JSTOR 26279754.