ION BARBU (1885-1961)

Mathematician and poet, Barbu was born in Câmpulung-Muscel. Unique son of of the magistrate C. Barbilian and of Smaranda. Elementary and gymnasial school in Darmanesti-Roman and Pitesti. At the highschool from Bucharest he is remarked by the teacher Gh. Titeica, at a Mathematical Gazette contest. From 1914 he is student in mathematics. After the licence in 1921 he get a scholarship in Germany. He is affirming as mathematician and become professor at the Bucharest University from 1942. His briliant mathematical vocation is concretised in 80 studies, appreciated in the country and abroad. With his real name are consacrated the so called "barbilian spaces" in geometry.

Dan Barbilian from the birth certificate is the same person with Ion Barbu, his literary pseudonym, name written in an honour place in the Romanian literature history.

As poet, he is debuting in Literatorul (1918). Colaborates at Sburatorul and E. Lovinescu tell about him the is a "new poet". Preocupated more about mathematics, he let us only a few literary works: Dupa melci (1921), Joc secund (1930), and after his death were published Ochean (1966), Pagini de proza (1968).

He dies in 1961, August 11, after a hepatic crisis. The next day, the willow tree from the front of his house (8, C. Davilla street), sung but the poet as a saint tree, is tumbled down by a storm. There, at the willow's roots, he have burriend his faithful dogs...

Last update: 1999, September 8
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