The Dissolution of the Criterion Association, 1934–1935: The Credinţa Scandal, Male Friendship, Sexuality and Freedom of the Press

Bejan, Cristina A.

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-20165-4_6

Cristina A. Bejan³

Part of the book series: Modernity, Memory and Identity in South-East Europe ((MOMEIDSEE))

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Abstract

Bejan offers a much-needed account of the disintegration and termination of the Criterion Association and publication. The popular explanation for Criterion’s end is the fermentation of extremist political allegiances. However, there is an additional explanation, which is difficult to find in the existing literature on Criterion. This is the scandal involving a Criterion event featuring the dancer Gabriel Negry, and the newspaper Credintṃa’s accusation that key Criterionists promoted homosexuality. The chapter also investigates the nature of male friendship in the period and how that could be interpreted as ‘homosexual.’ Criterion’s animator and Credintm․a’s main target, Comarnescu, had an ambiguous sexual life, and I explore the nature of his early pre-Criterion close friendship with Noica.

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Notes

1.
Ricketts, Mircea Eliade: The Romanian Roots. Vol. 1, 564. Eliade’s ideal of the ‘primacy of the spiritual’ was an ordering of priorities that minimized the role of political beliefs and activities.
2.
Ţurcanu, Mircea Eliade: Le prisonnier de l’histoire, 187.
3.
Ornea, The Romanian Extreme Right, 138.
4.
Mircea Eliade, ‘Momentul nespiritual,’ from the series ‘Scrisori către un provincial,’ published in Cuvântul, June 3, 1933. Quote translated by Laura Pavel and previously published in her article ‘Eliade and His Generation—Metaphysical Fervor and Tragic Destiny.’ Published in the series ‘Remembering Mircea Eliade,’ JSRI, No. 15 (Winter 2006): 5–19.
5.
Panaitescu, ‘Azi ne vorbeste: d. Eugen Ionescu.’ Facla, October 12, 1933, 2. Cited in Ricketts, Mircea Eliade: The Romanian Roots, Vol. I, 563–564.
6.
Ibid.
7.
Ornea, The Romanian Extreme Right, I slightly amended the above English translation, 138.
8.
MEAI, 285.
9.
Ibid., 284.
10.
Though united in their efforts to slander Criterion, these two men held diametrically opposed political positions and consequently had divergent fates. Stancu, a leftist, was a celebrated author under communism, whilst Tudor, a conservative, perished in Aiud prison, the same prison in which Vulcănescu died.
11.
BAR Ach. 17/2001 APPC. XV Varia 20, f. 63.
12.
Ibid., f. 36 and f. 39.
13.
Ibid., f. 27.
14.
MEAI, 149. Notably, Tudor adopted the name for a section of Credinţa.
15.
BAR Ach. 17/2001 APPC. XVIII Varia 16 ff. 18–19: ‘Activităţi pe care am vrut să anunţă la Forum, în ultimă şedinţa.’
16.
MEAI, 282.
17.
Credinţa, Year 1 No. 4, Decembrie 6, 1933, 4, advertised Criterion’s symposium on ‘Race.’ Credinţa printed a positive review of Vulcănescu’s article on ‘Generation’ in Criterion, the month after the dance recital, on November 29, 1934 written by ‘Tintar.’
18.
Credinţa, Year 2 No. 61, February 17, 1934, little announcement by ‘Tintar.’
19.
Credinţa, October 10, 1934, 4.
20.
Credinţa, November 23, 1934, 4.
21.
MEAI, 284.
22.
Ibid., 285.
23.
Ornea, The Romanian Extreme Right, 138.
24.
Zaharia Stancu, ‘Nu am fost la recitatul de dans al d-lui Gabriel Negry,’ Credinţa November 30, 1934, 4.
25.
Victor Medrea and Nicolae Roşu, ‘Într’o chestie de onoare.’ Credinţa. December 15, 1934, 4. The article also references two articles from Naţionalul Nou: ‘Nu-l înjuraţi pe d. Gabriel Negry’ (December 2, 1934) and ‘Tovărăşii literare şi artistice, năravuri şi moravuri’ (December 12, 1934) written by Zaharia Stancu.
26.
Ibid. Although Eliade claims it was Tell who challenged Sandu Tudor to a duel, MEAI, 284.
27.
Medrea and Roşu, ‘Într’o chestie de onoare.’
28.
Ibid.
29.
‘Mircea Vulcănescu, filosoful boxeur sau moralist bătut…’ Credinţa, December 15, 1934, 6.
30.
MEAI, 284.
31.
Sandu Tudor, ‘Generaţie Criterion,’ Credinţa, December 16, 1934, 3. It is notable that in his attack Tudor conflates the two labels: the Young Generation and the Criterion Association.
32.
Ibid.
33.
Victor Medrea, ‘Ofensiva invertiţilor,’ Credinţa, December 16, 1934, 3.
34.
Zaharia Stancu, ‘Onoarea dintre fese,’ Credinţa, December 16, 1934, 4.
35.
‘Încă unul din slechta invertiţilor sexual cari atacă o nouă agresiune, lamentabil eşuată, împotriva d-lui Sandu Tudor,’ Credinţa, December 16, 1934, 7.
36.
Ibid.
37.
Credinţa, Year 3, No. 359, February 17, 1935, 3–5, including ‘Un trezitor de conştiinte: profesorul Nae Ionescu,’ by Sandu Tudor; ‘Faust şi cultura românească,’ a fragment from Nae Ionescu’s lecture on metaphysics; ‘Prietenul tinerilor şi profesorul de tinereţe,’ by Cicerone Theodorescu, and ‘Gânduri pentru profesorul Nae Ionescu,’ by Petru Manoliu.
38.
‘Traficul de carne bărbatească din elita bucureşteană,’ Credinţa, January 9, 1935, 1.
39.
A photo of Negry with the title ‘Fesalina’ and a drawing of Comarnescu labeled ‘Hommo Curlandus’ appear in Credinţa, January 10, 1935, 1.
40.
‘De unde purcede,’ signed Credinţa. Credinţa, Year 3 No. 371, February 24, 1935, 3.
41.
‘Desgust!’ signed Credinţa, Credinţa, Year 3, No. 370, February 23, 1935, 3; ‘Astăzi începe procesul cavalerilor de Curlanda,’ Credinţa Year 3 No. 352, January 10, 1935, in the ‘Traficul de carne bărbatească’ series, 1, and continued on 4-a.
42.
X.Y.Z., ‘Senatus consultus şi mafia Petru Comarnitki,’ Credinţa, Year 3 No. 364, February 16, 1935, 5.
43.
Sandu Tudor, ‘Şarpele depravării,’ Credinţa Year 3 No. 346, January 26, 1935.
44.
‘Astăzi începe procesul cavalerilor de Curlanda,’ 4-a.
45.
MEAI, 284.
46.
Ornea, The Romanian Extreme Right, 139.
47.
Sandu Tudor, ‘Despre Sodomie 1 Prolog,’ Credinţa, Year 3, No. 352, January 9, 1935, 3.
48.
Sandu Tudor, ‘Despre Sodomie II Făţărnicia Cavalerilor’ Credinţa Year 3 No. 333, January 10, 1935, 3.
49.
Ibid.
50.
Sandu Tudor, ‘Despre Sodomie III Istoric şi diagnostic criterionist,’ Credinţa, Year 3 No. 334, January 11, 1935, 3.
51.
‘Astăzi începe procesul cavalerilor de Curlanda,’ 1.
52.
‘Pentru lamurirea “nelămuriţilor” în cazul Petru Comarnitki’ Credinţa, Year 3 No. 344, January 25, 1935, 5.
53.
Ibid.
54.
Sandu Tudor, ‘Viaţa intimă şi viaţa publică,’ Credinţa, Year 3 No. 343, January 22, 1935, 2.
55.
‘Cuibul de carne bărbatească: Petru Comarnescu,’ Credinţa, Year 3 No. 337, January 15, 1935, 5.
56.
‘Viaţa romantaţă a spătarului Petru Komarnitki,’ Credinţa, Year 3 No. 343, January 22, 1935, 2. Appeared in the ‘Traficul de carne bărbatească’ series.
57.
Teodor Răşcanu, ‘Cine a fost Kiril Komarnitzky,’ Credinţa, Year 3 No. 355, February 6, 1935, 3.
58.
Ibid.
59.
‘In atentia d-lui ministru al Artelor şi a d-lui Ion Marin Sadoveanu,’ Credinţa, Year 3, No. 340, January 29, 1935, 7 (under new heading ‘Presa despre Cavalerii de Curlanda’).
60.
‘De Unde Percede,’ signed Credinţa, Credinţa, Year 3 No. 371, February 24, 1934, 3.
61.
Sandu Tudor, ‘Şarpele depravării,’ 3.
62.
‘Mafia Homosexualilor: Arhim Şeriban; Petru Comarnescu, Alexandru Christian Tell şi Mircea Vulcănescu,’ signed X.Y.Z., Credinţa, Year 3, No. 346, January 26, 1935, 5.
63.
Ibid.
64.
‘Mârşava înscenare contra d-lui Sandu Tudor,’ Credinţa, Year 3 No. 372, February 26, 1935, 1.
65.
Zaharia Stancu, ‘Politicianii, invertiţii, samsarii şi presa liberă,’ Credinţa, Year 3, No. 371. February 24, 1935, 3.
66.
Al. Predescu, ‘Reprezentanţi de Generaţie?’ Credinţa, January 30, 1935, 7, in same series ‘Presa despre “Cavalerii de Curlanda.”’
67.
Ibid.
68.
‘Împotriva presei pornografice,’ Universul, Year 52 No. 44, February 14, 1935, 10.
69.
‘Împotriva presei deşănţate şi pornografice,’ Universul, Year 52 No. 46, February 16, 1935.
70.
‘Numerus Clausus,’ Acţiunea Studenţească, Year 2 No. 2, February 10, 1935, 3.
71.
Actiunea Studentească, Year 2 No. 1, January 21, 1935, 1 and 4.
72.
Badea Slatioreanu, ‘Greşala Credinţei,’ Acţiunea Studenţească, Year 2 No. 2, February 10, 1935, 2 continued on 4.
73.
Vasile Daia, ‘Salvaţi morală! Domnilor,’ Acţiunea Studenţească, Year 2 No. 2, February 10, 1935, 2.
74.
Alexandru Olteanu. ‘Ajunge! Domnule, Sandu Tudor,’ Acţiunea Studenţească, Year 2 No. 2, February 10, 1935, 3.
75.
‘Infamii,’ Acţiunea Studenţească, Year 2 No. 1, January 21, 1935, 2.
76.
‘Şantajul ziarului “Credinţa,”’ Universul, Year 52 No. 53, February 23, 1935, 11.
77.
Universul, No. 68, March 10, 1935, 2.
78.
Zaharia Stancu, ‘Cavalerii, justiţia şi puterile nevăzute,’ Credinţa, Year 3 No. 340, January 29, 1935.
79.
‘Procesul “Credinţei” se judecă la tribunal,’ Universul Year 52 No. 150, June 3, 1935, 10.
80.
MEAI, 284.
81.
‘Cunoscutul Cavaler…’ Credinţa, Year 3 No. 462, June 19, 1935, 1.
82.
Monica Grosu, Petru Comarnescu: un neliniştit în secolul său.
83.
Şuluţiu, Jurnal, 260. October 20, 1934.
84.
Quoted in Arthur N. Gilbert ‘Conceptions of Homosexuality and Sodomy in Western History.’ Historical Perspectives on Homosexuality. Salvatore J. Licata and Robert Petersen, eds., 61.
85.
Ibid., 61.
86.
Ibid., 58.
87.
Klaus Theweleit, Male Fantasies, Vol. 1, 56.
88.
Jonathan Ned Katz, Love Stories: Sex Between Men before Homosexuality, 8.
89.
Gilbert, ‘Conceptions of Homosexuality and Sodomy in Western History,’ 58.
90.
MEAI, 265.
91.
Sarah Cole, Modernism, Male Friendship and the First World War, 1–5.
92.
Eliade wrote that Sebastian could only forgive them if the dynamic could remain the same between him, Eliade and Nina, once his relationship with her had been made official. MEAI, 243.
93.
Rüdiger Lautmann, ‘The Pink Triangle: The Persecution of Homosexual Males in Concentration Camps in Nazi Germany,’ Historical Perspectives on Homosexuality, Salvatore J. Licata and Robert Petersen, eds., 143.
94.
Ibid., 141.
95.
Monica Macovei and Adrian Coman, ‘Implications of HIV/AIDS of Laws Affecting Men who have Sex with Men in Romania.’ Research paper conducted for ACCEPT Bucharest Acceptance Group.
96.
Ibid.
97.
Grosu does not devote sufficient attention to Comarnescu’s sexuality in Petru Comarnescu: un neliniştit în secolul său.
98.
BAR Ach. 17/2001 APPC.MAPA 1, Manuscript 5a. f. 35; Manuscript 6a. f. 43. Manuscript 8.
99.
PCJ, 154–155.
100.
BAR Ach. 17/2001 APPC. Mapa II Ms. 3 ‘Jurnal,’ 1937, January 4–September 26, 1937, ff. 28–29. Published in PCJ, 181.
101.
Ibid., f. 30. September 6, 1937, in Cannes: ‘I flirted a lot with an Austrian lady, a French woman, but nothing. I got to know, at the same time, an extremely intelligent Estonian with whom I had a very instructive conversation.’ Published in PCJ, 182–183.
102.
BAR Ach. 17/2001 APPC. Arch. I.; MS. 9a) original red 1929 agenda, 9b) typed, citations from 9b) f. 32; June 16, 1929.
103.
Sorin Lavric, Noica şi Mişcarea Legionară, 63–66.
104.
BAR Ach. 17/2001 APPC. Arch. I.; MS. 9b. f. 12, March 9, 1929.
105.
Ibid., f. 13. The book referenced is Iosif Westfried Instinctul sexual (1928) had a substantial preface written by Freud; Comarnescu notes he thought of Noica in particular whilst reading pages 4–8.
106.
BAR Ach. 17/2001 APPC. Arch. I.; MS. 9b. f. 20. April 10, 1929.
107.
Ibid., f. 27. June 19, 1929.
108.
Ibid., f. 37. June 30, 1929.
109.
Ibid., f. 35. June 20, 1929.
110.
Ibid., f. 35. June 20, 1929.
111.
Ibid., f. 41.
112.
Ibid., f. 41. July 17, 1929.
113.
Ibid., f. 36.
114.
Ibid., f. 35. June 20, 1929.
115.
Ibid., f. 37. June 29, 1929.
116.
Ibid., f. 40. July 11, 1929.
117.
Ibid., f. 42. July 20, 1929.
118.
Ibid., July 23, 1929.
119.
Ibid., f. 43. July 25, 1929.
120.
Ibid., July 27, 1929.
121.
Ibid., f. 44. July 29, 1929.
122.
Ibid., July 30, 1929.
123.
Ibid., f. 49. August 18, 1929.
124.
Ibid., f. 51. August 16, 1929.
125.
BAR Ach. 17/2001 APPC. I. Ms. 11 (a–c) ‘Jurnal’ 1931, f. 180. December 9, 1931.
126.
Ibid., f. 183. December 23, 1931.
127.
Ibid., f. 184. December 25, 1931.
128.
Ibid., f. 185. December 27, 1931.
129.
PCJ, 65–68.
130.
Şuluţiu, Jurnal, 238. September 8, 1932.
131.
BAR Ach. 17/2001 APPC. MAPA II Ms 12 ‘Jurnal’ 1948, f. 13.
132.
For proof of Comarnescu’s collaboration with the Securitate see excerpts from his CNSAS file published in Lucian Boia Dosarele Secrete ale Agentului Anton: Petru Comarnescu în Arhivele Securităţii.
133.
Macovei and Coman: ‘The 1969 Penal Code imposed a complete ban on homosexual activity, whether or not it might involve “public scandal.”’ According to Article 200, any ‘sexual relations between persons of the same sex’ were punishable by up to five years’ imprisonment, even if they took place in private between consenting adults. From then on, same sex relations took place in circumstances of secrecy, fear and mistrust.’ This law was revoked in 2005, due to pressure from the European Union, which Romania joined in 2007.
134.
MEAI, 26.
135.
Ibid., 27.
136.
MSJ, 21. September 7, 1935.
137.
Danovski. ‘Vivat Profesores!—Through the Looking Glass of Time.’
138.
Universul, Year 52 No. 53, February 23, 1935, 11.
139.
‘Libertatea presei,’ Universul, Year 52 No. 44, February 14, 1935.
140.
Mircea Popa, ‘Geo Bogza, insurgentul,’ Familia, Vol. 5, Nos. 11–12 (480–481), November–December 2005.
141.
AMNLR, Mihail Sebastian correspondence, Letters to Camil Baltazar. 101/III/10, 192/1+2 + envelope, Paris, November 12, 1930 ‘Am cetit din Montaigne şi m’am dus la curve.’ Hortensia Papadat-Bengescu, et al. Scrisori către Camil Baltazar, 129.
142.
MEAI, 284–285.

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Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
Cristina A. Bejan

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Bejan, C.A. (2019). The Dissolution of the Criterion Association, 1934–1935: The Credinţa Scandal, Male Friendship, Sexuality and Freedom of the Press. In: Intellectuals and Fascism in Interwar Romania. Modernity, Memory and Identity in South-East Europe. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-20165-4_6

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Published: 24 August 2019
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