Octavian Goga

Octavian Goga ( born April 1, 1881 in Răşinari; † May 7, 1938 in Ciucea ) was a Romanian poet, playwright, pro- Nazi and anti-Semitic politician and Prime Minister of the country.

He was born in Transylvania and was an ardent patriot and nationalist Romanian. Since the connection of Transylvania to Romania, he was several times minister in various Conservative governments. In December 1937, he became Prime Minister. He is regarded as the first Romanian statesman who came to power thanks to a blatant anti-Semitic policies. The resolutions adopted by its government laws in 1938 took third Romanians of Jewish origin civil rights. Although Goga was released after only 40 days of Charles II, but remained the anti-Semitic laws in force.

Goga was a Freemason; he tried in 1929 to establish a Christian- Masonic block within the Romanian Freemasonry on the German model. Today's Masonic Lodge in Sibiu / Hermannstadt named Octavian Goga.

As a poet Goga was socially engaged and used an archaic language with many dialectal expressions. He presented the rural life of Romanian peasants in Transylvania in the center of his poetry. His poetry was well received by his contemporaries, some of his poems were even folk songs. Even in communist Romania after 1947, the enthusiasm for Gogas seal was not extinguished: it published several editions of his works, and numerous monographs. Although anti-Semitism in its policy is clear, nevertheless, this is not reflected in his works. His poetry is still highly valued today in Romania.

Octavian Goga had numerous works of prominent Hungarian writers such as Endre Ady (with whom he also was a close friend in person), Sándor Petőfi and Imre Madách translated into Romanian.

Works

• Poezii, Budapest 1905
• Ne cheamă pămîntul ( The Earth is calling us ), Bucharest 1911
• Opere ( Collected Works ), 1-2, Bucharest 1967
• Translation into German: The Sound of Music. Selected Poems ( Translator's FJ Bulhardt ), Bucharest 1988