Adolf Edmund George de Herz, commonly shortened to A. de Herz, also rendered as Hertz and Herț (December 15, 1887 – March 9, 1936), was a Romanian playwright and literary journalist, also active as a poet, short story author, and stage actor. He was the scion of an upper-class assimilated Jewish family, with its roots in Austria-Hungary. His grandfather, Adolf Sr, was a controversial banker and venture capitalist, while his father, Edgar von Herz, was noted as a translator of Romanian literature. Adolf had a privileged childhood and debuted as a poet while still in high school, producing the lyrics to a hit romance. In his early work for the stage, Herz was a traditionalist inspired by Alexandru Davila and the Sămănătorul school, but later veered toward neoclassical literature and aestheticism. His "salon comedies", staged by the National Theater Bucharest, borrowed from various authors, including Roberto Bracco, Henri Lavedan, and Haralamb Lecca, peaking in popularity in 1913, with Păianjenul ("The Spider"). By the start of World War I, Herz was also a writer of revues.
Controversy followed Herz during the early 1910s, when his writing raised suspicions of plagiarism. A vaster controversy came with Romania's participation in the war, when Herz became noted as a supporter of the Central Powers. He remained in German-occupied territory, putting out the daily paper Scena, which became a leading voice of Romanian "Germanophilia", but was also a pioneering contribution to cultural journalism. He was arrested by returning loyalists during late 1918, and sent to Văcărești Prison, where he served alongside Ioan Slavici and I. C. Frimu. Herz was finally acquitted in March 1919; the controversy nevertheless survived, also leading to authorship disputes with a former friend, Ioan Alexandru Brătescu-Voinești, and provoking the enmity of writers Liviu Rebreanu and George Ranetti.
The financially insecure Herz continued to publish plays and translations, embarking on a lasting collaboration with Constantin Tănase, and writing a revue for Josephine Baker. Starring in his own plays, he also served for a while as editor of a cultural supplement, Adevărul Literar și Artistic, then briefly as head of Dimineața daily and as interviewer for the Radio Company. Herz oversaw the directorial debut of Sică Alexandrescu, who became his production and writing partner in the 1930s; he also ensured Zaharia Stancu's literary breakthrough, and his own daughter Kuki's debut in acting. Eventually, Herz accepted appointment as chair of the National Theater Craiova in 1930, while continuing to work in other fields, and debuting as a talking-picture screenwriter.
Toppled by actors' protests and political intrigues in 1935, Herz was increasingly disfavored by critics, who discussed his creative decline into a formulaic craft. He died early the following year, after a battle with diabetes and an illness of the lungs. By then, his Jewish origin had stirred an additional controversy, which was prolonged with the adoption of antisemitic policies during most of World War II—although his plays continued to be produced by Alexandrescu and others. The communist regime was similarly adverse to the "bourgeois" work produced by Herz, though a selective recovery was allowed beginning in the late 1960s; this trend was opposed by various critics, who suggested that Herz was no longer culturally relevant.
Biography Early life Born in Bucharest, capital of the Romanian Kingdom, his parents were Edgar von Herz (or Edgard de Hertz) and his wife Maria (née Kereszteyi).Mircea Popa, "Herz, A[dolf] de", in Aurel Sasu (ed.), Dicționarul biografic al literaturii române, Vol. I, pp. 721-722. Pitești: Editura Paralela 45, 2004. Radu A. Sterescu, "De vorbă cu doamna Lilly A. de Herz", in Universul Literar, Issue 4/1939, p. 8 On his paternal side, he belonged to Austrian nobility, and had links with the Duchy of Bukovina: his grandfather, Baron Adolf von Herz, was president of the imperial railway connecting Lemberg to Iași; he married a Maria Moreau.Călinescu, p. 1018 The Baron, a man of Austrian Jewish extraction,Constantin D. Aricescu, Dialogŭ politicŭ intre D-nu Alexandru N... și D-nu Generalŭ Tell. Bucharest: Typogaphia Naționale, 1875Corneliu Șenchea, "Nopți albe în saloanele Bucureștiului (II)", in Istorie și Civilizație, Issue 15, December 2010, p. 73 was living in Vienna in 1850, when he patented his design for a sugar refinery."Verzeichniß der von dem Handlsministerium am 5 Juli 1850 verliehenen ausschließenden Privilegien", in Amsblatt zur Laibacher Zeitung, Issue 191/1850, p. 1 Attested as having relocated to the Free City of Frankfurt by 1858, he helped build the Lemberg–Iași railway with support from Thomas Brassey, but only after relocating again, to Bucharest.Arthur Helps, Life and Labors of Thomas Brassey, pp. 140–145. London: George Bell & Sons, 1888 His investment portfolio included, in 1865, a "Bank of Romania", which was the first modern credit institution of the United Principalities.Ștefan Ionescu, "Considerații privind dezvoltarea industrială a orașului București în a doua jumătate a sec. al XIX-lea", in București. Materiale de Istorie și Muzeografie, Vol. V, 1967, p. 105; Zane, p. 396 After this was closed following political disputes, the Baron remained active as the representative of North British and Mercantile Insurance, and also involved himself in projects for setting up agricultural banks.Zane, pp. 378–379, 394, 396 He later reestablished the larger bank and became its general manager, investing heavily in the State Tobacco Monopoly, before ultimately resigning in 1876.Alexandre Kostov, "Banques et banquiers en Roumanie en 1876 (d'apres une enquête du 'Crédit Lyonnais')", in Revue des Études Sud-Est Européennes, Vols. XXXVII–XXXVIII, 1999–2000, pp. 141–142 By then, his alleged bribery of Finance Minister Petre Mavrogheni had become a public scandal."Foisior'a. Processulu Offenheim", in Federatiunea, Issues 5–6/1875, p. 17; Alexandru Ionicescu, "Petre Mavrogheni's Resignation from the Lascăr Catargiu Government (1875)", in Journal of Humanities, Culture and Social Sciences, Vol. 3, Issue 1, 2016, pp. 86–87, 89–90 He died in August 1881, at Bad Gastein."Le monde et la ville", in Le Gaulois, August 20, 1881, p. 1
The Herzes were Roman Catholics, but, according to historian Lucian Boia, "perfectly assimilated into Romanian culture."Boia, p. 235 The playwright's father was a high-level bank clerk, and the son experienced a privileged childhood at Romania's royal court, which granted him its privilege for many years.Eftimiu, p. 60Eugen Simion (ed.), Dicționarul general al literaturii române, Vol. 6, p. 500. Bucharest: Univers Enciclopedic, 2007. In addition to his business profile, Edgar had musical and literary interests. In 1878, he was a pianist, performing alongside Eduard Hübsch at the Romanian Atheneum."Sale de L'Athénée. Jeudi le 27 Avril de 1878. Concert donné par E. A. Hubsch avec le concurs bienveillant de M-lle Mora, M-rs Edgard de Herz, Milde, Paschill et Weinetter", in Timpul, April 26, 1878, p. 3 Edgar also translated into German the play Fântâna Blanduziei, by Vasile Alecsandri (1885), and the poem Luceafărul, by Mihai Eminescu (1893).Teodorescu et al., p. 620. See also "Salon. Literatură și arte", in Familia, Issue 29/1885, p. 29; Lucian Chișu, "Eminescu tradus", in Caiete Critice, Issue 1/2010, p. 55; Eftimiu, p. 60 Adolf Sr's other son, Edmond, was a former officer in the Austrian Army; he had married Iza, daughter of Prince Dimitrie Ghica,Constantin Bacalbașa, Bucureștii de altă dată, Vol. III, p. 122. Bucharest: Universul, 1936 who reportedly frowned upon his in-laws' Jewishness. Iza (born Maria Ghica) was a published essayist,Teodorescu et al., pp. 467, 620 and some sources credit her as Herz's mother.Radu Gyr, "A. de Herz, întâiul meu dascăl de versuri", in Universul Literar, Issue 34/1939, pp. 1, 6 The couple in fact had a daughter, also named Maria."Mai nou", in România Liberă, April 13 (25), 1886, p. 3
As Herz himself recalled later in life, he was "born an actor", and from age six or seven regularly attended premieres and then, upon returning home, improvised scenes for his family.Mircea Ștefănescu, "A. de Herz (1887–1936)", in România Literară, Issue 11/1976, p. 16 Herz's primary schooling consisted of private lessons; "Herz, Adolf de", at the Alexandru and Aristia Aman County Library he attended Gheorghe Lazăr High School in his native city. Critic Barbu Lăzăreanu reports that, during recess here, he tried out his talents as a comedian, and became "the unparalleled mime".Barbu Lăzăreanu, "De toate. Debutul lui A. de Herz. Câteva volume cu autografe și caetul unui adolescent", in Dimineața, April 12, 1936, p. 24 A colleague of Herz's, the future theater chronicler Paul I. Prodan, notes that he was a sentimental figure, who lamented the fate of snowmen used by other students for snowball target practice.Paul I. Prodan, "Cronica teatrală. Teatrul Național – Omul de zăpadă comedie în trei acte de d. A. de Herz", in Viitorul, December 24, 1927, p. 1 He began literary activity with sonnets, odes, romances and fables—recorded in a notebook covering the years 1901–1903, and discovered only after his death. Lăzăreanu, who read it, notes that it owed inspiration to Alecsandri and Eminescu; it also contained pastiches from Alfred de Musset and Alexandre Dumas fils. In November 1901, he was a guest of Queen Elisabeth, to whom he recited one of his poems. He later reviewed this work of his as "very bad".
For two years, Herz was enrolled at the military school in Iași; he was colleagues with two future generals, Traian Eremia Grigorescu and Gabriel Marinescu.Berariu, p. 3 He disliked the atmosphere and rebelled, writing poetry on the dormitory walls. He was also reportedly a student of Mihai Viteazul National College, during which time he wrote new poetry, as well as drama, using the pen name Dinu Ramură. Around 1904, at age 17, Herz went public with De ziua nunții tale-ți scriu ("I Write This on Your Wedding Day"), which became a highly popular romance. According to theatrical folklore, the piece was about Herz's unrequited love for actress Agepsina Macri, who married dramatist Victor Eftimiu.Aurel Baranga, "Memoriile mele. Jurnal de atelier (VI)", in Flacăra, Vol. XXVI, Issue 28, July 1977, p. 18
After completing high school in 1907, Herz entered the literature and philosophy faculty of the University of Bucharest, where he was a good student and drew favorable notice from professors such as Titu Maiorescu, Mihail Dragomirescu and Pompiliu Eliade. His verses first appeared in print in 1906, hosted by Luceafărul, followed by similar pieces in Sămănătorul and Vieața Nouă. Critic Nicolae Iorga mentioned a characteristic poem about Iliaș Rareș, signed as Dinu Ramură and composed in "monotonous alexandrines".Iorga, pp. 156–157, 201 These and other early experiments in verse drama were heavily inspired by the writings of Alexandru Davila, to the point of imitation.Dragomirescu, p. 78; Eftimiu, p. 61; Lovinescu, p. 295 According to Dragomirescu, they provide the only sample of a traditionalist theater in line with Sămănătorul commands, but are lacking in dramatic effect: Herz's "pitiful" contributions had not preserved classical unities.Dragomirescu, pp. 78–79 Despite such reviews, the works made Herz a respected figure at his school, and provoked his jealous classmate, Alexandru Kirițescu, to begin his own literary career—initially, much less successfully.Grigore Constantinescu, "Jurnalul Artelor. Centenar Kirițescu", in Argeș, Vol. XXII, Issue 4, April 1988, p. 12