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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	Writer, Critic

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

During his obligatory military service he served in the French Army.[1] He fought in World War I and was severely wounded during battle.[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 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 for 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

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