Alberto Masferrer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vicente Alberto Masferrer Mónico
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Alberto Masferrer
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| Born | Vicente Alberto Masferrer Mónico July 24, 1868 Alegría, Usulután, El Salvador |
| Died | 8 November 1932 (aged 64) Tegucigalpa, Honduras (disputed) |
| Occupation | Author, Editor, Diplomat, Professor, Deputy President, Teacher, Journalist, Publicist, Politician |
| Nationality | Salvadorean |
| Genre | Essayist and Philosopher |
| Literary movement | Vitalismo |
Vicente Alberto Masferrer Mónico, better known as Alberto Masferrer, was a famous writer, thinker, and journalist from El Salvador. He is most remembered for creating a special way of thinking called 'vitalismo'.
Alberto Masferrer was born in a town called Alegría, in Usulután, El Salvador, on July 24, 1868. He didn't go to a regular school for a long time. Instead, he said he learned a lot from "the university of life." He traveled to many places, including countries in Central America, Chile, New York, and parts of Europe.
During his life, he worked for the government of El Salvador as an ambassador in different countries. He also taught in many places. Later in his life, he had to leave El Salvador and go to Honduras because of political problems. He passed away in 1932. Many important Salvadoran writers and artists admired him.
Contents
Alberto Masferrer: A Salvadoran Thinker
Early Life and Education
Alberto Masferrer was born in a town in eastern El Salvador. This area was once home to the Pipil and Lenca people. The house where he was born is now a small museum.
Even though he didn't have a lot of formal schooling, Alberto loved to read and learn on his own. This passion for books led him to become a teacher. A famous writer named Arturo Ambrogi once said that Alberto was an amazing speaker.
His Important Career
As a Diplomat and Politician
Between 1928 and 1930, Alberto Masferrer started and managed a newspaper called Patria. This newspaper talked about social problems and asked for fairness for poor people in the country. He also worked for many other newspapers and magazines, both in El Salvador and other countries.
His political career began when he became a consul for El Salvador. A consul is like a representative for a country in another nation. He served in Argentina (1901), Chile (1902), Costa Rica (1907), and Belgium (1910). He also worked for the International Court of Justice and as an advisor for the Ministry of Education.
Masferrer believed in peaceful ways to fight for people's rights. He helped engineer Arturo Araujo become president in 1930. That same year, Masferrer was elected as a national deputy, which is like a member of parliament.
Later, a military leader named Maximiliano Hernández Martínez took over the government. Masferrer tried to stop the violence that happened a few months later. This violence was part of the 1932 Salvadoran peasant uprising. Thousands of people died, and Masferrer was forced to leave El Salvador and go to Honduras.
As a Teacher and Writer
Alberto Masferrer taught in several countries, including Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Chile, and Argentina. A famous poet, Claudia Lars, called him a "teacher and director of Crowds."
As a writer, Masferrer often wrote about social issues. He believed that every person should have basic rights. He used strong words to talk about human dignity and challenge unfair social rules. Sometimes, he used the pen name "Lutrin."
What Was Vitalismo?
Vitalismo was a special idea or way of thinking that Masferrer developed. He wrote about it in many of his essays, especially in one called "El mínimum vital."
This philosophy says that every person, no matter their background, should have the right to a basic good life. This means everyone should have fair chances for education, work, food, and a safe place to live. Through Vitalismo, Masferrer also believed in pacifism, which means solving problems without violence. He was inspired by leaders like Mahatma Gandhi. You can see the ideas of Vitalismo in many of Masferrer's writings, including his short novel Una vida en el cine.
Images for kids
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Masferrer at the Salvadoran Consulate General in Belgium.
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Portrait of Masferrer in the national library in San Salvador.
See also
In Spanish: Alberto Masferrer para niños
