Zamfir Arbore facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Zamfir Arbore
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Arbore's portrait, painted by his daughter Nina, ca. 1914
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| Born | November 14, 1848 Chernowitz, Duchy of Bukovina, Austrian Empire
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| Died | April 2, 1933 (aged 84) |
| Other names | Zamfir Arbure, Zemphiri Ralli, Z. K. Ralli, Aivaza |
| Academic background | |
| Influences | Mikhail Bakunin, Karl Marx, Élisée Reclus |
| Academic work | |
| Era | 19th and 20th centuries |
| School or tradition | Anarchist, Narodnik, Socialist |
| Main interests | ethography, sociology, social geography, economic geography, political geography, philology, popular history, Slavic studies |
| Notable works | Basarabia în secolul XIX (1898) Dicționar geografic al Basarabiei (1904) |
Zamfir Constantin Arbore (born Zamfir Ralli, November 14, 1848 – April 2 or April 3, 1933) was an important Romanian political activist. He was born in Bukovina and first became active in the Russian Empire. Arbore was also known for his work as a historian, geographer, and expert on cultures (ethnographer).
He started in left-wing politics very early in life. He learned a lot about the Russian revolutionary world. He was part of groups that wanted big changes, including those called "nihilists" and "Narodniks." He later moved to Switzerland and joined the International Workingmen's Association. Arbore was mostly known as an international anarchist and a follower of Mikhail Bakunin. However, he eventually started his own group, the Revolutionary Community. He then became close to the anarchist geographer Élisée Reclus, who became his new guide.
Arbore settled in Romania after 1877. He stopped being an anarchist and focused on the more peaceful idea of socialism. He also fought against the Russian government, especially for the freedom of the Bessarabia region. His family had strong ties to Bessarabia. He supported the Russian Revolution of 1905 from outside Romania. During this time, he and Petru Cazacu started the Basarabia newspaper in Switzerland. Arbore had also become a respected scholar with his detailed books on Bessarabian geography. As a journalist, he made friends with socialist and National Liberal politicians. He was also a friend of the famous poet Mihai Eminescu in the 1880s. In the 1890s, he worked closely with writer Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu.
During World War I, Zamfir Arbore caused some debate. He supported Romania joining forces with the Central Powers. He believed this would help free Bessarabia. Even though he welcomed the October Revolution, Arbore was still part of the political scene in Greater Romania. He served two terms in the Senate. Before he died in 1933, he became involved in farming (agrarian) and cooperative politics. He was a member of the Peasants' Party and later the People's Party. Arbore had two daughters who became famous: Ecaterina was a communist politician and doctor, and Nina was a modern artist.
Contents
Zamfir Arbore's Early Life
Family Background and Name
Zamfir Ralli came from a noble family (boyars) in Moldavia. His grandfather, Zamfirache Ralli, was a Greek merchant who became a noble. He married into a local Romanian family. Zamfir's mother was Ukrainian. Even though he had a mixed background, Zamfir always felt strongly about his Romanian roots. He changed his birth name to Arbore because he believed his Romanian ancestors had inherited this name and noble status from an old family called Arbore.
His family claimed to be related to Luca Arbore, a military leader from the late 1400s. This also meant Zamfir was a distant relative of some Romanian socialists. However, historians today are not sure how true this family claim is. Some say it was a way for him to connect with different national groups.
Childhood and Education
Arbore was born in Chernivtsi (Cernăuți), which was then part of the Austrian Empire. He later moved to Bessarabia, which was ruled by Russia. He went to school in Chișinău and then in Mykolaiv.
During his youth, Arbore-Ralli studied medicine in Moscow and Saint Petersburg. But he spent more time with revolutionary groups. These groups wanted to overthrow the Russian government. He joined the Narodnik movement, which linked the fight for national freedom with the cause of farmers. He is believed to have known the famous Narodnik leader Alexander Herzen.
Life as a Revolutionary
Exile in Switzerland
Because of his revolutionary activities, the Russian authorities noticed Zamfir. He was involved in a nihilist plot in 1869. He couldn't finish his studies and was arrested. He later said he was a political prisoner in the Peter and Paul Fortress and in Siberia.
Eventually, he escaped to Switzerland. There, he met important anarchist leaders like Mikhail Bakunin and Élisée Reclus. Arbore and Reclus wrote to each other often, sharing an interest in how society and geography are connected. He also met other anarchists like Peter Kropotkin. Arbore was one of the few Romanians to join the International Workingmen's Association, which brought together different socialist and anarchist groups in Europe. He was also active in Bakunin's Revolutionary Brotherhood.
Arbore joined an anarchist group called the Jura federation. He also became a Freemason in 1872. He disagreed with how Bakunin was treated at a big meeting of the First International. Arbore also helped write a German pamphlet about Bakunin's views on another revolutionary, Sergey Nechayev. He worked with Bakunin and Errico Malatesta to stir up anarchist ideas in Spain in the 1870s. However, their plans for a new revolution didn't work. Over time, Arbore and Bakunin grew apart. Arbore and his friends formed their own group, the Revolutionary Community.
Publishing and Family in Switzerland
Arbore moved from Zürich to Geneva. He was known as Ralli and ran a socialist publishing house. Through this, he helped spread anarchist ideas and published his own history of the Paris Commune. In 1875, he helped start a Russian-language newspaper called Rabotnik ("The Worker") in Geneva. One of his colleagues there said Arbore was good at editing news from Russia to make it sound more dramatic and fit their political goals. In 1875, he also wrote an anarchist book and an appeal to Ukrainian farmers.
His time in Switzerland was also when he started his family. He married Ecaterina Hardina, whose dowry helped him with his publishing work. His first daughter, Ecaterina, who later became a communist politician and doctor, was born in 1873. His son, Dumitru, was born in 1877.
Settling in Romania
Return to Bucharest
Zamfir Arbore first visited Romania in 1873. He met young socialists in Iași and later in Bucharest. He sent them books by Karl Marx and other thinkers. He also became friends with other Russian socialists who had moved to Bucharest, like Constantin Dobrogeanu-Gherea. Together, they formed a secret club for students.
In 1877, Arbore was part of a protest in Bern. He was reportedly threatened with being sent back to Russia. So, he moved to Romania after the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878), when Romania gained independence. He wanted to spread revolutionary ideas among Russian soldiers, but he ended up settling in Bucharest. There, he had another daughter, Lolica, who sadly died young.
Arbore and other exiles formed a group to help Bessarabian Romanians. He is said to have gained support from leaders of the ruling National Liberal Party, like Ion Brătianu and C. A. Rosetti. They supposedly helped him avoid being arrested or sent back to Russia. In 1877, the police shut down their club, and some members were arrested. Arbore helped his friend Dobrogeanu-Gherea, who was kidnapped by the Russian Army. Three years later, when Gherea escaped back to Romania, Arbore helped him start a restaurant.
Arbore also became friends with the historian Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu. They bonded over the loss of their daughters. Arbore, who was interested in spiritualism, joined a secret spiritualist group at Hasdeu's home.
Political and Journalistic Work in the 1880s
After some setbacks for revolutionary groups in Russia, Arbore decided that a socialist party was needed in Romania. In 1879, he helped organize the first meeting of Romanian socialist clubs. He also worked for socialist magazines.
In 1880, after an attempt on Ion Brătianu's life, socialist groups faced suspicion and became less organized. Arbore worked as an editor for democratic newspapers. He also became friends with Mihai Eminescu, who later became Romania's national poet. Eminescu shared his sad views on Romanian society with Arbore. Arbore also helped other foreign socialists find safety in Romania. In 1881, he became a citizen of the new Kingdom of Romania.
In 1883, Arbore lost support from the National Liberals and was briefly expelled from Romania. Around 1890, he wrote investigative articles for a Bucharest newspaper. His third daughter, Nina, who became a famous artist, was born in 1888. His elder daughter, Ecaterina, started her own socialist political work.
Zamfir Arbore gradually joined the Romanian civil service. He worked at the State Archives and later as a statistician for the Bucharest City Hall from 1896 to 1920. As a socialist, he supported the group that formed the Romanian Social Democratic Workers' Party.
Scholar and Advocate for Bessarabia
The Children's Friend and Academic Works
From 1891 to 1898, Arbore and Victor Crăsescu started and managed Amicul Copiilor ("The Children's Friend") magazine. This magazine shared classic children's stories and is sometimes seen as Romania's first comic book magazine. Arbore himself wrote children's versions of famous books like Don Quixote and Robinson Crusoe. He also wrote popular history books about Ancient Egypt and the 1821 Romanian rebellion.
As a statistician, Arbore was in charge of Bucharest's "Statistical Bulletin" and the City Hall Library. He also translated the Russian Commercial Code into Romanian. His most important study on cultures was Basarabia în secolul XIX ("Bessarabia in the 19th Century"), published in 1898. This book won him an award from the Romanian Academy. Starting in 1903, he also taught Russian at the Bucharest War School. In 1904, he published Dicționar geografic al Basarabiei ("A Geographical Dictionary of Bessarabia"). He also contributed entries about Bessarabia to the first Romanian encyclopedia.
The 1905 Russian Revolution
Before and during the Russian Revolution of 1905, Arbore helped smuggle revolutionary books across the Romanian-Russian border. He hoped to encourage a rebellion among Bessarabian Romanian farmers and intellectuals.
In 1904, the Russian Ambassador warned the Romanian Prime Minister that Arbore planned to send many brochures into Russia. This led to a diplomatic problem when some books were seized and found to contain firearms. Russia wanted Arbore to be sent back, but the Romanian Interior Minister, Take Ionescu, saved him. This started a close relationship between Arbore and King Carol I of Romania. The King reportedly allowed a Russian assassin to pass safely into Romania as a favor to Arbore. King Carol privately disliked Russia's policy on Bessarabia.
Zamfir Arbore also welcomed refugees from the Potemkin mutiny into his home. In 1905, his old friend Reclus also visited Romania. However, Arbore's main focus was no longer just on socialist or anarchist politics. He and Petru Cazacu started a newspaper called Basarabia. It was printed in Switzerland but secretly spread in the Russian Empire during the Revolution. The newspaper called for Bessarabian self-rule and the use of the modern Romanian alphabet.
Milcovul Society and Socialist Connections
By 1908, Arbore founded another group for Bessarabian activism, the Milcovul Society. This group was later found to have a Russian spy, who was then expelled. This incident drew attention from Romania's secret service.
Arbore also hosted a new generation of Romanian socialist leaders. He did not join the Romanian Social Democratic Party (PSDR), but he was a special guest at their meetings. In 1912, he spoke at a PSDR rally about the need to stop Russian expansion. He also told Romanian students about the situation in Russian-controlled areas. Arbore claimed that some violent anarchists were actually Russian agents.
In 1914, the PSDR honored Arbore for his work. He also supported efforts to form unions and was a guest at the Romanian Journalists' Union festivities in 1912. His eldest daughter, Ecaterina, became involved with the PSDR. His son Dumitru and daughter Nina were also connected to the party.
Arbore also became interested in improving relations between Romania and Bulgaria. He wrote a Romanian-Bulgarian dictionary in 1909. In 1912, he translated a manifesto by a Bulgarian revolutionary that spoke about Bulgaria's duty to Romania.
Later Life and Legacy
Senator and Political Challenges
After Germany's defeat in November 1918, Arbore faced questions about supporting the enemy. He joined the Peasants' Party and ran for office in Greater Romania. In the November 1919 election, he was elected to the Senate for Chișinău, Bessarabia. He spoke about changing Romania's constitution and local government. His daughter Ecaterina became a suspect because of her communist activities. She later moved to the Soviet Union. His son Dumitru also joined the Communist Party and died in an accident in 1921.
Arbore lost his Senate seat when Parliament was dissolved. He then left the Peasants' Party and was reelected to the Senate as a People's Party candidate in 1920. In late 1920, he helped found the Socialist Peasants' Party.
Freemasonry and Final Years
Arbore then focused on journalism and became a leader in Romanian Freemasonry. He was confirmed as a high-ranking Mason in 1922. In 1923, he was elected Grand Master of a major Romanian Masonic branch. These promotions were criticized by groups against Freemasonry.
In 1923, Arbore published more of his memories, called În temnițele rusești ("In the Russian Dungeons"). In 1924, he became the editor of Furnica ("The Ant"), a cooperative and farming magazine published in Bessarabia. He also wrote for other leftist newspapers. During this time, his daughter Ecaterina tried to return to Romania but was not allowed. Zamfir and his wife had adopted Dumitru's young child.
In 1930, Zamfir Arbore retired from his teaching job at the Bucharest War School. In his final years, he wrote for a review called Viața Basarabiei. He also gave interviews about his revolutionary past. He wrote a book about his friend Zubcu-Codreanu and collected his own memories in books like Prison and Exile.
Zamfir Arbore died in Bucharest on April 2 or 3, 1933. He was buried with his family. His funeral included both military honors and speeches from his socialist friends. A socialist newspaper called him "one of the highest profile representative figures [in socialism] and one of the most worthy examples for all people-loving generations to follow."
Arbore's Ideas and Impact
Political Views and Bessarabia
Even with official recognition, Zamfir Arbore found it hard to fit his views into Romania's political scene. His early revolutionary ideals changed over time. He never officially joined any Romanian socialist party. He was reportedly confused by the hatred against Jewish people in Romania, even among socialists.
His shift from anarchism to a more moderate path was also seen in his views on Bessarabia. In 1905, his Basarabia newspaper called for social reforms and political and cultural goals. It supported land reform and demanded that Romanian be used officially in Bessarabia. It also asked for self-governance for the region. This program was one of the first examples of Bessarabian Romanian nationalism.
Later in his life, he expressed disappointment with Greater Romania. He claimed that Bessarabia was being taken over by Romanians from other areas. This angered some nationalists.
Arbore's main research on Bessarabian history and geography combined science and politics. His Dicționar geografic al Basarabiei was the first real geographical dictionary of the region. In his books on Bessarabia, he gave detailed accounts of its economy and society.
Views on Russia and Germany
Arbore's stance during World War I, where he supported the Central Powers, was similar to other Bessarabians. He was more against the Russian government than a strong nationalist. As early as 1912, Arbore imagined a general uprising against Russia, involving Poles and Finns. He claimed that "damned Russia" wanted to trick Romania into a war to expand its own territory. He believed that Romania's only choice was to join "Russia's enemies" to free Bessarabia. He saw the German people as more "enlightened" and likely to win.
In his book Ukraina și România, Zamfir Arbore disagreed with the historian Nicolae Iorga, who denied a separate Ukrainian identity. Arbore argued that the cultural difference between Ukrainians and Russians was real and good for Romania. He believed an independent Ukraine would be a peaceful neighbor to Greater Romania.
During the German occupation of Romania, Arbore's public statements were surprisingly calm. He wrote about the Russian issue differently, hoping for a multinational federation. In 1918, his public talks on Bessarabia focused on facts and figures. However, after the war, he was more outspoken. In December 1918, he called for minority rights in Greater Romania. He praised the policies of Soviet Russia and predicted a Bolshevik victory in the Russian Civil War.
Legacy and Recognition
Academic Impact
Zamfir Arbore received mixed reviews from other scholars. His colleague Pan Halippa noted Arbore's important role in opposing the "Russification" of Bessarabia. Historian Nicolae Iorga also called him a pioneer of Romanian Bessarabian activism. Sociologist Henri H. Stahl focused on Arbore's scientific contributions. He saw Arbore as one of the most important intellectuals who contributed to social sciences in Romania. However, historian Cyril E. Black believed Arbore's influence in Romanian politics was "negligible." Some critics have also accused Arbore of borrowing research from other authors without giving them credit.
Early works about Arbore's life and socialist work were published in 1933. A book about his life and work was published in 1936.
In Moldova and Beyond
Arbore's works have been reprinted in Moldova, the independent country that includes most of historical Bessarabia. His books like Basarabia în secolul XIX and Dicționar geografic al Basarabiei were republished in 2001. Streets in both Chișinău and Bucharest are named after him. His family home in Dolna is now a museum.
Arbore's work also had an impact outside Romania. His memoirs were reviewed by anarchist historian Max Nettlau. His writings were studied and saved by other scholars and are now kept at the Hoover Institution. In 1994, American historian Keith Hitchins called Basarabia în secolul XIX an "old, in some ways classic" and "still useful" study of Bessarabia.
Images for kids
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The Ralli manor and present-day museum in Dolna, Moldova
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Romanian border troops survey the eastern Prut shore, where Bessarabian villages had caught on fire (The Illustrated London News, January 1906)
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Arbore in the 1920s, as drawn by Nadia Bulighin
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An allegorical illustration of Romanian socialist goals. Lumea Nouă, 1895
