Histoire de l’histoire littéraire française à l’Université de Iaşi
The evolution of studies of the History of French Literature at the University of Iași

Summary/Abstract: The Department of French Language and Literature of Iași, the oldest in Romania, was established in 1869, several years after the founding of the University. The first titular head of the department was the Frenchman Victor Challiol. He was followed by other illustrious Romanian and French professors: Ștefan Vârgolici, Anton Naum, Charles Drouhet, Nicolae Șerban, Nicolae I. Popa. A new generation came after 1956, when the Department was reorganized, after an imposed one decade break. The first course of the History of French Literature was held in Iași by Charles Drouhet and Nicolae Șerban. N. I. Popa, a specialist in comparative literature (still little known in Romania) also taught in Iași and was a member, between 1925-1931, of l’École Roumaine en France. The present study aims to emphasize the importance of higher education in the cristalization of a cultural French model in Romania. There have been identified several phases and key points, marked by the above mentioned great professors, who gathered under what may be called L’École d’études françaises de Iaşi. We believe it was necessary to restore the importance of the institutions with a decisive role in the evolution and development of the history of French literature in Iași and Romania, such as Cercle d’Études franco-roumaines « Luteţia (Lutèce) », established in 1921 by Nicolae Șerban, which later became, between1940-1948, Centre d’Études Françaises and after 1990, the current Institut Culturel Français. This study aims to provide an overview, focusing on key moments, which highlight a less known part of the French-Romanian literary history.

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