Carmen Sylva
Carmen Sylva
Contributor(s): Mihaila Ramona (Editor), Efstratia Oktapoda (Editor), Nancy Honicker (Editor), Nancy Isenberg (Editor), Isabel Lousada (Editor)
Subject(s): Cultural history, Architecture, Visual Arts, Aesthetics, Social history, 19th Century, Theory of Literature, History of Art, Sociology of Literature
Published by: Addleton Academic Publishers
Keywords: Carmen Sylva; poetry; prose; translations; cultural diplomacy; humanitarianism;
Summary/Abstract: This volume constitutes a comprehensive scholarly examination of Carmen Sylva, the literary pseudonym of Queen Elisabeth of Wied (1843–1916), the first queen consort of Romania and an eminent cultural figure of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Europe. It situates her dual identity as sovereign and author within the broader political, cultural, and intellectual contexts of her time, emphasizing her marriage to King Carol I in 1869 and her subsequent role in consolidating both the political authority and the cultural prestige of the Romanian monarchy. Particular attention is devoted to her extensive literary production, encompassing poetry, prose, and translations, composed primarily in German yet profoundly informed by Romanian folklore and Romantic aesthetics. The volume further analyzes the transnational reception of her oeuvre, which circulated widely and was critically engaged across Germany, France, Britain, Hungary, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, Japan, and the United States. This work also explores Sylva’s commitment to cultural diplomacy and humanitarianism, highlighting her literary collaborations, especially with women writers, as well as her philanthropic initiatives, such as the establishment of hospitals during the Russo-Turkish War and the creation of the Queen Elisabeth Society. Her patronage of the arts, manifested in salons, musical activities, and the promotion of traditional crafts, and her influence on architectural projects, notably the design of Peleș Castle, are examined as integral components of her cultural legacy. Ultimately, the volume presents Carmen Sylva as a paradigmatic case of a royal figure who transcended the conventional boundaries of dynastic duty, emerging as a writer, cultural mediator, and patron whose contributions shaped both Romanian identity and European cultural exchange.
- E-ISBN-13: 978-1-942585-27-5
- Print-ISBN-13: 978-1-942585-26-8
- Page Count: 382
- Publication Year: 2025
- Language: English
Carmen Sylva’s Britain: Her Vision, Her Legacy
Carmen Sylva’s Britain: Her Vision, Her Legacy
(Carmen Sylva’s Britain: Her Vision, Her Legacy)
- Author(s):LAURA NIXON
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Cultural history, Aesthetics, Social history, 19th Century, Theory of Literature, British Literature, Sociology of Literature
- Page Range:21-37
- No. of Pages:17
- Keywords:Carmen Sylva; Britishness; poetry; literary creativity; cultural identity; poet-Queen; British culture; literary genius; national representation; transnational literature;
- Summary/Abstract:This chapter investigates the writing of Carmen Sylva, within the context of creativity, poetry and the concept of Britishness. It considers key poems from her oeuvre that were “British-facing”, focused on spaces, places and key literary figures. It argues that Sylva used well-know, established aspects of British culture to connect with the broader concepts of literary genius and creativity; a self-conscious technique that connected with her own reputation as “poet-Queen” but also allowed her to represent successful British creativity as tied to history, to nature and to human experience.
- Price: 5.50 €
A Crowned Poetess: Carmen Sylva and the Artefacts of Royal Celebrity in Nineteenth-Century Hungarian Periodicals
A Crowned Poetess: Carmen Sylva and the Artefacts of Royal Celebrity in Nineteenth-Century Hungarian Periodicals
(A Crowned Poetess: Carmen Sylva and the Artefacts of Royal Celebrity in Nineteenth-Century Hungarian Periodicals)
- Author(s):Zsuzsa Török
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Cultural history, Social history, Theory of Literature, Sociology of Literature
- Page Range:38-59
- No. of Pages:22
- Keywords:Carmen Sylva; royal celebrity; Hungarian periodicals; nineteenth-century literature; Belle Époque; transnational authorship; women writers; cultural reception; literary translation; monarchy and media;
- Summary/Abstract:Carmen Sylva was frequently present on the pages of Hungarian periodicals of the last two decades of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century. Princess Elizabeth Pauline Ottilie Louise zu Wied, who would become the first Queen of Romania in 1881, wrote extensively under the pseudonym of Carmen Sylva. According to one of her biographers, she published around fifty volumes in a variety of genres including poetry, fairy tales, dramas, short stories, novels and aphorisms. Her writings were translated to several languages and featured regularly in European periodicals, among which Hungarian magazines and newspapers, too. A real celebrity of the Belle Epoque, Carmen Sylva successfully incorporated both the traditional (based on birth privileges) and the modern (based on personal achievements) concepts of celebrity. Consequently, nineteenth-century Europe became fascinated with her exquisite figure. She came to be known as the ʻPoet-Queen’ with a highly renowned but controversial personality and oeuvre at the time. Notwithstanding the numerous biographies written about Carmen Sylva, her oeuvre became marginalized after she died in 1916. Thus, she never became a canonical figure either of German or of Romanian literature. Still, there is an increasing critical attention towards her life and work both in Germany and Romania, and more recently in Great Britain as well (Badea-Păun 2007, Zimmermann 2010, Zimmermann 2013, Nixon 2014).
- Price: 5.50 €
Queenship and Literature: The Case of Carmen Sylva’s Reception in France
Queenship and Literature: The Case of Carmen Sylva’s Reception in France
(Queenship and Literature: The Case of Carmen Sylva’s Reception in France)
- Author(s):Efstratia Oktapoda
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Cultural history, Social history, French Literature, Romanian Literature, Theory of Literature, Sociology of Literature
- Page Range:60-68
- No. of Pages:9
- Keywords:Carmen Sylva; queenship; literary reception; France; French intellectual circles; fairy tales; Romanian folklore; cultural diplomacy; transnational literature; women’s authorship;
- Summary/Abstract:Carmen Sylva, the literary persona of Queen Elisabeth of Romania, held a unique and influential place within French intellectual and artistic circles in the late 19th century. Deeply drawn to French culture, she engaged actively in its literary life not merely as a foreign aristocrat, but as a respected author whose voice resonated with French tastes and values. Her Contes du Pélech (1884), a volume of fairy tales drawing from Romanian folklore and her own poetic sensibility, was warmly received in France and marked her as a literary ambassador of Romanian culture. The refined language, evocative imagery, and moral undercurrents of her stories captured the attention of the French intelligentsia, who saw in her writing both exoticism and universal depth. Her presence and correspondence with leading French figures made her a notable conduit between Romanian tradition and the European literary canon.
- Price: 5.50 €
Carmen Sylva, A Royal French Favorite
Carmen Sylva, A Royal French Favorite
(Carmen Sylva, A Royal French Favorite)
- Author(s):SOPHIE ROCHEFORT GUILLOUET
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Cultural history, Social history, Comparative Study of Literature, Romanian Literature, Theory of Literature, History of Art, Sociology of Literature
- Page Range:69-81
- No. of Pages:13
- Keywords:Carmen Sylva; French reception; literary prestige; Académie française; royal authorship; cultural diplomacy; Belle Époque; transnational fame; women poets; Franco-Romanian relations;
- Summary/Abstract:Carmen Sylva’s literary works were highly praised in France where they were abundantly commented and discussed. The fact that she was best known as Elisabeth of Romania did a lot for her popularity out of the literary Parisian circles. Being a royal character and having been awarded an Académie française prize for her book, Les Pensées d’une reine, she was a leading figure of both the European aristocracy and the artistic scene. At the time of her successes as an author, the governments in Paris and in Bucharest had developed strong diplomatic ties. Paris was the intellectual place to be for artists and writers, so that being acknowledged in the elite circle contributed to the international fame of Carmen Sylva and to her prestige outside Romania.
- Price: 5.50 €
The Bulgarian Reception of Carmen Sylva in the Late 19th and Early 20th Century
The Bulgarian Reception of Carmen Sylva in the Late 19th and Early 20th Century
(The Bulgarian Reception of Carmen Sylva in the Late 19th and Early 20th Century)
- Author(s):Nadezhda Alexandrova
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Cultural history, Social history, Romanian Literature, Translation Studies, Theory of Literature, Sociology of Literature
- Page Range:82-95
- No. of Pages:14
- Keywords:Carmen Sylva; Bulgarian translations; literary reception; translation studies; cultural exchange; philanthropy; Ivan Shishmanov; transnational literature; royal influence; national identity;
- Summary/Abstract:This chapter is the first critical glimpse of the Bulgarian translations of Carmen Sylva’s literary activities. It starts with a quantitative analysis of the twenty-four translations, found in books and newspapers, and categorized by their numbers, year and place of publication, occupation and gender of the translator. The influence of Carmen Sylva seems to grow right from the very beginning of her life as a royal persona. As early as the 1871 there are evidences of her philanthropic activities in favor of Bulgarian women’s association in Tărnovo. Then in 1904 the diary of the famous Bulgarian intellectual and politician Ivan Shishmanov provides clear signals of the beginning of an affectionate friendship with the queen during his official visit to Bucharest. After providing account of these interpersonal relations between Bulgarians and Carmen Sylva, this article continues with an analysis of the most frequent translations of her texts in Bulgarian. The prevailing topics concern the Medieval royal history, the wartime effects on family and community, as well as a more universal touch on humanism and compassion. Carmen Sylva’s works clearly show a point of convergence between the national agendas of the two neighboring countries, mirrored in literature.
- Price: 5.50 €
Beyond Japonisme: The Queen Poet Carmen Sylva and Japan
Beyond Japonisme: The Queen Poet Carmen Sylva and Japan
(Beyond Japonisme: The Queen Poet Carmen Sylva and Japan)
- Author(s):George T. Sipos
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Cultural history, Political history, Social history, Romanian Literature, Theory of Literature, Sociology of Literature
- Page Range:96-106
- No. of Pages:11
- Keywords:Carmen Sylva; japonisme; Japanese culture; cultural exchange; Romanian monarchy; transnational influence; East Asian art; literary cosmopolitanism; nineteenth-century literature; cultural diplomacy;
- Summary/Abstract:Carmen Sylva, the pen name of Queen Elisabeth of Romania (Pauline Elisabeth Ottilie Luise of Wied, 1843-1916), was a prolific writer and translator known for her literary contributions in multiple languages. Her work includes poetry, prose, drama, and translations. Her writing often drew upon her personal experiences, Romanian folklore, and themes of spirituality and nature. Well-known in Europe during her active literary career, Carmen Sylva seems to have always been fascinated by Japan, and alongside her husband, King Carol I (Karl Eitel Friedrich Zephyrinus Ludwig von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, 1839-1914, r. 1881-1914) was swept in the japonisme trend of her time.1 The queen’s interest for japonisme was not solely limited to collecting objets d’art, although her introduction to Japanese (and by extension to other East Asian) cultural artefacts was most likely facilitated by the popular trend of the artistic elites which occurred in the wake of the opening of Japan during the final years of the shogunate (Bakumatsu Period, 1853-1867) and of the Meiji Restoration of 1868, but it went further with her purposeful engagement with Japanese artists and literati who passed through the young modern Romanian kingdom during her and Carol I’s reign.
- Price: 5.50 €
Transatlantic Impressions: The Female Readership of Carmen Sylva’s Writings in the United States
Transatlantic Impressions: The Female Readership of Carmen Sylva’s Writings in the United States
(Transatlantic Impressions: The Female Readership of Carmen Sylva’s Writings in the United States)
- Author(s):Ramona Mihăilă
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Cultural history, Political history, Social history, Romanian Literature, Theory of Literature, Sociology of Literature
- Page Range:107-142
- No. of Pages:36
- Keywords:Carmen Sylva; United States reception; female readership; transatlantic literature; literary criticism; cultural transfer; Romanian folklore; women’s writing; national identity; literary influence
- Summary/Abstract:Carmen Sylva, the literary pseudonym of Queen Elisabeth of Romania, received notable critical acclaim in the United States, where her poetic voice and imaginative prose were praised for their emotional depth and vivid imagery. American literary critics frequently commended her lyrical style, noting its graceful articulation of themes such as nature, love, and national identity. The uniqueness of her dual identity, as both a sovereign and a creative artist, was repeatedly emphasized in American periodicals, which highlighted the sincerity and passion evident in her work. This distinctive perspective, blending royal insight with artistic sensitivity, resonated with readers and critics alike, securing her a place within the American literary consciousness of the time.
- Price: 5.50 €
“Poeta Regina Mater, Mulier, etcétéra, Carmen Sylva la Mamma:” The Reception of the Poet Queen in the Netherlands
“Poeta Regina Mater, Mulier, etcétéra, Carmen Sylva la Mamma:” The Reception of the Poet Queen in the Netherlands
(“Poeta Regina Mater, Mulier, etcétéra, Carmen Sylva la Mamma:” The Reception of the Poet Queen in the Netherlands)
- Author(s):ROB VAN DE SCHOOR
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Cultural history, Social history, Romanian Literature, Theory of Literature, Sociology of Literature
- Page Range:143-163
- No. of Pages:21
- Keywords:Carmen Sylva; Netherlands reception; Dutch translations; literary criticism; poet queen; philanthropy; public image; women’s emancipation; transnational literature; cultural reception;
- Summary/Abstract:This paper deals with the critical reception in the Netherlands (1875- 1925) of the literary work of the Romanian queen and writer Carmen Sylva, less well known by her maiden name Elisabeth zu Wied (1843- 1916). Her books were translated into Dutch by such writers as Frits Smit Kleine, Cornélie Huygens, Fiore della Neve (M.G.L. van Loghem), B. de Graaff-Van Cappelle, and Marie van Buuren; each translation was noted and often extensively reviewed by literary magazines. Carmen Sylva was celebrated as the “poet queen” who had gained widespread respect through her philanthropic work after the death of her only child. The queen herself carefully modelled her image as an engaged modern woman, concerned about social issues and political justice. With a keen eye for the publicity this would generate in intellectual circles, she invited writers and artists from all over Europe to visit her in Bucharest. Several biographies of Elisabeth were published during her lifetime, with Mite Kremnitz’s Carmen Sylva (1882, 1903) being the most influential. Though not uncritical as to her literary achievements, Carmen Sylva’s co-author and maid of honour Kremnitz praised Elisabeth as an extraordinary woman, with a great interest in Romanian culture and tradition, without any royal pretentions, filled with an ardent ambition to promote female emancipation. This image has undergone drastic revision in modern historical studies, in which she is depicted as whimsical, conceited, obsessed with the paranormal, and an eager intriguer in private court affairs.
- Price: 5.50 €
Carmen Sylva as the Promoter of Romanian National Heritage in Germany
Carmen Sylva as the Promoter of Romanian National Heritage in Germany
(Carmen Sylva as the Promoter of Romanian National Heritage in Germany)
- Author(s):Mihaela Hristea
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Gender Studies, Cultural history, Political history, Social history, Romanian Literature, Theory of Literature, Sociology of Art, History of Art, Sociology of Literature
- Page Range:164-170
- No. of Pages:7
- Keywords:Carmen Sylva; Queen Elisabeth of Romania; literary identity; pseudonym; cultural promotion; German reception; royal authorship; national representation; Romanian culture; women writers;
- Summary/Abstract:Elisabeth was the first queen of Romania who managed to get out of the anonymity of the daily preoccupations of the court and to get out of the shadow of the king’s personality. After the death of her young daughter, Maria, she found solace in literary creation and channeled all her energy into the effort to promote the Romanian culture in Germany and around the world. Through her numerous writings, Queen Elisabeth of Romania with her full name Elisabeth Pauline Ottilie Luise zu Wied popularized, in Germany, both the Royal Crown and her works. She begins to use in her works the pseudonym Carmen Sylva (The Song of the Forest), which recalls its origin and which, probably, at King Carol’s advice, should have made a distinction between the person of the queen and the poet.
- Price: 5.50 €
Literary and Decorative Art Works of Queen Elisabeth of Romania (Carmen Sylva) during Her Exile (1891–1894)
Literary and Decorative Art Works of Queen Elisabeth of Romania (Carmen Sylva) during Her Exile (1891–1894)
(Literary and Decorative Art Works of Queen Elisabeth of Romania (Carmen Sylva) during Her Exile (1891–1894))
- Author(s):Silvia Irina Zimmermann
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Cultural history, Social history, Romanian Literature, 19th Century, Theory of Literature, Sociology of Literature
- Page Range:173-183
- No. of Pages:11
- Summary/Abstract:In Queen Elisabeth’s letters to King Charles I of Romania, during her exile from 1891 to 1894, she is referring to several literary and decorative art works elaborated by her during this period. At the beginning of her exile, the queen declared to her husband, the King, that her activity as a writer and poet had ended, and that she would only prepare her lately written works for a publication. Still, the documents held in the Princely Archive of Wied and the National Archives of Romania show that the queen was writing further prose and poetry, fictionalizing her reflection of the exile experience, and some of the works created by the Queen during her exile were published later, after her return to Romania, under her pen name Carmen Sylva.
- Price: 5.50 €
‘La femme du monde est difficilement la femme de son mari’: the artistic collaboration of Dora Hitz and Carmen Sylva
‘La femme du monde est difficilement la femme de son mari’: the artistic collaboration of Dora Hitz and Carmen Sylva
(‘La femme du monde est difficilement la femme de son mari’: the artistic collaboration of Dora Hitz and Carmen Sylva)
- Author(s):NATALIE GUTGESELL, SHONA KALLESTRUP
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Gender Studies, Cultural history, Social history, 19th Century, Sociology of Art, History of Art
- Page Range:184-207
- No. of Pages:24
- Keywords:Carmen Sylva; Dora Hitz; artistic collaboration; transnational art; nineteenth-century art; women artists; European artistic circulation; Castle Peleş; cultural patronage; gender and art;
- Summary/Abstract:The artistic collaboration of Carmen Sylva and the Bavarian painter Dora Hitz is not widely known* . Yet it offers a fascinating instance of the European artistic circulations which underpinned late nineteenthcentury art and which are now being used to challenge the selective and national constructs of art history’s traditional canons. At the same time, it allows reflection on the challenges facing professional women artists in the period, obstacles that have impacted their place in history ever since. Bringing to light Hitz’s œuvre in Romania, this article focuses in particular on the series of paintings she executed after Carmen Sylva’s writings for the Queen’s music room in Castle Peleş in the 1880s. It argues that the paintings not only show a transnational awareness of European developments, but also map Sylva’s constant preoccupation with the role of women in the arts.
- Price: 5.50 €
Mite Kremnitz and Carmen Sylva. Some Impressions on This Literary Friendship
Mite Kremnitz and Carmen Sylva. Some Impressions on This Literary Friendship
(Mite Kremnitz and Carmen Sylva. Some Impressions on This Literary Friendship)
- Author(s):Georg Kremnitz
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Cultural history, Social history, Comparative Study of Literature, Romanian Literature, 19th Century, Theory of Literature, Sociology of Literature
- Page Range:208-218
- No. of Pages:11
- Summary/Abstract:In the recent decades, a lot of ink has flown about Mite Kremnitz, only to emphasize her literary activity and her importance as a cultural mediator, a relevant feature of her life, while her relations with Carmen Sylva, however, are mostly on the sidelines. They will be given an in-depth approach in the below lines.
- Price: 5.50 €
Mama Regina and the Sphinx
Mama Regina and the Sphinx
(Mama Regina and the Sphinx)
- Author(s):ALICE NĂSTASE BUCIUTA
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Cultural history, Music, Social history, 19th Century, Sociology of Art, History of Art
- Page Range:219-224
- No. of Pages:6
- Keywords:Carmen Sylva; George Enescu; Romanian arts; patronage; music education; Queen Elisabeth of Romania; scholarship; cultural influence; artistic mentorship; transnational arts;
- Summary/Abstract:There are destinies meant to intersect, like the destiny of George Enescu (1881–1955), the greatest Romanian musician of all times, and Queen Elisabeth of Romania (1843–1916), the wife of King Carol I (1839–1914), who are linked in many ways, even before they met. Their hypersensitive way of seeing and understanding the world contributed to their artistic approach of life and to their enormous contribution to the arts. The Poet-Queen, well known under her pen name Carmen Sylva, first Queen of Romanians, protector, and upholder of arts, restless ambassador of Romanian traditions had a decisive influence on George Enescu’s career, being the provider of his first scholarship, when he was 13 years old, despite the fact that the two of them had not yet met at the time. With the help of this scholarship, George Enescu studied composition in Paris, under the guidance of prestigious personalities, such as Jules Massenet or Gabriel Fauré, and made immense progress.
- Price: 5.50 €
Two Destinies: Carmen Sylva and Bertha von Suttner
Two Destinies: Carmen Sylva and Bertha von Suttner
(Two Destinies: Carmen Sylva and Bertha von Suttner)
- Author(s):CRISTINA-ADRIANA REITER-POPESCU
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Cultural history, Political history, Social history, 19th Century, Peace and Conflict Studies
- Page Range:227-234
- No. of Pages:8
- Keywords:Carmen Sylva; Bertha von Suttner; peace activism; pacifism; Balkan Wars; Romanian Queen Elisabeth; archival letters; transnational networks; literary diplomacy; anti-war advocacy;
- Summary/Abstract:In this chapter, I explore the extent to which the fight for peace in Europe has remained a metaphor rather than a tangible political and cultural reality. Following the Balkan Wars, it became increasingly difficult for prominent pacifists like Bertha von Suttner (1843-1914) to sustain the discourse of peace amid rising nationalism and militarism. In 1889, von Suttner published her seminal novel Die Waffen nieder! (Lay Down Your Arms!), a passionate denunciation of war and a call for disarmament. For her, war was not a catalyst for cultural or national progress, as many political leaders of the time claimed, but rather a destructive force that stifled human dignity and moral advancement. Her commitment to peace placed her at odds with powerful figures who branded pacifists as naïve or even traitorous. One of the most intriguing and underexplored aspects of von Suttner’s advocacy is her connection to Romanian Queen Elisabeth, also known under her literary pseudonym Carmen Sylva. A collection of previously unpublished letters—either addressed to or written by Carmen Sylva—has long remained a hidden treasure in the archives of the National Library of Romania. These letters reveal a deeply human dimension to the intellectual and emotional struggle for peace during a period of intense political upheaval. They also shed light on the networks of solidarity among European intellectuals, especially women, who sought to resist the cultural glorification of war and instead envisioned an alternative ethos grounded in compassion, diplomacy, and education.
- Price: 5.50 €
Carmen Sylva and “The Venetian Drama”
Carmen Sylva and “The Venetian Drama”
(Carmen Sylva and “The Venetian Drama”)
- Author(s):Razvan Staicu
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Cultural history, Diplomatic history, Political history, Social history, 19th Century
- Page Range:235-249
- No. of Pages:15
- Keywords:Carmen Sylva; Queen Elisabeth of Romania; Văcărescu Affair; Italian exile; Venetian Drama; female emancipation; Romanian history; political and cultural life; nineteenth-century monarchy; Duiliu Zamfirescu;
- Summary/Abstract:Romanian history remembers the German-born Princess Elisabeth Pauline Ottilie Luise zu Wied (1843–1916) as the first Queen of Romania following her marriage, in 1869, to Prince Karl von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, who on 10 May 1881 became King Carol I of Romania. Her devotion to her adoptive country, manifested through her active participation in its political, economic, social, and especially cultural life, uplifted her to the status of a representative and much respected figure. In this article I have considered, firstly, one particular episode in the Queen’s biography, later to be known as the “Văcărescu Affair”, and secondly Elisabeth’s “Italian exile”, or “The Venetian Drama”, as it featured in the news headlines. An interesting perspective on this exile is offered by the memoirs and correspondence of the writer Duiliu Zamfirescu, who at that time served as legation secretary of the Romanian Embassy in Rome, and was charged with the diplomatic mission of meeting the Queen upon her arrival in Venice. This was the starting point of the writer’s involvement in “The Venetian Drama”. Queen Carmen Sylva’s dignified and courageous attitude, as it transpires from this episode, represents a model of female emancipation in a century (the nineteenth) in which this issue was only very timidly surfacing in Romanian society.
- Price: 5.50 €
Architectural Features during Royal Times: King Carol I and Queen Elizabeth (Carmen Sylva)
Architectural Features during Royal Times: King Carol I and Queen Elizabeth (Carmen Sylva)
(Architectural Features during Royal Times: King Carol I and Queen Elizabeth (Carmen Sylva))
- Author(s):LUCA MATEI STOIAN
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Cultural history, Architecture, Political history, Social history, Sociology of Art, History of Art
- Page Range:250-260
- No. of Pages:11
- Keywords:Carmen Sylva; Queen Elisabeth of Romania; King Carol I; Romanian Crown; national identity; architecture; cultural modernization; European influence; political leadership; nation-building;
- Summary/Abstract:In the context of the prosperous economic environment and the general programs aimed at modernizing the country, the Crown constituted for Romania one of the factors that brought the country to the core of European civilization. The work of foreign architects (French, German, Austrian, Italian) along with Romanian ones built remarkable monuments - during the last decades of the 19th century was also continued through the residences of the Romanian aristocracy, in the first decades of the 20th century, by representations of leaders of the Romanian school of architecture who also created a style specific to Romanian architecture and cultural identity. The name of Queen Elisabeta and King Carol I will always be associated with the consciousness of the fulfilled duty. They ruled the country through the hardest and greatest moments of its history. The Crown placed Romania’s interest above their blood connection and their country of origin. The fidelity with which the Romanians gathered around the Crown was the foundation of the political and diplomatic struggle of the statesmen for the recognition of the union of the historical provinces and the consolidation of the Romanian influence in Europe.
- Price: 5.50 €
The Ideal of Motherhood in Carmen Sylva’s Writings
The Ideal of Motherhood in Carmen Sylva’s Writings
(The Ideal of Motherhood in Carmen Sylva’s Writings)
- Author(s):Alina Bruckner
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Gender Studies, Cultural history, Ethics / Practical Philosophy, Aesthetics, Social history, Romanian Literature, Theory of Literature, Sociology of Literature
- Page Range:263-270
- No. of Pages:8
- Keywords:Carmen Sylva; Queen Elisabeth of Romania; women in literature; motherhood; literary depiction; autobiographical writing; ideal womanhood; martyrdom; German princess; cultural mediation;
- Summary/Abstract:Carmen Sylva was a rather successful writer during her lifetime not only due to the topics she dealt with in her writings, but also as a result of her social position as queen of a newly founded, rather unknown monarchy. The particularity of this writer lies primarily in her self-imposed role as cultural intermediate, which influences to a great extent most of her writings, the autobiographical touch being thus emblematic Carmen Sylva. This paper however focuses on the way in which Carmen Sylva chose to depict women in her literary pieces, the autobiographical note being noticeable in this case, as well. Nevertheless, in Carmen Sylva’s opinion, the ideal of womanhood represents in fact motherhood. It is precisely the image of the ideal mother that this paper analyzes, both in the poetry, as well as in the prose of Carmen Sylva. Interestingly enough, the ideal of motherhood turns out to be depicted under two forms, both however focusing around the idea of martyrdom.
- Price: 5.50 €
Translating Societal and Family Matters into Storytelling in Carmen Sylva’s Writings
Translating Societal and Family Matters into Storytelling in Carmen Sylva’s Writings
(Translating Societal and Family Matters into Storytelling in Carmen Sylva’s Writings)
- Author(s):Onorina Botezat
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Gender Studies, Cultural history, Social history, Romanian Literature, Theory of Literature, Sociology of Literature
- Page Range:271-285
- No. of Pages:15
- Keywords:Carmen Sylva; late 19th-century literature; social issues; women’s rights; feminism; poverty; education; family; domestic violence; European literary legacy; compassion;
- Summary/Abstract:The late 19th century witnessed a transformative period in European literature, where societal and family issues were intricately woven into narratives reflecting prevailing socio-cultural norms. Amidst burgeoning industrialization and urbanization, literary works scrutinized class disparities and the rise of industrial capitalism, often mirroring societal attitudes, portraying divorcees and non-conformists with moral ambiguity. Within this literary landscape, Carmen Sylva defied expectations, delving into poverty, education, family, and women’s rights through her writings. Sylva’s compassionate nature emerged from firsthand exposure to the struggles of the less fortunate. Her journey across Europe enriched her understanding, particularly towards women facing adversity. As a female writer, Sylva’s occasional feminist perspectives challenged societal norms, advocating for expanded opportunities for women. Through her literary endeavors, the author illuminated the struggles and triumphs of individuals within society, leaving a lasting imprint on late 19thcentury European literature. She fearlessly tackles themes of marital discord, divorce, and domestic violence, shedding light on the complexities of human relationships and societal norms in Short Stories. In essence, Carmen Sylva’s legacy as both a queen and a literary luminary is defined by her unwavering commitment to championing compassion, social responsibility, and cultural celebration.
- Price: 5.50 €
From Lorelei to Ialomița: Carmen Sylva’s Romanian Reimagining of a Germanic Myth
From Lorelei to Ialomița: Carmen Sylva’s Romanian Reimagining of a Germanic Myth
(From Lorelei to Ialomița: Carmen Sylva’s Romanian Reimagining of a Germanic Myth)
- Author(s):Maria-Luiza Dumitru Oancea
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Cultural history, Customs / Folklore, Social history, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, 19th Century
- Page Range:286-293
- No. of Pages:8
- Keywords:Carmen Sylva; Poveștile Peleșului; Romanian folklore; Ialomița River; Rhine mythology; Heinrich Heine; Greek mythology; comparative mythology; literary adaptation; cultural synthesis;
- Summary/Abstract:In the enchanting volume Poveștile Peleșului (The Stories of Peleșului) by Queen Elisabeth of Romania (alias Carmen Sylva), we encounter a captivating legend of the Ialomița River. This tale not only reflects Romanian folk beliefs about the river's legendary origins but also reinterprets the well-known Germanic myth of the Rhine, particularly Heinrich Heine’s poem Lorelei, through a Romanian lens. Moreover, the author weaves in elements of ancient Greek mythology, creating a narrative that blends European enchantment with psychological depth.
- Price: 5.50 €
Carmen Sylva and the Modernization of the Romanian Culture
Carmen Sylva and the Modernization of the Romanian Culture
(Carmen Sylva and the Modernization of the Romanian Culture)
- Author(s):Luiza Marinescu
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Cultural history, Diplomatic history, Economic history, Political history, Social history, 19th Century
- Page Range:294-313
- No. of Pages:20
- Keywords:Carmen Sylva; Queen Elisabeth of Romania; literary mediation; cultural promotion; cultural marketing; Romanian literary culture; transdisciplinary strategy; Poet Queen; literary innovation; 19th-20th century literature;
- Summary/Abstract:The work of the Poet Queen Elisabeth zu Wied (1843– 1916), who signed the pseudonym of Carmen Sylva during the period 1880–1916, represents an important and unique occasion for recalling the mediation, promotion, and cultural marketing efforts made with a characteristic rigor and preciseness, truly innovative for the first time in Romanian literary culture. This study further intends to outline the complex transdisciplinary designs of the mediation, promotion, and marketing strategy carefully developed and articulated by Carmen Sylva, the remarkable Poet Queen.
- Price: 5.50 €
Queen-Writer: Construction and Deconstruction of an Image
Queen-Writer: Construction and Deconstruction of an Image
(Queen-Writer: Construction and Deconstruction of an Image)
- Author(s):DANIELA VARVARA
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Cultural history, Political history, Social history, Romanian Literature, 19th Century, Theory of Literature, Sociology of Literature
- Page Range:214-329
- No. of Pages:16
- Keywords:Carmen Sylva; Queen Elisabeth of Romania; royal identity; women’s roles; patriarchy; gender identity; literary autobiography; poetry and prose; diaristic writing; nineteenth-century Europe;
- Summary/Abstract:Although she approaches literature and writing from her adolescence, the one who will become Romania’s first queen is first and foremost identified with her royal status and then with that of a writer. Not only the above-mentioned verses, reproduced from Queen’s Tales (2012), but also the other poems and stories, as well as some personal statements prove this. Moreover, apart from being a queen, she is a woman and she assumes this role, as we will observe in her attitude and confessions (diaristic or poetic). In a time of deeply patriarchal Romania, or even of a Europe with a mentality still trivial to traditionalism in terms of gender identity, the queen knows that first of all she must be a devoted wife, a woman who has to ensure a successor to the throne. That was in fact the thing that most distressed Elisabeth of Wied, the queen who signed her literary work with the pseudonym Carmen Sylva.
- Price: 5.50 €
Eternal Afterlife or Eternal After Sleep in Carmen Sylva’s Poetry
Eternal Afterlife or Eternal After Sleep in Carmen Sylva’s Poetry
(Eternal Afterlife or Eternal After Sleep in Carmen Sylva’s Poetry)
- Author(s):Sara HUNZIKER
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Cultural history, Music, Visual Arts, Social history, Sociology of Art, History of Art
- Page Range:330-335
- No. of Pages:6
- Keywords:Carmen Sylva; Queen Elisabeth of Romania; multidisciplinary talent; music; painting; literature; George Enescu; artistic patronage; mentorship; cultural influence; Romanian arts;
- Summary/Abstract:An encyclopedic personality by excellence, Carmen Sylva mastered various art fields, such as music, painting and literature. Not only a prodigious mind, Sylva’s illustrious intellect was doubled by a remarkable personality. The most famous Romanian composer, George Enescu, who, as a young student had benefited of her generous patronship, was characterizing her as “an angelic woman, a being with an aula, surpassing by far the ordinary people and spreading around light and kindness.” (George Enescu apud. Caracostea: 506, my translation).
- Price: 5.50 €
The Difficult Path of Women: The Translation of a Short Story by Carmen Sylva and its framing in “An Investigation about Forgotten Women”
The Difficult Path of Women: The Translation of a Short Story by Carmen Sylva and its framing in “An Investigation about Forgotten Women”
(The Difficult Path of Women: The Translation of a Short Story by Carmen Sylva and its framing in “An Investigation about Forgotten Women”)
- Author(s):SUSANA VENTURA
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Gender Studies, Cultural history, Social history, Romanian Literature, Theory of Literature, Sociology of Literature
- Page Range:336-349
- No. of Pages:14
- Keywords:Carmen Sylva; “The Queen of Ants”; short stories; women writers; Brazilian reception; literary translation; female authorship; editorial exclusion; comparative literature; feminist literature;
- Summary/Abstract:In the scope of the research that I am currently carrying out with the Program of Graduate Studies in Aesthetics and Art History at the University of São Paulo, the short story “The Queen of Ants,” by Carmen Sylva is part of a corpus of short stories written by women who do not yet have a critical reception in Brazil, partially due to the lack of translations in the country and mostly due to editorial deletion of works of female authorship that were not enshrined by successive foreign editions that are, as a rule, models for new editions. Like this, I translated this interesting and unusual tale, in which the most feminine virtues praised by the West turn against the protagonist in order to determine her a terrible fate and it will be examined in dialogue and counterpoint in the future with tales by Juliana Horatia Ewing (1841-1885), Laura Gonzenbach (1842-1878), Mary de Morgan (1850-1907) and Rokheya Sakhawat Hossain (1880-1932).
- Price: 5.50 €
Linguistic Versatility in Pursuit of Simplicity. Der Schmetterling from Carmen Sylva’s Perspective
Linguistic Versatility in Pursuit of Simplicity. Der Schmetterling from Carmen Sylva’s Perspective
(Linguistic Versatility in Pursuit of Simplicity. Der Schmetterling from Carmen Sylva’s Perspective)
- Author(s):Cristina NICULESCU-CIOCAN
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Cultural history, Social history, Romanian Literature, Theory of Literature, Sociology of Literature
- Page Range:350-358
- No. of Pages:9
- Keywords:Carmen Sylva; literary style; symbolism; metaphor; human nature; sensory imagery; narrative conciseness; psychological insight; decision-making; thematic exploration;
- Summary/Abstract:In a world where choices are abundant and variety is the key element, Carmen Sylva engages in a world of conciseness and fluid development rendered with sensory effects and vivid imagery alike. The rich symbolism of the metaphors suggests the volatility of humankind and nature, the incapacity to make proper decisions that could unveil smooth development in all the aspects of life, the weakness and lack of reliability that people generally avoid facing or discussing.
- Price: 5.50 €
Carmen Sylva, Queen Elisabeth of Romania, and the Invention of a Royal Children’s Literature
Carmen Sylva, Queen Elisabeth of Romania, and the Invention of a Royal Children’s Literature
(Carmen Sylva, Queen Elisabeth of Romania, and the Invention of a Royal Children’s Literature)
- Author(s):Maria Iordan
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Cultural history, Political history, Social history, Romanian Literature, 19th Century, Theory of Literature, Sociology of Literature
- Page Range:259-370
- No. of Pages:12
- Keywords:Carmen Sylva; children’s literature; royal authorship; Romanian monarchy; fairy tales; legends; national culture; moral education; Peleș Castle; fin-de-siècle literature;
- Summary/Abstract:Building on recent scholarship on royal authorship and children’s literature, this article argues that Carmen Sylva’s writings for young readers should be understood not as marginal or purely didactic productions, but as a coherent literary project with distinct aesthetic, cultural, and political ambitions (Nixon, 2014, Zimmermann, 2020, Introduction). Writing at a moment when the Romanian monarchy was consolidating its symbolic authority, Sylva mobilized the fairy tale and the legend as privileged genres through which to articulate an affective relationship between sovereign, land, and people (Mudure, 2023; Zimmermann, 2020, Introduction). Her children’s literature thus participates in broader European debates on education, morality, and national culture, while simultaneously responding to the specific historical and cultural conditions of a newly established kingdom at the fin de siècle (Nixon, 2017, Zipes, 2012; Warner, 1994).
- Price: 5.50 €
Notes on Contributors
Notes on Contributors
(Notes on Contributors)
- Author(s):Author Not Specified
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Cultural history, Social history, Romanian Literature, 19th Century, Theory of Literature, Sociology of Art, History of Art, Sociology of Literature
- Page Range:371-377
- No. of Pages:7
- Keywords:Notes on Contributors; Carmen Sylva;
- Summary/Abstract:Notes on Contributors.
