Ovidiu Papadima | |
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| Born | (1909-06-23)June 23, 1909 |
| Died | May 26, 1996(1996-05-26) (aged 86) Bucharest, Romania |
| Occupation | literary critic, folklorist, essayist |
| Alma mater | University of Bucharest |
| Children | Ștefan [ro],Liviu [ro] |
Ovidiu Papadima (June 23, 1909,Sinoe,Constanța County – May 26, 1996,Bucharest) was aRomanianliterary critic, folklorist, andessayist.
He studied at theAlexandru Papiu Ilarian High School inTârgu Mureș, graduating at the top of his class in 1928. He then enrolled in the Faculty of Letters and Philosophy at theUniversity of Bucharest, graduating in 1931.
He made his debut at age 23 in the literary magazineGândirea, together withTudor Vianu. He also wrote forRevista Fundațiilor Regale. From 1937 to 1941, he held anAlexander von Humboldt fellowship, sponsored by theForeign Office ofNazi Germany. He was on the Faculty at the University of Bucharest between 1941 and 1949.
After the establishment of thecommunist regime, Papadima was arrested in 1952 for "counterrevolutionary activities" and for his writings from theinterbellic period (especially at Gândirea). He was imprisoned at Calea Rahovei, Ghencea,Craiova,Poarta Albă (at the notoriousDanube–Black Sea Canal),Gherla Prison, andJilava Prison. Physically exhausted after this experience (his weight dropped to only 44 kg (97 lb)), he was released on October 7, 1955. Prevented from publishing for several years, he waspolitically rehabilitated in 1971.
He had two sons,Ștefan [ro] (1953–2018, a mathematician) andLiviu [ro] (b. 1957, also a literary critic).
