The Poet's Life and Work

1850-1857

On 15th of January, in Botosani, a North Eastern town of Romania, the future poet Mihai Eminescu is born. His parents, Gheorghe and Raluca Eminovici were small land owners and Mihai was the 7th of 11 children. The future poet spends his Childhood in Ipotesti, a village where his parents had a small estate, 8 km away from Botosani. Today, here we can find Mihai Eminescu Memorial House.

1858-1860

He is registered to National Hauptschule in Cernauti (a town in North Bucovina), that belonged to Austria at that time; at present the town is in Ukraine. Here he attends the courses of the 3rd and 4th form.

( Ipotesti, his childhood's house. Photo from the beginning of the XX-century)

1860-1863

He attends Ober Gymnasium in Cernauti. He attends the courses of the first and second form (repeating the latter).

(Cernauti town center, at the middle of the XIX-century)

1864

He works for a short time as a clerk to Law Court and the Permanent District Committee in Botosani.

1865

He comes back to Cernauti gymnasium as a private pupil. He takes up lodgings with Aron Pumnul, his gymnasium teacher, a great linguist, philologist and owner of a large library.

1866

Around 12th/24th of January, Aron Pumnul dies. In the commemorative booklet written by his pupils, the first poem signed M.Eminoviciu (private pupil) appears under the title: At Aron Pumnul's Grave. About 25th of February/9th of March, the periodical The Family in Pesta publishes his poem Had I. The director of the above mentioned periodical changed his name from Eminovici into Eminescu, a name that the poet adopted for the rest of his life. In April-October he undertakes a trip on foot, through Transylvania (that belonged to Austria at that time). From there, he crosses the mountains and goes to Bucharest.