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This paper examines the cultural contributions of Victor Buescu as a translator and Latinist during World War II.

June 19, 2026Open Access

Defending "latin nations" during WWW2. A case study on Victor Buescu

Key Points

This paper examines the cultural contributions of Victor Buescu as a translator and Latinist during World War II.
Analyzed Buescu's translation activities and cultural exchanges within the context of World War II.
Explored his affiliations with the Romanian Institute for Latin Studies and the University of Lisbon.
Investigated the role of Romanian and Portuguese audiences in his work.
Buescu's translations significantly influenced the perception of Romanian culture among Portuguese audiences.
His collaboration with figures like Nicolae Herescu fostered a pan-Latinist ideology during a time of conflict.
Buescu's work symbolically united Romania and Portugal against external threats.

Abstract

I aim to discuss the cultural activity of Romanian translator and Latinist Victor Buescu (1911-1971) in terms of translation and cultural transfer, keeping in mind the intellectual networks and institutions he was part of, within the intricate context of World War II. His rich translation activity targets both Romanian and Portuguese audiences, being carried out mainly within two institutions: the Romani- an Institute for Latin Studies and the University of Lisbon, where he was appointed lecturer of Romanian language during World War II. Together with other key figures of Romanian intelligentsia, like Nicolae Herescu or Mircea Eliade, Buescu contributed to the dissemination of a pan-Latinist ideology, bridging Romania and Portugal as Latin nations able to (symbolically) defeat barbarian forces.

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