Cornelia Ștefănescu

Cornelia Ştefănescu, born Cornelia Smădescu, (11 November 1928, Caransebeș - 28 July 2010) was a Romanian literary critic and historian.

Biography

Cornelia Ştefănescu was born in Caransebeș, Romania. She was the daughter of officer Traian Smădescu and his wife Emilia (née Pîrvu). She grew up in Teiuș and lived in a house that had belonged to painter Corneliu Baba. She attended primary school (1935-1939) and high-school (1939-1947) in Caransebeș. After graduating high-school, she attended The Faculty of Philology of Bucharest University (1947-1951). She earned her doctorate in philology with a thesis on prose writer Spiridon Popescu, which was further elaborated under the guidance of professor George Călinescu.

After finishing her studies, Ștefănescu worked as a librarian (1951-1951) and head of service at the Romanian Academy Library, later becoming a researcher at The George Călinescu Literary Theory and Folklore Institute, known at the time as just "The Literary Theory and Folklore Institute", later becoming head of their sector of comparative literature (1974-1999).

She married engineer Vladimir Ștefănescu in 1953. She suffered an ischemic stroke in 2003, leaving the right half of her body paralyzed, leading to her retirement. In 2008, in honor of her 80th birthday, the Caransebeș Town Hall awarded her an honorary citizenship. Following the event the Caransebeș Town Hall and The "George Suru" House of Culture released a commemorative volume. She died on 28 July 2010.