A Scholar of international repute – Traian Săvulescu
Traian Savulescu was one of the leading figures of the Romanian Phytopathology
Ion Puican, 21.02.2026, 14:00
Traian Săvulescu used to be one of the leading figures of the Romanian science in the 20th century, a biologist, botanist, professor and president of the Romanian Academy of international repute. Born in 1889, he dedicated his life to research in the field of vegetal biology, mainly phytopathology – the science that studies the plants’ diseases being the founding father of the Romanian School of Phytopathology. Through his scientific and institutional activity, he decisively contributed to the development of the agricultural and botanical research in Romania, in a period marked by deep political and social transformations. Marius Neculae, a museographer with Romania’s Museum of National History has made a portrait of the aforementioned scholar.
Marius Neculae:” He used to be Romania’s greatest biologist, the founding father of the Romanian Phytopathology. Savulescu published ample books such as “The Romanian Flora”, ”The Flora of the Romanian Popular Republic” and then the “The Flora of the Romanian Socialist Republic”. One of the pioneers of the research of the flora of Bessarabia, after the Great Union, of the Danube Delta and he even made a documentary film back in 1938, namely ‘The Traian Săvulescu expedition in the Danube Delta”. He was the first Romanian biologist interested in the flora of Palestine, of Arabia, and he made an expedition to that part of the world. In 1928 and 1935 he travelled to the Middle East and he was acknowledged by the great European Science Academies. He was the recipient of numerous awards from the Romanian scientific institutions during the Romanian kingdom and also during the communist regime. President of the Academy of the Romanian Popular Republic from 1948 until 59 then an honorary president until his death. He was received in the Academy as a corresponding member back in 1932 and as a fully-fledged member on June 1, 1936, when he delivered a speech in front of King Carol II.”
Marius Neculae gives us more details about the science of Phytopathology and the research conducted by biologist Traian Săvulescu:
Marius Neculae:” Phytopathology actually means the study of plant diseases. Traian Săvulescu was guided by his parents, by his father, who was a well-off man, owned hotels, estates and so on, to embrace medicine, which he abandoned in his third year at the faculty for biology. That was some sort of a rift with his father, but he was fascinated by plant diseases. I saw part of his research with thousands of documents, plant collections, herbariums, microscope slides, 90% referring to plant diseases. He had a great contribution in this respect treating and preventing these diseases. We have evidence of his work while he used to be undersecretary of state with the Agriculture Ministry. Even at an old age, around 60, he showed a huge interest in eradicating these plant diseases in Romania.”
Traian Săvulescu’s interests went beyond his Academic life and research, he was interested in promoting plant science and nature.
Marius Neculae:” Săvulescu was interested in promoting the plant science and nature. We have a series of articles, brochures, pamphlets in other areas. He noticed a series of political injustices, which he didn’t like and criticized them even in some publications of the time. Săvulescu supported many agronomists and worked closely with them. He promoted science among people and those interested who were working in related fields.”
In the end of our discussion, Marius Neculae told us about the controversies related to the image of Romanian scholar Traian Săvulescu.
Marius Neculae: “He left behind many controversies. On one hand we have his unflawed academic career. Four years after graduation, he took his PhD and got involved in research activities his entire life. Recognition both in Romania and abroad. He became member of science academies all over Europe. But we still have several controversies related to him. Just think, he was born in 1889 and got into politics only in 1945 in the Ploughmen Party not directly into the Communist Party. He was 55 years old you know; why at that age, at that time? Many are criticizing him and even overlooking his merits for his political views. But after the Petru Groza government came to power, he was part of it as a Deputy Prime Minister. Why? We have to look before that moment. He wasn’t quite into politics, you know. And during the National Legionary State even had some family issues. Maybe these things affected him and when he got the chance he joined a party, which said it was fighting anti-Semitism and the Iron Guard. We even have press articles from 1945, 1946, when Săvulescu was campaigning for the idea of weeding out iron guardists, or as they used to be called, legionaries, from universities and from Romania’s Academia.”
Traian Săvulescu remains in Romania’s history as a scholar who built institutions, research schools and made a significant contribution to the international promotion of the Romanian science. His legacy doesn’t mean only treaties and specialized research but also a vision of the role of science in the development of society.
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