Nicolae Dimitrie Xenopol | |
|---|---|
 Xenopol as a youth | |
| Romanian Minister of Commerce | |
| In office October 14, 1912 – December 31, 1913 | |
| Monarch | Carol I |
| Premier | Titu Maiorescu |
| Preceded by | Dimitrie S. Nenițescu |
| Succeeded by | Alexandru G. Radovici |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 11, 1858 Iași, Moldavia |
| Died | December 1917 (aged 59) Tokyo, Japan |
| Nationality | Romanian |
| Political party | Conservative-Democratic Party |
Nicolae Dimitrie Xenopol (Romanian pronunciation: [nikoˈla.e diˈmitri.e kseˈnopol] or [ksenoˈpol], also Nicu Xenopol; Francized Nicolas Xenopol; October 11, 1858 – December 1917) was a Romanian politician, diplomat, economist and writer, the younger brother of historian Alexandru Dimitrie Xenopol and, like him, a member of Junimea society. Initially inspired by Junimea leader Titu Maiorescu, he was later a dissident of Junimism, a Positivist and a supporter of literary realism. Politically, Xenopol also moved away from conservatism and was embraced by the liberal current, serving as editor of two liberal newspapers: Românul and Voința Națională. He had a successful career in electoral politics, which began within the National Liberal Party and later saw him joining the Conservative-Democratic Party. In 1912, he was Minister of Commerce, and helped create an Academy of Economic Studies.
Xenopol was the author of two realistic novels criticizing the social environment of his day. His campaign for realism and his positive coverage of urban civilization pitted him against the conservative author Mihai Eminescu. Their violent debate of the 1880s is one of the highlights in Xenopol's career in cultural journalism. His passionate involvement in support of the liberal cause was another topic of controversy, and, on several occasions, he dueled with his colleagues in the press.
Late in his life, N. Xenopol supported Romania's involvement in World War I alongside the Entente Powers. He died while carrying out his final mission, as Romania's first Ambassador to Japan.