Elena Vacarescu

Overview

Elena Văcărescu born Bucharest September 21, 1864 (d. 1947). Romanian poet, author, and folklorist; first and only woman ambassador to League of Nations 1925-6 (interim 1922-4, 1926-39); delegate to two peace conferences 1919, 1945; co-founder UNESCO’s predecessor, International Institute of Intellectual Cooperation 1924 to promote intellectual cooperation, human rights, disarmament, collective security, and peaceful settlement; two-time laureate of French Academy.

Quotations

"After losing our best officers and bravest soldiers, we at last became masters of the place, but when weary and haggard, mere wrecks of humanity, we tried to regain our encampments, we had to wade through a lake of blood in which corpses lay thick under the starlit sky." (her father’s account of 1877 Battle of Plevna, Kings and Queens I Have Known, p. 150, 1904; photo Wikipedia)