their essence. The arguably most influential of Pătrășcanu's writings remains his analysis of the Romanian intelligentsia, part of . Transcending Leninist rhetoric, the work postulates a characteristic inability of Romanian intellectuals in sacrificing petty politics for the common good, and argues that Romanian elites, while in subservience to the State, have traditionally been attracted to extremism. On one instance in 1945, when theorizing about intellectual déclassés, he proposed their neutralization and systematic supervision". Personal life Lucrețiu Pătrășcanu was married to Elena, born Herta Schwamen, who had a career as a stage designer (employed, with Lena Constante, by the Țăndărică Theater in Bucharest). Elena, who was Jewish, avoided the first wave of official anti-Semitic persecutions at the end of the 1930s (under the Octavian Goga government) by converting to the Romanian Orthodox Church (she was baptized by the socialist sympathiser Gala Galaction). Elena Pătrășcanu was also a party activist, and was instrumental in maintaining links between her husband and other Communist leaders during the early stages of World War II. Implicated in the trial and forced to testify against Lucrețiu Pătrășcanu, she was given eight years in prison. The Pătrășcanus had no children. In art Titus Popovici's play ("The Power and the Truth"), published in the early 1970s (staged by Liviu Ciulei and filmed, in 1971, by Manole Marcus), centers on the character Petrescu, largely based on Pătrășcanu, who is persecuted by the party secretary Pavel Stoian (a disguised reference to Gheorghiu-Dej), while living to see his hopes for a better future fulfilled by Mihai Duma (standing for Ceaușescu). For a while after its publication, was translated into several languages and used as official propaganda in cultural contacts with the outside world. In his 1993 film The Mirror (, also known as ), Sergiu Nicolaescu cast Șerban Ionescu as Pătrășcanu. Published volumes Un veac de frământări sociale, 1821-1907 (A Century of Social Unrest, 1821-1907) Probleme de bază ale României (Fundamental Problems of Romania) Sub trei dictaturi (Under Three Dictatorships) Curente și tendințe în filozofia românească (Schools of Thought and Tendencies in Romanian Philosophy) Notes References Dosarele Istoriei2/I, 1996: Dragoș Drăgoescu, "Arma politică a reabilitărilor. Caruselul crimelor și liderii comuniști români" ("The Political Weapon of Rehabilitations. The Murder Carousel and Romanian Communist Leaders"), pp. 20–34 Florin Müller, "Cu cărțile pe masă. Politică și istoriografie: Lucrețiu Pătrășcanu" ("Cards on the Table. Politics and Historiography: Lucrețiu Pătrășcanu"), p. 61-63 10/III, 1998: Ghorghe I. Ioniță,