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Jost Esteban EcheverriaArgentine poet, writer, social activist
Date of Birth: 02.09.1805
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Biography of Esteban Jose Echeverria
Esteban Jose Echeverria was an Argentine poet, writer, and public figure of the Romantic era. He was born on September 2, 1805, in Buenos Aires. After receiving a good education in his homeland, he completed his studies at the university and then went to Paris for further education. It was there that he became acquainted with the works of Schiller, Goethe, and other European Romantics. This influenced his development as a writer and poet, and he wrote poems such as "The Captive," "Avelianeda," and "Revolt in the South" in the spirit of Romanticism. Later, after experiencing a different perspective on the world and facing persecution, Echeverria wrote the realistic novella "The Slaughterhouse."
During his time in Europe, Echeverria became familiar with philosophical and political works. The romantic spirit of his youth captured the ideas of utopian socialism, particularly those of the French thinker Saint-Simon. At the age of 25, Echeverria returned to his homeland. There, together with H. Alberdi, he founded a secret organization called "Young Argentina." It was a time of revolutions in Europe, and those familiar with the political situation in the world could certainly see hints of Giuseppe Mazzini's "Young Italy" in the organization's name.
The organization also had another name, the "May Association," in honor of the May Revolution of 1810 that took place in Argentina. The authorities did not ignore "Young Argentina." At that time, the country was ruled by dictator Juan Manuel de Rosas. Echeverria was forced to emigrate to Uruguay to escape persecution.
In Uruguay, Echeverria spent the last ten years of his life. He lived in poverty and died of tuberculosis on January 19, 1851, in Montevideo.