MIAMI, United States. – 71 years ago, the “greatest bibliographer of Cuba”, Carlos Manuel Trelles Govín, passed away in Matanzas. According to numerous sources, he was a consecrated librarian who bequeathed writings of relevant importance on History and Medicine, fundamentally.
Trelles Govín was born in the city of Matanzas on February 15, 1866.
At the point of his death, he was the owner of a monumental work that is part of Cuban bibliographic history. Among his most significant titles are The Cuban Bibliography of the XVII and XVIII centuries, The Cuban Bibliography of the 19th century (in eight volumes) and the 19th century Cuban bibliography (in two volumes).
In addition, he is the author of Cuban Scientific Library, Cuban Geographic Library, Cuban Historical Library Y Bibliography of the University of Havana.
But Trelles Govín was not only an emblematic librarian and bibliographer, but also a distinguished revolutionary. In his hometown, he founded a delegation of the Cuban Revolutionary Party.
Together with several of his countrymen, in 1886 he created the Circle of the Liberal Youth of Matanzas, which was dissolved by the military governor due to his ties with speakers of the stature of Fermín Valdés Domínguez, Antonio Zambrana and Manuel Sanguily, among others.
In fact, in Matanzas he also founded a delegation of the Cuban Revolutionary Party, the same party that had founded Jose Marti in 1892. Because of his revolutionary activities, he had to emigrate to Tampa, where he founded the “Pedro Betancourt” Revolutionary Club.
He was unable to return to the Island until the end of the war, in 1898, when he was appointed director of the Matanzas Public Library.
Trelles Govín was also a councilor of the Matanzas city council. In 1900, he represented Cuba at the Paris Exposition. He was a contributor to numerous periodicals and in 1923 he was appointed Librarian of the House of Representatives.
In addition, he was a corresponding member of the National Academy of Art and Literature; member of number of the Academy of History of Cuba, of the Cuban Academy of the Language and of the Cultural Bibliographical Association; member of the Cuban Society of International Law; Honorary Member of the Economic Society of Friends of the Country and of the Cuban Medical Press Association and of the Cuban Geographical Society, among other highly distinguished positions.
Receive information from CubaNet on your cell phone through WhatsApp. Send us a message with the word “CUBA” on the phone +1 (786) 316-2072, You can also subscribe to our electronic newsletter by giving click here.
