Tzara, Tristan

Tzara, Tristan (1896-1963), French essayist and poet, born in Romania, known primarily as the founder of the Dada movement. First in Zurich, Switzerland, and later in Paris, Tzara wrote the movement's first manifestos, describing its nihilistic tenets. By 1930, however, he abandoned the pessimism and sterility of Dadaism and became interested in Surrealism. He joined the French Resistance during World War II, and following the war he turned his poetic insight towards the more real problems facing humankind.