Donations and Prestigious Donors

Axente Banciu      Joseph Heinrich Benigni von Mildenberg      Marcian Bleahu      Mircea Carp      Dan Culcer      Amos Frâncu      Gaál Gábor      

Francisc Hossu-Longin      Kemény József      Alexandru Lapedatu      Adrian Marino      Iulian Marţian      Mikó Imre      Marian Papahagi

Horia D. Pitariu      Mircea Popa       Ion Raţiu      Liviu Rusu      Aurel Sasu      Gheorghe Sion      Szabó Zoltán      Viorel-Virgil Tilea         

Donatori instituţii: Banca Mondială, Aula Budapesta, Fullbright

Banciu, Axente

Axente Banciu
Banciu, Axente

Born on 10 August 1875 in Săliște (Sibiu) – died in 1959, Sibiu. Professor, literary historian, journalist, honorary member of the Romanian Academy.

He donated to the library an entire archive that contained manuscripts, documentary materials, as well as a large correspondence with important historians and people of culture, such as I. Bianu, I. Breazu, O. Ghibu, V. Goldiş, I. Lupaş, I. Muşlea, S. Puşcariu, N. Iorga and many others.

 

He went to high school in Sibiu and in Brasov, and he graduated from the Faculty of Letters in Budapest. In 1898, after graduation, he returned to Transylvania, where he worked as a substitute teacher at the Andrei Saguna High School in Brasov. In 1903, he was named titular professor of the Department of the Romanian and Hungarian Languages, where he remained until 1916. The shift in his career and life was due to retreat of the Romanian army to Moldavia. He left the town together with the Romanian troops and he settled in Barlad, where was employed as a teacher at the Codreanu High School. Once the war broke out and throughout its duration, the high school was closed and as such he was compelled to find employment elsewhere. He managed to get a job at the Ministry of Instruction, at the secondary education department, and in the summer of 1917, he crossed the border to Basarabia. Here, he worked for a while as a Romanian language teacher for the Teacher Courses, at the Remezova Girls High School and he later moved to Chisinau, where he taught at the Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu High School. Once the war was over, he returned to Romania, where he was reinstated as a teacher at the Andrei Saguna High School in Brasov.

In 1919 he began his political career, having been co-opted, after the Union, as a member of the Great National Council. He stood out as a cultural initiator, as he actively contributed to the improvement of the social and cultural lives of the Romanians of Brasov.

In time, he carried out a fruitful journalistic career. As such, between 1929 and 1938, he was the editor of the magazine Țara Bârsei and a contributor to the magazines Transilvania, Gazeta Transilvaniei, Societatea de mâine, Familia, Tribuna, Românul (Arad), Dreptatea (Brașov) and Gând Românesc. These publications contain numerous articles, reviews and works of Axente Banciu, some signed in his own name, others under the pseudonyms S. Tamba or N. Hurlup.

In his attempt to make the Trasylvanian figures known, he often evoked the contributions made by important people, such as: George Bariț, Gheorghe Bogdan-Duică, Vasile Goldiș or Alexandru Bogdan. He contributed to the magazine Societatea de mâine, in the column “Din dicționarul greșelilor noastre de limbă și ortografie” (Out of the dictionary of our language and spelling errors). As attempt to cultivate the Romanian language and especially to avoid linguistic copies from Hungarian or German (which occurred quite often in Transylvania), the following works must be mentioned: Câteva spicuiri din dicționarul greșelilor noastre de limbă (A few extracts from the dictionary of our language errors), Cum vorbim și cum ar trebui să vorbim românește (1913) (How we speak and how we should speak Romanian).  

He published a volume of poems entitled Iluzie și realitate (1940) (Illusion and reality), but he also published translations from the Hungarian literature, especially from Petofi Sandor, whose translated poems he published in the magazines Gazeta Transilvaniei, Convorbiri Literare and Țara Bârsei.

Axente Banciu was a highly appreciated and respected figure by his contemporaries. For his merits, he was awarded the orders of the Romanian Crown (1923) and the Romanian Star (1930). The Romanian Academy honoured him in 1948 by naming him an honorary member. He died in Sibiu on 13 August 1959.     

BENIGNI von Mildenberg, Joseph Heinrich

Joseph Heinrich Benigni von Mildenberg
BENIGNI von Mildenberg, Joseph Heinrich

b. 1782, Vienna – d. 1849, Sibiu. Historiographer, ethnographer, professor of Austrian Law at the Saxon Judiciary Academy in Sibiu.

 

After Benigni’s death, the state bought, through an imperial decision (11 July 1855) his 15.000 volume library and donated it to the most representative libraries in Transylvania. An important part of this donation also arrived in Cluj.

His father was an aulic agent, a lawyer and a notary at the Commercial Court in Vienna. The child was educated in the spirit of the love for learning, but the premature death of his father compelled him, in order to ensure his means of subsistence, to embrace a military career. His poor health, however, did not allow him to make a career in the military field. As such, starting in 1798, he held different official positions in the Austrian administrative system. As a military clerk, he was detached in 1802 in Transylvania, in Sibiu. After a short hiatus (1807-1810), when he returned to Vienna as part of the Aulic War Chancellery, Joseph Heinrich Benigni von Mildenberg settles in Sibiu, where he lived all of his remaining years. Here, he held different official positions and, in the end, he became the director of the chancellery of the Commandment in Sibiu, a position he held until his retirement in June 1834. On 1 May 1822, he was awarded his rights of citizenship in Sibiu, thus becoming a member of the Saxon community of the city.

He was a contributor for the magazines Transilvania and Siebenbürger Boten and he became the editor in chief of the latter. He excelled in many fields: geography, statistics, as well as literature, law and history. He spoke several languages and his passion for the humanities helped him gather an impressive library. He died defending his political convictions, having been shot on the night of 11 March 1849 by a Hungarian revolutionary because Benigni was opposed to the unification of Transylvania and Hungary; in the interest of Austria, he militated for autonomy.

Bleahu, Marcian

Marcian Bleahu
Bleahu, Marcian

b. 1924, Brasov -. Geologist, speleologist, university professor, titular member of the Romanian Academy

The Bleahu donation contains approximately 8500 titles, books and periodicals, publications in the fields of speleology, geology, geomorphology, edited in Romania and abroad.

 

He attended the “Dr. I. Mesota” primary school and high school in Brasov. He graduated the Faculty of Sciences in Bucharest and he obtained his PhD at the University in Cluj. In 1949, he was named assistant of the Department of Geology of the University in Bucharest, where he taught the courses of Structural Geology, Geologic Cartography and The Geology of the Quaternary. He taught between 1949-1962 and he was removed from the education system because of his unhealthy origins, since the communist authorities considered him to be a dangerous individual because of the fact that he spoke three foreign languages (!) and he taught using the latest research methods of the decadent western sciences.

He returned to the higher education system only after 1990, when he founded, together with professor Dolphi Drimer PhD and a group of valuable scientists, people of culture and university professors, the first private university in Romania, the Ecological University. He was dean of the Faculty of Ecology until the age of 70 and, from 1990 until 2001, he taught the courses General Geology. The External and Internal Dinamics, The Geology of Romania, The Physical Geology of Romania with elements of ecology, Nature Conservation and The Global Issues of Humanity. His professional activity contained books and studies on the stratigraphy, paleontology and tectonics of the Apuseni Mountains, the Bihor Mountains Codru-Moma and the Metaliferi Mountains.

His results and discoveries materialized into several dozens of scientific works, in printing several pages of geological maps. Marcian Bleahu was the coordinator of the first complete geological map of Romania on a scale of 1 :200.000 in 50 pages. His activity in the Apuseni Mountains materialized into two monumental syntheses: The geological evolution of the Metaliferi Mountains and The Geology of the Apuseni Mountains. Another merit in the field of geology is the establishment, in 1985, of the Romanian Geological Museum in which, according to Marcian Bleahu’s view, the visitors can, through a complete circuit, learn an entire geology text book, starting with the formation of Terra, through the successive geological stages, to the formation of the mineral riches. Today, the museum represents one of the most interesting and valuable museums of Bucharest.

Professor Bleahu’s preoccupations for the new theory of global dynamics or global tectonics, also known as plate tectonics, brought him much recognition in his scholarly field. Thus, in 1980, Marcian Bleahu made the first application regarding the Carpathians and his research materialized into publications and conferences. In his monumental work entitled Global tectonics, the fundamental elements of Marcian Bleahu’s revolutionary theory are presented, as well as their consequences. Marcian Bleahu is a member of the Swiss Academy of Physics and Sciences, a titular member of the Academy of Romanian Scientists and a member of different scientific societies (for geology, speleology and geology in Romania and abroad).

Bretzfeld-Sommerer Gertraud

Gertraud Bretzfeld-Sommerer
Bretzfeld-Sommerer Gertraud
1943-2017

n. 7 octombrie 1943, Bayreuth - m. 11 octombrie 2017, München.

Romanistă, activitate profesională la Ludwigs-Gymnasium din München, predând limba latină, franceză, spaniolă și portugheză.

Gertraud Bretzfeld-Sommerer şi-a desfăşurat activitatea profesională la Ludwigs-Gymnasium din München, predând limba latină, franceză, spaniolă și portugheză până în anul 2004. Între 1975-1980 a lucrat la Ministerul Educaţiei din Bavaria, în cadrul departamentului care coordona şcolile germane din străinătate. Graţie eforturilor sale, a fost inclusă limba spaniolă ca disciplină de bacalaureat la Ludwigs-Gymnasium, iniţiativa din urmă bucurându-se de succes în rândul elevilor. Doamnei Gertraud Bretzfeld-Sommerer i se datorează şi recunoaşterea Ludwigs-Gymnasium ca centru de predare a limbii portugheze. Gertraud Bretzfeld-Sommerer a făcut parte, de asemenea, din comisiile de admitere în învăţământul preuniversitar, evaluând cunoştintele de limba spaniolă ale candidaţilor.

Încă din timpul studiilor la Facultatea de Litere a Universităţii Friedrich-Alexander din Erlangen, Gertraud Bretzfeld-Sommerer a manifestat interes şi pentru alte limbi romanice, precum italiana, sarda, catalana, galiciana şi occitana, familiarizându-se cu acestea şi cu cultura regiunilor în cauză. După pensionare a studiat limba română la Universitatea Ludwig-Maximilian din München, frecventând diverse cursuri și seminarii ca audient. Profesorii au apreciat contribuţiile sale la discuţii, deoarece a dovedit o bună cunoaştere a Antichităţii clasice, dar şi a culturii moderne din țările latine. Dincolo de ataşamentul arătat faţă de limba şi literatura ţărilor latine, Gertraud Bretzfeld-Sommerer a fost atrasă de tradiția, cultura, arta, stilul de viață și bucătăria țărilor în discuţie. Pe durata studiilor universitare, dar şi ulterior, ca profesor de liceu, a beneficiat de diverse stagii de perfecţionare şi formare continuă, participând la reuniuni ale profesorilor de limba franceză sau la congrese de hispanistică în Spania, Portugalia şi Franţa. Studentă fiind călătoreşte în America Latină, în Mexic și Columbia. De asemenea, obţine burse de perfecţionare a limbii galiciene la Universitatea din Santiago de Compostela.

De peste trei decenii, o siluetă a lui Santiago şi-a găsit locul în biblioteca personală doamnei Gertraud Bretzfeld-Sommerer. Silueta a fost realizată de Georgina Mendivil, soţia renumitului artist peruan Hilario Mendivil. Din partea superioară a siluetei amintite a fost creat EX-LIBRIS-ul vastei biblioteci a profesoarei Gertraud Bretzfeld-Sommerer, care şi-a dorit ca biblioteca să fie donată unei instituţii universitare pentru a fi pusă la dispoziţia studenţilor, profesorilor şi cercetătorilor. Sperăm că figura lui Santiago va ghida studenţii în cercetările lor şi vor îmbrăţişa cu entuziasm studiile de romanistică, asemenea profesoarei Gertraud Bretzfeld-Sommerer.

Colecția de cărți a fost donată Bibliotecii Centrale Universitare „Lucian Blaga” Cluj-Napoca, în anul 2018, fiind completată în 2020 cu 121 de volume cu dedicații și autografe de autor.

Biografia originală, în limba germană poate fi consultată aici.

Carp, Mircea

Mircea Carp
Carp, Mircea

b. 1923, Gherla (Cluj) – . Military man by profession, journalist, assistant director at Free Europe.

Mircea Carp donated an impressive archive of articles, editorials, interviews, tape recorders and audio cassettes with recordings of Voice of America and Free Europe radio broadcasts, as well as many other valuable documents.

 

He comes from an old Moldovan family, his father, Constantin Carp, a military man by profession, originally from Iasi, and his mother, Catherine (b. Catargi), comes from the family of well-known statesmen and diplomats. He was born in the city of Gherla because, at that time, his father was the commander of a cavalry unit in the city. When Mircea had just turned two, his father was moved to Chisinau.

In the book of memoirs Mircea Carp here, let us hear only good!, the author remembers his life, mentioning both the places through which, thanks to the father's profession, he passed in the years of childhood and youth, and, above all, the people he met and who left him beautiful memories.

Because he wanted to embrace the career of weapons, he would attend, from the summer of 1936, the Military High School "General George Macarovici" in Iasi. He continued with the "Nicolae Filipescu" Military High School at Dealu Monastery. In 1942, when he finished high school and took his baccalaureate exam, Romania was at war as an ally of Germany. Taking advantage of the agreement between the two countries that Romanian students could be admitted to German military schools, the young Carp decides to attend the Military School in Berlin. In March 1943, he received the rank of corporal from the school and was sent to the front, but the following summer he was allowed to return to the country as a graduate of the German Tank School.

After the war, purges began, and he was fired in 1946. He managed to leave the country in 1948. During his asylum in Austria, he served for three and a half years in the United States Army, stationed in Salzburg, a city that was in the American area of influence. He emigrated (1951) to the United States via a special visa, becoming a journalist. He was head of the Romanian language department and correspondent for Europe for the Voice of America radio. He has conducted numerous reports and interviews with representatives of the Romanian diaspora in America, being known by the pseudonym Dan Mircescu or Mihai Soimu. During his exile he visited Romania thirteen times, accompanying two American presidents in 1969, Richard Nixon and, in 1975, Gerald Ford. After the death of his first wife, he settled in Munich, continuing to serve the radio station Voice of America. In Europe he met Gabriela, his second wife, a Romanian refugee in Munich, whom he married on 6 February 1976. He became editor of the Political department and then deputy director of the radio station Free Europe.

The Mircea Carp donation to the Central University Library "Lucian Blaga" contains, among other things, correspondence between Mircea Carp and King Mihai I, interviews with Romanian personalities from exile, personal documents, autobiographies, photocopies, press reactions, as well as audio cassettes with recordings of radio broadcasts Voice of America and Free Europe, as well as many other documents covering aspects of reality in communist Romania, with real research potential for the history of the press and radio during the Cold War.

For all the work he did in favour of the country, both in Voice of America and in Free Europe, Mircea Carp was decorated by President Emil Constantinescu, on 1 December 2000, with the order "Star of Romania", in the rank of Commander.

Cazacu, Matei

Cazacu, Matei

n. 11 iulie 1946, Sinaia. Eseist, istoric medievist.

 

Fiu de preot, în 1964 a absolvit Liceul „Spiru Haret” din Bucureşti, iar în 1969 obţine licenţa la Facultatea de Istorie a Universităţii din Bucureşti. Până la plecarea ilegală din România și stabilirea în Franța (1973), a fost cercetător la Institutul de Istorie „Nicolae Iorga” din București. Începând cu anul 1977 a fost arhivist paleograf, diplomat al École Nationale des Chartes din Paris. A devenit doctor la Universitatea Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne (1979), specializarea în istorie şi civilizaţie bizantină şi postbizantină. Din anul 1979 a activat ca cercetător la Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique din Franţa şi (din 1992) conferenţiar la Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales (INALCO) din Paris. În 1984 a fost numit diplomat al École Pratique des Hautes Études, IVe section, Paris. În anul 2012 era director de cercetare la CNRS (Centrul Național de Cercetări Științifice) din Paris.

Din anul 1977, s-a angajat în mişcarea pentru apărarea drepturilor omului în România, mai întâi în Mişcarea Paul Goma, apoi în Liga pentru Apărarea Drepturilor Omului, Secţia română. Din 1982, a activat ca membru în Asociaţia pentru Apărarea Monumentelor Istorice din România şi în Operaţiunea „Villages Roumains”. Începând din același an, a colaborat la Radio Europa Liberă, BBC, Vocea Americii, Radio France Internationale, Radio Canada, France Inter şi la televiziunea franceză (TF1 şi Antenne 2).

A publicat în Franța numeroase monografii ale unor figuri mitice și istorice, precum Dracula (Tallandier, 2004), Gilles de Rais (Tallandier, 2005) și Frankenstein (Tallandier, 2011). A mai publicat: Histoire des Slaves orientaux (CNRS Editions) și Des femmes sur les routes de l’Orient. Le Voyage à Constantinople au XIXe siècle (Georg Editeur, 1998). Volumul monografic Dracula a apărut în traducere românească la Editura Humanitas în 2008.

Biblioteca Centrală Universitară „Lucian Blaga” a primit deja o parte din biblioteca profesorului Matei Cazacu, urmând ca documentele să constituie un fond personal extrem de valoros.

Coșeriu, Eugeniu

Coșeriu, Eugeniu
Coșeriu, Eugeniu

n. 27 iulie 1921 Mihăileni, Moldova – m. 7 septembrie 2002 Tübingen, Germania.

Pentru lingvistica internațională a secolului al XX-lea, profesorul Eugeniu Coșeriu reprezintă un reper marcant, fiind fondatorul lingvisticii integrale.

A studiat filologia la Iași și Roma, iar la Milano filosofia. Este doctor în Filologie și Filosofie, autorul unor studii deschizătoare de direcții în filosofia limbajului, prefigurând zările unei reconstrucții hermeneutice a lingvisticii. A fondat prima Școală lingvistică din America de Sud, la Montevideo, și Școala lingvistică de la Tübingen, fiind profesor al Universității din Tübingen din 1963 până la sfârșitul vieții. La Cluj își desfășoară activitatea Centrul de studii integraliste „Eugeniu Coșeriu” (primul centru științific din lume cu această titulatură, după afirmațiile profesorului Coșeriu). În 1992, Eugeniu Coșeriu este distins cu titlul Doctor Honoris Causa al Universității Babeș-Bolyai din Cluj-Napoca.

Câteva repere editoriale în limba română – din cele peste 60 de titluri în limbile română, germană, spaniolă (regăsibile în fondurile Bibliotecii Centrale Universitare „Lucian Blaga”): Prelegeri și conferințe: 1992-1993, Întroducere în lingvistică (1995), Sincronie, diacronie și istorie. Problema schimbării lingvistice (1997), Omul și limbajul său (1997), Lecții de lingvistică integrală generală (2000), Istoria filosofiei limbajului. De la începuturi până la Rousseau (2011), A spune lucrurile așa cum sunt... Conversații cu Eugeniu Coșeriu (2017).

Biblioteca Centrală Universitară „Lucian Blaga” a primit deja o parte din biblioteca profesorului Coșeriu (ca urmare a unui acord de donație din partea Universității din Tübingen), urmând ca documentele să constituie un fond aparte extrem de valoros.

CULCER, DAN

CULCER, DAN

(15 June 1941, Sulina/Tulcea). Critic and literary historian, essayist, writer and poet, Hungarian and French translator, journalist.

 

He graduated from the Faculty of Philology of the Babeş-Bolyai University in Cluj (1960). He has written dozens of articles, books and studies of sociological literary criticism. He emigrated to France in October 1987, where he continued to write. He has collaborated with major radio stations such as: BBC Radio, Free Europe or Radio France International.

He donated manuscripts, archival documents, books from his own library, collections of magazines, paintings and family objects to the Lucian Blaga Central University Library.

Florea, Virgiliu

Florea, Virgiliu

13 februarie 1941, Pogăceaua, jud. Mureş - 7 august 2019, Cluj-Napoca, jud. Cluj. Folclorist, istoric literar.

 

A studiat la Facultatea de Filologie a Universității Babeș-Bolyai, instituție pe care a absolvit-o în anul 1964, iar în anul 1974 a abținut, la aceeași universitate, titlul de doctor în filologie.

Cariera didactică a început-o în anul 1964, în calitate de preparator universitar, urmând toate titlurile didactice până la profesor titular la Facultatea de Litere a Universității Babeș-Bolyai. Începând cu anul 1972 și până în anul 1992, apoi în perioada 2002-2006 a ocupat poziția de cercetător științific principal la Institutul „Arhiva de Folclor a Academiei Române” din Cluj-Napoca.

A predat cursuri de folclor literar românesc, etnografie, etnologie, istoria ştiinţelor despre cultura populară şi mitologie românească. A funcţionat ca lector de limbă şi civilizaţie românească la Universitatea din Rochester, S.U.A. (1978-1980), apoi, în aceeaşi calitate, la universităţile din Londra şi Cambridge (1980-1982). De-a lungul carierei a participat la mai multe schimburi de experiență şi stagii de documentare la Universitatea din Praga şi la institutele de folclor din Praga şi Bratislava (1974), la Universitatea „La Sapienza“ din Roma (1993), la Universitatea din Szeged (1998), la Biblioteca Naţională „Széchényi“ din Budapesta.

În timpul cât s-a aflat la Londra şi Cambridge, a cercetat, cu acribia care l-a caracterizat, zecile de mii de scrisori, trimise şi primite de Moses Gaster, din care avea să publice, în periodice, mai multe seturi, scriind numeroase articole, o parte din ele adunate şi în volume: M. Gaster în corespondenţă (1985) și Prieteni români ai lui M. Gaster (1997).

A publicat mai multe cărți, printre care se pot aminti Folclorişti ardeleni, colecţii inedite de folclor (1994); Folcloristul Enea Hodoş. 50 de ani de la moarte (1995); Cercul „Junimii“ bucureştene [Titu Maiorescu, Iacob Negruzzi, Vasile Alecsandri, Mihai Eminescu, Ion Creangă, I.L. Caragiale, Ioan Slavici] (1997, carte premiată, în 1998, de Universitatea Babeş-Bolyai); Din trecutul folcloristicii româneşti (2001), M. Gaster & Agnes Murgoci – avocaţi în Marea Britanie ai culturii populare româneşti (2003), Un cărturar german. I.C. Hintz-Hinţescu, folclorist şi literat român (2004); Valea Gurghiului. Monografie etnologică (2008, în colaborare).

A făcut parte din Comisia de Folclor a Academiei Române şi din colectivul de redacţie al „Anuarului Arhivei de Folclor” din Cluj-Napoca. A fost membru al Institutului de Antropologie Culturală din Cluj-Napoca, Secţia Etnologie Europeană şi membru asociat al Societăţii Internaţionale „The Folklore Fellows” a Academiei Finlandeze de Știinţe şi Litere. A fost membru al Uniunii Scriitorilor din România.

Donaţia Virgiliu Florea oferită Bibliotecii Centrale Universitare „Lucian Blaga” conţine cărți din biblioteca personală și, printre altele, documente și copii ale manuscriselor M. Gaster adunate în toată munca de cercetare în arhive.

Amos Frâncu

Amos Frâncu
Amos Frâncu

b. 1866, Baia de Criș (Hunedoara) – 1933, Cluj. Lawyer, politician, defender of the memorandists in 1894 and militant for the Great Union of 1 December 1918.

The Amos Frâncu Collection, containing documentary material from the late 19th and 20th centuries, comprises private and political correspondence (correspondence with "Astra"), documents, manuscripts, concepts, declarations, petitions, and other documents relating to the political activity of Amos Frâncu.

 

 

Amos Virgiliu Frâncu was born on 28 January 1866, in Baia de Criș, where his father was a proto-fisc comitantes. Left orphaned by his father’s death at the age of 6, the child was raised by the mother, who devoted herself entirely to his education. The family moved to Sibiu, where Amos would attend the state Catholic high school, where he stood out as an eminent student. At the age of 18 he attended the Faculty of Law in Budapest, where he received a doctoral degree "under auspictis regis". After a year in Paris, he returned to Budapest to complete his legal internship. After completing his internship, he returned to the country, to Sibiu, where he would open a lawyer's office.

He eventually settled in Cluj, where he became one of Transylvania’s most important lawyers. Here he stood out, especially, in the trial of the Memorandum (1894), as a defender of the leader of the Romanian National Party, Dr. Ioan Ratiu. Driven by the importance of the historical moment, in 1918 he was at the head of the Romanian national guards. After the Union, he will plead in favour of the inhabitants of Apuseni, in lawsuits related to the ownership of forests. As part of the Brotherhood of the Moths, which he founded in Cluj, he dedicated the last years of his life to the work of helping and emanciating the inhabitants of Țara Moților.

He died on 3 November 1933, poor and without descendants, having never been. The funeral cortege was greeted continuously, all the way to Baia de Criş, with moving expressions of sympathy. Amos Frâncu was buried in the Greek Catholic cemetery in Baia de Criș, close to Horea's gorun and the tomb of Avram Iancu. The entire Romanian press published emotional eulogies.

Gaál Gábor

Gaál Gábor
Gaál Gábor

Philosopher and editor of the Korunk magazine.

 

 

In 1926, he became a contributor to Ellenzek and Keleti Ujsag, and in 1929 he became the editor of Korunk. In 1946 he became a professor of the Department of Philosophy of Bolyai University and editor-in-chief of Utunk, as well as the leader of the Union of Hungarian Writers of Romania. In 1950, he was appointed professor in the Department of Letters. His library, containing a total of 1,296 titles, was donated in 1982 to the Central University Library.

Hossu-Longin, Francisc

Francisc Hossu-Longin
Hossu-Longin, Francisc

b. 1847, Zam (Hunedoara) – m. 1935, Băsești. Lawyer, politician, journalist.

 

The Hossu-Longin Fund comprises a rich archival material, summarizing acts and documents with political, cultural, administrative and legal contents, covering almost a century of Transylvanian history (1848– 1934). It contains documents relating to the Hossu family, as well as a number of documents concerning the activity of the Romanian National Party, from its inception until 1918. From his works as a lawyer, the documents preserved represent testimonies, speeches, articles concerning the trials in which he participated, either as a defender or as a defendant. A significant part of the collection also contains the correspondence of Francis Hossu-Longin, of which we must mention the exchange of letters he had throughout his life (1878 – 1935) with various personalities of the Romanian political field and scene.

He was the son of Mihai Lupu-Hossu and Aloisa (b. Pandak). He attended primary school in Deva and later in Orastie, but unfortunately the untimely death of his parents radically changed the course of his life. The guardianship of the child was entrusted to the closest living relative, namely an aunt who lived in Beius. Here he began his high school studies, which he continued in Alba-Iulia, Cluj and Orastie. About his aunt, he would later recount that she was a woman without feelings, who caused him countless hardships, depriving him of much of his inheritance after the disappearance of his parents. After several changes of residence, he went, in 1868, to Pest, to attend the Faculty of Law. During his student years he became a member of the "Petru Maior" Society, a society that offered young Romanians from different regions of the Empire the opportunity to meet and stimulate each other's intellectual concerns. Due to his persistence and, above all, the seriousness with which he treated all the tasks and activities in which he was involved, he was offered the position of librarian of Astra. The years spent in Pest made a substantial contribution to the formation of the personality of the young man who, in addition to perfecting his education, managed to penetrate and know the high circles of society, strengthening his social relations. Returning in 1872 to the country, he settled in Deva. He quickly became a member of the Leadership Committee of the Romanian National Party, after initially having been the secretary of the Party Formation Conference. An important role in the political ascent and in the creation of his public image was his status as a defence lawyer in the Memorandum process. Thus, during the period of Austro-Hungarian dualism, he was recognized as a constant defender of Romanians and national rights, being one of the most active animators of the Romanian political scene who advocated for unification.

Francis Hossu-Longin was also a tireless supporter of women's rights, equal to those of men, so he was always with Elena Pop Hossu-Longin, daughter of Gheorghe Pop de Băsesti, who became his wife in 1882. His political and cultural activity has always been accompanied by a publicistic one. In the struggle to achieve national ideals, he published and collaborated with the magazines Gazeta Transylvania, Familia and Gura Sat. In addition to works of political and social interest, he published numerous literary or general interest materials. During the First World War he maintained his position of independence, refusing to sign the declaration of loyalty to the Government of Budapest, while actively engaging in the struggle for national completeness. On December 1, 1918, on the stage of the Assembly of Alba-Iulia, he played a significant role. After the Union, Francis Hossu-Longin retired from public life.

After 1920, he moved to Băsesi (Salaj), the place of origin of his wife's family, where he lived until February 12, 1935, when he died.

He left behind a vast correspondence and documents that today are at the Central University Library in Cluj. Between 1923 and 1932 he wrote Memories of My Life, in the form of eight manuscript notebooks which, together with his other treasures, were donated to the library. These notebooks were posthumously edited in 1975 and include information from his childhood and adolescence. In these memories they are reconstructed without literary pretensions, but with flavors, morals and happenings characteristic of Transylvanian life in the second half of the 19th century, complemented by a rich historical documentary material.

Kemény József

Kemény József
Kemény József

As a lawyer, he studied at the Cluj Academy of Law. He worked for a while at the Treasury in Sibiu. In 1835 he resigned and got involved in politics.

 

In 1846, he retired from the public life and he devoted himself exclusively to the research of the history and vestiges of Transylvania.

Lapedatu, Alexandru

Alexandru Lapedatu
Lapedatu, Alexandru

b. 1876, Cernatul Sacelele (Braşov) – d. 1950, Sighet. Historian, academic, politician.

Donations to the Library of the University of Cluj keep a place of honor in the Golden Book of our donors, and the Library's Teachers' Hall still bears its name today.

His father was Professor Ion Lapedatu, his mother was the daughter of a wealthy merchant. As a student, he attended the Faculty of Letters and Philosophy at the University of Bucharest, having the opportunity to specialize in the study of medieval history and to initiate himself in the research of medieval historical monuments. After completing his studies, he taught for a period at Andrei Saguna High School in Brasov, then worked as a researcher at the Academy Library. He taught Old History at the University of Cluj, being valued by both students and colleagues. One of those who appreciated his qualities was his friend Sextil Puscariu, the first rector of the University of Cluj. From 1921 to 1922, in which he was a professor at the Faculty of Letters and Philosophy, he also served as dean and then as pro-dean.

His passion and interest in history led Alexandru Lapedatu to make great efforts to create an institution dedicated exclusively to historical research in Cluj. Thus, he was one of the founders, then co-directors of the Institute of National History in Cluj. Over the years, he held important positions within state institutions, such as director general of the State Archives, academician and president of the Romanian Academy.

Political activity began in 1922, when he was elected as a member of the Liberal National Party. Thus, during the interwar period he was part of liberal governments, holding various functions. During his time as secretary of the Historical Monuments Commission, he was in charge of drafting two impressive works: the Bulletin of the Historical Monuments Commission and the Historic Monuments Commission's Year.  In their contents was made the inventory and presentation of all the national treasures of the Romanian state.

Academic, academic and political activity, complemented by cultural and publishing, brought him not only material and social satisfaction, but also the admiration and respect of King Ferdinand I. During his lifetime, Alexandru Lapedatu became a member of numerous cultural societies and commissions and collaborated on numerous scientific and literary journals.

Unfortunately, with the change of political regime and the reorganization of the Academy, on 9 June 1948, his membership was withdrawn, and he was arrested in May 1950, along with other liberal leaders and imprisoned in Sighet. On August 30, the same year, he died in prison. The cause of death appears to have been asphyxiation, as being sick with asthma, Alexandru Lapedatu could not survive the terrible regime in the dungeon.

He left behind a prestigious work. Among his most representative works are: Historical documents from the archives of Brasov (1903), Vlad-Voda, 1482-1496. Historical Monograph (1903), Stephen the Great (1904), The Historical Activity of Nicolae Densusianu (1846-1911) (1912), Our Historical Monuments in Illustrated Readings (1914), A Bunch of Historical Research (1915), Miscellanae. Commemorative, Panegiric, Occasional and Political Words (1925). He wrote monographs about Romanian historical personalities, such as: Radu the Beautiful, Petru Maior, Mihnea the Evil, but also about many others.

 

Marino, Adrian

Adrian Marino
Marino, Adrian

b. 1921, Iaşi – d. 2005, Cluj. Literary historian, critic, ideologue.

The entire library, containing more than 10,000 books, magazines, Romanian and foreign extracts, correspondence, as well as archival documents, was donated, by the will of Adrian Marino, to the Central University Library of Cluj. The room for PhD students and young researchers today bears his name.

Adrian Marino was born on September 5, 1921, in Iasi, the son of engineer Nicolae Marino and Natalia (b. Nicolau). He began his university studies in Iaşi (1941), but continued them in Bucharest. He made his publishing debut in the Literary Journal  (1939), still a student. In 1947, he obtained his PhD with a thesis entitled Viaţa lui Alexandru Macedonski. His university career, just begun, was abruptly cut off in 1947 when he was arrested for participating in the illegal circle of peasant youth studies. After eight years in detention, he was deported to Băragan, forcibly residing in Lateşti (1957-1963). From 1964 he settled in Cluj, the city of his wife Lidia Bote, resuming his work as a historian and literary critic. He made his editorial debut in 1966 with Macedonski's Life, a volume awarded with the Romanian Academy Award. Between 1966-1989 he carried out a laborious activity of historian and literary critic, collaborating on numerous Romanian and foreign magazines, publishing a series of books and studies that brought him a well-deserved notoriety. Despite the times, he managed to preserve his creative freedom, continuing to write and publish reference books in the criticism of literary ideas and hermeneutics. We must mention some of them: the work of Alexandru Macedonski  (1967), Introduction to literary criticism  (1968),  Modern, Modernism, Modernity  (1969), Dictionary of Literary Ideas,I, A-G (1973),  Olé! España! (1974), European Notebooks (1976), Romanian Presences and European Realities (1978), Mircea Eliade's Hermeneutique (1981),  Etimble ou le comparisms militant  (1982),  Hermeneutica of the idea of literature  (1987), etc.  

He continued his literary research after 1990, consuming the massive work Biography of the idea of literature in five volumes. He was particularly involved in the sphere of criticism of ideas, of political ideology, by publishing:  Escapes to the Free World  (1993),  For Europe. Integration of Romania. Ideological and cultural aspects  (1995),  Politics and culture. For a new culture Romanian  (1996),  Censorship in Romania. Historical introductory sketch  (2000),  Third speech. Culture, ideology and politics in Romania  (2001) etc.

He died on 17 March 2005, leaving behind a vast work, but did not succeed in carrying out the project to which he dedicated the last years of his life: a critique of the idea of freedom and censorship in Romania, an idea sketched out in the final written texts. Five years after his passing, the memoir, entitled The Life of a Single Man, sparked a series of polemics about the author's personality. Beyond these controversies, Adrian Marino remains in the consciousness of his contemporaries as a great erudite, a man of culture and a remarkable critic. Those who visit the "Adrian Marino" Room in the Central University Library of Cluj cannot fail to be impressed by the value, richness and diversity of the books. 

Marţian, Iulian

Iulian Marţian
Marţian, Iulian

b. 23 June 1867, Mintiu (Bistrita Năsăud) – d. 1937, Mintiu. Historian, honorary member of the Romanian Academy.

The donation of the Martian family comprises numerous bibliophile rarities, of which we mention the Tetraevangeliary of Coresi, printed in Brasov in 1561 (the oldest Romanian book preserved in our library).  In addition to the approximately 900 volumes of Latin and German books from the 17th to 19th centuries, the Martian donation also contains several important medieval documents (since the 13th century), as well as 120 prints and valuable reproductions.

After his elementary studies, Iulian Martian attended six classes at the Border High School in Năsăud (1877–1883), then the Sibiu Military School, graduating in 1887, when he became an infantry officer in the Austro-Hungarian Imperial Army. Activates in the garrisons triest, Sarajevo, Brasov, Lemberg, Cluj, Dej and Bistrita. Arriving at the rank of major, he was placed on request, in reserve, settling in 1904 at Năsăud. Passionate about archaeology and history, Iulian Martian collected precious documents and books on the presence and continuity of Romanians in Transylvania. Throughout his life he has carried out a rich activity as a historian and researcher, his concerns in the field of history and archaeology being reflected in specialized studies, such as: The Archaeological Repertory for Transylvania, published in German, in Vienna in 1909. An improved edition of the work was printed in the Romanian language in Bistrita in 1920. He also published: Traces of the Roman wars with the Dacians, Cluj, 1921 or Transylvania. History and toponymy, Bistrița, 1924. He has contributed studies and articles to various publications of history or culture: Gazeta Transylvania, Someşean Archive, Land of Năsăud, Twinning, Tribuna, etc. Together with the archivist Iuliu Moisil and Professor Virgil Sotropa (director of the Someşean Archive magazine) he founded the Năsăudean Museum. For his entire contribution to the knowledge of national history, he was elected, in 1933, an honorary member of the Romanian Academy.

Mikó Imre

Mikó Imre
Mikó Imre

b. 1805, Haghig (Covasna) – d. 1876, Cluj. Politician and state man, lawyer and economist, patron of the arts.

After Mikó Imre's death, part of the personal library was donated to the Ardelean Museum by his family, and then into the collections of the University Library, which made it available to research and students.

Born into an old noble family, he spent his childhood in Ocna Mureş. He graduated from Bethlen College in Aiud, completing his law studies at Targu Mureş. After completing his studies, he became an official in the Transylvanian Government (Gubernium). In 1847 he was appointed president of the Transylvanian Treasury, acquiring the office of governor of Transylvania a year later. By order of the Vienna Government, from December 1848 to October 1849, he was detained in Olmutz. On his return to Transylvania, he found a country that was trying to recover from the revolution of 1848 and military conflicts. In these circumstances, he set out to reorganize the disintegrated Hungarian society because of the absolutist government in Vienna, considering that the reopening of dissolved institutions, as well as the establishment of new institutions, is a political priority for Transylvania. In carrying out these projects, his financial contributions were impressive, being called, for these reasons, "Széchenyi of Transylvania". Charisma and personality, as well as exceptional erudition, were the basis of his election, between 1853-1876, as president or general curator of cultural and scientific institutions in Transylvania: the Society of the Transylvanian Museum, the Hungarian Society of Economics, the National Theatre of Cluj, the Reformed Diocese of Transylvania and the Bethlen College of Aiud. He was briefly re-elected governor of Transylvania (in 1861), then Minister of Transport (1867-1868). He also became president of the Hungarian History Society (1867-1876) and deputy of Cluj (1866-1876) in the Hungarian Parliament.

As the official leader of the said institutions, Count Imre Mikó left a vast correspondence, including a series of speeches, considered today authentic sources for studying the history of Transylvania institutions. The establishment of the Transylvanian Museum Society, supported by the Hungarian community in Transylvania, was the most important achievement of Count Imre Mikó. The society has carried out a prominent scientific activity, performing both museum and academic functions, thus also contributing to the foundation of a heritage of historical documents and natural sciences. In 1872, the Library of the Transylvanian Museum, comprising more than 30,000 volumes, was made available to the University Library for study and research.

Niciu, Marțian

Niciu, Marțian

n. 1 martie 1927 – d. 2 noiembrie 2016. Jurist, cadru didactic al Facultății de Drept, Universitatea Babeș-Bolyai din Cluj-Napoca.

 

Cariera didactică a început-o în anul 1948 la Facultatea de Drept a Universității din Cluj, fiind, începând cu anul 1952 și până la pensionare, titularul Catedrei de drept internațional public. La începutul anului 1990, pe fondul schimbărilor structurilor de conducere existente până atunci, atât la nivelul politicii interne, cât și la nivel instituțional, Marțian Niciu a fost ales decan al Facultății de Drept, începând cu data de 17 ianurie. Poziția de conducere a ocupat-o până în anul 1991 când s-a pensionat, în locul său fiind ales Matei Basarab, profesor de drept penal.

Profesorul Marțian Niciu a efectuat stagii de schimb de experiență și specializare la Universitatea Liberă din Bruxelles în perioada 1966-1967 și la Academia de Drept Internațional de la Haga în anul 1970. Activitatea științifică a fost una de amploare și recunoscută pe plan internțional și național prin diverse premii și distincții. De pildă, în anul 1978, lucrarea elaborată împreună cu profesorul și colegul său de la Facultatea de Drept din Cluj, Ludovic Takacs, intitulată Curs de drept internațional public a primit Premiul „Simion Bărnuțiu” al Academiei Române. După anul 1990, profesorul Niciu a publicat tratatul de Drept internațional public, un reper bibliografic în dreptul internațional public, tipărit în mai multe ediții.

PAPAHAGI, MARIAN

PAPAHAGI, MARIAN

(b. 14 Oct. 1948, Râmnicu Vâlcea - d. 18 Jan 1999, Rome). Critic, literary historian, specialist in Romanesque philology, translator.

 

He graduated from the Faculty of Philology of Babeş-Bolyai University in Cluj (1966-1968), then continued in Rome (1968-1972), in the department of Romance languages and literature. From 1973, he was an assistant, then a lecturer, and from 1990, a professor at the Faculty of Letters of the Babeş-Bolyai University, where he founded the Department of Romance Languages and Literature. Former Director of the Accademia di Romania in Rome (1998-1999). Member of the founding group of the cenacle and the magazine Echinox (editor-in-chief, 1973-1983) and director of the magazine Studi Italo-Romeni, founded in 1997. He published articles, books of history and literary criticism, studies of Romanesque philology. He collaborated with Mircea Zaciu and Aurel Sasu at the Romanian Writers' Dictionary. He donated to the Lucian Blaga Central University Library some of the books and documents from his own library.

Pitariu, Horia D.

Horia Pitariu
Pitariu, Horia D.

b. April 9, 1939, Orăștie – d. 2010, Cluj. University professor, specialist in the field of occupational and organizational psychology.

 

In June 2010, the university library in Cluj enriched its collections with a significant donation of books and periodicals in the field of psychology and pedagogy. The donation, comprising part of the personal library of the late Professor Horia Pitariu, professor at Babes-Bolyai University, Faculty of Psychology-Pedagogy, was offered to our library from the Pitariu family, integrated into the publishing fund of the Library of Psychology-Pedagogy and made available to the public in the system of free access to the shelf. Among the donated volumes are publications in Romanian and foreign languages: English, French, German and Hungarian.

Professor Horia Pitariu was a remarkable personality in the field of work psychology and organizational psychology to the development of which he contributed in a decisive way being, through his teaching activity, but also through the rich research work, a leading representative of the Romanian School of Psychology. A member of numerous internal and international professional organizations, a collaborator of important foreign academic institutions, Professor Horia Pitariu has dedicated his entire life to teaching, contributing to the formation of generations of students. Creator and innovator, too, has studied the psychological effects of human-computer interaction, being among the first in our country to be concerned about these issues.

POPA, MIRCEA

POPA, MIRCEA

(b. 29 January 1939, Lazuri de Beius/Bihor). Literary critic and literary historian.

 

He graduated from the Faculty of Philology of Babeş-Bolyai University in Cluj (1960). He published a multitude of articles, books and studies on literary history. He is a tireless researcher of our literary history, which he always approached with acrimony, passion and much patience. He donated to the Lucian Blaga Central University Library books, documents and manuscripts from his own library.

 

Raţiu, Ion

Ion Raţiu
Raţiu, Ion

b. 1917, Turda (Cluj) – d. 2000, London.  Businessman, politician, journalist, lawyer.

He donated the entire book fund, periodical publications, documents and manuscripts to the Central University Library of Cluj, where a special fund was set up bearing his name. This collection is particularly important for all historians studying the Cold War period and the relations of the Eastern Bloc countries with the West.

 

Ion Augustin Nicolae Ratiu was born in Turda, where he spent his childhood and youth. He attended high school in Turda and Cluj, continuing his university studies in Cluj, where, in 1938, he obtained his law degree. During the last year of his studies he began to work in the office of lawyer Ionel Pop, nephew of Iuliu Maniu and former vice-president of the Chamber of Deputies. His military education was at the school of reserve officers in Craiova, where he graduated as a valedictorian. In February 1940 he was appointed to the Foreign Ministry and sent on a mission to the Romanian Legion in London (where his uncle, Ambassador Viorel Virgil Tilea, was also located). Marshal Antonescu's decision to ally himself with the Axis powers led the young Ration to resign from his post and seek political asylum in England. He obtained a scholarship at St. John's College, Cambridge, where he studied Economics for three years. During his time at Cambridge, he made a series of political radio broadcasts, addressing the issue of Transylvania and the Vienna Dictate in particular. Although young, he was co-opted into the Executive Committee of the "Free Romanian Movement", a committee that opposed Romania's entry into the war with Nazi Germany, arguing that Romania's place should be with the great powers of the West, who supported the creation of Greater Romania in 1918. After the end of the war in 1945, Ion Ratiu married Elisabeth Pilkington in London, with whom he had two children: Indrei and Nicholas. With the establishment of the communist regime in Romania, Ion Ratiu, aware of the fate that would await him if he returned to the country, decided to stay with his family in England. He will join the US news agency International News Service (today, part of United Press International). During the Peace Conference, as a press correspondent, Ion Ratiu wrote about the significance of peace treaties with Balkan countries, in particular, about the one with Romania. During the signing of the treaties, he had the opportunity to follow the official delegation of Romania, but his contacts were limited only to the unofficial delegation of Romanians, as well as to the known Westerners. After the Peace Conference, he continued to work in the press for a while, realizing, however, that without serious economic resources, it will be impossible for him to fulfill his support projects for Romania, which remained, after the war, in the Soviet sphere of influence. Thus, he joined a shipping company, also dealing with radio transmissions. In 1955 he began editing a weekly English-language newsletter, Free Romanian Press - with the aim of informing the West, especially the newspapers, deputies and influential politicians in England, about the situation in Romania. After 20 years, he managed to turn this publication into a small, sapirographed magazine, a monthly, bilingual brochure. In 1965, the ACARDA Association (Cultural Association of Romanians in England) was established, and Ion Ratiu was elected president. Although it was called a "cultural" association, according to the Arlene tradition, culture does not exclude politics; on the contrary, it encompasses it, harmonizing the Romanian aspirations of democratic affirmation and freedom. A year after the establishment of the Free Romanian Union (1984), "Free Romanian" appeared in two editions (Romanian and English). As a businessman, Ion Ratiu managed to establish his own shipping company in 1957, continuing this activity until 1975, when, at the age of 58, he decided to devote himself entirely to the Romanian problem. He thus became one of the most sincere and consistent voices of the opposition against Nicolae Ceaușescu and the regime to which he bravely and fiercely opposed.

On 25 December 1989, Ratiu initiated a wide-scale campaign to help Romania, coordinated by the "Relief Fund for Romania", headquartered in London, a charity that brought medicine, food and clothing to Romania alone, estimated at over 10 million pounds. In 1990, he returned to Romania, running for the Presidency of Romania, and came in third. In the 1990 and 1992 elections, respectively, he was elected deputy of Cluj from the PNTCD, and in 1996 he was elected deputy of Arad, also from the PNTCD. Ion Ratiu passed away in London after a short illness, surrounded by his family. According to his wishes, his body was buried in January 2000 in his hometown of Turda. More than 10,000 people attended the funeral.

REMMEL, FRANCISC

REMMEL, FRANCISC

n. 5 septembrie 1931, Periam, jud. Timiș - d. 7 mai 2019, Hunedoara; - profesor, ziarist, etnolog și scriitor.

 

A donat întregul său fond documentar conținând fotografii, filme și diapozitive, înregistrări audio, documente originale sau fotocopii, publicații pe tema istoriei și culturii roma. Donația este completată cu documente și publicații ce reflectă istoria familiei, a comunității germane din România, precum și manuscrise sau corespondență rezultate din activitatea sa de gazetar.

Francisc Remmel s-a născut în familia Annei (n. Jochmann) și Francisc J. Remmel. Își începe studiile în localitatea natală, apoi la Beiuș la Gimnaziul patronat de Biserica Greco-Catolică românească, absolvind în 1950 Liceul de băieți nr. 1 din Timișoara. Urmează Școala pedagogică în același oraș, obținând diploma în 1952.

În perioada 1953-1958 a fost director la Şcoala Germană de 7 ani din Orăştie. În această perioadă a reuşit să salveze şcoala de la desfiinţare, atrăgându-şi susţinerea comunităţii germane din oraş, dar şi prin dialog cu forurile politice şi ministeriale de la Bucureşti, unde reuşeşte să-și atragă sprijinul ziarului Neuer Weg. Alături de colegii săi şi cu sprijinul comunităţii germane orăştiene, pentru a preîntâmpina pericolul scăderii numărului de elevi, fapt ce ducea la închiderea şcolii, construiesc un internat, unde găzduiesc copii din familii sărace de şvabi din jud. Satu Mare, şcolarizându-i. Pus în situaţia de a nu avea manuale în limba germană pentru materiile din programă, a capacitat colegii şi au multiplicat sub forma rezumatelor traduse manualele în limba română. A mai activat ca profesor la Şcoala germană din Hunedoara, ce funcţiona ca secţie pe lângă Şcoala Medie Mixtă OM (cartierul numit Oraşul Muncitoresc).

În anul 1964 i se face propunerea, de către Erich Wayand, redactorul-şef adjunct de la Neuer Weg, să devină redactor. Acceptă pentru o perioadă de probă de un an, apoi solicită încă un an de acomodare, având rezerve că „originile nesănătoase” - provenea dintr-o familie de proprietari, în plus şi aparţinând unei minorităţi - îi vor putea afecta cariera de ziarist. Începând cu anul 1966, este transferat din învăţământ la redacţia ziarului. În 35 de ani de presă, a fost corespondent judeţean, interjudeţean, redactor, redactor principal, lucrând în jud. Hunedoara, Alba, Arad, Timiş, Caraş-Severin, Sibiu, Bucureşti. A mai colaborat cu Radio Timişoara şi la Televiziunea Română (redacţia de limbă germană). Parcurge stagii de formare la Academia ,,Ştefan Gheorghiu” - Facultatea de ziaristică, precum şi de perfecţionare la Aachen, în Germania.

La începutul anului 1990 îi convoacă pe germanii din Hunedoara la Biserica luterană pentru a pune bazele organizaţiei locale a Forumului Democrat German, fiind ales primul preşedinte. Refuză această onoare, considerând că este mai util să-şi continue activitatea de ziarist. În anul 1995 este cooptat ca lector asociat pentru cursul de Tehnica reportajului, în cadrul programului internaţional de formare a jurnalişilor organizat de Universitatea Babeş-Bolyai şi Academia Evanghelică din Frankfurt.

În paralel cu meseria de jurnalist, Fr. Remmel desfășoară o amplă activitate de cercetare a vieții romilor din România. A scris numeroase articole de presă, dar mai ales studii publicate în reviste de specialitate.

A fost distins cu Crucea de Merit în Aur a Republicii Austria - acordată de Preşedintele Austriei ca semn al aprecierii activităţii de promovare a legăturilor interetnice, a realizărilor jurnalistice şi editoriale puse în slujba cunoaşterii şi apropierii interetnice, 2007; Diploma de onoare a Societăţii Internaţionale pentru Cercetarea Valorilor Culturale ale Romilor, Budapesta, 2000.

Este autor / coautor de volume în limba germană: Über alle sieben Meere (Peste șapte mări), 1978; Karawanen auf der Todesstraße (Caravane pe șoseaua morții), 1982; Zwischen Wellen und Wind (Între valuri și vânt), 1982; Der Schwarze Pirat (Piratul negru), 1984; Sterne, Sonne, Stand  (Stele, Soare, Nisip), 1987; Im Zeichen der Schlange (Sub semnul șarpelui), 1989; Safari, 1989; Die Roma Romäniens - Volk ohne Hiterland (Romii din România – Un popor fără ţară), 1993; Nakte Füßen auf steinigen Straße (Desculți pe drumuri pietruite); Der Turm zu Babel. Ein Mosaik zur Rumänischen Romagesellschaft (Turnul Babel. Un mozaic al societăţii rome din România), 2004; „Alle Wunder dauern drei Tage”. Vom Bulibascha der Zigeuner zum Kaiser der Roma („Orice minune ţine trei zile”. De la Bulibaşa ţiganilor la Împăratul romilor), 2005; „Botschaft und Illusion”. Zeugnisse der Literatur der Rumänische Roma (,,Mesaj și iluzie”. Mărturii ale literaturii romilor români), 2007; Die Rumänischen Roma in Daten und Fakten (Romii din România în date și fapte), 2007; „Zigeunersitte - Zigeunerrecht”. Traditionen im Alltag der Rumänischen Roma („Vama țiganilor - Legea țiganilor”. Tradiții în viața de zi cu zi a romilor români), 2008; Die Fremden aus Indien (Străinii din India), 2010; Vor- und Zwischenfalle (Întâmplări și incidente), 2012; Gedenken und Bedenken. Begebenheiten aus der rumänischen Romagesellschaft 2012-2015 (Comemorări şi evocări. Evenimente derulate de Asociația Română a Romilor. 2012-2015), 2015.

A publicat articole și studii de romologie în reviste științifice/de popularizare: „Siebenbürgische Semesterblätter” (Munchen), „Patrin” și „Roma cajtung” (Oberwart, Austria), „Kaindl Archiv” (Augsburg, Germania), „Pannonia. Magazin für internationale Zusammenarbeit” (Eisenstadt, Austria), „Südosteuropa Mitteilungen” (München), „Germanistische Beiträge. Literatur und kulturpolitische Studien” (Sibiu), „Volk und Kultur” (București), „Lacio Drom” (Roma, Italia), „Forschungen zur Volks- und Landeskunde” (Sibiu), „Neo Drom”, „Divano Romano” (Sibiu), „Ketano Drom” și „Közös út” (Budapesta).

Rusu, Liviu

Liviu Rusu
Rusu, Liviu

b. 1901, Sarmașu (Mures) – 1985, Cluj. Aesthetician, literary historian, docent in psychology.

 

His father, Constantin Rusu, was a priest. His mother, Ema (née Turi), was exclusively in charge of raising and educating the child. He attended the first three primary classes in his native town, continuing, between 1912-1920, the courses of the German Evangelical High School in Bistrita. He enrolled in the Faculty of Law at the University of Cluj, but after his first year, in 1921, he abandoned this specialization in favour of the Faculty of Letters. He completed his higher education in 1925, starting his university career as a student. Due to the fact that literature and philology were not his only passions, he worked during his studies (1923-1925) at the Institute of Psychology in Cluj, being an assistant to Professor Florin Ştefănescu Goangă. This was one of the reasons why Liviu Rusu decided to turn to psychology in his doctoral studies, so that in 1928 he supported his thesis entitled Selection of Gifted Children. Animated by a strong desire for knowledge and documentation, he decided in the same year to continue his specialization in Leipzig, Berlin and Hamburg. In 1929 he returned to the country, serving as an assistant in the Faculty of Letters and Philosophy in Cluj. Two years later he obtained the title of docent in psychology, with the thesis entitled  Technical Aptitude and Practical Intelligence. He held the position until 1938, when he became a university professor. The years of specialization in Paris (1933-1935) meant for Liviu Rusu a turning point towards aesthetic studies, taking his doctorate at the Sorbonne, under the leadership of the famous Charles Lalo. The main thesis was published the same year in the famous Bibliothèque collection of Philosophy, becoming a work of international notoriety.

In 1948, however, like other Cluj academics, he was forced by the communist authorities to leave the education system. Sharing the same fate with the poet Lucian Blaga, he managed to find a place as a librarian and later as a researcher in the Cluj Branch Library of the Romanian Academy. In 1961 he was allowed to return to university education as a professor of universal and comparative literature.

His debut in publishing dates back to 1923 in the University World. Over the years he has collaborated on numerous other magazines of the time: The Contemporary,  The Society of Tomorrow, New Country,  Ethos  (Paris),  Luceafarul, Nation,  Philosophy Magazine,  Psychology Magazine,  Free Romania,  Steaua,  Tribuna,  Romanian Life  etc.  

Liviu Rusu is the author of fundamental works, both in the field of psychology, such as the Basic Principles of Applied Psychology  or the Problem of Professional Orientation, as well as in the field of aesthetics, such as:  The Aesthetics of Lyric Poetry  (1937),  The Logic of Beauty  (1946), the Vision of the World in Our Poetry..  From resignation to creative action (1967), From Eminescu to Lucian Blaga and other literary and aesthetic studies (1981). He died in 1985.

SASU, AUREL

SASU, AUREL

(b. 21 July 1943, Oarda/Alba – m. 2018, Cluj-Napoca). Historian and literary critic, essayist, translator.

 

He graduated from the Faculty of Philology of Babeş-Bolyai University in Cluj (1968). He wrote articles, history books and literary criticism, wrote interviews and helped develop dictionaries. He collaborated with Mircea Zaciu and Marian Papahagi at the Romanian Writers' Dictionary. He also published the Dictionary of Romanian Writers of the United States and Canada (2001). He donated to the Central University Library "Lucian Blaga" a significant part of the manuscripts, documents and worksheets, as well as a series of books from his own library.

 

Sion, Gheorghe

Gheorghe Sion
Sion, Gheorghe

b.18 Sept. 1855, Odobeşti – 1944, Cluj. Band magistrate. Collector of old books and art objects.

Between 1922 and 1923 he donated to the Library of "King Ferdinand" University the most significant part of his collection, comprising 4,500 books, 2000 prints, several hundred photographs, 200 maps, coins, and numerous postcards.

He comes from an old Moldovan family. His mother, Elena Bontaş, one of the most distinguished and influential women in the society of the time, took care of her education, choosing for her son the best schools. In 1869, Iorgu - as he was called in the family - enrolled at the Academic Institute of Iasi, where he passed his baccalaureate in 1874. His mother and uncle, the poet Gheorghe Sion, a member of the Romanian Academy, very much wanted Iorgu to attend a faculty in Bucharest, but he will decide to complete his studies in Paris, leaving the country in the autumn of 1874. On leaving, the young Zion carried letters of recommendation that allowed him to attend the most influential Romanian-French circles in Paris. One of the letters came from the well-known politician Costache Negri who, thanks to his close relationship with the Cuza family, opened the young student's house to Elena Cuza, providing her with a valuable contact with the distinguished Romanian society in Paris. Thus, at the recommendations and under the guidance of the secretary of Madame Elena and Baligot de Beynen, the former secretary of the ruler, as well as his uncle Vasile Alecsandri, Iorgu managed to get to know important teachers and people of culture who guided his path to learning and knowledge. Gheorghe Sion was a highly regarded student and, learning French very quickly, managed to impress his teachers with his brilliant mind. Between 1876 and 1877, he founded the Romanian Society in Paris, a cultural association for Romanians in Paris. He was elected president of this organization, as a sign of the admiration and respect he enjoyed among the Romanian cultural elite in the French capital. From Paris he returned with a solid legal training, which allowed him to enter the judiciary and climb the steps of the judicial hierarchy very quickly.

First, he operated in Bucharest, but declared himself dissatisfied with the capital's suffocating environment, demanding to be transferred closer to his native lands. Shortly after leaving Bucharest, he was appointed, on 21 April 1879, as President of the Tribunal of Piatra Neamț. His professional ascension continued, so that in March 1880 he was appointed first prosecutor at the Iasi Court, and three years later became a prosecutor at the Court of Appeal in the same city.  In his old age, feeling called by his native lands, he settled at the estate in Brăteşti, Bacău County, where he gathered with great fondness everything that reminded him of the past of his family and all Romanians. Gheorghe Sion's entire publishing activity is based on a vast knowledge of ancient Romanian history and literature, as well as law studies and jurisprudence.

In all his travels at home and abroad, Gheorghe Sion sought and succeeded in collecting a huge and priceless historical treasure, consisting of old books, manuscripts, documents, prints, photographs, paintings, maps, coins, magazines and many other collectibles.

The University of Iaşi very much wanted to take possession of these treasures, the director of the Central Library of Iaşi, Professor George Pascu, suggesting to Gheorghe Sion the idea of donating his beautiful collection to the Library of the former capital of Moldova. Despite this pressure, but also dissatisfied with the way in which the cultural institutions in the Moldova area were managed and organized, Gheorghe Sion will decide to make a reconnaissance visit to Ardeal, cluj, in order to take a personal interest in the way in which the Library of the "King Ferdinand" University was run and organized. He noticed, with great surprise, but also satisfaction, that it was very well administered by specialists and people, but, just set up to serve romanian education in Cluj, still lacked Romanian books. Satisfied with what he saw, Gheorghe Sion decided that, in 1922, his treasures would take the road to Cluj, where, to the great joy of the Arlene intellectuals, in just a few months they were all inventoried and made available to them. Cluj rewarded this great man, calling him an honorary citizen of the city and received him very quickly in his intellectual circles.

Due to the fact that he also loved his native lands, being a man with fear and love for God, he donated, in October 1935, the villa of the Slănic of Moldova to the Faculty of Law at the University of Iasi. The rest of his estate was donated to the Bishops of Cluj and Iaşi.

Gheorghe Sion spent the last years of his life in Cluj, where his precious treasure and the great treasury were located, for which he worked his entire life. He died in 1944, being buried near his family at Targu Ocna. So far, all those who visit the Church at Magura Ocnei Monastery, which bears the name "The Ascension of the Lord", can see near the altar, outside, the tomb of the illustrious scholar.

SZABÓ Zoltán

SZABÓ Zoltán
SZABÓ Zoltán

n. februarie 1927 Hosasău (Harghita) – m.  iunie 2007, Cluj. Profesor universitar, lingvist.

 

Profesor de lingvistică la Universitatea Babeş-Bolyai începând cu anul 1952. A predat şi la universităţile din Miskolc și Pécs, devenind, mai târziu, profesor asociat al Catedrei de Lingvistică Aplicată a Facultăţii de Litere din cadrul Universităţii Eötvös Loránd din Budapesta.

În anii 60 a înființat și a organizat Catedra de Limbă şi Literatura Maghiară de la Universitatea din Bucureşti, dar şi pe cea de la Colegiul din Târgu Mureş, unde a activat o perioadă în calitate de cadru didactic. Din 1984 a devenit și editor-şef al revistei Nyelv- és Irodalomtudományi Közlemények, publicație editată sub patronajul Academiei Române.

Și-a început cariera universitară cu predarea dialectologiei şi a istoriei limbii maghiare, după care s-a dedicat cercetării evoluției limbii literare maghiare. Printre domeniile de interes s-a numărat şi studiul confluenţelor lingvistice româno-maghiare. În domeniul stilisticii a impus noi metode de cercetare, aducându-și contribuția prin cercetări aplicate la domeniul limbii literare maghiare. A urmat îndeaproape tendinţele internaţionale în cercetările lingvistice, fiind și promotorul noii discipline de lingvistică aplicată. 

Şi-a donat biblioteca personală Catedrei de Lingvistică Maghiară şi Generală din cadrul Facultății de Litere de la Universitatea Babeş-Bolyai. Donaţia cuprinde 894 volume, carte ştiinţifică în limba maghiară şi în limbi străine, precum şi o colecţie valoroasă de publicaţii periodice (25 de titluri) în limba maghiară şi în limbi străine. Donaţia făcută Catedrei de Lingvistică Maghiară şi Generală include şi o parte importantă din arhiva personală.

TILEA, Viorel Virgil

Viorel Virgil Tilea
TILEA, Viorel Virgil

n. 6 aprilie 1896, Sibiu – m. 20 septembrie 1972, Londra. Politician și diplomat, membru al exilului românesc.

Fondul de carte și documente de arhivă „Viorel Virgil Tilea” se alătură fondului „Ion Rațiu”, completând imaginea exilului românesc de la Londra printr-o bogată colecție de publicații.

Viorel Virgil Tilea provine dintr-o familie de oameni politici transilvăneni, fiind nepotul memorandistului Ioan Raţiu. S-a născut la Sibiu unde va urma, mai târziu, și liceul Hermannstädter evangelisches Obergimnasium. În 1914 se va înscrie la Facultatea de drept a Universităţii din Bratislava, însă, în 1915, este înrolat în armata austro-ungară, fiind nevoit să-şi întrerupă studiile. După război, în anul 1918, își va relua studiile la Universitatea din Viena. În octombrie 1918 devine membru în Consiliul Naţional Român, pentru ca, luna următoare, să fie trimis la Geneva și, ulterior, la Paris în scopul susținerii cauzei române la Conferința de Pace. Aici îl va cunoaște pe scriitorul american George D. Herron, un apropiat al preşedintelui Wilson, cu care va avea întrevederi amicale. În perioada februarie - octombrie 1919 a funcționat ca secretar personal al lui Iuliu Maniu, iar în perioada octombrie - decembrie 1919 l-a însoțit și pe Alexandru Vaida-Voievod la Conferinţa de la Paris. În septembrie 1919, Tilea a fost numit de către Alexandru Vaida-Voievod ataşat la Legaţia Română de la Londra (funcţie pe care a ocupat-o până în iulie 1920 şi, apoi, din iulie 1920 până în octombrie 1921).

În 1921 s-a căsătorit cu Eugenia (n. Pop) la Cluj. După o scurtă şedere la Londra, cei doi s-au întors, în februarie 1922, în țară. În acel an, Viorel Tilea şi-a susţinut lucrarea de doctorat intitulată Rolul diplomaţiei în politica de stat. Mai târziu, în 1925, a publicat volumul Acţiunea diplomatică a României, tradusă în limbile germană, maghiară, croată şi bulgară. În perioada 1938-1940 îl regăsim la Londra în calitate de trimis extraordinar şi ministru plenipotențiar al României. Se va remarca prin cele două intervenţii la Foreign Office, din 16 şi, respectiv, 17 martie 1939, prin care a atenţionat asupra pericolului unei posibile agresiuni a Germaniei naziste asupra României. În perioada misiunii sale la Londra, Tilea a întreprins demersuri pe lângă cabinetul britanic pentru a obţine o declaraţie de sprijin în favoarea României. Ca urmare a evoluției politicii externe a României, a fost rechemat, în 1940, de la post, dar, conștient de natura noilor schimbări, a cerut azil politic în Anglia, stabilindu-se la Londra.

Viorel Tilea a murit la 20 septembrie 1972, într-un spital englezesc. Conform dorinţei exprimate în testament, memoriile, conținând informații importante privind misiunea la Londra, au fost publicate de către familia sa (Envoy Extraordinary. Haggerston Press, 1998).