1 Day, 3 Cities, 2000 Years of History

This semester I am teaching the Romanian Studies Program students about Romanian culture. A large part of Romanian culture is tied to their history as a people. Yesterday we traveled to 3 cities in Transylvania which played important roles in Romanian history. Here are a few highlights from the day.

First Stop: Liberty Field in Blaj, Romania
In 1848, fifty thousand Romanians from Transylvania gathered at Liberty Field in Blaj for a national assembly. At this point in time, Hungarian nobles ruled Transylvania, and Romanians had no legal representation. The gathering called for equal rights among ethnic groups.
In 1989, following the fall of communism, the first democratic elections in Blaj were held at the historic Liberty Field.

Photo: Monument at Liberty Field in Blaj

Second Stop: Alba Iulia
Alba Iulia is a city which plays an important role in the history of Transylvania. It was the capital of the principality in the Middle Ages. Michael the Brave (Mihai Viteazul), the first person to unite the three major principalities that make up modern-day Romania, was proclaimed prince of Transylvania in Alba Iulia in 1599.

Photo: Statue of Michael the Brave in Alba Iulia

In 1785, at a time when Romanian peasants were being exploited by Hungarian nobles, an uprising of Romanian peasants led by Horea, Cloșca and Crișan, came to an end as the authorities executed Horea and Cloșca in Alba Iulia. (Crișan had committed suicide the night before the execution.) These three are viewed as national heroes to the Romanian people. Many towns, including Sighișoara, have streets named after them.

Photo: Painting of Horea, Cloșca and Crișan

On December 1, 1918, a national assembly of Romanians from Transylvania met in Alba Iulia to declare their desire to unite with the Kingdom of Romania. This date is celebrated Romania’s national day – like July 4 for Americans, except that instead of it being a day of independence, it is a day of unification.

Photo: Unification Hall, Alba Iulia

The Coronation of Ferdinand and Marie as king and queen of Greater Romania took place in Alba Iulia in 1922 in a new Orthodox Cathedral built especially for the occasion. The coronation was held in Alba Iulia because Transylvania was among the largest of the territories being added to Romania following World War I.

Photo: The Orthdox Church built for the cornation of Ferdinand and Marie

While in Alba Iulia, we also visited the history museum. A significant portion of the museum is devoted to the ancient Geto-Dacian peoples who lived in this area before it became part of the Roman Empire under Emperor Trajan in 105 AD. Even today, the influence of the Romans is found in the Romanian people, most noticeably in the Latin-based Romanian language.

Final Stop: Hunedoara Castle
Our final visit was to the castle which belonged to John Hunyadi (Iancu de Hunedoara), prince of Transylvania in the 15th century and father of the Hungarian king, Matthias Corvinus. Hunyadi is renowned as a great military leader, having defeated the Ottoman Mehmed II at the Siege of Belgrade in 1456. John Hunyadi and Matthias Corvinus ruled in Transylvania in the same period when Vlad Dracul and his son Vlad Dracula ruled in Wallachia. In fact, Dracula was imprisoned in Hunedoara Castle for 7 years.

Photo: Corvin Castle in Hunedoara