ROMANIA CULTURAL VISITING CARD

Romania  Area km²  Population  Density 93,78 loc/km²  Urban 55.20%  Capital - Bucharest  Language –Romanian  Nato member 2004  EU member 2007

Mountains 28 % Hills and plateaus 42% Plaines 30% 244 km coastline on Black Sea 1075 km on Danube River 3400 lakes Highest altitude 2544 m

Population Ethnic groups:  Romanians 89,5%  Hungarians 6,6%  Roma 2,5%  Other 1,4% Religion  Romanian Orthodox 86.7%  Roman Catholic 4.7%

LAND MANAGEMENT 320 cities villages 8 development regions 41 counties Neighboring countries and biggest cities

Tourism in Romania Episcopal Church – Curtea de Arges Constanta –Black Sea Bucharest

Antiquity The first inhabitants to the north of the Danube were the Geto-Dacians; Burebista (82-44 BC) was the first king who unified the Geto-Dacian tribes into a single state; The second king who restored the unit was Decebal ( AD). He came into conflict with the Romans, and after the wars between and between Dacia became a Roman province; After 106 AD the Dacians were subjected to the process of Romanization, after which the Romanian people and the Romanian language were born; Decebal Trajan's Column Trajan

Middle Ages Since the 9 th century AD the process of making of the Romanian mediaeval states had taken place : Transylvannia, the Vallachia, Moldavia and Dobrogea; Between the 14 th and the 17 th century the Romanian rulers were involved in ‘late crusades’ which aimed at maintaining the independence and the territorial integrity of the Romanian states; The greatest rulers engaged in ‘the late crusades’ were: Mircea the Old, John Hunyadi, Vlad the Empaler, Stephen the Great, Michael the Brave; Michael the Brave was the first ruler who united the three Romanian states, trying to rebuild ‘the Romanian block’ against the Ottomans; Vlad Ţepeş Ştefan cel Mare Mihai Viteazul

Modern Age Since the 19 th century the Romanian states‘ international status had changed, these being the junction point of three great empires: the Ottoman Empire (suzerain) Tsarist Empire (which became protective power in 1829) and the Habsburg Empire; Within ‘the Eastern crisis’ from 1856 and during the Peace Congress in Paris, the unification of the three Romanian states had been proposed; this was achieved in 1859 through the double election of Alexandru Ioan Cuza (on January 5 th 1859 in Moldavia and on January 24 th 1859 in Vallachia – Ţara Româneascǎ) as the only ruler of the early mentioned states; In 1866, the Romanian throne was occupied by a German king, Carol I ; after this, the politicians’ main objective was to obtain the national independence; The national Independence was proclaimed in 1877 and acknowledged by the Great Powers at the Peace Congress in Berlin, in 1878; Al. I. Cuza M. Kogălniceanu Carol I

Contemporary Age After World War I, Romania got engaged into the international relations, trying to preserve the political and territorial balance established at the Peace Congress in Paris; Between the two World Wars Romania was a model of democracy in South-Eastern Europe, King Ferdinand I and other great Romanian politicians like Ion I. C. Bratianu, Maniu, Ion Mihalache, Nicolae Iorga, Nicolae Titulescu contributing to the political stability and economic development of the country; After World War II Romania entered the sphere of influence of the USSR; in 1947 the communist regime took over, until 1989; Ferdinand I Nicolae Titulescu Iuliu Maniu

After the revolution in 1989 Romania returned to democracy; The revolutionary events broke out in Timisoara, on 16 th December 1989, being followed by anticommunism demonstrations in Bucharest, on 21 st December 1989; Later, the revolutionary movements engulfed the entire country; The last communist president Nicolae Ceauşescu and his wife, Elena Ceauşescu were arrested, trialed, sentenced to death and executed; After its return to democracy Romania has made efforts to join NATO and the European Union; Following the accession negotiations, in 2004 Romania was accepted into NATO and in 2007 into the EU; Revolution in Timişoara Revolution in Bucureşti

CULTURAL ASPECTS

ARTS MUSIC

GEORGE ENESCU  Enescu was born in the village of Liveni (later renamed "George Enescu“) in the north of Moldavia. He showed musical talent from early in his childhood. A child prodigy, Enescu created his first musical composition at the age of five.  Many of Enescu's works were influenced by Romanian folk music, his most popular compositions being the two Romanian Rhapsodies (1901– 2), the opera Œdipe (1936), and the suites for orchestra. He also wrote five symphonies (two of them unfinished), a symphonic poem Vox maris, and much chamber music (three sonatas for violin and piano, two for cello and piano, a piano trio, two string quartets and two piano quartets, a wind decet (French, "dixtuor"), an octet for strings, a piano quintet, and a chamber symphony for twelve solo instruments).  He lived in Paris and in Romania, but after World War II and the Soviet occupation of Romania, he remained in Paris.

He was also a noted violin teacher. Yehudi Menuhin, Christian Ferras, Ivry Gitlis, Arthur Grumiaux, Ida Haendel and Joan Field were among his pupils. He promoted contemporary Romanian music, playing works of Constantin Silvestri, Mihail Jora, Ionel Perlea and Marţian Negrea. On his death in 1955, George Enescu was interred in the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. Today, Bucharest houses a museum in his memory; likewise, the Symphony Orchestra of Bucharest and the George Enescu Festival— founded by his friend, musical advocate, and sometime collaborator, the conductor George Georgescu are named and held in his honor. Recently, Bacau International Airport was named George Enescu International Airport. Eugène Ysaÿe's Solo Violin Sonata No. 3 "Ballade" was dedicated to Enescu. HbJQMA

CIPRIAN PORUMBESCU Ciprian Porumbescu was a Romanian composer born in Şipotele Sucevei in Bukovina (now Shepit, Putyla Raion, Ukraine). He was among the most celebrated Romanian composers of his time; his popular works include Crai nou, Trei culori, Song for the 1st of May, Ballad for violin and piano, and Serenada. In addition, he composed the music for Pe-al nostru steag e scris Unire, which was used for Albania's national anthem, Hymni i Flamurt. His work spreads over various forms and musical genres, but the majority of his work is choral and operetta. otlc otlc

ARTS SCULPTURE

CONSTANTIN BRÂNCUŞI Constantin Brâncuşi was a Romanian-born sculptor who made his career in France. As a child he displayed an aptitude for carving wooden farm tools. Formal studies took him first to Bucharest, then to Munich, then to the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. His abstract style emphasizes clean geometrical lines that balance forms inherent in his materials with the symbolic allusions of representational art. Famous Brâncuşi works include the Sleeping Muse (1908), The Kiss (1908), Prometheus (1911), Mademoiselle Pogany (1913), The Newborn (1915), Bird in Space (1919) and The Column of the Infinite (Coloana infinitului), popularly known as The Endless Column (1938). Considered the pioneer of modernism, Brâncui is called the patriarch of modern sculpture.

ARTS PAINTING

NICOLAE GRIGORESCU One of the founders of the Romanian painting was Nicolae Grigorescu ( ). Having studied at École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, he had contact with Pierre-Auguste Renoir, after which he left Paris to join the Barbizon school, where he adopted the „en plein art” way of painting. Several of his works were featured, among others, at the Universal Exhibitions in Paris. In 1877 he was called to accompany the Romanian Army as a “frontline painter” in the Romanian War of Independence.

NICOLAE TONITZA Nicolae Tonitza (1886 – 1940) was a Romanian painter, engraver, lithographer, journalist and art critic. Drawing inspiration from Post-impressionism and Expressionism, he had a major role in introducing modernist guidelines to local art. It is said that his bohemian lifestyle was the source of his ingenious melancholic art. He amazingly combined the shape, colour and graphic techniques.

ŞTEFAN LUCHIAN Stefan Luchian ( ), the other co-founder of the Romanian painting, was famous for his landscapes and still life works. It has been named the flowers’ painter as he created many work depicting flowers.

THEODOR PALLADY Theodor Pallady ( ) worked in the studio of Gustave Moreau, where he had as colleagues Henri Matisse, Georges Rouault, and Albert Marquet. Pallady is one of the most prestigious modern artists, keeping the whole ambition to be a painter “of all times”. His predilection for still life reveals the desire to capture on canvas a fragment of the reality with all its poetry and harmony.

CORNELIU BABA Corneliu Baba ( ) was a Romanian painter, primarily a portraitist, a genre painter and a books’ illustrator. Perhaps unfashionably for a 20th century painter, Baba consciously worked in the tradition of the Old Masters, although he was also influenced by expressionism, art nouveau, academicism and “remnants” of impressionism. Baba himself cited El Greco Rembrandt, and Goya as particularly strong influences.

ARTS ARCHITECTURE

ION MINCU Ion Mincu was an architect, engineer, professor and politician. He promoted a Romanian style in architecture, by integrating in his works the specific style of traditional Romanian architecture. As a recognition to his importance in the Romanian school of architecture, since 1953, the Ion Mincu University of Architecture and Urbanism in Bucharest bears his name.He was the teacher of Toma T. Socolescu, another remarkable Romanian architect.From 1895 to 1899 he was member of the Parliament of Romania.

ARTS DANCE

OLEG DANOVSKI Was a dancer and choreographer, the founder of the modern Romanian school of ballet and the director of the first Ballet Theatre in Romania which today bears his name „The National Theatre of Opera and Ballet „Oleg Danovski „ in Constanta.

ARTS CINEMA

FAMOUS ROMANIAN DIRECTORS LIVIU CIULEI ( ) SERGIU NICOLAESCU ( )

CRISTIAN MUNGIU, CĂLIN PETER NETZER, CRISTI PUIU

FAMOUS ROMANIAN ACTORS FLORIN PIERSIC, MARCEL IUREŞ, MAIA MORGENSTERN, STELA POPESCU

ARTS LITERATURE

Beginnings The earliest surviving document in Romanian is Neacşu's Letter (1521), written to the jude ("judge and mayor") of Braşov, Hans Benkner. Romanian earlier culture was heavily influenced by the Eastern Orthodox Church, brought to the Romanian land by the Apostle Andrew. The earliest translated books into Romanian were Slavonic religious texts from the 15th century. The Psalter of Şchei (Psaltirea Şcheiană) of 1482 and the Voroneţ Codex (Codicele Voroneţean) are religious texts that were written in Maramureş. The first book printed in Romania was a Slavonic religious book (1508). The first book printed in the Romanian language was a catechism of Deacon Coresi in Other translations from Greek and Slavonic books were printed later in the 16th century. Dosoftei, a Moldavian bishop, published in Poland in 1673, was the first Romanian metrical psalter, producing the earliest known poetry written in Romanian: „Viiata lumii”/ „Life of the world”.

The Bible in Romanian:  1582 – „Palia de la Orăştie” – a translation of the first books of the Old Testament – by Deacon Şerban (a son of the above-mentioned Deacon Coresi) and Marian Diacul (Marian the Scribe). Palia was translated from Latin by Bishop Mihail Tordaş et al., the translation being checked for accuracy using Hungarian translations of the Bible. The end of the 17th century, 1688 – monks at the monastery of Snagov, near Bucharest, translated and printed "Biblia de la Bucureşti”/"The Bucharest Bible”

Humanism & Illuminism / Ottoman Decadence and Phanariotes The 16th-17th century – humanist historical writings: Grigore Ureche, Miron Costin, Ion Neculce (chronicles on the history of Moldavia). The 18th century in the Romanian lands was dominated by the Ottoman Empire, which decided not to allow Romanian rulers in Wallachia and Moldavia and ruled, instead, through Greek merchants of Istanbul, called phanariotes. Dimitrie Cantemir (histories of Romania and Moldavia; the manuscript of the first allegorical novel: „Hieroglyphic History” – 1705). Thus, Greek culture influenced the developments of Romanian literature. For example, one of the greatest poets of this century was Alecu Văcărescu, who wrote love songs in the tradition of ancient Greek poet Anacreon. His father, Ienăchiţă, was a poet as well, but he also wrote the first Romanian grammar and his son, Iancu, was probably one of the greatest poets of his generation. A human comedy was developed in the anecdotes of Anton Pann, who tried to illustrate a bit of the Balkanic spirit and folklore which was brought by the Ottomans in the Romanian lands. However, the next generation of Romanian writers headed toward European Illuminism for inspiration, among them Gheorghe Asachi, Ion Budai Deleanu and Dinicu Golescu.

National awakening – 19th century As the revolutionary ideas of nationalism spread in Europe, they were also used by the Romanians, who desired their own national state, but were living under foreign rule. Many Romanian writers of the time were also part of the national movement and participated in the revolutions of 1821 and The Origin of the Romanians began to be discussed and, in Transylvania, a Latinist movement, Şcoala Ardeleană, emerged, producing philological studies about the Romanic origin of Romanian and opening Romanian language schools. Romanians studied in France, Italy and Germany, thus German philosophy and French culture were integrated into modern Romanian literature, lessening the influence of Ancient Greece and the Orient over time. In Wallachia an important figure of the time was Ion Heliade Rădulescu, who founded the first Romanian- language journal and the Philharmonic Society, which later created the National Theatre of Bucharest. The most important writers of the second half of the century were Vasile Alecsandri and later Mihai Eminescu. Alecsandri was a prolific writer, contributing to Romanian literature with poetry, prose, several plays, and collections of Romanian folklore. Eminescu is considered by most critics to be the most important and influential Romanian poet. His lyric poetry had many of its roots in Romanian traditions, but was also influenced by German philosophy and Hindu traditions. Titu Maiorescu's Junimea literary circle, founded in 1863 and frequented by many Romanian writers, played an important role in Romanian literature. Many outstanding Romanian writers, including Ion Luca Caragiale, who wrote some of the best Romanian comedies, Ion Creangă, who wrote traditional Romanian stories and Ioan Slavici, published their works during this time.

Mihai Eminescu Born15 January 1850, Botoani, Romania (Moldavia) Death15 June1889 (39 years old), Bucarest, Romania Professionpoet, journalist NationalityRomanian Literary activity Activity as a writer during1866–1888 IdeologyRomantism ThemesHuman condition – the genius, love, history, time, death Literary species Poetry (Lucifer, One wish alone etc.), short stories (Cezara, Poor Dionis), novel (Hollow genius) Debut with the poem:„At the tomb of Aron Pumnul” Was influenced by Romanian folklore, Egyptian mythology, classical culture, Shakespeare, Schopenhauer, Kant, Hegel, Schiller, Lenau, Novalis, Goethe, Budhism, orthodoxism, He influenced all the forthcoming Romanian literature (from traditionalism to the great modern writers, neomodern or 80’s postmodern generation) Post mortem membership of the Romanian Academy Mihai Eminescu in 1869, Prague

Interbellum Literature After achieving national unity in 1918, Romanian literature entered what can be called a golden age, characterized by the development of the Romanian novel. Traditional society and recent political events influenced works such as Liviu Rebreanu's „Răscoala”/ "The Uprising", which, published in 1932, was inspired by the 1907 Romanian Peasants' Revolt, and Pădurea Spânzuraţilor ("Forest of the Hanged"), published in 1922 and inspired by Romanian participation in World War I. The dawn of the modern novel can be seen in Hortensia Papadat-Bengescu (Concert din muzică de Bach—"Bach Concert"), Camil Petrescu (Ultima noapte de dragoste, întâia noapte de război—"The Last Night of Love, the First Night of War"). George Călinescu is another complex personality of the Romanian literature: novelist, playwright, poet, literary critic and historian, essayist, journalist. He published authoritative monographs about Eminescu and Creangă, and a monumental (almost 1,000 pages in quarto) history of Romanian literature from its origin to the time of his writing (1941). An important realist writer was Mihail Sadoveanu, who wrote mainly novels which took place at various times in the history of Moldova. But probably the most important writers were Tudor Arghezi, Lucian Blaga and Mircea Eliade. Tudor Arghezi revolutioned Romanian poetry 50 years after Eminescu, creating new pillars for the modern Romanian poem. Lucian Blaga, one of the country's most important artistic personalities, developed through his writings a complex philosophic system, still not perfectly understood even today. Mircea Eliade is today considered the greatest historian in the field of religions. His novels reveal a mystical, pre-Christian symbolism paving the way for contemporary Romanian art. Born in Romania, Tristan Tzara, a poet and essayist, is the main founder of Dada, a nihilistic revolutionary movement in the arts, and may have been responsible for its name (Romanian for "Yes, yes"). Later he abandoned nihilism for Surrealism and Marxism. For the first time in its history, Romanian culture was fully connected to Western culture, while Dadaism is the first Romanian artistic and literary movement to become international. Dadaism and Surrealism are fundamental parts of the avant-garde, the most revolutionary form of modernism. The Romanian avant garde is very well represented by Ion Minulescu, Urmuz, Perpessicius, Tristan Tzara, Grigore Cugler, Geo Bogza, Barbu Fundoianu, Gellu Naum, Ilarie Voronca, and Ion Vinea.

Mircea Eliade Born13 March 1907, Bucarest, Romania Death22 April1986 (79 years old), Chicago, Illinois, SUA Profession Historian of Religion and philosopher, essay writer, novelist, Academic teacher NationalityRomanian Literary activity Activity as a writer during Ideology History of Religions School from Chicago, Modernism Criterion, Existentialism Themesfantasy, autobiographie, history of religions Literary speciesPoetry, fantastic novellas, novel, essay Debut work The short story: How I Found Philosopher’s Stone, the novel Novel of the Nearsighted Adolescent, the essay on Yoga. Was influenced by: Honoré de Balzac, Surendranath Dasgupta, Julius Evola, James George Frazer, André Gide, René Guénon, Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu, Aldous Huxley, Nae Ionescu, Nicolae Iorga, Carl Jung, Rudolf Otto, Giovanni Papini, Gerardus van der Leeuw, Miguel de Unamuno, Joachim Wach He influenced: Ioan Petru Culianu, Wendy Doniger, Gilbert Durand

Postbellum literature – Communist Era Marin Preda is often considered the most important post-WWII Romanian novelist. His novel Moromeţii /"The Moromete Family" describes the life and difficulties of an ordinary peasant family in pre-war Romania and later during the advent of Communism in Romania. His most important book remains Cel mai iubit dintre pământeni/ "The Most Beloved of Earthlings", a realistic description of communist society. Some of the most important poets are Nichita Stănescu, Marin Sorescu, Ana Blandiana, Leonid Dimov and Ştefan Augustin Doinaş. Outside Romania, after having left it in hard conditions, Eugène Ionesco and Emil Cioran represented the national spirit at the highest level. Eugène Ionesco is one of the foremost playwrights of the Theatre of the Absurd. Beyond ridiculing the most banal situations, Ionesco's plays depict in a tangible way the solitude of humans and the insignificance of one's existence, while Cioran was a brilliant essayist and philosopher.

Nichita Stănescu Born ( ) 31 March 1933 Ploieti, Prahova, Romania Died December 13, 1983( ) (50 years, 8 months) Fundeni Hospital, Bucharest, Romania Resting place Bellu Cemetery, Bucharest, Romania Residence Ploieti (1933–1952) Bucharest (1952–1983) NationalityRomanian Education St. Peter and Paul–high school University of Letters–college Years active 1960–1982 (1960–1998; posthumous) Known forRomanian poet. Notable work(s)O viziune a sentimentelor Home townPloieti, Prahova Spouse(s) Magdalena Petrescu (1952–1953) Doina Ciurea (1962–1972) Todoria "Dora" Tărâă (1982– 1983) Partner(s) Gabriela Melinescu (?–before 1982) Signature Post-mortem member of the Romanian Academy Unwords He offered me a leaf like a hand with fingers. I offered him a hand like a leaf with teeth. He offered me a branch like an arm. I offered him my arm like a branch. He tipped his trunk towards me like a shoulder. I tipped my shoulder to him like a knotted trunk. I could hear his sap quicken, beating like blood. He could hear my blood slacken like rising sap. I passed through him. He passed through me. I remained a solitary tree. He a solitary man.

Contemporary literature Some Romanian contemporary writers: Gabriela Adameşteanu Ştefan Agopian Nicolae Breban Mircea Cărtărescu Traian T. Coşovei Florin Iaru Ion Bogdan Lefter Dan C. Mihǎilescu Herta Müller (2009 Nobel Laureate) Mircea Nedelciu Simona Popescu Cecilia Ştefănescu Ion Stratan Cristian Teodorescu Răzvan Ţupa Dumitru Ţepeneag Born 1 June 1956 Bucharest, Romania Occupation Poet, novelist, essayist, journalist, professor Period1978 – present Literary movement 80s Generation, Blue Jeans Generation, Postmodernism Influences: Jorge Luis Borges, Franz Kafka, Marcel Proust, Gabriel García Márquez, James Joyce, Allen Ginsberg, Nichita Stănescu, Tudor Arghezi, T.S. Eliot, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Mihai Eminescu, Giannina Braschi, Thomas Pynchon Mircea Cărtărescu

Herta Müller Born17 August 1953 Niţchidorf, Timiş County, Romania Occupation Novelist, poet NationalityGerman Period1982–present Notable work(s) Nadirs The Passport The Land of Green Plums The Appointment Everything I Possess I Carry With Me Notable award(s) Roswitha Medal of Knowledge (1990) Kleist Prize (1994) Aristeion Prize (1995) International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award (1998) Carl-Zuckmayer-Medaille (2002) Franz Werfel Human Rights Award (2009) Nobel Prize in Literature (2009) Hoffmann von Fallersleben Prize (2010) Influences: Richard Wagner (novelist), Romanian literature, German literature