The culture of Romania is rich and varied. Like Romanians themselves, it is fundamentally defined as the meeting point of three regions: Central Europe, Eastern Europe, and the Balkans, but cannot be fully included in any of them. The Romanian identity formed on a substratum of mixed Roman and quite possibly Dacian elements (although the latter is controversial), with many other influences. During late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, the major influences came from the Slavic peoples who migrated and settled in nearby Bulgaria, Serbia, Ukraine and eventually Poland and Russia; from medieval Greeks and the Byzantine Empire; from a long domination by the Ottoman Empire; from the Hungarians; and from the Germans living in Transylvania. Modern Romanian culture emerged and developed over roughly the last 250 years under a strong influence from Western culture, particularly French and German culture. Central Europe is the region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe. ... Regions of Europe as delineated by the United Nations (UN definition of Eastern Europe marked salmon):  Northern Europe  Western Europe  Eastern Europe  Southern Europe Pre-1989 division between the West (grey) and Eastern Bloc (orange) superimposed on current national boundaries: Russia (dark orange), other countries of the former USSR (medium... Balkan peninsula with northwest border Isonzo-Krka-Sava The Balkans is the historic and geographic name used to describe a region of southeastern Europe. ... The Roman Forum was the central area around which ancient Rome developed. ... Dacia, in ancient geography the land of the Daci, named by the ancient Greeks Getae, was a large district of Southeastern Europe, bounded on the north by the Carpathians, on the south by the Danube, on the west by the Tisa, on the east by the Tyras or Nistru, now... Distribution of Slavic people by language The Slavic peoples are a linguistic and ethnic branch of Indo-European peoples. ... Anthem: Bože pravde (English: God of Justice) Capital (and largest city) Belgrade Official languages Serbian written with the Cyrillic alphabet1 Government Republic  - President Boris Tadić  - Prime Minister Vojislav KoÅ¡tunica Establishment    - Formation 8th century   - Independence c. ... Byzantine Empire at its greatest extent c. ... Motto: دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) Anthem: Ottoman imperial anthem Borders in 1680, see: list of territories Capital Söğüt (1299-1326) Bursa (1326-1365) Edirne (1365-1453) Constantinople (Istanbul) (1453-1922) Language(s) Ottoman Turkish Government Monarchy Sultans  - 1281–1326 Osman I  - 1918–1922 Mehmed VI... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Western World. ...

Historical evolution

The Biertan Donarium - an early 4th century Christian object

Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1412x1404, 121 KB) I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1412x1404, 121 KB) I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Biertan Donarium The Biertan Donarium is a 4th century Christian votive object found near the town of Biertan, in Transylvania, Romania. ...

The beginnings

The Origin of Romanians is disputed, few written records from the Dark Ages shed any light on the subject. Two things are sure: The Romanians (also sometimes referred to along with other Balkan Latin peoples as Vlachs) are a nation speaking Romanian, a Romance language, and living in Central and Eastern Europe. ... Petrarch, who conceived the idea of a European Dark Age. From Cycle of Famous Men and Women, Andrea di Bartolo di Bargillac, c. ...

• The Romanian language is a Romance language. Moreover, some degree of cultural descent from Ancient Rome is clear from the customs and affinities with the other Romance nations.
• The Romanian (Vlach) people that appears on records from the 10th century on is already Christian, and Christianity seems to have been adopted here early on, under Latin influence. However, medieval Romanians will gradually adopt Eastern Orthodoxy, under the influence of Constantinople (but through Slavic influence).

Some customs, names and a substratum of words in the Romanian language are considered Dacian influence, although some are also disputed, as is the theory of Daco-Romanian continuity which plays a significant role in Romanian national identity. Romanian (limba română IPA ) is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 26 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova. ... The Romance languages, also called Romanic languages, are a subfamily of the Italic languages, specifically the descendants of the Vulgar Latin dialects spoken by the common people evolving in different areas after the break-up of the Roman Empire. ... The Roman Forum was the central area around which ancient Rome developed. ... Vlachs (also called Wlachs, Wallachs, Olahs) are the Romanized population in Central and Eastern Europe, including Romanians, Aromanians, Istro-Romanians and Megleno-Romanians, but since the creation of the Romanian state, this term was mostly used for the Vlachs living south of the Danube river. ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... ... Byzantine Empire at its greatest extent c. ... Romanian (limba română IPA ) is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 26 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova. ... Dacia, in ancient geography the land of the Daci, named by the ancient Greeks Getae, was a large district of Southeastern Europe, bounded on the north by the Carpathians, on the south by the Danube, on the west by the Tisa, on the east by the Tyras or Nistru, now... The Romanians (also sometimes referred to along with other Balkan Latin peoples as Vlachs) are a nation speaking Romanian, a Romance language, and living in Central and Eastern Europe. ...

The birth of a nation

Neacşu's letter is the oldest surviving document written in Romanian

Between the 11th century and the 14th century the medieval principalities of Transylvania, Wallachia and Moldavia arose in the area around the Carpathian Mountains. Most of Romanian culture unfolded in these areas, which correspond roughly to the modern nation state of Romania. This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired in the United States and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. ... This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired in the United States and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. ... As a means of recording the passage of time, the 11th century was that century which lasted from 1001 to 1100. ... This 14th-century statue from south India depicts the gods Shiva (on the left) and Uma (on the right). ... Map of Romania with Transylvania in yellow Transylvania (Romanian: or Transilvania; Hungarian: ; German: ; Serbian: / Transilvanija or Ердељ / Erdelj) is a historical region in central and western Romania. ... Map of Romania with Wallachia in yellow. ... Moldavia (Moldova in Romanian) was a Romanian principality, originally created in the Middle Ages, now divided between Romania, Moldovan Republic and Ukraine. ... Satellite image of the Carpathians. ... This article may contain original research or unverified claims. ...

Transylvania came under Hungarian influence towards the end of the 11th century and the evolution of the Romanian culture there was therefore somewhat different from in Wallachia and Moldavia. Hungarians brought Roman Catholicism as a religion, as well as foreigners to colonise Transylvania: Saxons in the South, and Szeklers in the west. One of the most important personalities to have been born there is Nicolaus Olahus (Oláh în Hungarian comes from Vlach, an older word for Romanian), historian, politician and bishop in the Kingdom of Hungary and one of the top representatives of humanism in Europe. An important document originating from 1521 is a letter from Neacşu of Câmpulung to the mayor of Braşov about an imminent attack of the Turks written using the Cyrillic alphabet, like most early Romanian writings. Map of Romania with Transylvania in yellow Transylvania (Romanian: or Transilvania; Hungarian: ; German: ; Serbian: / Transilvanija or Ердељ / Erdelj) is a historical region in central and western Romania. ... As a means of recording the passage of time, the 11th century was that century which lasted from 1001 to 1100. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... The Transylvanian Saxons (German: Siebenbürger Sachsen; Romanian: SaÅŸi, Hungarian: Szászok) are a people of German origin who settled in Transylvania from the 12th century onwards. ... The Székely or Szeklers (Hungarian: , Romanian: , German: ) ( sék-ei in pronunciation ) are a Hungarian ethnic group mostly living in Transylvania in Romania, with a significant population also living in Vojvodina, Serbia. ... Nicolaus Olahus Nicolaus Olahus (Nicholas, the Vlach; Romanian: Nicolae Olahus; Hungarian: Miklós Oláh) was the Archbishop of Gran and Primate of Hungary and a distinguished prelate. ... Vlachs (also called Wlachs, Wallachs, Olahs) are the Romanized population in Central and Eastern Europe, including Romanians, Aromanians, Istro-Romanians and Megleno-Romanians, but since the creation of the Romanian state, this term was mostly used for the Vlachs living south of the Danube river. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Events January 3 - Pope Leo X excommunicates Martin Luther in the papal bull Decet Romanum Pontificem. ... Câmpulung (Câmpulung Muscel) is a city in the Arges county, Romania. ... County BraÅŸov County Status County capital Mayor George Scripcaru, since 2004 Area  km² Population (2002) 283,901 Density  inh/km² Geographical coordinates Web site http://www. ... The Cyrillic alphabet (pronounced , also called azbuka, from the old name of the first two letters) is an alphabet used for several East and South Slavic languages—Belarusian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Russian, Rusyn, Serbian, and Ukrainian—and many other languages of the former Soviet Union, Asia and Eastern Europe. ...

Wallachia and Moldavia were both situated on important commercial routes often crossed by Polish, Saxon, Greek, Armenian, Genovese and Venetian merchants, connecting them well to the evolving culture of medieval Europe. Grigore Ureche's chronicle Letopiseţul Ţărîi Moldovei (The Chronicles of the land of Moldavia), covering the period from 1359 to 1594, is a very important source of information about life, events and personalities in Moldavia. It is among the first non-religious Romanian literary texts; due to its size and the information that it contains it is, probably, the most important Romanian document from the 17th century. Map of Romania with Wallachia in yellow. ... Moldavia (Moldova in Romanian) was a Romanian principality, originally created in the Middle Ages, now divided between Romania, Moldovan Republic and Ukraine. ... Grigore Ureche (1590 - 1647) was a Moldavian chronicler who wrote on Moldavian history in his LetopiseÅ£ul Ţării Moldovei (The Chronicles of the land of Moldavia), covering the period from 1359 to 1594. ... Generally a chronicle (Latin chronica, from Greek Χρόνος) is historical account of facts and events in chronological order. ... Events Change of emperor of the Ottoman Empire from Orhan I (1326-1359) to Murad I (1359-1389) Berlin joins the Hanseatic League. ... Events February 27 - Henry IV is crowned King of France at Rheims. ... Moldavia (Moldova in Romanian) was a Romanian principality, originally created in the Middle Ages, now divided between Romania, Moldovan Republic and Ukraine. ... (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ...

At the end of the 17th and the beginning of 18th century, European humanism influenced the works of Miron Costin and Ion Neculce, the chroniclers who continued Ureche's work. Constantin Brâncoveanu, prince of Wallachia, was a great patron of the arts and was a local Renaissance figure. During Şerban Cantacuzino's reign the monks at the monastery of Snagov, near Bucharest published in 1688 the first translated and printed Romanian Bible (Biblia de la Bucureşti - The Bucharest Bible). The first successful attempts at written Romanian-language poetry were made in 1673 when Dosoftei, a Moldavian metropolitan, published a Romanian metrical psalter. (16th century - 17th century - 18th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 17th century was that century which lasted from 1601-1700. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Miron Costin (1633 - 1691) was a Moldavian politician and chronicler, his main work: LetopiseÅ£ul Ţărîi Moldovei (The Chronicles of the land of Moldavia) continues that of Grigore Ureche describing the period from, 1594 till 1660 and was published in 1675. ... Generally a chronicle (Latin chronica) is historical account of facts and events in chronological order. ... Constantin Brâncoveanu Constantin Brâncoveanu (1654 - August 26, 1714) was prince of Wallachia between 1689 and 1710. ... Categories: Lists of office-holders | Rulers of Moldavia | History of Romania ... Map of Romania with Wallachia in yellow. ... Raphael was famous for depicting illustrious figures of the Classical past with the features of his Renaissance contemporaries. ... Åžerban Cantacuzino (1640-1688) was a voivode of Wallachia in Romania between 1678 and 1688. ... Ilfov county with Snagov commune highlighted Snagov (population: 7,000) is a commune located 40 km north of Bucharest in Ilfov county, Romania. ... Status Capital of Romania Mayor Adriean Videanu, since 2005 Area 228 km² Population (2003) 1,929,615[1] Density 9131. ... // Events A high-powered conspiracy of notables, the Immortal Seven, invite William and Mary to depose James II of England. ... This Gutenberg Bible is displayed by the United States Library of Congress. ... 1673 (MDCLXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... Dimitrie Barilă, known as Dosoftei (26 October 1624 - 13 December 1693) was a Moldavian metropolitan, scholar, poet and translator. ... Psalms (Tehilim תהילים, in Hebrew) is a book of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, and of the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. ...

Dimitrie Cantemir, a Moldavian prince, was undoubtedly the greatest personality of the medieval period in Moldavia. He was a prolific man of letters with interests in philosophy, history, music, linguistics, ethnography and geography. The most important works containing information about the Romanian regions were Descriptio Moldaviae published in 1769 and Hronicul vechimii a romano-moldo-valahilor (roughly, Chronicle of the durability of Romans-Moldavians-Wallachians), the first critical history of Romania. Dimitrie Cantemir (-Romanian, Дмитрий Кантемир in Russian, Kantemiroğlu in Turkish, Kantymir in Polish), (October 26, 1673 - 1723) was a Moldavian Voivode (Prince; March-April 1693 and 1710-1711), philosopher, historian, composer, linguist and scholar. ... Moldavia (Moldova in Romanian) was a Romanian principality, originally created in the Middle Ages, now divided between Romania, Moldovan Republic and Ukraine. ... 1769 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

Classical age

First page of the Supplex Libellus Valachorum petition, printed in Cluj

In Transylvania, although they formed a majority of the population, Romanians were merely seen as a "tolerated nation" by the Austrian leadership of the province, and were not proportionally represented in political life and the Transylvanian Diet. At the end of the 18th century an emancipation movement known as the Transylvanian School (Şcoala Ardeleană) formed, which emphasized the ancient Roman origins of the Romanian people and created the modern Latin-based Romanian alphabet (which eventually supplanted an earlier Cyrillic script). It also accepted the leadership of the pope over the Romanian church of Transylvania, thus forming the Romanian Greek-Catholic Uniate Church. In 1791 they issued a petition to Emperor Leopold II of Austria, named Supplex Libellus Valachorum based on the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, demanding equal political rights with the other ethnicities for the Romanians in Transylvania and thus starting the movement of national awakening. Image File history File linksMetadata Supplex_Libellus_Valachorum_Transsilvaniae. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Supplex_Libellus_Valachorum_Transsilvaniae. ... First page of the petition, printed in Cluj / Kolosvar Supplex Liberum Valachorum Transsilvaniae (Petition of the Vlachs of Transylvania) was a petition sent in 1791 to Emperor Leopold II of Austria by the Romanian Catholic bishops of Transylvania (Samuil Micu, Petru Maior, Gheorghe Åžincai, Ioan Piuariu-Molnar etc) demanding for... Map of Romania showing Cluj_Napoca Cluj_Napoca (Hungarian: Kolozsvár, German: Klausenburg, Latin: Claudiopolis), the seat of Cluj county, is one of the most important academic, cultural and industrial centers in Romania. ... Map of Romania with Transylvania in yellow Transylvania (Romanian: or Transilvania; Hungarian: ; German: ; Serbian: / Transilvanija or Ердељ / Erdelj) is a historical region in central and western Romania. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... The Transylvanian School (Åžcoala Ardeleană) was a cultural movement which was founded after part of the the Romanian Romanian Orthodox Church of Transylvania accepted the leadership of the Pope and became the Romanian Greek-Catholic Uniate Church. ... Note: This page or section contains IPA phonetic symbols in Unicode. ... The Cyrillic alphabet (or azbuka, from the old name of the first two letters) is an alphabet used for several East and South Slavic languages; (Belarusian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Russian, Rusyn, Serbian, and Ukrainian) and many other languages of the former Soviet Union, Asia and Eastern Europe. ... The Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic (in Romanian: Biserica Română Unită cu Roma, Greco-Catolică) is a Catholic Church of the Eastern Rite. ... 1791 (MDCCXCI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 11-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Leopold II (1050–October 12, 1095) was a Babenberg Margrave of Austria ruling from 1075 onwards. ... First page of the petition, printed in Cluj / Kolosvar Supplex Liberum Valachorum Transsilvaniae (Petition of the Vlachs of Transylvania) was a petition sent in 1791 to Emperor Leopold II of Austria by the Romanian Catholic bishops of Transylvania (Samuil Micu, Petru Maior, Gheorghe Åžincai, Ioan Piuariu-Molnar etc) demanding for... Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen: Revolutionary patriotism borrows familiar iconography of the Ten Commandments Wikisource has original text related to this article: Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (French: La... During the period of Austro-Hungarian rule in Transylvania and Ottoman suzerainty over Wallachia and Moldavia, most Romanians were in the situation of being second-class citizens (or even non-citizens) in their own country. ...

The end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century was marked in Wallachia and Moldavia by the reigns of Phanariote Princes; thus the two principalities were heavily influenced by the Greek world. Greek schools appeared in the principalities and in 1818 the first Romanian School was founded in Bucharest by Gheorghe Lazăr and Ion Heliade Rădulescu. Anton Pann was a successful novelist, Ienăchiţă Văcărescu wrote the first Romanian grammar and his nephew Iancu Văcărescu is considered to be the first important Romanian poet. (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Map of Romania with Wallachia in yellow. ... Moldavia (Moldova in Romanian) was a Romanian principality, originally created in the Middle Ages, now divided between Romania, Moldovan Republic and Ukraine. ... Phanariotes (from Phanar, the chief Greek quarter at Istambul, where the oecumenical patriarchate is situated) were those members of families resident in the Phanar quarter who between the years 1711 and 1821 were appointed voivodes of the Danubian principalities (Moldavia and Wallachia). ... 1818 (MDCCCXVIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar. ... Gheorghe Lazăr, 5 June 1779 - 17 September 1821 was a romanian scholar, the founder of the first romanian speaking school in Bucharest in 1818. ... Ion Heliade Rădulescu - (1802-1872 ) Romanian academician, writer, editor, prolific translator of foreign literature into Romanian, politician, teacher at the Saint Sava College in Bucharest, considered by most the foremost Romanian culture representative of the first period of the 18th century. ... Anton Pann (in the 1790s, Sliven, in Rumelia—November 2, 1854, Bucharest) born Antonie Pantoleon-Petroveanu (also mentioned as Anton Pantoleon), was a Wallachian poet and composer. ... Ienăchiţă Văcărescu (1740-1797) Romanian poet and boyar of Phanariote origin. ... Romanian (technically called Daco-Romanian) shares practically the same grammar and most of the vocabulary and phonological processes with the other three surviving Eastern Romance languages: Aromanian, Megleno-Romanian, and Istro-Romanian. ... Iancu Văcărescu (1786-1863) was a Romanian poet. ...

The revolutionary year 1848 had its echoes in the Romanian principalities and in Transylvania, and a new elite from the middle of the 19th century emerged from the revolutions: Mihail Kogălniceanu (writer, politician and the first prime minister of Romania), Vasile Alecsandri (politician, playwright and poet), Andrei Mureşanu (publicist and the writer of the current Romanian National Anthem) and Nicolae Bălcescu (historian, writer and revolutionary). This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Mihail Kogălniceanu Mihail Kogălniceanu (September 6, 1817, Iasi - July 1, 1891, Paris) was a Romanian statesman, historian and publicist, he became the first Prime minister of Romania October 11, 1863, after the union of Moldavian and Wallachian principalities. ... Vasile Alecsandri Vasile Alecsandri, (21 July 1821-22 August 1890) was a Romanian poet, playwright, politician, and diplomat. ... Andrei MureÅŸanu (16 November 1816-12 October 1863) was a Romanian poet and revolutionary of Transylvania. ... DeÅŸteaptă-te, române (variously translated as Awaken thee, Romanian!, Awaken, Romanian!, or Wake Up, Romanian!) is Romanias national anthem. ... Nicolae Bălcescu Nicolae Bălcescu (1819-1852) was a Romanian historian, writer, and revolutionary. ...

Mihai Eminescu

The union between Wallachia and Moldavia in 1859 brought a growing consolidation of Romanian life and culture. Universities were opened in Iaşi and in Bucharest and the number of new cultural establishments grew significantly. The new prince from 1866 and then King of Romania Carol I was a devoted king, and he and his wife Elisabeth were among the main patrons of arts. Of great impact in Romanian literature was the literary circle Junimea, founded by a group of people around the literary critic Titu Maiorescu in 1863. It published its cultural journal Convorbiri Literare where, among others, Mihai Eminescu, Romania's greatest poet, Ion Creangă, a storyteller of genius, and Ion Luca Caragiale, novelist and the Romania's greatest playwright published most of their works. During the same period Nicolae Grigorescu and Ştefan Luchian founded modern Romanian painting; composer Ciprian Porumbescu was also from this time. ŞMihai Eminescu The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States and in those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. ... ŞMihai Eminescu The two-dimensional work of art depicted in this image is in the public domain in the United States and in those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years. ... Map of Romania with Wallachia in yellow. ... Moldavia (Moldova in Romanian) was a Romanian principality, originally created in the Middle Ages, now divided between Romania, Moldovan Republic and Ukraine. ... 1859 (MDCCCLIX) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar). ... County IaÅŸi County Status Municipality Mayor Gheorghe Nichita, Social Democratic Party, since 2003 Area 93. ... Status Capital of Romania Mayor Adriean Videanu, since 2005 Area 228 km² Population (2003) 1,929,615[1] Density 9131. ... 1866 (MDCCCLXVI) is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... The King of Romania was the title of the ruler of the Kingdom of Romania from 1881 until 1947 when Romania was proclaimed a republic. ... Carol I, original name Karl Eitel Friedrich Zephyrinus Ludwig von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (April 20, 1839 - October 10, 1914) was elected Domnitor (prince) of Romania in April 1866 following the overthrow of Alexander John Cuza, and proclaimed king on March 26, 1881. ... Queen Elizabeth of Romania Elizabeth of Wied (December 29, 1843 - November 2, 1916) was the Queen Consort of King Carol I of Romania, widely known by her literary name of Carmen Sylva. ... Junimea was a Romanian literary society founded in IaÅŸi in 1863, by the initiative of some foreign educated personalities led by Titu Maiorescu, Petre P. Carp, Vasile Pogor and Iacob Negruzzi. ... Titu Maiorescu Titu Maiorescu was a Romanian literary critic and a Prime Minister of Romania from 1912 to 1914. ... 1863 (MDCCCLXIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar). ... Mihai Eminescu Mihai Eminescu (pronunciation in Romanian: ) (January 15, 1850 – June 15, 1889), born Mihail Eminovici, was a late Romantic poet, the best-known and most influential Romanian poet celebrated in both Romania and Moldova. ... Ion Creangă was born in the village of Humulesti, located in the foothills of the Carpathian mountains in northern Moldavia, in 1837. ... The statue of Ion Luca Caragiale in front of the Bucharest National Theatre Ion Luca Caragiale (January 30, 1852 - July 9, 1912) was a Romanian playwright, novelist, and short story writer. ... Nicolae Grigorescu (15 May 1838, Pitaru, DâmboviÅ£a - 21 July 1907, Câmpina) is one of the founders of modern Romanian painting. ... Åžtefan Luchian - (1 February 1868, ÅžtefăneÅŸti - 28 June 1916, Bucharest) was a Romanian painter, famous for its nature paintings. ... Ciprian Porumbescu (October 14, 1853 - July 6, 1883) was a Romanian composer born in Sipote, the former Austrian colony Bukovina. ...

In Transylvania, the emancipation movement became better organised and in 1861 an important cultural organisation ASTRA (The Transylvanian Association for Romanian Literature and the Culture of the Romanian People) was founded in Sibiu under the close supervision of the Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan Andrei Şaguna. It helped publish a great number of Romanian language books and newspapers, and between 1898 and 1904 it published a Romanian Encyclopedia. Among the greatest personalities from this period are: the novelist and publicist Ioan Slavici, the prose writer Panait Istrati, the poet and writer Barbu Ştefănescu Delavrancea, the poet and publicist George Coşbuc, the poet Ştefan Octavian Iosif, the historian and founder of Romanian press in Transylvania George Bariţiu and Badea Gheorghe Cârţan, a simple peasant shepherd from Southern Transylvania who, through his actions became a symbol of the emancipation movement. Map of Romania with Transylvania in yellow Transylvania (Romanian: or Transilvania; Hungarian: ; German: ; Serbian: / Transilvanija or Ердељ / Erdelj) is a historical region in central and western Romania. ... 1861 is a common year starting on Tuesday. ... ASTRA Palace in Sibiu AsociaÅ£ia Transilvană pentru Literatura Română ÅŸi Cultura Poporului Român (abbreviated ASTRA; in English, The Transylvanian Association for Romanian Literature and the Culture of the Romanian People) is a cultural association founded in 1861 in Sibiu. ... County Sibiu County Status County capital Mayor Klaus Johannis, from the Democratic Forum of Germans of Romania, since 2000 Area 121 km² Population (2002) 171,535 Density 1,417 inh/km² Geographical coordinates Web site http://www. ... Andrei Åžaguna (1809, Miskolc, Hungary—1873, Sibiu) was a Metropolitan bishop of the Romanian Orthodox Church in Transylvania, and one of the Romanian community political leaders in the Habsburg Monarchy, especially active during the 1848 Revolution. ... Romanian (limba română IPA ) is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 26 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova. ... 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (see link for calendar). ... Ioan Slavici (18 January 1848 – 17 August 1925) was a Romanian writer from Transylvania. ... Panait Istrati Panait (sometimes rendered as Panaït) Istrati (August 10, 1884, Brăila - April 18, 1935, Bucharest) was a Romanian writer of French and Romanian expression, nicknamed The Maxim Gorky of the Balkans. ... Barbu Åžtefănescu Delavrancea Barbu Åžtefănescu Delavrancea (1858-1918) was a Romanian writer and poet, considered one of Romanias greatest figures of the National awakening of Romania. ... George CoÅŸbuc (1866-1918) was a Romanian poet best known for his verses describing, praising and eulogizing rural life, its many travails but also its occasions for joy. ... Åžtefan Octavian Iosif (11 September 1875, BraÅŸov - † 22 June 1913, Bucharest) was a Romanian poet and translator of Aromanian origin. ... BariÅ£s statue in front of the ASTRA palace in Sibiu George BariÅ£, incorrectly written George BariÅ£iu, (* 1812, Jucu de Jos, Cluj - † 1893, Sibiu), Romanian historian and publicist, the founder of the romanian press in Transylvania. ... Map of Romania with Transylvania in yellow Transylvania (Romanian: or Transilvania; Hungarian: ; German: ; Serbian: / Transilvanija or Ердељ / Erdelj) is a historical region in central and western Romania. ...

Golden age

The Endless Column in Târgu Jiu

The first half of the 20th century is regarded by many as the golden age of Romanian culture and it is the period when it reached its main level of international affirmation and a strong connection to the European cultural trends. The most important artist who had a great influence on the world culture was the sculptor Constantin Brâncuşi, a central figure of the modern movement and a pioneer of abstraction. Image File history File links Coloana_fara_sfarsit. ... Image File history File links Coloana_fara_sfarsit. ... The Endless Column The building of the Endless Column Sketch made by Brâncuşi on a photo of the location The Endless Column (Romanian: Coloana fără sfârşit; Coloana infinitului) is a sculpture created by Constantin Brâncuşi and inaugurated in... Târgu Jiu (also spelt Tîrgu Jiu) is a town in the Gorj county, Oltenia, Romania. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999... The Culture of Europe might better be described as a series of overlapping cultures of Europe. ... why hello hello Sculptor redirects here. ... Constantin Brancusi (February 19, 1876 – March 16, 1957), originally Constantin BrâncuÅŸi, was a Romanian sculptor, born in HobiÅ£a, Gorj, near Târgu Jiu, where he placed his sculptural ensemble with The Table of Silence, The Gate of the Kiss and The Endless Column. ...

The relationship between traditional and Western European trends was a subject of heated polemics and outstanding personalities sustained the debates. The playwright, expressionist poet and philosopher Lucian Blaga can be cited as a member of the traditionalist group and the literary critic founder of the literary circle and cultural journal Sburătorul, Eugen Lovinescu, represents the so-called Westernizing group, which sought to bring Romanian culture closer to Western European culture. Also, George Călinescu was a more complex writer who, among different literary creations, produced the monumental "History of the Romanian literature, from its origins till present day". On White II by Wassily Kandinsky, 1923. ... Lucian Blaga (May 9, 1895 - May 6, 1961) Romanian poet, playwright, and philosopher. ... Sburătorul was a Romanian modernist literary magazine and literary society, established in Bucharest in April 1919. ... Eugen Lovinescu (1881-1943) was a Romanian historian, literary critic and novelist, who in 1919 established the Sburatorul literary club. ... George Călinescu (1899 - 1965) was a Romanian novelist, poet, playwright, literary critic, and essayist. ...

The beginning of the 20th century was also a prolific period for Romanian prose, with personalities such as the novelist Liviu Rebreanu, who described the struggles in the traditional society and the horrors of war, Mihail Sadoveanu, a writer of novels of epic proportions with inspiration in the medieval history of Moldavia, and Camil Petrescu was a more modern writer distinguishing himself through the analytical prose writing. In dramaturgy, Mihail Sebastian was an influential writer and as the number of theaters grew also did the number of actors, Lucia Sturdza Bulandra being an actress representative of this period. A novel is an extended work of written, narrative, prose fiction, usually in story form; the writer of a novel is a novelist. ... Liviu Rebreanu - (* 27 November 1885, TârliÅŸua, curently BistriÅ£a-Năsăud County, † 1 September 1944, Valea Mare, ArgeÅŸ County), Romanian academician, novelist and playwriter. ... Mihail Sadoveanu (November 5, 1880—October 19, 1961) was a Romanian novelist and political figure; one of the most prolific Romanian language writers, he is remembered mostly for his historical novels. ... Camil Petrescu ( April 22, 1894 — May 14, 1957) was a Romanian playwright and novelist. ... Dramaturgy is the art of dramatic composition and the representation of the main elements of drama on the stage. ... Mihail Sebastian (18 October 1907-29 May 1945), born in Brăila as Iosif Hechter was a Jewish-Romanian author. ...

Alongside the prominent poet George Topîrceanu, a poet of an equal importance was Tudor Arghezi who was the first to revolutionize the poetry in the last 50 years. One should not neglect the poems of George Bacovia a symbolist poet of neurosis and despair and those of Ion Barbu a brilliant mathematician who wrote a series of very successful cryptic poems. Tristan Tzara and Marcel Janco, founders of the Dadaist movement, were also of Romanian origin. George Topîrceanu (March 20, 1886, Bucharest–May 7, 1937, IaÅŸi) was a Romanian poet, short story writer, and humourist. ... Tudor Arghezi (May 21, 1880-1967) was a notable Romanian poet and childrens author. ... (I have erased this article because, first of all, it was in Romanian and this is the English Wikipedia and, second of all, it contained a poorly written attack directed at the genius of the Romanian poet George Bacovia. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Ion Barbu (pen name of Dan Barbilian) (1885-1961) was a distinguished Romanian mathematician and poet of Armenian descent. ... Tristan Tzara (April 16, 1896 – December 25, 1963) is the assumed name of Sami Rosenstock, born in MoineÅŸti, Bacău, Romania, a poet and essayist who lived for the majority of his life in France. ... Marcel Janco/Iancu/Ianco (May 24, 1895, Bucharest - April 21, 1984, Tel Aviv) was a Jewish-Romanian artist, painter and architect. ... Dadaism or Dada is a post-World War I cultural movement in visual art as well as literature (mainly poetry), theatre and graphic design. ...

Also during the golden age came the epoch of Romanian philosophy with such figures as Mircea Vulcănescu, Dimitrie Gusti, Alexandru Dragomir, and Vasile Conta. The period was dominated by the overwhelming personality of the historian and politician Nicolae Iorga who, during his lifetime published over 1,250 books and wrote more than 25,000 articles. In music, the composers George Enescu and Constantin Dimitrescu and the pianist Dinu Lipatti became world famous. The number of important Romanian painters also grew, and the most significant ones were: Nicolae Tonitza, Camil Ressu, Francisc Şirato, Ignat Bednarik, Lucian Grigorescu and Theodor Pallady. In medicine a great contribution to human society was the discovery of insulin by the romanian scientist Nicolae Paulescu. Also Gheorghe Marinescu was an important neurologist and Victor Babeş was one of the earliest bacteriologists. In mathematics Gheorghe Ţiţeica was one of romania's greatest mathematicians, and also an important personality was the mathematician/poet Dan Barbilian. Main romanian philosophers: Lucian Blaga Eugen Ionescu Nae Ionescu Emil Cioran Constantin Noica Mircea Vulcănescu See also: {Romania-stub}} Category: ‪Romanian philosophers‬ ... Mircea Vulcănescu (1904-1952) was a prominent Romanian philosopher, economist, and sociologist. ... Dimitrie Gusti (February 13, 1880—October 30, 1955) was a Romanian sociologist, ethnologist, and voluntarist philosopher; a professor at the University of IaÅŸi and the University of Bucharest, he served as Romanias Minister of Education in 1932-1933. ... Alexandru Dragomir (November 8, 1916 with Zalău - November 13, 2002 in Bucharest) was a Romanian philosopher. ... Vasile Conta (1845-1882) was a Romanian philosopher, poet, and politician of Armenian ancestry. ... portrait of Nicolae Iorga Nicolae Iorga (a. ... George Enescu George Enescu (pronunciation in Romanian: ; known in France as Georges Enesco) (August 19, 1881, Liveni – May 4, 1955, Paris) was a Romanian composer, violinist, pianist, conductor and teacher, preeminent Romanian musician of the 20th century, one of the greatest performers of his time. ... Constantin Dimitrescu (1847-1928) is without doubt one of Romanias most important composers from its late romantic period. ... Dinu Lipatti Dinu Lipatti (March 19, 1917 – December 2, 1950) was a Romanian pianist whose career was tragically cut short by his death from Hodgkins disease at age 33. ... Nicolae Tonitza (13 April 1886 - 27 February 1940) was a Romanian painter, ethcher and graphician. ... Autopotrait by Camil Ressu (1941) Camil Ressu (28 January 1880 in GalaÅ£i–1 April 1962) was a Romanian academician and painter, and one of the most significant art figures of Romania. ... Francisc Åžirato - self portrait Francisc Åžirato (1877-1953) was a Romanian painter, sketcher, and designer. ... Ignat Bednarik (1882 - 1963) The Romanian painter Ignat Bednarik, worked in almost every genre: portrait, landscape, still life, genre scenes, composition. ... Lucian Grigorescu (1894-1965) was a Romanian painter. ... Self-potrait by Theodor Pallady Theodor Pallady (born 1871 in IaÅŸi, died 1956 in Bucharest) was a Romanian painter. ... Insulin (from Latin insula, island, as it is produced in the Islets of Langerhans in the pancreas) is a polypeptide hormone that regulates carbohydrate metabolism. ... Nicolae Paulescu (October 30, 1869, Bucharest - July 17, 1931, Bucharest) was a Romanian physiologist, professor of medicine and the discoverer of insulin. ... Gheorghe Marinescu Gheorghe Marinescu (born February 28, 1863, Bucharest - died May 15, 1938, Bucharest) was a Romanian neurologist, founder of the Romanian School of Neurology. ... Neurology is the branch of medicine that deals with the nervous system and disorders affecting it. ... Victor BabeÅŸ Victor BabeÅŸ (July 4, 1854, Vienna–October 19, 1926) was a Romanian biologist and one of the earliest bacteriologists. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Ion Barbu (pen name of Dan Barbilian) (1885-1961) was a distinguished Romanian mathematician and poet of Armenian descent. ...

Post-war period

Romanians in exile

Eugen Ionescu

After World War II, due to the occupation by the Red Army and the establishment of a communist regime in Romania, a great number of Romanian cultural personalities left the country, some of them managing to make a mark on the international cultural scene. Three individuals emerged as the most important Romanians abroad: playwright Eugen Ionescu (who became known in France as Eugène Ionesco), creator of the theatre of the absurd and eventual member of the Académie française; religious historian and writer Mircea Eliade; and the essayist and philosopher Emil Cioran. Fellow Romanian Ioan Petre Culianu continued Eliade's work with great success, in the United States. ImageMetadata File history File links Ionescu03. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Ionescu03. ... The Workers and Peasants Red Army (Russian: Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия, Raboche-Krestyanskaya Krasnaya Armiya; RKKA or usually simply the Red Army) were the armed forces first organized by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War in 1918 and that in 1922 became the army of the Soviet Union. ... The Soviets pressed for inclusion of Romanias heretofore negligible Communist Party in the post-war government, while non-communist political leaders were steadily eliminated from political life. ... Eugène Ionesco Eugène Ionesco, born Eugen Ionescu, (November 26, 1909 – March 29, 1994) was one of the foremost playwrights of the Theatre of the absurd. ... The Theatre of the Absurd or Le Théâtre de lAbsurde is a phrase used in reference to particular plays written by a number of primarily European playwrights in the late 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, as well as to the style of theatre which has evolved from their work. ... The Académie française In the French educational system an académie The Académie française, or French Academy, is the pre-eminent French learned body on matters pertaining to the French language. ... Mircea Eliade Mircea Eliade (March 13, 1907 [O.S. February 28] – April 22, 1986) was a Romanian historian of religion, fiction writer, philosopher, and professor at the University of Chicago. ... Emil Cioran Emil Cioran, known in French as Émile Michel Cioran (April 8, 1911, Răşinari, Sibiu—June 20, 1995, Paris), was a Romanian-French philosopher, writer, and essayist. ... Ioan Petru Culianu (5 January 1950–21 May 1991) was a Romanian-born professor of divinity at the University of Chicago and an expert in gnosticism and Mediaeval magic. ...

Well-known Romanian musicians outside of Romania during this period include conductors Sergiu Celibidache—the main conductor at the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and later of Munich Philharmonic Orchestra—and Constantin Silvestri, main conductor at the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. Gheorghe Zamfir was a virtuoso of the pan pipes and made this instrument known to a modern worldwide audience, and was also a composer or interpreter for a great number of movies. Composer and architect Iannis Xenakis was born in Romania and spent his childhood there. Sergiu Celibidache (June 28, 1912, Roman, Romania - August 14, 1996, Paris) was a Romanian conductor. ... The Berlin Philharmonic rehearsing in the Berliner Philharmonie. ... The Munich Philharmonic Orchestra is one of three great orchestras in the city of Munich, along with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Bavarian State Opera orchestra. ... Constantin Silvestri (May 13, 1913 – February 23, 1969) was a Romanian conductor. ... The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra is an English orchestra which, despite its name, is now based in the adjacent town of Poole rather than in Bournemouth. ... Gheorghe Zamfir (born April 6th, 1941, in GăeÅŸti, Romania) is a famous Romanian musician who is a virtuoso on the pan flute. ... Pan pipes (also known as the panflute or the syrinx or quills) is an ancient musical instrument based on the principle of the stopped pipe, consisting usually of ten or more pipes of gradually increasing length. ... Iannis Xenakis Iannis Xenakis (Ιάννης Ξενάκης) (May 29, 1922 Brăila – February 4, 2001 Paris) was a Greek composer and architect who spent much of his life in Paris. ...

George Emil Palade a cell biologist and a teacher became the first Romanian to receive the Nobel Prize, winning the 1974 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for describing the structure and function of organelles in cells. Elie Wiesel, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986, was born in the Romanian town of Sighetu Marmaţiei. Dr. Palade won the Nobel Prize in 1974. ... Cell biology (also called cellular biology or formerly cytology, from the Greek kytos, container) is an academic discipline that studies cells. ... Nobel Prize medal. ... List of Nobel Prize laureates in Physiology or Medicine from 1901 to the present day. ... Eliezer Wiesel (commonly known as Elie) (born September 30[1], 1928) is a world-renowned Romanian-Hungarian Jewish novelist, philosopher, humanitarian, political activist, and Holocaust survivor. ... Lester B. Pearson after accepting the Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize is the name of one of five Nobel Prizes bequested by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... County MaramureÅŸ County Status Municipality Mayor Eugenia Godja, since 2000 Area  km² Population (2002) 44,185 Density  inh/km² Geographical coordinates , Web site http://www. ...

Culture inside communist Romania

In Romania, the communist regime imposed heavy censorship an almost all elements of life and they used the cultural world as a mean to better control the population. Two currents appeared: one that glorified the regime and another that tried to avoid censorship. The first is of almost no lasting cultural value, but the second managed to create valuable works, successfully avoiding censorship and being very well received by the general public. From this period the most outstanding personalities are those of: the writer Marin Preda, the poets Nichita Stănescu and Marin Sorescu, and the literary critics Nicolae Manolescu and Eugen Simion. Most dissidents who chose not to emigrate lived a life closely watched by the regime, either in "house arrest" or in "forced domicile"; some chose to retreat to remote monasteries. Most of their work was published after the 1989 Revolution. Among the most notable examples are the philosophers Constantin Noica, Petre Ţuţea and Nicolae Steinhardt. The Soviets pressed for inclusion of Romanias heretofore negligible Communist Party in the post-war government, while non-communist political leaders were steadily eliminated from political life. ... Marin Preda (5 August 1922-16 May 1980) was a Romanian novelist, often considered the best post-WWII Romanian novelist. ... Nichita Stănescu (born Nichita Hristea Stănescu) (March 31, 1933, PloieÅŸti—December 13, 1983, Bucharest) was a Romanian poet and essayist. ... Marin Sorescu (1936-1997) was a Romanian poet, writer, and novelist. ... Nicolae Manolescu (his real name Nicolae Apolzan) (born November 27, 1939, Sibiu) is a Romanian literary critic, and, as editor of România Literară literary magazine, he has reached a record in reviewing books for almost 30 years. ... Combatants Communist Romania Ad hoc local Romanian militias Commanders Nicolae CeauÅŸescu Various independent militia leaders Casualties 1,104 deaths The Romanian Revolution of 1989 was a week-long series of riots and fighting in late December of 1989 that overthrew the Communist regime of Nicolae CeauÅŸescu. ... Constantin Noica Constantin Noica (July 12/25 1909, Vităneşti - December 4, 1987, Păltiniş) was a Romanian philosopher and essayist. ... Nicolae Steinhardt (born Nicu-Aurelian Steinhardt) (b. ...

A strong editorial activity took place during the Communist regime. With the purpose of educating the "large masses" of peoples, a huge number of books were published. Large-scale editing houses such as Cartea Românească, Editura Eminescu and others appeared, which published huge collections of books, such as the Biblioteca pentru Toţi ("The Library for Everyone") with over 5,000 titles. Generally, a book was never published in an edition of less than 50,000 copies. Libraries appeared in every village and almost all were kept up to date with the newest books published. Also, due to low prices, almost everyone could afford to have their own collection of books at home. The negative part was that all the books were heavily censored, and usually sought to promote Communist ideals. Also, due to rationing in every aspect of life, the quality of the printing and the paper also was very low, and the books therefore degraded easily.

During this period, there was a significant increase in the number of theatres, as they appeared even in the smallest towns. Many new establishments were built and in the big cities they became important landmarks, such as the building of the National Theatre of Bucharest, situated right in the middle of the city, immediately adjacent to Romania's kilometre zero. In the smaller towns, there existed the so-called "Worker's Theatre", a semi-professional institution. Partly due to the lack of other entertainment venues, theatre was highly popular and the number of actors increased. All of the theatres had a stable, state-funded budget. Again, however, the drawback was the heavy control imposed on them by the regime: censorship was very present and only ideologically-accepted plays were allowed. More progressive theatres managed to survive in some remote cities that became favorite destinations for young actors, but they generally had only a local audience. Bucharest National Theatre The Bucharest National Theatre (Romanian: ) was founded in 1852, its first director being Costache Caragiale. ... University Square is located in the downtown Bucharest, near the Bucharest University. ...

Cinemas evolved the same way as the theatres; sometimes the same establishment served both purposes. Movies were very popular, and from the 1960s, foreign films started becoming quite widespread. Western films, when shown, were heavily censored: entire sections were cut, and dialogue was translated only using ideologicaly accepted words. Domestic or "friendly" foreign productions constituted the bulk of films in cinemas. During this period, cinematography started to develop in Romania and the first successful short films were made based on Caragiale's plays. Financed by the government, during the 1960s, a whole industry developed at Buftea, a town close to Bucharest, and some films, especially gangster, Western-genre and historical movies were very well received by the public. The most prolific director was Sergiu Nicolaescu, and probably the most-acclaimed actor from that period was Amza Pellea. The term Western World or the West can have multiple meanings depending on its context. ... The statue of Ion Luca Caragiale in front of the Bucharest National Theatre Ion Luca Caragiale (January 30, 1852 - July 9, 1912) was a Romanian playwright, novelist, and short story writer. ... Buftea is a town in Ilfov county, Romania, located 20 km north_west of Bucharest, it has a population of 19,617. ... Status Capital of Romania Mayor Adriean Videanu, since 2005 Area 228 km² Population (2003) 1,929,615[1] Density 9131. ... i like western films The Western is an American genre in literature and film. ... Sergiu Florin Nicolaescu (born 13 April 1930) is a Romanian director, actor and politician. ... Amza Pellea (7 April 1931 - 12 December 1983) was one of the most important Romanian actors, being remarked both for his theatre and his film acting. ...

Evolutions after 1989

A brightly-painted cow at the 2005 Bucharest CowParade

After the fall of communism in 1989, there was an almost immediate explosion of publication of books previously censored by the regime. Books were published in huge numbers per edition, sales were high, and a great number of publishing houses appeared. However, this soon reached a saturation point, and publishing houses began to decline, due to a combination of bad management, a rapid decline in sales, and the absence of subsidies. Many closed after only a few titles published; some changed their profile and started editing commercial literature - mainly translations - and the state-owned publishers entered a "state of lethargy". These last survived due to state financing, but their publishing activity diminished. Despite this, some publishing houses managed to survive and develop by implementing market policies, and also by increasing the quality and the general aspect of the books they published. Among the most notable contemporary Romanian publishers are Humanitas in Bucharest, Polirom in Iaşi - two of the elite publishing houses, or Teora - oriented toward technical topics and dictionaries. Some publishing houses developed their own chains or bookstores, and also other new, privately owned bookstore chains opened, replacing the old state owned ones. Image File history File links Bucharest_Europe_cow. ... Image File history File links Bucharest_Europe_cow. ... Cow Human Touch, CowParade Warsaw 2005 CowParade is an international public art exhibit that has been featured in major cities all over the world. ... Combatants Communist Romania Ad hoc local Romanian militias Commanders Nicolae CeauÅŸescu Various independent militia leaders Casualties 1,104 deaths The Romanian Revolution of 1989 was a week-long series of riots and fighting in late December of 1989 that overthrew the Communist regime of Nicolae CeauÅŸescu. ... Teora is a little town in the province of Avellino, Campania, Italy. ...

Culturally oriented newsprint periodicals followed a similar trajectory of boom and bust. A few have survived and managed to raise their level of quality and to maintain a critical spirit despite the hardships they encountered. Dilema Veche (Old Dilemma) and Revista 22 (Magazine 22) remain respected forces in Romanian culture, with Observator Cultural a lesser, but also respected, weekly paper. Also, a state financed radio (Radio România Cultural) and a television channel (TVR Cultural) with a cultural programme exist, but they are not highly popular. Dilema Veche (Old Dilemma) is a prominent Romanian weekly journal of culture, criticism and opinion. ... TVR Cultural is the cultural channel of Romanias government-funded television network Televiziunea Română. It provides cultural news, documentaries about the arts, as well as various shows, musicals and theatrical pieces. ...

Many new young writers appeared, but due to financial constraints, only those who have gained a strong reputation could get the financial backing to publish their works. The Writers Association, which should, in principle, support these writers' efforts, hasn't undergone much change since 1989 and there is much controversy surrounding its activity and purpose. The most successful writers, like Mircea Cărtărescu, Horia-Roman Patapievici, Andrei Pleşu, Gabriel Liiceanu and Mircea Dinescu, are respected personalities in Romanian life, but they have to devote some of their would-be writing time to other activities, mainly journalism. The ties with the Romanian diaspora are now very strong and even foreign-language Romanian writers like Andrei Codrescu (who now writes primarily in English) are very popular. 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Mircea Cărtărescu (b. ... Horia Roman Patapievici (born March 18, 1957, Bucharest) is one of the most apreciated Romanian writer after 1989. ... Andrei Gabriel PleÅŸu (b. ... Gabriel Liiceanu (b. ... Mircea Dinescu is a Romanian poet, editor and dissident. ... Andrei Codrescu (born December 20, 1946), born in Sibiu, Romania. ...

Romanian theatre also suffered from economic hardships, and its popularity decreased drastically due to the increased popularity of television and other entertainment venues. Some theatres survived due their prestige (and some continued subsidies); others survived through good management, investing in themselves and earning a steady audience through the high quality of their productions. Experimental or independent theatres appeared and are quite popular in university cities. Uniter - The Romanian Theatres Association - gives yearly awards to the best performances. Some of the most critically acclaimed directors in contemporary Romania are Silviu Purcărete, Tompa Gabor, Alexandru Dabija and Alexandru Darie. Also, among the most appreciated actors, both from the new and old generation, one can name Ştefan Iordache, Victor Rebenciuc, Maia Morgenstern, Marcel Iureş, Horaţiu Mălăele, Ion Caramitru, Mircea Diaconu, Marius Chivu and others. Maia Morgernstern (b. ... Marcel IureÅŸ (born August 2, 1951 in Bailesti) is a Romanian stage and screen actor. ... Ion Caramitru (b. ...

Due to the lack of funds, Romanian film-making suffered heavily in the 1990s; even now, as of 2005, a lot of controversy surrounds state aid for movies. Well known directors such as Dan Piţa and Lucian Pintilie have had a certain degree of continued success, and younger directors such as Nae Caranfil and Cristi Puiu have become highly respected. Caranfil's film Filantropica and Puiu's The Death of Mr. Lăzărescu were extremely well received and gained awards at international festivals in Paris and Cannes. Beside domestic production, Romania became a favorite destination for international producer due to the low cost of filming there, and big investments have been made in large studios. For the band, see 1990s (band). ... Dan PiÅ£a (born 11 October 1938, Dorohoi, BotoÅŸani County, Romania) is a Romanian film director and writer. ... Nae Caranfil (Nicolae Caranfil) (born 1960, Bucharest) is a Rumanian film director and screenwriter. ... Cristi Puiu (born 3 April 1967, Bucharest) is a Romanian film director and screenwriter. ... Filantropica (alternate spellings Philantropica, Philantropy, Philantropique) is a Romanian comedy made in 2002 by director Nae Caranfil. ... The Death of Mr. ... Cannes Film Festival logo. ...

The number of cultural events held yearly in Romania increased in the last years. Some sporadic events like the "2005 Bucharest CowParade" have been well received and yearly events and festivals have continually attracted interest. Very popular are medieval festivals in cities in Transylvania, which combine street theatre with music and battles reenactment to create a very lively atmosphere. In theatre, a yearly National Festival takes place, and one of the most important international theatre festivals is the "The Sibiu Theatre Festival" while in filmmaking, the "TIFF" Film Festival in Cluj, the "Dakino" Film Festival in Bucharest and the "Anonimul" Film Festival in the Danube Delta have an ever stronger international presence. In music, the most important event is the "George Enescu" Classical Music Festival but also festivals like "Jeunesses Musicales" International Festival and Jazz festivals in Sibiu and Bucharest are appreciated. An important event will take place in 2007 when the city of Sibiu will be, along with Luxembourg, the European Capital of Culture Cow Human Touch, CowParade Warsaw 2005 CowParade is an international public art exhibit that has been featured in major cities all over the world. ... Map of Romania with Transylvania in yellow Transylvania (Romanian: or Transilvania; Hungarian: ; German: ; Serbian: / Transilvanija or Ердељ / Erdelj) is a historical region in central and western Romania. ... Map of Romania showing Cluj_Napoca Cluj_Napoca (Hungarian: Kolozsvár, German: Klausenburg, Latin: Claudiopolis), the seat of Cluj county, is one of the most important academic, cultural and industrial centers in Romania. ... Status Capital of Romania Mayor Adriean Videanu, since 2005 Area 228 km² Population (2003) 1,929,615[1] Density 9131. ... Danube Delta - Landsat satellite photo (2000) The Danube Delta (Delta Dunării in Romanian), split between Tulcea County of Romania and Odessa Oblast of Ukraine, is the largest and best preserved of European deltas, with an area of 3446 km², after the Volga Delta. ... Jazz is a musical art form that originated in New Orleans at around the start of the 20th century. ... County Sibiu County Status County capital Mayor Klaus Johannis, from the Democratic Forum of Germans of Romania, since 2000 Area 121 km² Population (2002) 171,535 Density 1,417 inh/km² Geographical coordinates Web site http://www. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD (or CE) era. ... The European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union for a period of one year during which it is given a chance to showcase its cultural life and cultural development. ...

Traditions

Folklore

A traditional house in the Village Museum

Main article Romanian folklore

The most striking thing about Romanian culture is the strong folk traditions which have survived to this day due to the rural character of the Romanian communities, which has resulted in an exceptionally vital and creative traditional culture. Romania's rich folk traditions have been nourished by many sources, some of which predate the Roman occupation. Traditional folk arts include wood carving, ceramics, weaving and embroidery of costumes, household decorations, dance, and richly varied folk music. Ethnographers have tried to collect in the last two centuries as many elements as possible: the Museum of the Romanian Peasant and the Romanian Academy are currently the main institutions which systematically organise the data and continue the research. A house in Bucharests Village Museum This is a photo I took myself while visiting the Museum. ... A house in Bucharests Village Museum This is a photo I took myself while visiting the Museum. ... A house in the Village Museum The Village Museum is an open-air ethnographic museum in Bucharest, Romania, showcasing traditional Romanian village life. ... This article on Romanian mythology covers both the mythology traditional to the Romanian people and to certain earlier civilizations that occupied the same geographic area, and whom the ethnic Romanians tend to claim either as spiritual or as more literal ancestors. ... The Roman Forum was the central area around which ancient Rome developed. ... The Museum of the Romanian Peasant (Romanian: Muzeul Ţăranului Român) is a museum in Bucharest, Romania, with a beautifully displayed collection of textiles (especially costumes), icons, ceramics, and other artifacts of Romanian peasant life. ... The Romanian Academy (Romanian: Academia Română) is a cultural forum founded in Romania in 1866. ...

Wood used to be the main construction material, and heavily ornamented wooden objects were common in old houses. In Maramureş wood was used to create impressive structures such as churches or gates, in Dobruja windmills were made of wood, and in mountainous regions hardwood was used even for covering the roof. To preserve traditional houses many village museums have been created in the last century throughout Romania, such as the Village Museum in Bucharest, the Traditional Popular Civilisation ASTRA Museum in Sibiu or the Oltenian Village Museum in Râmnicu Vâlcea. Map of Romania with MaramureÅŸ region highlighted The MaramureÅŸ region (Hungarian: Máramaros; Latin: Marmatia; Ukrainian: Мармарощина, Marmaroščyna) is in the north of Romania, north of Transylvania along the Tisza River. ... Map of Romania with Northern Dobruja highlighted in orange and Bulgaria with Southern Dobruja highlighted in yellow. ... A house in the Village Museum The Village Museum is an open-air ethnographic museum in Bucharest, Romania, showcasing traditional Romanian village life. ... County Sibiu County Status County capital Mayor Klaus Johannis, from the Democratic Forum of Germans of Romania, since 2000 Area 121 km² Population (2002) 171,535 Density 1,417 inh/km² Geographical coordinates Web site http://www. ... County Vâlcea Status County capital Mayor Mircia Gutau, Democratic Party, since 2004 Population (2002) 107,656 Coordonate Geografice {{{coordonate}}} Web site http://www. ...

Linen was the most common material for clothing, combined with wool during the winter or colder periods. These are embroidered with traditional motifs that vary from region to region. Black is the most common colour used, but red and blue are predominant in certain areas. Traditionally, men wore a white shirt and pants (if made of wool they are called iţari) with wide a leather belt, usually over the shirt, and a vest sometimes made of leather and embroidered. They wore either boots or a simple shoe made of leather and tied around the foot called opincă and they wore a hat which differs in design from region to region. Women also wore a white skirt and a shirt with a vest. They wore an apron called şorţ or cătrinţă which is also embroidered and a headscarf called basma;on special occasions they wore more elaborate outfits. Torn linen cloth, recovered from the Dead Sea Linen is a material made from the fibers of the flax plant. ... Long and short hair wool at the South Central Family Farm Research Center in Boonesville, Arizona Wool is the fibre derived from the fur of animals of the Caprinae family, principally sheep, but the hair of certain species of other mammals such as goats, alpacas and rabbits may also be...

Music and dance represent a lively part of the Romanian folklore and there are a great variety of musical genres and dances. Party music is very lively and shows both Balkan and Hungarian influences. Sentimental music, however, is the most valued, and Romanians consider their doina (a sad song either about one's home or about love, composed like an epic ballad) unique in the world. Maria Tănase is considered to be one of the greatest Romanian folk singers and today Grigore Leşe and Taraful Haiducilor are two of the most famous musicians. The dances are lively and are practiced throughout Romania by a large number of professional and amateur groups, thus keeping the tradition alive; Hora is one of the most famous group dances but men's folk dances such as căluşari are extremely complex and have been declared by UNESCO to be "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritages of Humanity". Allegory of Music on the Opéra Garnier Music is an art form that involves organized and audible sounds and silence. ... For other uses, see Dance (disambiguation). ... This article on Romanian mythology covers both the mythology traditional to the Romanian people and to certain earlier civilizations that occupied the same geographic area, and whom the ethnic Romanians tend to claim either as spiritual or as more literal ancestors. ... ... The Doina is a Southeastern European musical tune style, having its roots in the music of Romanian (Vlach) shepherds. ... Maria Tănase (25 September 1913 - 22 June 1963) was a Romanian singer of traditional and popular music. ... Taraful Haiducilor (a. ... Hora is the name of a circle dance in a number of countries. ... The căluÅŸari () is a traditional Romanian folk dance closely resembling the English morris dance and originally derives from Southern Romania. ... UNESCO logo UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945. ...

Main article Romanian mythology

Romanians have had, from time immemorial, a myriad of customs, tales and poems about love, faith, kings, princesses, and witches. Ethnologists, poets, writers and historians have tried in recent centuries to collect and to preserve tales, poems, ballads and have tried to describe as well as possible the customs and habits related to different events and times of year. Customs related to certain times of year are the colinde - Romanian Christmas carols, sorcova on New Year's Eve or the Mărţişor custom on the 1st of March marking the spring. Other customs are presumably of pre-Christian pagan origin, like the Paparuda rain enchanting custom in the summer, or the masked folk theatre or Ursul (the bear) and Capra (the goat) in winter. This article on Romanian mythology covers both the mythology traditional to the Romanian people and to certain earlier civilizations that occupied the same geographic area, and whom the ethnic Romanians tend to claim either as spiritual or as more literal ancestors. ... Colinde are traditional Romanian Christmas carols. ... This page is about carols in general; for the short story by Charles Dickens, see A Christmas Carol. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... -1... Heathen redirects here. ... Paparuda Paparuda, probably of pagan origin (the name is derived from the Slavic goddess Perperuna), is a Romanian rain ritual, performed in the spring and in times of severe drought. ...

Perhaps the most successful collector of folk tales was the novelist and storyteller Ion Creangă, who, in very picturesque language, shaped into their now-classic form stories like Harap Alb (roughly, "The White Prince") or Fata babei şi fata moşului (roughly, "The old woman's girl and the old man's girl"). Also, the poet Vasile Alecsandri published the most successful version of the ballad Mioriţa (The Little Ewe), a sad, philosophical poem, centered around a simple action: the plot by two shepherds to kill a third shepherd because they envied his wealth. Another prolific editor of folk tales was Petre Ispirescu, who, in the 19th century published an impressive number of volumes containing a large number of short novels and tales from popular mythology. They are centered around popular characters like the prince Făt-Frumos (the Romanian "Prince Charming"), the princess Ileana Cosânzeana, the villain or monster Zmeu or Căpcăun, the dragon Balaur or fantastic superbeings like the good Zână and the evil Muma Pădurii. Ion Creangă was born in the village of Humulesti, located in the foothills of the Carpathian mountains in northern Moldavia, in 1837. ... Vasile Alecsandri Vasile Alecsandri, (21 July 1821-22 August 1890) was a Romanian poet, playwright, politician, and diplomat. ... MioriÅ£a (The Little Ewe) is an old Romanian pastoral balad and considered one of the most important pieces of the Romanian folklore. ... Petre Ispirescu Petre Ispirescu (January 1830–21 November 1887) was a Romanian printer and publicist. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... The letter F is the sixth (6th) letter in the Latin alphabet. ... Prince Charming meets Cinderella in a 1912 book of fairy tales. ... Ileana Cosânzeana is a figure in Romanian mythology. ... The Zmeu (plural: zmei, feminin: zmeoaică/zmeoaice) is a fantastic creature of Romanian folklore and Romanian mythology. ... A Căpcăun in Romanian folkore is an Ogre . ... In Romanian folkore a balaur is a creature similar to a dragon, although distinct: dragons as such also exist in Romanian folklore. ... Zana (plural Zane) is the Romanian equivalent of the Greek Charites. ... Muma Pădurii is one of the many female monsters in the Romanian folklore (others being ZgripÅ£uroaica, Scorpia) which together form a triumvirate similar to the Greek Gorgons. ...

Spirituality and religion

Borzeşti Church

Romanian spirituality is greatly influenced by its strong connections with the Eastern Christian world. Romanians have thus obtained a unique sense of identity and two clichés can simply express this: An island of Latinity in a Slavic sea and The only Orthodox Christian Latin people. There are only a few Romanian Catholics (of both the Roman and Greek rites) and a small number of Protestants, the vast majority of Romanians being Romanian Orthodox (over 90%). Despite the diminishing importance of the church in recent generations, it remains the most trusted institution in Romania. Church attendance is high in rural communities and among the elders in the cities. Also, despite accusations of collaborationism with the communist regime, which continue to plague the Romanian Church, outstanding personalities have kept their verticality and became widely respected like the priest Dumitru Stăniloae who is considered one of the greatest world theologians in the recent period. Image File history File linksMetadata Borzesti_Side_view. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Borzesti_Side_view. ... The BorzeÅŸti church was built by Åžtefan cel Mare in 1493. ... Eastern Christianity refers collectively to the Christian traditions and churches which developed in Greece, the Balkans, the rest of Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Middle East, northeastern Africa and southern India over several centuries of religious antiquity. ... The term Orthodox Christian refers to two Christian traditions: Oriental Orthodoxy, which separated from the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church in the 5th century; Eastern Orthodoxy, which the Roman Catholic church separated from in 1054 was the church that was started by the apostles. ... The Romanian Orthodox Church (Biserica Ortodoxă Română in Romanian) is one of the autocephalous Eastern Orthodox churches. ... The Soviets pressed for inclusion of Romanias heretofore negligible Communist Party in the post-war government, while non-communist political leaders were steadily eliminated from political life. ... Dumitru Stăniloae Dumitru Stăniloae (16 November 1903 Vlădeni, BraÅŸov County - 5 October 1993) was a Romanian Orthodox Church priest, theologian, academic and professor, Father Stăniloae worked for over 45 years on a comprehensive Romanian translation of the Philokalia, a collection of writings by the Church...

Stavropoleos Church

Romanian Orthodox monasteries and churches exist throughout Romania but, traditionally, few are constructed on a monumental scale. A great number of wooden churches are still intact in the Carpathian Mountains villages, but by far the most impressive are the Wooden Churches of Maramureş which push wood building technique to its limits. Byzantine influences can be found in most Romanian church buildings but domestic styles have evolved in different periods of time and in different regions. In Northern Moldavia a particular style was used in the construction of the monasteries, of which the most important are the painted monasteries of Bucovina - UNESCO World Heritage Sites, such as those of Moldoviţa, Putna, Suceviţa, and Voroneţ. In Wallachia Curtea de Argeş Cathedral is built in a Byzantine style with Moorish influences, and a great number of churches show Greek influences, especially those built in the 18th century, such as Stavropoleos Church in central Bucharest. Romania also evolved the distincive Brâncovenesc style: the monasteries of Snagov and of Sâmbăta de Sus in Transylvania are classical examples. Image File history File links Stavropoleos_detail_2. ... Image File history File links Stavropoleos_detail_2. ... Stavropoleos Church (Romanian, Biserica Stavropoleos) is an Eastern Orthodox church, built in Brâncovenesc style, in central Bucharest, Romania. ... Satellite image of the Carpathians. ... MaramureÅŸ wooden churches at the Bârsana Monastery The MaramureÅŸ wooden churches in Northern Transylvania are a selection of eight examples of different architectural solutions from different periods and areas. ... Moldavia (Moldova in Romanian) was a Romanian principality, originally created in the Middle Ages, now divided between Romania, Moldovan Republic and Ukraine. ... Bukovina (Ukrainian: , Bukovyna; Romanian: Bucovina; German and Polish: Bukowina; see also other languages) is a historical region on the northern slopes of the northeastern Carpathian Mountains and the adjoining plains. ... UNESCO logo UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945. ... Elabana Falls is in Lamington National Park, part of the Central Eastern Rainforest Reserves World Heritage site in Queensland, Australia. ... The Putna monastery is one of the most important cultural,religious and artistic centers of Medieval Moldova being among with many others monasteries the creation of Prince Stephen the Great ( Stefan cel Mare ). It was founded on the lands perambulated by the Putna river which has its source in the... VoroneÅ£ is a monastery in Romania, found near the town of Gura Humorului. ... Map of Romania with Wallachia in yellow. ... The Cathedral in 1880 The Cathedral of Curtea de ArgeÅŸ is one of the most famous buildings in Romania, and stands in the grounds of a monastery, 1 1/2 m north of the city. ... The most famous of the surviving Byzantine mosaics of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople - the image of Christ Pantocrator on the walls of the upper southern gallery. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... Stavropoleos Church (Romanian, Biserica Stavropoleos) is an Eastern Orthodox church, built in Brâncovenesc style, in central Bucharest, Romania. ... Status Capital of Romania Mayor Adriean Videanu, since 2005 Area 228 km² Population (2003) 1,929,615[1] Density 9131. ... Constantin Brâncoveanu Constantin Brâncoveanu (1654 - August 26, 1714) was prince of Wallachia between 1689 and 1710. ... Ilfov county with Snagov commune highlighted Snagov (population: 7,000) is a commune located 40 km north of Bucharest in Ilfov county, Romania. ... Map of Romania with Transylvania in yellow Transylvania (Romanian: or Transilvania; Hungarian: ; German: ; Serbian: / Transilvanija or Ердељ / Erdelj) is a historical region in central and western Romania. ...

Traditional cuisine

Main article Romanian cuisine

Romanians like to eat, and they eat a lot with a great diversity. An existential Romanian question is: Do we live to eat, or eat to live?. A great number of proverbs and sayings have developed around the activity of eating. From the innocent child's thank you: Sărut-mâna pentru masă, c-a fost bună şi gustoasă, şi bucătăreasa grasă ("Thank you for the meal, it was good and tasty, and the cook was fat"), to the more philosophical Mulţumescu-ţi ţie Doamne, c-am mâncat şi iar mi-e foame ("Thank you Lord, for I have eaten, but I am hungry again"), Dragostea trece prin stomac ("Love passes through the stomach"), or the simple Pofta vine mâncănd ("Appetite comes while eating") or the sarcastic Porcul mănâncă orice, dar se-ngraşă pentru alţii ("The pig would eat anything but it gets fat for others") or the expression of total fulfillment, Mâncat bine, băut bine, dimineaţa sculat mort ("Ate well, drank well, in the morning woke up dead"). Romanian cuisine is diverse, blending the dishes of the several traditions which it has come into contact with, as well as maintaining its own character. ...

Recipes bear the same influences as the rest of Romanian culture: from Roman times there still exists the simple pie called, in Romanian, plăcintă and keeping the initial meaning of the Latin word placenta. The Turks brought meatballs (fried mititei or perişoare in a soup called a ciorba); from the Greeks there is the musaca (moussaka); from the Bulgarians, a wide variety of vegetable dishes like zacuscă; from the Austrians there is the şniţel (schnitzel) and covrigi (hot pretzels); from the Hungarians, their ornate pastries; and the list could go on. Mititei (or mici, in Romanian mic=little) is a traditional Romanian dish, made from a grilled mix of beef, mutton and pork ground meat. ... Greek moussakas Moussaka (Greek μουσακάς; Romanian musaca; Turkish musakka; South Slavic мусака/​musaka; Armenian: ; Arabic: musaqqaa) is a traditional aubergine (eggplant)-based dish in the Balkans and the Middle East, but most closely associated with Greece and Turkey. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Schnitzel with roast potatoes Wiener schnitzel (from the German Wiener Schnitzel, meaning Vienna-style veal fillet) is one of the most, if not the most famous traditional Austrian dish. ... A pretzel is a baked snack that is ordinarily twisted into a unique knot-like shape. ...

One of the most common meals is the mămăliga, a cornmeal mush, for a long time considered the poor man's meal (N-are nici o mămăligă pe masă - "He hasn't even a mămăliga on the table"), but it has became very appreciated in recent times. Pork is the main meat used in Romanian cuisine (Peştele cel mai bun, tot porcul rămâne - "The best fish is always the pork"), but also beef is consumed and a good lamb or fish dish is never to be refused. In conjunction with special events or periods, different recipes are prepared. During Christmas, traditionally every family slaughters a pig and cooks it using a wide variety of traditional recipes like cărnaţi - a kind of long sausages with meat; caltaboşi - sausages made with liver and other intestines; piftie a jelly made from parts like the feet, the head and ears; and also tochitură (a kind of stew) is served along with mămăligă and wine ("so that the pork can swim") and of course sweetened with the traditional cozonac (sweet bread with nuts or lokum - rahat in Romanian, known in English as Turkish delight). Lamb is traditional for Easter: the main dishes are roast lamb and drob - a cooked mix of intestines, meat and fresh vegetables, mainly green onion, seved with pască (pie made with cottage cheese) as a sweetener. Standard mămăligă. It is softer than the traditional, peasant-style mămăligă Cooking a pot of mămăligă Mămăligă (, cornmeal mush) is a Romanian dish made out of (yellow) maize. ... Beef Stew A stew is a common dish made of vegetables, meat, poultry, or seafood cooked in some sort of broth or sauce. ... Cozonac is a traditional Romanian cake, usually prepared on the Christmas Eve, Good Friday and several other feasts. ... Several pieces of lokum Turkish Delight, or lokum, is a confection made from starch and sugar. ... A display of Turkish Delight in Istanbul Turkish Delight, or lokum (also loukoum; in Greek λουκούμι), is a confection made from starch and sugar. ... This article is about the Christian festival. ...

Wine is the main drink and has a tradition of over two millennia. Romania is currently the world's ninth largest wine producer, and recently the exports have started to grow. A wide variety of domestic (Fetească, Grasă, Tamâioasa) and worldwide (Italian Riesling, Merlot, Sauvignon blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Muscat Ottonel) varieties are produced. Also Romania is the world's second largest grower of plums, and almost all of those plums becomes either the famous ţuică (a once-refined plum brandy) or palincă (twice-or-more-refined plum brandy). Also beer is highly appreciated, generally blonde pilsener beer, after the German style. Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... Merlot is a red wine grape that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. ... Sauvignon blanc is a white wine grape probably originating in the Bordeaux region of France that is now planted in much of the worlds winelands producing a crisp dry refreshing white varietal wine. ... Cabernet Sauvignon is a variety of red grape mainly used for wine production, and is, along with Chardonnay, one of the most widely-planted of the worlds noble grape varieties. ... Oak-aged Chardonnay is particularly popular in the United States. ... Muscat Ottonel is a white wine grape that is a member of the Muscat family of Vitis vinifera. ... Plum is also a nickname for British humorist P.G. Wodehouse. ... Å¢uică (in Romanian , sometimes spelled Tzvika), is a traditional Romanian alcoholic beverage, usually made from plums. ... Pálinka is a traditional type of brandy that is produced in Hungary and Transylvania (region of Romania, where it is spelled Palincă). The origin of the word is Slavic stemming from the word páliÅ¥ (in Slovak) which means to distill. ... A selection of bottled beers A selection of cask beers Beer is the worlds oldest [1] and most popular [2] alcoholic beverage, selling more than 133 billion litres (35 billion gallons) per year. ... Pilsener or pilsner is a pale lager, developed in the city of Plzeň (Pilsen in German/English), Western Bohemia (now the Czech Republic). ...

Heritage of the minorities

Bran Castle (view from south)

Hungarians living in Transylvania and the so-called Transylvanian Saxons (ethnic Germans of Transylvania) made many important contributions to the region's architecture, including numerous churches, fortifications, and town centers. Also, they figure in some landmarks in the development of ethnic Romanian culture: the first letter written in Romanian was addressed to the mayor of Kronstadt, now Braşov, and the first book printed in Romanian was in Hermannstadt, now Sibiu. Image File history File links Bran_Castle. ... Image File history File links Bran_Castle. ... Map of Romania with Transylvania in yellow Transylvania (Romanian: or Transilvania; Hungarian: ; German: ; Serbian: / Transilvanija or Ердељ / Erdelj) is a historical region in central and western Romania. ... The Transylvanian Saxons (German: Siebenbürger Sachsen; Romanian: SaÅŸi, Hungarian: Szászok) are a people of German origin who settled in Transylvania from the 12th century onwards. ... County BraÅŸov County Status County capital Mayor George Scripcaru, since 2004 Area  km² Population (2002) 283,901 Density  inh/km² Geographical coordinates Web site http://www. ... County Sibiu County Status County capital Mayor Klaus Johannis, from the Democratic Forum of Germans of Romania, since 2000 Area 121 km² Population (2002) 171,535 Density 1,417 inh/km² Geographical coordinates Web site http://www. ...

Romania was the cradle of Yiddish theatre, and to this day Bucharest is home to a State Jewish Theater, despite the small number of Jews remaining in the country. Yiddish theatre consists of plays written and performed primarily by Jews in Yiddish, the language of the Eastern European Ashkenazaic Jewish community. ... Teatrul Evreiesc de Stat (TES, the State Jewish Theater) in Bucharest, Romania is a theater specializing in Jewish-related plays. ...

See:

• Bran Castle
• Sighişoara
• Villages with fortified churches in Transylvania
• Hungarian minority in Romania

Bran Castle Bran Castle, situated near Braşov in Transylvania, is a national monument and landmark of Romanian tourism built by the Teutonic Knights in (or around) 1212, after they had been relocated from Palestine into the Kingdom of Hungary. ... County Mureş County Status Municipality Mayor Ioan Dorin Dăneşan, Social Democratic Party, since 2004 Population (2002) 32,287 Geographical coordinates Web site http://www. ... The Transylvanian villages with fortified churches provide a vivid picture of the cultural landscape of southern Transylvania. ... The Hungarian minority of Romania is the largest ethnic minority in Romania, consisting of 1,431,807 people and making up 6. ...

Architecture and engineering

Main article: Architecture of Romania

Peleş Castle

In the technical domain one can note the spectacular achievements in the field of aviation made by Traian Vuia, Aurel Vlaicu, Aurel Persu, and Henri Coandă and also the works of George Constantinescu in the fields of engineering and sonics. Also many achievements have been made in the architectural and engineering domain, thus Bucharest became known as the small Paris, the longest bridge in Europe was constructed by Anghel Saligny linking Dobruja with the rest of Romania, the Peleş Castle became one of the most beautiful and modern castles in Europe, etc. Peles Castle in Romania - Taken by Pschemp File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Peles Castle in Romania - Taken by Pschemp File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... PeleÅŸ Castle PeleÅŸ Castle A mural in the inner court A royal crest sculpture PeleÅŸ Castle (Romanian: Castelul PeleÅŸ ) is a romantic castle in Sinaia, Romania, built between 1873 and 1883, and considered by some to be the most beautiful in Europe. ... Traian Vuias flying machine (March 18, 1906) Traian Vuia (August 17, 1872 - September 3, 1950) was a Romanian inventor, designed and built a self-propelling heavier-than-air aircraft. ... Aurel Vlaicu 1882-1913 Aurel Vlaicu (born November 19, 1882, in Bintinti, near Orastie, Hunedoara County, died September 13, 1913, near Banesti, Campina) was a Romanian engineer, inventor, airplane constructor and early pilot. ... Aurel Persu (1890-1977), was a Romanian engineer, and among the first to apply aerodynamics principles to automobiles. ... Henri Marie Coandă (June 7, 1886 – November 25, 1972) was a Romanian inventor, aerodynamics pioneer and the parent of the modern jet aircraft. ... George (Gogu) Constantinescu (1881 - 1965) was a Romanian scientist, engineer and inventor - during his career he registered over 130 inventions. ... This article is on the garage rock band The Sonics; see Seattle SuperSonics for the basketball team. ... Status Capital of Romania Mayor Adriean Videanu, since 2005 Area 228 km² Population (2003) 1,929,615[1] Density 9131. ... World map showing Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth. ... Anghel Saligny was a brilliant Romanian engineer. ... Map of Romania with Northern Dobruja highlighted in orange and Bulgaria with Southern Dobruja highlighted in yellow. ... PeleÅŸ Castle PeleÅŸ Castle A mural in the inner court A royal crest sculpture PeleÅŸ Castle (Romanian: Castelul PeleÅŸ ) is a romantic castle in Sinaia, Romania, built between 1873 and 1883, and considered by some to be the most beautiful in Europe. ...

See:

• Dacian Fortresses of the Orăştie Mountains
• King Carol I Bridge
• Peleş Castle
• Palace of the Parliament

Built in murus dacicus style, the six Dacian Fortresses of the Orastie Mountains, in Romania, were created in the 1st centuries BC and AD as protection against Roman conquest. ... Bridge archway A pillar The King Carol I Bridge (later renamed Anghel Saligny Bridge) was built between 1890 and 1895 in Romania over the Danube and Borcea and when it was completed it then became the longest bridge in Europe and the third in the world. ... Peleş Castle Peleş Castle A mural in the inner court A royal crest sculpture Peleş Castle (Romanian: Castelul Peleş ) is a romantic castle in Sinaia, Romania, built between 1873 and 1883, and considered by some to be the most beautiful in Europe. ... The Palace of the Parliament (Romanian: Palatul Parlamentului) in Bucharest, Romania is, with a floor area of 350,000 m², second worlds largest building. ...

Media and television

Main article Romanian media

See: Romanian media developed in the period after the Romanian Revolution of 1989 and it is approaching a period of maturity. ...

• Televiziunea Română
• Cotidianul
• Adevărul
• Gândul
• Nine O' Clock

Televiziunea Română (pronunciation: télévizju:nèa ro:mīnə), more commonly referred to as TVR (pronunciation: tévéré) is the national state-owned public service television broadcaster of Romania. ... Cotidianul is a Romanian newspaper, published Monday to Saturday in Berliner format. ... Adevărul (The Truth) is a Romanian broadsheet newspaper, based in Bucharest. ... Gândul (The Thought) is a Romanian daily newspaper published in Bucharest. ... Nine O Clock is a Romanian newspaper, with the feature that makes it stand out in the crowd being that it is in the English language. ...

Music in present day Romania

Fire Club in Bucharest

Many Romanian rock bands of the 1970s and 1980s, such as Iris and Holograf, continue to be popular, particularly with the middle-aged, while since the 1990s there has been growth in the boy band and hip hop genres. The eclectic pop-rock band Taxi have been gaining international respect, as has Spitalul de Urgenţă's raucous updating of traditional Romanian music. Also jazz and blues, and, to an extent, eurodance/trance and heavy metal/punk are popular in some places especially in large cities. Recently two Romanian dance bands O-zone and Morandi (band), reached top position in European music charts thus making contemporary Romanian music world-famous. A new music style called manele with Turkish influences is particularly popular in working-class districts of cities and poor villages despite heavy protest from the Romanian top musicians and cultural elite. Fire Club Bucharest File links The following pages link to this file: Bucharest Categories: GFDL images ... Fire Club Bucharest File links The following pages link to this file: Bucharest Categories: GFDL images ... Status Capital of Romania Mayor Adriean Videanu, since 2005 Area 228 km² Population (2003) 1,929,615[1] Density 9131. ... Holograf is a popular and critically-acclaimed modern rock music band from Romania. ... A boy band (American English) or boyband (British English) is a style of somewhat to mostly prefabricated pop group featuring about between three and six young male singer/dancers, but normally five. ... Hip hop music is a style of music which came into existence in the United States during the mid-1970s, and became a large part of modern pop culture during the 1980s. ... Taxi are a Romanian pop-rock band. ... Spitalul de Urgenţă, literally Emergency Hospital, is a Romanian pop band, integrating elements of traditional Romanian music into a sometimes hard-edged rock sound, although also incorporating influences as diverse as Turkish traditional music, European classical music, and cartoon soundtrack music. ... Jazz is a musical art form that originated in New Orleans at around the start of the 20th century. ... The blues is a vocal and instrumental form of music based on the use of the blue notes and a repetitive pattern that typically follows a twelve-bar structure. ... Eurodance is a colloquial term for a type of European synthesizer-driven dance music which became popular worldwide in the early- to mid-1990s and continuing up until today. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that emerged as a defined musical style in the 1970s, having its roots in hard rock bands which, between 1969 and 1974,[1] mixed blues and rock music to create a hybrid with a thick, heavy, guitar-and-drums-centered sound, characterised... Punk Rock is an anti-establishment music movement that began about 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified by The Ramones,the Misfits, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... For the form of oxygen, see Ozone. ... Morandi is a Romanian pop music group composed of Marius Moga and Andreas Tefas Ropcea (Randi). ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

See:

• Music of Romania

Romania is a European country whose population consists mainly (approx. ...

Sports and entertainment

See:

• Oina (sport)
• Nadia Comaneci (gymnast)
• Simona Amânar (gymnast)
• Béla Károlyi
• Gheorghe Hagi (football player)
• Ion Ţiriac (tennis player)
• Ilie Năstase (tennis player)

Oina is a Romanian sport, similar in some ways to the American baseball. ... Nadia Elena Comaneci (originally Comăneci ) (born November 12, 1961) is a Romanian gymnast, winner of five Olympic gold medals, and the first to be awarded a perfect score of 10 in an Olympic gymnastic event. ... Simona Amânar (born October 7, 1979 in Constanţa) is a Romanian gymnast. ... Béla Károlyi (born September 13, 1942 in Cluj-Napoca, Romania), is a world-renowned gymnastics coach. ... Gheorghe Hagi , (born February 5, 1965 in Săcele, Constanţa), is a Romanian former football player and current coach. ... Ion Ţiriac (born 9 May 1939 in Braşov) is a former Romanian tennis tennis player. ... Ilie Năstase (born July 19, 1946, in Bucharest) is a former Romanian professional tennis player and one of the top players of the 1970s. ...

See also

• Romanian language
• Romanian literature
• Famous Romanian people
• Romanian humour
• Byzantium after Byzantium, a cultural movement which sprung during the Medieval Romanian history.

Romanian (limba română IPA ) is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 26 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova. ... Romanian literature is literature written by Romanian authors, although the term may also be used to refer to all literature written in the Romanian language. ... This is a list of Romanians. ... The Romanian humour, just like the whole Romanian culture has many afinities with four other peoples: the Latins (Spanish and Italians), the Slavs, the Balkanic people (Greeks and Turks) and the Hungarians. ... Byzantium after Byzantium (Bizanţ dupa Bizanţ in Romanian; Byzance après Byzance in French) refers to the Byzantine imperial heritage related to the political, social, cultural, and intellectual background of the history of Southeastern Europe, as examplified by the strong links established between the Empire and the two principalities of...

References

• cIMeC - The Institute For Cultural Memory, a key Romanian cultural institution.
• http://www.itcnet.ro/folk_festival/culture.htm Romania -Culture on itcnet.ro
• http://www.brancusi.com/bio.html Constantin Brancusi biographical notes on Brancusi.com
• Cultural aspects, an extensive site on ici.ro about Romanian culture.
• Official Romanian Travel and Tourism Information website
• Sibuil.ro, an extensive site about Sibiu (in Romanian)
• Eurofestival, an extensive listing of festivals in Romania
• Manuela Preoteasa, Televiziunea din Romania - dominata de divertisment si non-stiri ("Television in Romania - domination by entertainment and non-news"), 30 November 2005, in a mix of Romanian and English.
• Romanian spirituality (mostly in Romanian, some portions translated into English)
• Calusul in Lista Capodoperelor Omenirii ("The calus dance in the list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritages of Humanity") (in Romanian)
• Trust in the Church and the Army (in Romanian)
• Romanian recipes
• SOS Romania News
• Romanian folk costumes
• Lost Trails web site has free downloads of Romanian folk music and Photography of many Romanian villages