Category: History
UI professor searches for Romanian Roots
Posted Saturday, May 30, 2009 by Breana Lee Coco-Marks
University of Illinois Journalism professor Matt Ehrlich is trying to follow his family’s roots in Hungary and Romania. He found some things in Cluj and is now tagging along with Illinois journalism students.
View Matt’s success while in Cluj in this video!
To learn more about the Ehrlich family geneaology click here.
See and hear Matt's story:
See and hear Matt's story
Romania’s Heroes Honored on Ascension Day
Posted Thursday, May 28, 2009 by John D Paul
Many Orthodox Romanians took time Thursday to remember the heroes who fought for the country through the years. One such ceremony was held at a war memorial in the small village of Floresti, outside of Cluj.
About 60 Orthodox residents of the village of Floresti gathered at a World War I monument at one o’clock local time to reflect, pray and remember the nation’s heroes. The short ceremony was led by an Orthodox priest in the center of Floresti. Floresti is about 30 kilometers from Cluj-Napoca. Thursday marks Ascension Day in the Orthodox faith. That’s the day Christ ascended into heaven after he was crucified and resurrected. A group of sixth grade students was among those gathered in Floresti to remember their community and country’s heroes. One teacher said it was important for the youngsters to remember what those before them have done for the country.
Romania’s Castles A Big Attraction
Posted Monday, May 25, 2009 by John D Paul
Peles Castle, located in Sinaia in the region of Translyvania, is often called the “Pearl of the Carpathians.” Romania’s castles attract thousands of visitors every year. UI journalism students were among those touring this castle and the Castle Bran nearby recently
The class of UI journalism students visited two of Romania’s famous public castles Sunday. Peles was built for King Carol I and his wife Queen Elizabeth. The ornate castle features more than 160 rooms.
The so-called Dracula’s castle is near Brasov. The Castle Bran also attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year and is among Romania’s most famous tourist destinations.
Remembering Romania’s Communist Past
Posted Saturday, May 23, 2009 by Breana Lee Coco-Marks
Friday night in Bucharest we decided to check out a local event: A nostalgic party to remember Romania’s Communist past.
Around one hundred young Romanians gathered in a social setting to reminisce about the communist past.
This was one of the first attempts by young Romanians to remember the Communist era. At the gathering, people used ration coupons to receive food and drink. The party shed light on the situation in Romania before the 1989 revolution. Two Romanians talked to me about childhood memories during Nicolae Ceausescu’s rule. They told me of their earliest and most prominent memories about life in Romania.
Many memories involved food. They said crucial food items were scare, such as milk and bread. At the party they were giving out a chewing gum that looked like Bazooka bubble gum. One woman claims, "I still have the hundreds of comic wrappers I collected before the revolution and I am going to add to my collection tonight".
Other memories were not quite as good. The women told me about the hardships in not having feminine products, birth control and diapers. Communism took a great toll on many families and their ability to function in a healthy environment. At the party there was a area sectioned off and set up as a typical bedroom during communism. The room had limited space and fit only the basic necessities. Often times the children would share bedroom space and were unable to have childhood toys. Ioana remembers that everyone envied the children who had Barbie’s and other valuable toys. Additionally, the party had big screens that were playing cartoons and music videos that traced back to the early 18th century. People were standing in large groups talking about the good and the bad times of their childhood.
Currently, the communism nostalgia is growing in Eastern Europe. Doris, 28, and Ioana, 22, they enjoy their memories during communism, because just like everyone else it was their childhood. They described it as a time where they played with friends and were close as a community, even thought times were tough. When asked about her outlook for Romania today, Ioana said, "We love living in democracy".
Bucharest… Some Observations
Posted Thursday, May 21, 2009 by Jhane Reifsteck
In the short amount of time that we’ve had to walk around Bucharest, we’ve decided that there is a lot to see and a lot to hear. Tonight was our first real chance to venture out around our hotel.
The streets are filled with large umbrellas and tables out in front of restaurants buzzing with locals talking, eating, drinking, and having a good time. Something that seems to catch my eye is the diversity in the types of buildings around the city. Buildings range from old communist apartment buildings to modern buildings with glass facades to classic European buildings with embellished and ornate fronts.
The city is beautiful… in parts. Tonight, when talking with a source, he mentioned that the reason the buildings are intermixed is because Ceausescu, the last leader under communism, tore down blocks of buildings to make room for people moving from rural areas to the city. Something we learned at the Embassy was that Ceausescu’s goal was to make Romania an industrial powerhouse and he expected many rural people to migrate to the city to work in the industrial industry.
Apparently, Bucharest was once known as the “Paris of the East”... interesting, you can be the judge….
Add your comment: