Romanian Cultural Pursuits in Bistriţa, 1907. Recordings from the Press of the Time
MIRCEA GELU BUTA, ADRIAN ONOFREIU, Romanian Cultural Pursuits in Bistriţa, 1907. Recordings from the Press of the Time A composite society, an ethnic and national mix formed of Transylvanian Saxons, Hungarians and Romanians. That was the image of Bistriţa at the beginning of the 20th century. After centuries of exclusion, the Romanians were already permeated intra muros in the old Transylvanian Saxon town, practicing liberal professions – priests, advocates, teachers, merchants, craftsmen, state offi cials with various attributions, all accompanied by family members. Romanians in Bistriţa made their way in society by founding reunions in different areas in the economic and cultural life, such as The Reunion of Romanian Craftsmen in Bistriţa or The Romanian Reunion for Songs, taking as model the ones founded by the Transylvanian Saxons, which had a much longer tradition. “Revista Bistriţei” appeared in this context, a publication that proved to be a platform for the economic, national, and cultural affi rmation and emancipation of Romanians, dominated by the two privileged ethnic groups – Transylvanian Saxons in towns and Hungarians in counties. This text exemplifi es some of the cultural experiences and manifestations of the Romanians in Bistriţa, in 1907. KEYWORDS: Bistriţa, culture, Romanians, cultural reunions MIRCEA GELU BUTA, ADRIAN ONOFREIU |