Baia Mare - Dacians and A Face of Immigration

Romanian traditional costume, Baia Mare, Romania. A friend's aunt and uncle. 

Baia Mare. The site of a disastrous cyanide leak that devastated the area , see http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1146979.stm/
Tourist sites avoid mention, but the geography tells.  See http://www.romaniatourism.com/baia-mare.html.  It is in the northwest corner of Romania, Maramures area. 
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Romanians are comprised of many ethnic groups: This photo, the descendants tell, are from Baia Mare, and the area's dominant group identifies with the Roman era Dacians, even though the ruins of the Roman involvement are much farther east and south. There is pride in finding that the government and culture of the  indigenous Dacian people already there were highly developed. Dacians are seen as Thracians as well, see http://www.dacia.org/history/trdac_e.html

National pride. The links are many to the Roman ways - alphabet in particular. See. http://www.eliznik.org.uk/RomaniaHistory/dacia.htm.  Dacians are seen as Indo-European, but of lighter skin. Is that so?  Help here, ethnic experts.  The Mongols did not conquer Romania, the mountains and forests stopped them and they went instead around into Hungary, and north to Poland. There appears to be little commingling of Mongol bloodlines.
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• In about 59 BC, the Dacians were pressured by Celts from the north; then there are Thracians and Getae. Which is which.  This site identifies the Dacians with the Getae, and that they were a combination of Thracians. See http://juliasromaniaguide.com/dacians/ 

.Dacians were known for their wearing of caps we call Phrygian caps, see the juliasromaniaguide, and http://joyofequivocating.blogspot.com/search/label/Phrygian%20Cap#!/2008/05/proud-hat-hair-phrygian-cap-to-supplant.html   
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The Phrygian cap became a symbol of freedom, or seeking it. The shape is explained: the Dacians tied their long hair in a knot, then had to find a hat-helmet to fit, and the rounded peak of the Phrygian cap could accommodate varieties of lengths of hair. Excellent. The knot was originally a Persian fashion.  Dacians. Brave and righteous. 

The Dacia.  Also the name of their famous, long-lived, running forever, car. See http://daciacars.com/content/view/12/26/

Travel Tips, Romania. Accommodations.

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The region:

• Eastern Europe may not be familiar to you.  See some videos for your own orientation about history:

Romania History Part 1 http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=43...h&plindex=0;
Romania History Part 2 http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=43...h&plindex=0
Romania History Part 3 http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=43...h&plindex=0
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1.  Distances. Accommodations.
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Distances are substantial between the Vlad sites, so plan to stop many times along the way.  For distances between major towns, see Romania Driving Distances
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Most every town has several choices for accommodations.  No reservations are needed.  This idea makes some people nervous, so we include some possibles here.  Never once did we need a reservation anywhere in Romania, however, and all was safe, clean, and our choice of location.
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Prince Charles sponsors guest houses.  There is also a new category of accommodations, thanks to Prince Charles - he has been fostering the preservation and renewal of traditional structures, and use as guesthouses, see Prince Charles, sponsoring Guesthouses, other preservation sites.
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We enjoy the spontaneous stop, or seeing where we might have stopped had it been the end of the day - example Pensiunea Dracula at Cazare, see http://www.pensiuneadracula.ro/near Poinari Citadel.

• A cazari is an apartment, we understand, and a pensione is a rooming house. We did not stay here - it is midday clearly, and we had miles to go.
• Why travel on your own?  You can find places like this, that most tour groups would not touch perhaps because it does not have those ridiculous stars that mean only conformity. 

Pensiunea Dracula, Dracula Pensione, Cazare (accommodation), Arges, Romania




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2.  Overview map.
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For a simple map of these Vlad II Tepes, Vlad Dracula, places, see  http://www.activtravel.ro/route-r4.
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3.  Vlad tours:  beware that some tours may add filler sites to break up the tedium of buses going the long distances between real "Vlad" sites. How to choose a guide?
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Tour guides.  Watch yourselves.  You do not make good diplomats when not officially on duty.  Is that so?  You get overheard anyway, including by local people. FN 1
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3.  Counties. Regional highlights by time of year
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See a map of all the counties, click and find the accommodations. There is also a side menu by town.  County map, Romania - Tourist Accommodationsin Romania. Many sites are in Romanian: go here for another map of accommodations, http://www.cazari.ro/, and click to translate.  Cazari is not a town, it means accommodations.
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FN 1 

Bucharest at the Dracula Club on Halloween. There were American tour guides there, on tour themselves, in a large group figuring out how to package Dracula tours. A "Romania" tour without the specialty would be better, with highlights for Vlad. We stand by our Vlad sites here as the most historically solid.
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Some guides were discussing the long bus rides between sites (this is true - distances) and that they needed filler between, to keep tourists happy (probably true). Some tour guides also took pride in saying -- loudly -- almost like a brag, that they would never eat local food. With attitudes like that, especially so rudely said loudly, some of us would never take a tour.
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History, Culture. Maramures. Jewish history and Romania; from the Khazars?

Moisei, Romania. Memorial, Jews killed here, WWII

Sephardi and Ashkenazi, both, have long histories in Romania. Jewish history in Romania is laid out at this site through its overview of specific place names: See http://www. cja.huji.ac.il/NL14-Romania.htm.  That site is apparently now http://www.oradeajc.com/features_links.htm/?  Also see http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vjw/romania.html

Moisei:  the Jewish community was destroyed. Here, we saw it at dusk, up a slope from the main road, easily passed by.  Other settlements were in Brasov, Cluj Napoca.. Little trace of the old Jewish population now, but a ritual bath that had been built at Moisei is still being used, as a public bath. I try not to reuse photos, but for Moisei, here is the memorial for villagers slain in WWII here. The town is in the Maramures area. See the post on Maramures. We were on the way to the larger city, Sighetu Marmetei.

For a report on the holocaust in Romania, see http: //www1.yadvashem.org/about_yad/what_new/index_whats_new-report.

I do not recall a differentiation or identification of which of the 125 families who fled Moisei into the forest during the incident of the German attack, and whose homes were burned. I believe the whole village was burned, and at the onset of winter. Some 30+/- were caught and killed, but no information on how many were Jewish. The killings were reported as Jewish-focused in sites related to Magyar references for Budapest - and a site started in with settlements from eastern and central Europe. See Budapest Road Ways, Magyar history post.

Origins, Eastern European Jews: This group seems to be descended from European German, Spanish, Czech, Austrian, or Portuguese?

Some say "Russian" Jews are descended from their own lines, Khazars, and are looking for archeological support to the other sources. See khazaria.com/khazar-diaspora. That reviews the book, "Are Russian Jews Descended from the Khazars," by David Alan Brook.

Culture. Romania, Roma, Gypsy culture, Holocaust

Roadside dump, Romania, with Roma, scavenging

1.  This is a roadside dumping area, with Roma (gypsy ethnic group) looking for clothing, anything that can be repaired and resold, or used.

 The gypsy or Roma population was decimated in World War II. Read about gypsies at For a basic history of gypsies, see http://www.gypsy-traveller.org/history/index. Do a search for gypsies.

• We also saw many well-dressed Roma, traditional costume, and gold.  
• Photographing women.  Not welcomed. Women are easily seen in doorways, windows, on the street with a companion, with families. I understand they are strongly protected. 
• The clothing was exquisite in the economically advantaged groups, fine cars, great style - as anywhere where there is financial and cultural confidence for the individual. Others are very poor.  Choosing to scavenge may not be a choice.

2.  Roma are countrywide, and have had a difficult history, including centuries (past) of enslavement in Romania and discrimination now. See "Minorities at Risk" at http://www.cidcm.umd.edu/inscr/mar/data/rumroma. Go to the e-museum that the University of Minnisota offers at http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/cultural/oldworld/europe. Then click on Roma. Go to the main home page first, and see all they offer in other areas.

3.  Holocaust.  The holocaust in Romania was directed at Roma and Jews and other groups.  The holocaust in Romania at www1.yadvashem.org/about_yad/what_new/index_whats_new-report.html.  After the German invasion of Poland and other European countries, in 1940 Romania was compelled to cede northern Transylvania, including the town of Sighetu Marmetei, to Hungary.

Romania, however, was an Axis partner to Germany, and did not "systematically annihilate" Roma in Romania.

However, about 26,000 Roma were deported in 1941-1942 by the Romanian military and police, to Transnistria, in SW Ukraine under Romanian administration. Thousands died: disease, starvation, and brutal treatment. See http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005219

The holocaust in Romania was officially remembered in Romania in 2006. See http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/10/09/europe/EU_GEN_Romania_Holocaust_Victims.php. Read its history at hist.academic.claremontmckenna.edu/jpetropoulos/ironguard/holocaust.htm.

4.  Statistics difficult.  In the town of Moisei, see post here on Maramures, there is a special memorial to Jews captured and killed, but no break-down of which of those killed in the specific event sequence there were Jewish.

5.  Value of diaries.  Keeping diaries of those times requires literacy and then preservation, discovery and translation - for me, into English. "The Diary of Petr Ginz 1941-1942," edited by his sister, Chava Pressburger, was discovered in 1993 but only translated into English in 2007. See The Places of Petr Ginz. See also Petr Ginz: The Places, The Legacy. Are there diaries in Romanian?


Children beg, but a strong body language "no" - including flat palms crossing and flung out, usually brought the adult from a doorway nearby to signal a cease.

Cluj Napoca - Transylvania

Cluj Napoca has strong Hungarian roots, with migrations back and forth over centuries, see http://www.clujonline.com/  The Hungarian national dress, worn for special occasions, looks different from the traditional Romanian that we saw in northern Maramures, but we are not sure if that is so.  This was on the way to Cluj Napoca, in a small town.

Romania's Hungarian traditions:

Hungarian dress? near Cluj Napola, Romania

Cluj is a large, cosmopolitan area - http://www.cluj4all.com/addresses/. Here is Cluj - see http://www.clujonline.com/  Photos at http://www.ici.ro/romania/en/orase/cluj.html.


To navigate in any city:

Look for the country's equivalent of the "city center" sign - centrum, or its equivalent.

The city center signs will begin dependably at the outskirts, at the motorways, and lead you.

Go to the main square, then look for some place to sleep.

Park once, where you are staying the night; then walk. No driving at night if possible - vehicles may not have lights, horse carts may not have reflectors.

Everyone is more careful in driving there than we are here, looking out for horsecarts, people. I saw no accidents except an occasional urban truck-car or car-car fender-benders.

Cluj Napoca and Art. The Cluj School. Gallery Plan B.

Cluj Napoca.  Town in Transylvania.  And Art.

 The Cluj School. A 2013 update.

Post dates reflect the chronology of the earlier trip, not the dates of events referenced.

1.  Cluj now enjoys a significant focus on the world's art stage, see Traction in Transylvania, NYT Style Magazine 11.16.2013 at 82ff. Named artists include painter Adrian Ghenie, see Pace Gallery at http://www.pacegallery.com/artists/144/adrian-ghenie; Victor Man, see Gladstone Gallery at http://gladstonegallery.com/artist/victor-man/work#&panel1-1; Mircea Cantor, see Dvir Gallery at http://www.dvirgallery.com/artists/works_selected.asp?artistID=15&contentPageID=5 and Ciprian Muresan, see Nicodim Gallery at http://www.nicodimgallery.com/artists/ciprian-muresan/.

Those artists and others became known as the Cluj School, thanks to Giancarlo Politi in 2007. He was known largely for not only art criticism, but for founding Flash Art in Italy.  Cluj's gallery, founded by Mr. Ghenie and Mihai Pop in 2005: Plan B.  Video, Adrian Ghenie on Gallery Plan B, is at  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dSFurfjewY

The name Mircea, as in the ruler, is in itself, an old, venerable name. Think Mircea the Old 1355-1418, or Mircea the Elder: father of Vlad II Dracul, thus grandfather to Vlad III Dracul, known to some as the Impaler.

2.  Cluj, or Cluj Napoca, is small, some 325,000 residents with permanent addresses there; and it far older than mere medieval.  Greek geographer Ptolemy 85-165 ACE) identified it. Cluj became a Roman municipality under Emperor Hadrian, and a colony under, was it Marcus Aurelius? See http://www.visitclujnapoca.ro/en/despre-cluj/istoria-cluj-ului/ 

 It was only in 1173, however, that Cluj Napoca was documented as a settlement, "Clus" as the word at that time, for "hills surrounding." Other names attached, depending on the Hungarian or German (Saxon) origins of then-dominant groups. Other protections and benefits stemmed from its diversity and the talent of its people; with a constant undercurrent: disaster for one group resulting in boon for another. For example, the indigeous population was decimated by Tatars, the area then settled by Saxons. See site.

Rosia Montana Village, Gabriel Resources Ltx., gold mining. Southeast from Cluj, northeast from Alba Iulia.

The Gabriel Project.

Not too far from Alba Iulia, or Hunedoara, is Rosia Montana Village.  For some it represents Transylvania's new life. For others, watch the persistent and persuasive Gabriel Resources Ltd; and its Romanian (20% is government-owned) subsidiary, Rosia Montana Gold Corp, work to prevail in obtaining 16 years of profit, at the expense of the rural local population, its heritage.  Who is getting whom to sign away what.  Is this the world's gold-mining 1%?  Will Romania's 99% benefit?

 The Gabriel Project at the small village of Rosia, Montana, may become real.

• Little, rural, historic Rosia Montana shows signs of becoming a renewed mecca for global gold-miners, at least for the 16 years anticipated production.  With prices for gold rising, there may be momentum to destroy the 4-5 historic churches in the area, and President Traian Basescu seems to be on board.  Remaining issues include negotiating with Gabriel's Romanian, subsidiary, Rosia Montana Gold Corp. and lowering the cyanide to be dumped into the tailings pond ancillary to the project, and revising the profit-sharing with the government.

How to renegotiate with the people where many have already signed away mineral rights.  What information were they given? See similar issues here, at http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/chesapeake_energy_corporation/index.html?scp=1&sq=landowners%20regret%20leases%20oil%20shale&st=cse

 Fast contracts sounding great, but regretted with more information.  This
 sounds like the US fracking maneuvers.   But in Romania, the government itself owns some 20% of Rosia Montana Gold Corp.  What chance to individual farmers have.

Next step, if remaining approvals are given, a huge pit mine, destruction of ancient Roman mining galleries from the 2d-3rd Centuries, and exploitation of a "world-class reserve" for gold. Already, many of the 2000 residents have been bought out, reports the Toronto Globe and Mail, Monday, August 29, 2011, article "Gabriel's Romanian odyssey: A long-delayed gold project takes shape. Development plans for huge Rosia Montana mine are moving ahead. But not without new snags." Author: Eric Reguly, Rome by-line.

In 2007, the CEO of Gabriel called the government's then-blocking of the project "illegal.: What changed?  The price of gold.  What new or any protections are in place for the rural residents who, if you have been in that area, are hand-to-mouth.

Eric Reguly, your article addresses no human issues at all.  Opponents' views are given: the Rosia Rebels,  This is, say they in the article, "an environmental, heritage and social disaster."

But the reserves.  Oh, the reserves.  Everybody wants gold reserves if you are in the gold business. Go to Romania? If you believe in ethics, not under the current terms.  For 16 years of profit, to destroy a heritage. We vote no. But we don't count. Gold rush. Been there.

Targoviste. Cabbage market at the crossroads - ciorba and recipes

 Targoviste

Leave time to stop, or just to get lost on the way to Targoviste.  We were happily lost, fog was coming in over the flat fields. The fog then suddenly lifted and we were in the middle of a large cabbage line of trucks, extending all four ways at a crossroads on the way to Targoviste.

Much bartering, selling, moving about as it got dark. Trucks piled high.

The advantage of a car is the ability to pull over and see another side of a culture: the earning a living.  We saw manual picking in the fields, very few automated machines.  And there is where the produce comes:  Drive carefully because around the bend, at the crossroads at dusk after the picking, may be a truck-lined cabbage market.  Buying and selling, the trucks lined up in all directions.

Cabbage is a mainstay.

• Try the ciorba, a sweet-sour cabbage soup. Go to http://www.mcgees.com/kitchen/recipes/soupsand/ss109801. 

And stuffed cabbage. See http://www.bitsyskitchen.com/romanian1. This includes Vegeta, a seasoned salt with bits of dried vegetable.  Vegeta is also part of Western Balkans (Bosnia, Croatia) cooking, and available in our markets in the international foods sections. I use it often, when a bouillon cube is called for or a seasoned salt.  It does contain msg, however.

Links, posts, archives

All third party websites referred to in word form, not as quick-links, pending learning more about issues raised at www.bitlaw.com. Direct linking may be risky.

Post dates show the itinerary chronology - from arrival, to departure. Do read the Archives - they show the continuing trip, not necessarily earlier posts. A new or revised post may appear at the beginning, to draw attention to it, but the plan is to incorporate it later elsewhere, if the post fits better there.


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Romanian Heroes - identify as you go

Identifying royalty, crown by sceptre by turban.
Which is this?

With the history of this area so new to the West, we recommend two steps: 1) Take a little history book - we had "Romania, An Illustrated History" by Nicolae Klepper, Hippocrene Books NY 2002. and 2) Start a list of names and dates and distinguishing features as you see the statues. Note the crown or headdress styles. I am not confident in the "images" internet search method - too many other people confused. No controls.

We saw recurrent people, identifiable by their headdresses or features. Much revered. A basic chronology:

1. Basarab I, Prince of Wallachia 1310-1352.

He unified Wallachia, from the Carpathian Mountains to the Danube River, and the Black Sea, including a part now the separate country of Moldova, and defied the Hungarians who controlled much else by refusing tribute. He defeated the Hungarians in a mountain pass area, and fended off the Tatars who controlled the region of Moldavia in the east.

2. John Hunyadi - 1441-1446, Transylvania - Hungarian-appointed voievod (name for ruler). A/k/a/ Janos Hunyadi, Iancu de Hundeoara. See his castle here. Like governor. Great military leader, many victories on behalf of King Sigismund of Hungary. Became governor of Hungary for a while.

3. Matthias Corvinus - statue in Cluj Napoca. King of Hungary and son-in-law of John Hunyadi. Arrested Vlad III Dracula, imprisoned him.

4. Mircea the Old - Wallachia - 1386-1395, and 1397-1418 Bucharest

















5. Vlad Dracul - Wallachia province. 1436-1442, 1443-1447 -

Father of Vlad III Dracula. Dracul meant Dragon. He was bestowed with the Order of the Dragon, a crusading order (award in Nuremberg), so was known as Vlad Dracul or Vlad the Dragon. Later assassinated by John Hunyadi, of Hungary. See Hunedoara post here.

6. Vlad III Dracula - Wallachia province. 1448. 1456-1462 and 1476.

Dracula-son of Dracul. Attacked Turkish forces. On-again-off-again support from Hungarians, obtained throne, then killed in battle against them. Had become known as Vlad Tepes, Vlad the Impaler.

7. Stephen the Great - 1457-1504. In Moldavia province.

Cousin of Vlad III Dracula. King, fought Turks. Commissioned many monasteries. After a victory, shot an arrow off a hill and sited the next monastery there.

8. Michael the Brave - 1593-1601.

See turban-type shaped (not wound) headdress, feather, large, sloping bulbous to the leftStatue in Cluj, a historical hero, rides high in the city park here. See photo album at www.ici.ro/romania/en/orase/cluj. Overcame Turks.

9. Mattei Basarab - 1632-1654, Wallachia. Turban style headdress in shape, but floppy hat style, not wound.

10. Basil the Wolf, Moldavia 1634-1653