“ASTRA” Association and the Czechoslovakians in a Documentary Context

Using information already known, but also new one, coming from the archivistic state funds in Sibiu, this study diachronically attains a segment from what one defines as cultural relationship statuated by the two people – Czechs and Slovaks, with its Romanian areal, in the first three decades of the past century.

Keywords: Astra, Czechs-Slovaks, cultural relashionship, Jan Urban Jarnik, Jindra Flajšhansova

The issue of Bessarabia in the Romanian press at the end of the 19th century

The 19th century, and especially its second decade, represents an essential stage in the historical process of the modern Romanian State foundation. The years 1859 and 1877 are distinguished as reference years in the history of our people. The former is the year of the First Union of the Principalities, while the latter is the year when the Romanian state gains its independence on the battlefield. In an era in which national autonomy becomes a stringent issue for most European states, Romanian press focuses mainly on the attempts of the Romanian political class towards territorial unification and the gaining of independence. Following the Berlin Peace Conference our country is imposed, as a price for its independence, to give up three counties of Southern Bessarabia (Cahul, Ismail, Bolgrad) to Russia, a situation that was thoroughly debated in the newspapers of the time. This study aims at analysing the importance given to the Bessarabia issue by the Romanian press at the end of the 19th century and the way this issue is treated by four publications, considered representative for the Romanian journalistic discourse of that time: „Românul”, „Timpul”, „Voința Națională” and „Epoca”.

Keywords: Bessarabia, the 19th century, Romanian press, journalistic discourse

Colecții periodice

• „Timpul” 1877–1879, 1881-1883.
• „Românul” 1861-1864, 1866-1893, 1895, 1897-1899.
• „Epoca” 1885-1889, 1895-1899.
• „Voința Națională” 1884-1899.

Referințe critice

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• Hangiu, I. Presa românească de la începuturi pînă în prezent / Romanian Press from the Beginnings to the Present, Vol. I (February 18, 1790 – December 1916), Comunicare.ro, București, 2008.
• Hodoş, Nerva, Al.Sadi Ionescu. Publicaţiunile periodice româneşti (ziare, gazete, reviste) / Romanian Periodical Publications (Newspapers, Gazettes, Magazines), vol. I. 1820-1906, Librăriile Socec & Comp., București, 1913.
• Iacob, Gheorghe. Raporturile dintre liberali și conservatori în viața politică a României la sfârșitul secolului XIX și începutul secolului XX / The Relations between the Liberals and the Conservatives in the Political Life of Romania in late 19th and early 20th centuries, excerpted from Anuarul Institutului de Istorie și Arheologie „A. D. Xenopol”, XXV/1, 1988, Universitatea Al. I. Cuza, Iași.
• Ionescu, Dumitru P. Războiul de Independență și problema Basarabiei / The War of Independence and the Issue of Bessarabia, Editura Academiei Române, București, 2000.
• Iorga, Nicolae. Istoria presei româneşti / The History of Romanian Press, Editura Muzeul Literaturii Române, Bucureşti, 1999.
• Rad, Ilie. Incursiuni în istoria presei româneşti / Incursions in the History of Romanian Press, Editura Accent, Cluj-Napoca, 2008.
• Scurtu, Ioan, Ion Bulei. Democrația la români: 1866-1924 / Democracy at the Romanians: 1866-1924, Humanitas, București, 1990.
• Scurtu, Ioan. Istoria Basarabiei de la începuturi până în 2003 / The History of Bessarabia from the Beginnings to 2003, Editura Institutului Cultural Român, București, 2003.
• Sturdza, Dimitrie A. Europa, Rusia și România: studiu etnic și politic / Europe, Russia, and Romania: an Ethnical and Political Study, Ediția a doua, București, 1914.
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Geographies of the Miracle: the Desert and the City

The present article presents and discusses some expresive and functional simmilarities between gestures, characters and symbolizing structures proper to two apparenly different cultural worlds: the desert of the beginnings of Christianity and the metropolitan world of the nineteenth century. Some characters play, in these both worlds, a critical role the allows us to see them in a significative relation. These relations (both ontological and epistemological) between the wandering monk and the flaneur (the two characters in focus) challenge the classical theories of secularization and also the very sober physiognomies of modernity.

Keywords: secularization, Michel de Certeau, monasticism, flaneur, perception, deconstruction

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Experimentation and amelioration in the works of John Evelyn

In this paper I will argue that we can trace an undulating line between the Hartlib Circle and the Royal Society based on the interest for husbandry, experimentation, and amelioration. If in the years preceding the 1660s husbandry focused more on technological projects of amelioration of the fallen nature (soil, plants, human beings as well), starting with the beginning of the Royal Society, the accent moved from spiritual salvation to experimental purposes. This shift of attention is present in John Evelyn’s approach of the topic. In the late 1650s, Evelyn’s vision on husbandry entailed the moral dimension of religious salvation, while in the 1660s, he minimized his interest for religious purposes and turned his attention to experiments and “scientific” aspiration.

Keywords: husbandry, experimentation, amelioration, John Evelyn, the Hartlib Circle

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Europe: Intentions, Attitudes, Action

To the essential question of our conference, ”Are there two Europes?”, the answer is yes. Yes, there are two Europes and even more. What unites them and what differentiates them? How they reveals such settling during economic evolution of Europe? What to do? The outlined answer to the questions are those that give substance to my communication.

Keywords: Europe, more Europes, regress, stagnation, development, corruption, work, prosperity.

• Emile James, Histoire de la pensée économique au XX-e siecle / History of Economic Thought in the 20th Century, P UF, Paris, 1955.
• Mihail Manoilescu, Forțele naționale productive și comerțul exterior / Productive National Forces and External Trade, Edit. Științifică și Enciclopedică, București, 1986.
• Dan Popescu, Istoria gândirii economice de la începuturi până la sfârșitul secolului XX / The History of Economic Thought from the Beginnings to the End of the 20th Century, Edit.
  Continent, Sibiu-București, 2001.
• Dan Poescu, Paul Lucian, Istoria economică a Europei și a Uniunii Europene / The Economic History of Europe and of the European Union, Edit. Continent, Sibiu-București, 2007.
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• Dan Popescu, Amenințări pentru secolul XXI / Threats for the 21st Century, Edit. Continent, Sibiu-București, 2014.
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