Depicting Childhood. The Innocence of the Age as captured in Photographs and Postcards from Bukovina (1880-1920)

The children’s image in photographs and postcards is a formidable epistemological challenge that can facilitate the synchronization of individual or collective life stories, with certain aspects of social history. While in the Western historiography, the “history of children” has already a long tradition, in the Romanian historiography it never really received much interest; however, only in the last decade there appeared a few articles, studies and books on this domain. In Bukovina’s case, such a research “slips through fingers”, and the study of depicting childhood is still in its early stages. The set of images analyzed in the following article indicates a series of epoch features, constant and canonical, clichés borrowed from Central and Western Europe. They help to describe types of portraits (family, individual, specific solemn moments), poses and conventional models, more or less expressive, but which meet both public and private commands and expectations of the time. In other words, the documentary value of these visual resources in which the children appear is obvious. It favors the exploration of daily life and social customs that are still exposed to many questions

Unter Krankheitsbedrohung. Vorbemerkungen zu einer Historischen Erforschung der Grossen Epidemien in der Österreichischen Bukowina

Under Threat of Disease. Introduction to a Historical Study of the Great Epidemics in Austrian Bukovina Like natural disasters, wars and famine, epidemics recorded in Austrian Bukovina, affected people from all layers of society, leaving deep traces in memory and mentality. Considered as divine punishment or attributed to poverty, ignorance and lack of hygiene, they modeled different behaviors, reactions and attitudes, causing panic, tension, isolation, economic decline and, in some cases, depopulation. Information drawn from a variety of sources (from parish and civil registers to newspapers or memories) provides an overview of morbid events recorded in Bucovina, from the late XVIIIth century to the early XXth century. Consecutive or recurrent episodes of plague, cholera, diphtheria, typhoid fever and typhus, measles, scarlet, smallpox and influenza have disrupted both rural and urban communities, imposing the imperial authorities, local officials, doctors, priests, teachers, and journalists to initiate some mechanisms for prevention, limitation or eradication of the disease

Reflecting on Twisted Thinking. New Insights into the Ideology of Right-Wing Totalitarianism

Generally, totalitarianism is presented as the opposite of democracy, although the two systems proclaim the same goal: „the good of the people/demos”. By this viewpoint, totalitarianism (left wing and right wing) derives from democracy as nothing more than a mutation. Concerning the nature of fascism, it is based on the exploitation of history, traditions, customs, but not in the interests of the demos, but of the new totalitarian elite. Thus, following the logical-explanatory line of viral metamorphism, it can be observed that the fundamental role in the ideological development of the extreme right played the „infection” of pluralistic political thinking with an irrational mentality, consisting of existentialism, intuitionism, vitalism, nihilism, symbolism, restoration of thought magical, archetypal, mystic, mystical, taboo-based

Towards a Citizenship of the European Union

International audienceBasing on the various legal and historical experiences of different States, as well as the actual ambitions of European construction, the authors explore some challenges around the construction of an European citizenship.Les auteurs explorent des pistes de construction d'une citoyenneté européenne sur la base des expériences historiques et juridiques nationales, mais aussi en évaluant les ambitions de la construction européenne

Considerations sur l’œuvre historique de Nicolai Gramada

The renewed interest for all that is related to the historians and historiography in Bukovina, has stimulated the development of retrospective studies and articles. The following article presents some aspects from Nicolai Grămadă’s historiographical work, providing the chances for a future exegesis. Although the bukovinean historian has linked his name by his work entitled Studies and Materials of Bukovinean Toponymy – known as The Minor Toponymy of Bukovina - Grămadă’s writings bear the imprint of the interwar era, the ages that was marked by the Great Union of 1918 and the cultural effervescence. It tried to be integrated in a broad historiographical register. A look over his writings is enough to discover various themes such as falling auxiliary sciences of history, cultural and social history of Bukovina and more

“From Beautification to Ennobling”: The Exterior Mural Mosaics from Suceava of the Socialist Era

The mosaic is one of the most durable monumental artworks, hence the belief in its permanence. It is resilient to shocks, abrasion, moisture, and frost, protecting, in turn, the walls it covers. These qualities made the mosaic one of interest to the communist authorities, who later considered it suitable for beautifying the exterior walls of various buildings. The article addresses the issue of the symbolic and identity aspect of art in the urban space. The authors discuss the exterior mural mosaics from Suceava, during the communist period, as an expression of the compromise between the ideological commands of the period and the neo-traditionalist and neo-folklorizing direction professed by the artists

Rompant avec la tradition: le défi social et le renouveau d'Etat roumain moderne

In the context of the late 19th century, Romanians found themselves involved in all sorts of debates and confrontations regarding directions, models and tools that allow construction and development of their State. Modernization strategies imposed deconstruction of the old administrative organizational structure, and changing social and political mentalities. The disagreement between the country's development needs and existing opportunities, and the gap with the Western civilization affected the intellectual and political circles. This article focuses on the attempt of Romanian elite to synthesize and adapt the progressive ideas of European political horizon to the Romanian economic and social needs

Rompant avec la tradition: le défi social et le renouveau d'Etat roumain moderne

Abstract: In the context of the late 19th century, Romanians found themselves involved in all sorts of debates and confrontations regarding directions, models and tools that allow construction and development of their State. Modernization strategies imposed deconstruction of the old administrative organizational structure, and changing social and political mentalities. The disagreement between the country's development needs and existing opportunities, and the gap with the Western civilization affected the intellectual and political circles. This article focuses on the attempt of Romanian elite to synthesize and adapt the progressive ideas of European political horizon to the Romanian economic and social needs

Considerations sur l’œuvre historique de Nicolai Gramada

Abstract: The renewed interest for all that is related to the historians and historiography in Bukovina, has stimulated the development of retrospective studies and articles. The following article presents some aspects from Nicolai Grămadă’s historiographical work, providing the chances for a future exegesis. Although the bukovinean historian has linked his name by his work entitled Studies and Materials of Bukovinean Toponymy – known as The Minor Toponymy of Bukovina - Grămadă’s writings bear the imprint of the interwar era, the ages that was marked by the Great Union of 1918 and the cultural effervescence. It tried to be integrated in a broad historiographical register. A look over his writings is enough to discover various themes such as falling auxiliary sciences of history, cultural and social history of Bukovina and more