In Search of Romania

Author: Dennis Deletant
Publisher: Hurst Publishers
ISBN: 1787388565
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 325

Book Description
The imposition of Communist ideology was a misfortune for millions in Eastern Europe, but never for Dennis Deletant. Instead, it drew him to Romania. The renowned historian’s association with the country and its people dates back to 1965, when he first visited. Since then, Romania has made Dennis appreciate the value of shrewd dissimulation, in the face of the state’s gross intrusion in the life of the individual. This vivid memoir charts his first-hand experience of the Communist era, coloured by the early 1970s surveillance of his future wife Andrea; his contacts with dissidents; and his articles and BBC World Service broadcasts, which led to his being declared persona non grata in 1988. In Search of Romania also considers how life went on under dictatorship, even if it was largely mapped out by the regime. How did individual citizens negotiate the challenges placed in their path? How important was the political police, the Securitate, in maintaining compliance? How did dissent towards the regime manifest? How did all this affect the moral compass of the individual? Why did utopia descend into dystopia under Ceaușescu? And how has his legacy influenced the difficult transition to democracy since the collapse of Communism?

Along the Enchanted Way

Author: William Blacker
Publisher: John Murray
ISBN: 1848544480
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 366

Book Description
Chosen for the Duchess of Cornwall's online book club The Reading Room by HRH The Prince of Wales When William Blacker first crossed the snow-bound passes of northern Romania, he stumbled upon an almost medieval world. There, for many years he lived side by side with the country people, a life ruled by the slow cycle of the seasons, far away from the frantic rush of the modern world. In spring as the pear trees blossomed he ploughed with horses, in summer he scythed the hay meadows and in the freezing winters gathered wood by sleigh from the forest. From sheepfolds harried by wolves, to courting expeditions in the snow, he experienced the traditional way of life to the full, and became accepted into a community who treated him as one of their own. But Blacker was also intrigued by the Gypsies, those dark, foot-loose strangers of spell-binding allure who he saw passing through the village. Locals warned him to stay clear but he fell in love and there followed a bitter struggle. Change is now coming to rural Romania, and William Blacker's adventures will soon be part of its history. From his early carefree days tramping the hills of Transylvania, to the book's poignant ending, Along the Enchanted Way transports us back to a magical country world most of us thought had vanished long ago.

A Concise History of Romania

Author: Keith Hitchins
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 0521872383
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 345

Book Description
A comprehensive and engaging new history charting Romania's development over 2000 years from its establishment to the present day.

Eugenics and Modernization in Interwar Romania

Author: Maria Bucur
Publisher: University of Pittsburgh Pre
ISBN: 0822970627
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 305

Book Description
Eugenics movements gained momentum throughout Eastern Europe between World Wars I and II. Maria Bucur demonstrates that the importance of the eugenics movement in Romania rests not so much in the contributions made to the study of science as in the realm of nationalist ideology and social policy making.The notion that the quality and quantity of the human species could and should be controlled manifested itself through social engineering projects ranging from reshaping gender roles and isolating ethnic undesirables to introducing broad public health measures and educational reform. Romanian eugenicists sought to control such modernization processes as urbanization and industrialization without curbing them, yet they also embraced attitudes more typically identified with anti-modernists in Romanian politics and culture. Bucur is the first historian to explore the role of eugenics as a response to the challenges of nation- and state-building in Eastern Europe. She presents a balanced assessment of the interwar eugenics movement's success and failures and identifies connections and discontinuities between the movement and the post-war communist regime.

Romania’s Abandoned Children

Author: Charles A. Nelson
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674726073
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 415

Book Description
The implications of early experience for children's brain development, behavior, and psychological functioning have long absorbed caregivers, researchers, and clinicians. The 1989 fall of Romania's Ceausescu regime left approximately 170,000 children in 700 overcrowded, impoverished institutions across Romania, and prompted the most comprehensive study to date on the effects of institutionalization on children's well-being. Romania's Abandoned Children, the authoritative account of this landmark study, documents the devastating toll paid by children who are deprived of responsive care, social interaction, stimulation, and psychological comfort. Launched in 2000, the Bucharest Early Intervention Project (BEIP) was a rigorously controlled investigation of foster care as an alternative to institutionalization. Researchers included 136 abandoned infants and toddlers in the study and randomly assigned half of them to foster care created specifically for the project. The other half stayed in Romanian institutions, where conditions remained substandard. Over a twelve-year span, both groups were assessed for physical growth, cognitive functioning, brain development, and social behavior. Data from a third group of children raised by their birth families were collected for comparison. The study found that the institutionalized children were severely impaired in IQ and manifested a variety of social and emotional disorders, as well as changes in brain development. However, the earlier an institutionalized child was placed into foster care, the better the recovery. Combining scientific, historical, and personal narratives in a gripping, often heartbreaking, account, Romania's Abandoned Children highlights the urgency of efforts to help the millions of parentless children living in institutions throughout the world.

A Contested Borderland

Author: Andrei Cusco
Publisher: Central European University Press
ISBN: 9633861594
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 348

Book Description
Bessarabia?mostly occupied by modern-day republic of Moldova?was the only territory representing an object of rivalry and symbolic competition between the Russian Empire and a fully crystallized nation-state: the Kingdom of Romania. This book is an intellectual prehistory of the Bessarabian problem, focusing on the antagonism of the national and imperial visions of this contested periphery. Through a critical reassessment and revision of the traditional historical narratives, the study argues that Bessarabia was claimed not just by two opposing projects of ?symbolic inclusion,? but also by two alternative and theoretically antagonistic models of political legitimacy. By transcending the national lens of Bessarabian / Moldovan history and viewing it in the broader Eurasian comparative context, the book responds to the growing tendency in recent historiography to focus on the peripheries in order to better understand the functioning of national and imperial states in the modern era. ÿ

A Short History of Romania

Author: Ion Bulei
Publisher:
ISBN: 9786067500165
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description

Never Mind the Balkans, Here's Romania

Author: Mike Ormsby
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781477465363
Category : Romania
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
57 bittersweet stories offering a unique glimpse of this irresistible and enthralling country, where locals say, "Ca la noi, la nimeni. There's nobody quite like us." Ormsby's colourful characters will entertain, educate and enrage. It usually depends on who is reading. Close your guide book, meet the people.

Introduction to Romania

Author: Gilad James, PhD
Publisher: Gilad James Mystery School
ISBN: 525485295X
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 89

Book Description
Romania is a country located in southeastern Europe with a population of around 19.5 million people. It is bordered by Ukraine to the north, Moldova to the northeast, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, and Bulgaria to the south. Romania's capital and largest city is Bucharest, which is also its political and cultural center. The country covers a total area of 238,391 square kilometers and is home to many natural wonders, including the Carpathian Mountains, the Danube Delta, and the Black Sea coast. Romania has a rich cultural heritage that dates back to prehistoric times, with notable influences from the Romans, Byzantines, Saxons, and Ottomans, among others. The country is known for its beautiful architecture, diverse cuisine, and lively folk traditions. Some of the country's most popular attractions include the medieval fortified city of Sighisoara, the castles of Dracula and Peles, the painted monasteries of Bucovina, and the Sphinx and Babele rock formations in the Bucegi Mountains. Despite its challenges with corruption and economic development, Romania is a fascinating and dynamic country that offers visitors a unique blend of old-world charm and modern appeal.

A History of Romania

Author: Nicolae Iorga
Publisher: Histria Books
ISBN: 1592111092
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 429

Book Description
Nicolae Iorga's A History of Romania: Land, People, Civilization is an intimate portrait of a land and its people written by its greatest historian. Much like Herodotus in antiquity, Iorga can be considered "the father of history" for his country. Like a true artist, he paints a portrait of Romania, bringing to life the complex history of this fascinating land. Iorga skillfully weaves together history, art, architecture, language, literature, and culture to give the reader an understanding of the fabric of Romanian society. The author presents the history of the Romanian lands from ancient times until the end of World War I, reflecting on the great personalities and events that shaped the nation, while examining the various threads that bind it together. The book includes a list of rulers, a bibliography, an index, and numerous illustrations. It includes a foreword by David Prodan, another great personality of Romanian historiography, discussing Iorga's contributions to Romanian scholarship. Nicolae Iorga's A History of Romania is essential reading for anyone interested in the story of this fascinating land.