Vasile Goldis
Encyclopedia
Vasile Goldiş was a Romanian politician and member of the Romanian Academy
.
. Around 1740 Teodor Goldiş moved with his family to Mocirla where Vasile Goldiş was born.
The first years of his life were spent in the villages of Mocirla, Seleuş and Cermei in the house of his parents and grandparents. He started primary school in the village of Cermei in 1869 where he studied the first two grades in Romania
n with his teacher Nicolae Albu. He studied the third grade at the general school in Padanul Nou (now Horea, Arad County
). Between 1873 - 1881, he was a student of the Theoretical High School in Arad
, being especially interested in history
, literature
and philosophy
.
On 1 September 1881, he joined the classes of the Faculty of Letters and Philosophy in Arad
as a scholar of the Orthodox Church, in 1881 1882 and 1884 1885 he was a student of the University of Budapest
and between 1882 1884 he studied at the University of Vienna
where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree. During his student years, he became a member of the Petru Maior
and Romania Jună societies.
After graduating, he became a professor at the Eötvös High School in Budapest
on 1 September 1885. One year later he quit this job for patriotic reasons and moved to Caransebeş
, where he taught History
and Latin
at the Pedagogic-Theological Institute.
Being eager to affirm himself in the struggle of the intellectual Romanians for more political rights in Austria-Hungary, on 5 March 1888 he sent a letter to Gheorghe Bariţiu, asking for a teacher job in Sibiu
. A year later, on 1 September 1889, he was appointed professor in Braşov
, where he remained until 1901. He wrote many books on Latin, History and Constitutional Law for his students. In 1890 he became a member and then secretary of the Romanian House in Braşov
.
and collaborator of the Tribuna newspaper in Sibiu
. Between 1895 - 1901 he acted as secretary at the Society for the Creation of the Romanian Theater which sponsored young Romanian actors from Transylvania.
Since 1905 Vasile Goldiş devoted himself to the political activity. On 10 January 1905 at the Romanian National Party (RNP) convention he demanded that passive resistance towards the governments in Budapest
and Vienna
be put aside and asked for a new active and dynamic tactic in the struggle for more political rights of the Romanians in Austria-Hungary.
This tactic, known as the "new activism", was not immediately adopted by the party but all the leaders were consonant with the idea. He wrote together with Emanoil Ungureanu and Ioan Mihu a memorandum on behalf of the RNP to the Hungarian government on 13 September 1910.
The memo stated the following requests: the legal recognition on the National Romanian Party, the implementation of the universal vote and the repeal of the Apponyi educational law. All these requests were rejected, the RNP was dissolved and merged with other parties in Hungary
.
The differences in opinions in the National Party concerning the talks with the Hungarian government sparked between 1910 and 1911 dissidences within the party. As a result, two separate wings formed: the radical wing, represented by the young members of the party, grouped around the Tribuna newspaper (Octavian Goga
, Ilarie Chendi, Onisifor Ghibu
, Vasile Bocu) and the moderate wing, represented by the older members of the party.
At first Vasile Goldiş joined the moderates, but after he had realized that this conflict would have irreparable consequences on the activity of the party, he suggested (together with Aurel Lazăr, Ioan Suciu, Vasile Lucaciu
and Ştefan Cicio-Pop) a compromise in order to preserve the political unity of the Romanians in Transylvania.
Under these circumstances, in January 1911 he was appointed head of the Românul newspaper, published at Arad
. Românul would become the voice of the Romanian political struggle after the close-down of the Tribuna newspaper in March 1912.
, he refused to sign the loyalty declaration towards Hungary as requested by the Tisza government. This act, qualified by the Hungarian authorities as "duplicity and lack of patriotism", determined the suspension of the Românul newspaper in March 1916.
During the war, Vasile Goldiş continued to fight the official policy of Magyarization
. He protested against the internment in concentration camps of some ethnic Romanians suspected of treason by the Hungarian government.
, but he stepped down after a short period and dedicated his time to cultural activities.
Vasile Goldiş lived his last years in Arad in modest conditions. He died on 10 February 1934.
In his honor several memorial services were held and the day of his burial was declared a day of national mourning.
Romanian Academy
The Romanian Academy is a cultural forum founded in Bucharest, Romania, in 1866. It covers the scientific, artistic and literary domains. The academy has 181 acting members who are elected for life....
.
Early life
He was born on 12 November 1862 in his grandfather's (Teodor Goldiş) house in the village of Mocirla. His parents were Isaia and Floarea Goldiş. The family of his father had its origins in the Chişcău village, Bihor CountyBihor County
Bihor is a county of Romania, in Crişana, with capital city at Oradea. Together with Hajdú-Bihar County in Hungary it constitutes the Biharia Euroregion.-Demographics:...
. Around 1740 Teodor Goldiş moved with his family to Mocirla where Vasile Goldiş was born.
The first years of his life were spent in the villages of Mocirla, Seleuş and Cermei in the house of his parents and grandparents. He started primary school in the village of Cermei in 1869 where he studied the first two grades in Romania
Romanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
n with his teacher Nicolae Albu. He studied the third grade at the general school in Padanul Nou (now Horea, Arad County
Arad County
Arad is an administrative division of Romania roughly translated into county in the western part of the country on the border with Hungary, mostly in the region of Crişana and few villages in Banat. The administrative center of the county lies in the city of Arad...
). Between 1873 - 1881, he was a student of the Theoretical High School in Arad
Arad, Romania
Arad is the capital city of Arad County, in western Romania, in the Crişana region, on the river Mureş.An important industrial center and transportation hub, Arad is also the seat of a Romanian Orthodox archbishop and features two universities, a Romanian Orthodox theological seminary, a training...
, being especially interested in history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
and philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
.
On 1 September 1881, he joined the classes of the Faculty of Letters and Philosophy in Arad
Arad, Romania
Arad is the capital city of Arad County, in western Romania, in the Crişana region, on the river Mureş.An important industrial center and transportation hub, Arad is also the seat of a Romanian Orthodox archbishop and features two universities, a Romanian Orthodox theological seminary, a training...
as a scholar of the Orthodox Church, in 1881 1882 and 1884 1885 he was a student of the University of Budapest
University of Budapest
The Eötvös Loránd University or ELTE, founded in 1635, is the largest university in Hungary, located in Budapest.-History:The university was founded in 1635 in Nagyszombat by the archbishop and theologian Péter Pázmány. Leadership was given over to the Jesuits...
and between 1882 1884 he studied at the University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree. During his student years, he became a member of the Petru Maior
Petru Maior
Petru Maior was a Romanian writer who is considered one of the most influential personalities of the Age of Enlightenment in Transylvania...
and Romania Jună societies.
After graduating, he became a professor at the Eötvös High School in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
on 1 September 1885. One year later he quit this job for patriotic reasons and moved to Caransebeş
Caransebes
Caransebeş is a city in Caraş-Severin County, part of the Banat region in southwestern Romania. It is located at the confluence of the river Timiş with the river Sebeş, the latter coming from the Ţarcu Mountains. To the west, it is in direct contact with the Banat hills...
, where he taught History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
at the Pedagogic-Theological Institute.
Being eager to affirm himself in the struggle of the intellectual Romanians for more political rights in Austria-Hungary, on 5 March 1888 he sent a letter to Gheorghe Bariţiu, asking for a teacher job in Sibiu
Sibiu
Sibiu is a city in Transylvania, Romania with a population of 154,548. Located some 282 km north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Cibin River, a tributary of the river Olt...
. A year later, on 1 September 1889, he was appointed professor in Braşov
Brasov
Brașov is a city in Romania and the capital of Brașov County.According to the last Romanian census, from 2002, there were 284,596 people living within the city of Brașov, making it the 8th most populated city in Romania....
, where he remained until 1901. He wrote many books on Latin, History and Constitutional Law for his students. In 1890 he became a member and then secretary of the Romanian House in Braşov
Brasov
Brașov is a city in Romania and the capital of Brașov County.According to the last Romanian census, from 2002, there were 284,596 people living within the city of Brașov, making it the 8th most populated city in Romania....
.
Before the war
In 1893 he became a member of the Romanian National PartyRomanian National Party
The Romanian National Party , initially known as the Romanian National Party in Transylvania and Banat , was a political party which was initially designed to offer ethnic representation to Romanians in the Kingdom of Hungary, the Transleithanian half of Austria-Hungary, and especially to those in...
and collaborator of the Tribuna newspaper in Sibiu
Sibiu
Sibiu is a city in Transylvania, Romania with a population of 154,548. Located some 282 km north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Cibin River, a tributary of the river Olt...
. Between 1895 - 1901 he acted as secretary at the Society for the Creation of the Romanian Theater which sponsored young Romanian actors from Transylvania.
Since 1905 Vasile Goldiş devoted himself to the political activity. On 10 January 1905 at the Romanian National Party (RNP) convention he demanded that passive resistance towards the governments in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
and Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
be put aside and asked for a new active and dynamic tactic in the struggle for more political rights of the Romanians in Austria-Hungary.
This tactic, known as the "new activism", was not immediately adopted by the party but all the leaders were consonant with the idea. He wrote together with Emanoil Ungureanu and Ioan Mihu a memorandum on behalf of the RNP to the Hungarian government on 13 September 1910.
The memo stated the following requests: the legal recognition on the National Romanian Party, the implementation of the universal vote and the repeal of the Apponyi educational law. All these requests were rejected, the RNP was dissolved and merged with other parties in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
.
The differences in opinions in the National Party concerning the talks with the Hungarian government sparked between 1910 and 1911 dissidences within the party. As a result, two separate wings formed: the radical wing, represented by the young members of the party, grouped around the Tribuna newspaper (Octavian Goga
Octavian Goga
Octavian Goga was a Romanian politician, poet, playwright, journalist, and translator.-Life:Born in Răşinari, nearby Sibiu, he was an active member in the Romanian nationalistic movement in Transylvania and of its leading group, the Romanian National Party in Austria-Hungary. Before World War I,...
, Ilarie Chendi, Onisifor Ghibu
Onisifor Ghibu
Onisifor Ghibu was a Romanian teacher of pedagogy, member of the Romanian Academy, and politician.-Early life:...
, Vasile Bocu) and the moderate wing, represented by the older members of the party.
At first Vasile Goldiş joined the moderates, but after he had realized that this conflict would have irreparable consequences on the activity of the party, he suggested (together with Aurel Lazăr, Ioan Suciu, Vasile Lucaciu
Vasile Lucaciu
Vasile Lucaciu was a Romanian Greek-Catholic priest and an advocate of equal rights with the Hungarians in Transylvania....
and Ştefan Cicio-Pop) a compromise in order to preserve the political unity of the Romanians in Transylvania.
Under these circumstances, in January 1911 he was appointed head of the Românul newspaper, published at Arad
Arad, Romania
Arad is the capital city of Arad County, in western Romania, in the Crişana region, on the river Mureş.An important industrial center and transportation hub, Arad is also the seat of a Romanian Orthodox archbishop and features two universities, a Romanian Orthodox theological seminary, a training...
. Românul would become the voice of the Romanian political struggle after the close-down of the Tribuna newspaper in March 1912.
During the war
During the First World WarWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he refused to sign the loyalty declaration towards Hungary as requested by the Tisza government. This act, qualified by the Hungarian authorities as "duplicity and lack of patriotism", determined the suspension of the Românul newspaper in March 1916.
During the war, Vasile Goldiş continued to fight the official policy of Magyarization
Magyarization
Magyarization is a kind of assimilation or acculturation, a process by which non-Magyar elements came to adopt Magyar culture and language due to social pressure .Defiance or appeals to the Nationalities Law, met...
. He protested against the internment in concentration camps of some ethnic Romanians suspected of treason by the Hungarian government.
Alba Iulia National Assembly and Directory Council of Transylvania
Late life
On 2 May 1926 he was elected president at the national congress of the Romanian National Party at SibiuSibiu
Sibiu is a city in Transylvania, Romania with a population of 154,548. Located some 282 km north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Cibin River, a tributary of the river Olt...
, but he stepped down after a short period and dedicated his time to cultural activities.
Vasile Goldiş lived his last years in Arad in modest conditions. He died on 10 February 1934.
In his honor several memorial services were held and the day of his burial was declared a day of national mourning.