Petition for the Brukenthal Museum and for Romanian Culture

(Photo source) If you care about Romanian culture, are concerned by the happenings we have recently seen at the Brukenthal Museum in Sibiu - an example of the damage these cuts can do, but just ONE among many - and would like to add your voice to a chorus of others demanding a public debate defining a course of necessary reform within the culture sector, please read the petition below and sign it HERE (texts in Romanian, German and French). Perhaps, together, we can make a difference.

Petition for the Brukenthal Museum and for Romanian Culture

We invite you to read and sign this petition addressed to the Minister of Culture of Romania, the Romanian government, the presidency, members of the Romanian Parliament's culture commissions, and to whoever feels responsible for the fate of Romanian culture:

In recent days, the eviction of museums in Galati, Oradea and Brasov from their former homes have come to our attention. These beautiful residences were requisitioned under the communist regime and have at last been returned to their rightful owners. As a result,  the museums themselves have been relegated to apartment blocks, army barracks or nowhere at all. There is no money for new museums and there are no laws in Romania that protect cultural heritage in such a situation, even though the collections are state property.

Last week, the lovely Brukenthal Palace (a complex of six museums) in Sibiu had to temporarily close its doors to the public due to lack of funds through budget cuts. It has since received a sum from the Ministry of Culture which should keep it going for a little while – but for how long and will it happen again?

Samuel von Brukenthal, the Habsburg governor of Transylvania, established the first of the museum's collections in around 1790 which were officially opened to the public in 1817 making this lovely museum the oldest institution of its kind in Romania. Built between 1778-1788 as a private home, the modern day museum complex is home to over 1,000 works of art by artists such as Van Mieris, Carriera, da Cadore, Raoux, Van Dyck, Rubens and Titian, and often includes contemporary works commissioned by local artists especially for the museum.

The under-budgeting of culture is chronic in Romania. The Brukenthal Museum has been under-financed for the last five years, and has been absurdly requested to self-finance. A cultural institution, especially one such as the Brukenthal, should NOT have to self-finance, especially when the revenues demanded have increased over the last five years. The budget put aside for culture in Romania is the lowest, and still cuts are made from it more than any other budget. The law of cultural management itself is a good one, but the accounting system dates back to the ‘60s whilst mentality and attitude smacks of the Stalin era.

The Brukenthal Museum, awarded the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage - Europa Nostra - in 2010, draws thousands of visitors every day. On 5^th April alone, 4,000 visitors were counted despite its partial closure. It is a more than viable institution that lives and breathes the richness of culture, history, folk-lore and legend.

It is not by coincidence that Sibiu was elected European Culture Capital in 2007. As well as being known for the oldest museum in the country, Sibiu was also home to the first hospital in Romania (1292), the first pharmacy (1494) and the printing of the first book in the Romanian language (1544). The first documented mention for Sibiu dates back to Roman times and the city was founded on the site of an old settlement, probably Slavic, in the mid-XII century. The first mention of the fortress dates from 1191 and Sibiu has been a city in itself since 1366.

The shameful situation recently seen at the Brukenthal along with the evictions underway or looming in other parts of the country are part and parcel of the rapidly declining fortunes of Romanian culture, which will continue unless there is a complete overhaul of the antiquated system currently in place. We call for a public debate on the fate of Romanian culture in the 21st century, involving the Ministry of Culture, museums, cultural institutions and NGOs to:

a)     discuss the adoption and application of laws that would protect the country’s cultural heritage

b)     define the course of reforms so desperately needed in this vital sector for the future of Romania.

We must put an end to the silence and indifference. We must show that culture matters.

Sign the petition HERE. Thank you!

My deepest thanks to Roxana Dascalu, Cecilia Nicholas, Michael Astner, Oana Lăzăroiu and Nicole Monica

Comments

[Mike theilmann]

In May of this year (2014) my wife and I and another Canadian couple spent two days in Sibiu. We had not heard of the Brukenthal Museum/Collection before visiting the city. To say we were impressed would be an understatement. The collection of museums, and the art collection in particular, are simply wonderful and of international significance. If Romania is to become a world-class tourist destination (and it certainly has that potential) then it must invest in and protect these marvelous institutions.