MUZEUL BUCOVINEI SUCEAVA INSTITUTUL DE ARHEOLOGIE DIN IASI VICTOR SPINEI PROIECTI ISTORIOGRAFICE HISTORIOGRAPHICAL PROJECTIONS Editie ingrijita de Catalin Hriban EDITURA KARL A. ROMSTORFER SUCEAVA 2014Lucrare finanfati de Muzeul Bucovinei din Suceava Descrierea CIP a Bibliotecii Nationale a Roméniei SPINEL VICTOR Proiectii istoriografice / Victor Spinei. ISBN 978-606-93638-3-6 Suceava : ‘ditura Karl A. Romstorfer, 2014 008(498+100):929 usta coperte ErucitIa masa de lucru Basorelief de marmura, sculptat a Ven ainjurulanuluin340 (Kunshistorsches Museum, Viena) (Foto V. Spine 203).CUPRINS - CONTENTS - INHALT - TABLE DE MATIERES CUVANT INAINTE, 9 FOREWORD oxovnenenirneeninennnnnnnnntel PERSONALITATI ALE ISTORIOGRAFIEI ROMANESTI NICOLAEIORGA + Chestianea Durden cada erate’ storngrafce Bi NTO 19 BASIL MUNTEANU, Basil Muiteans Trepte spresinteza dedicat class frtt2-unenneveennnnnnnnnennene 90 GHEORGHE I BRATIANU Gheorghe Brian —secnt profil big fl nnn Gaoneza sinteei ui Gheorghe L Bratian despre spatial pti em DAVID PRODAN Evocare: David Prod att.net 160 MIRCEA PETRESCU-DIMBOVITA Homage ona venerable anniversary / Omagi la o venerable ent 6B Hommage wa grad savant et crater OL 18 Canferivea itll’ de Doctor Honoris Causa acadeicianului Mircea Petrescu Dimbovia Ja Universitatea din Suceava... nnn oo 187 PETRE §. NASTUREL Rememoravila ceasaniversar: Magistrl Petre 8, Ndsturel la 75 de thence 89 DINU C. GIURESCU Dinu C. Gitreseu— Efigia emote 193 $ERBAN PAPACOSTEA, Un mare edrturars Serban Papacoste 17 ee DHL STEFAN $TEFANESCU. Rigoare si obiectivitate profesional plduitore: academricianul Stefan Stfnescu / Riguewr et objectvteprofsionnelle exemple: Facadetiien Stef Stef as LEONID BOICU Oascensiune eclatanta frat spre apoge: Leonid BO‘ ene 220 ALEXANDRU VULPE Profesorul Alexandru Vie, memtbrecorespondent al Academniei Romane la 75 de inunnmnnennnennnnne 235 Profisorul Alexandru Vale — Memtbru de onoare al rsitutul de Arheoloie dt i eenennennennee 228 DAN GH. TEODOR Moment aoniversaive le professeur Dart Gh. Te0d0r 8 70S eeeeeeeneen een au ALEXANDRU ZUB Ad Ret OF Arshistorie: Alexandru Zub la Laudatio Magistuli Alexandr Ztbcntonnennenntenininntn 2DEMIR DRAGNEV Profsoral Demir Dragner, membru coresponent al Acadete’ de Stine dix Moldova, la 70 de atin VIRGIL MIHAILESCU-BIRLIBA Virgil Mihiksce Biriba at an arniversary moment of mark MARCEL POPA Unmareeditr al cri deistrie: Marcel Popa 65 heen 235 NICOLAE URSULESCU Reflexion sur ut OY een Gnduri tao aniversare:Prfeorul Nicolae Ursukscu Onoud ivestigare a univers tracO-AAC een RADU HARHOIU Ipostazd aniversard / Hypostase anniversaire: Radu Harhoiu. ION TURCANU- noua prospctaresntetictaistoveromdnotea IONEL CANDEA, 74 Prof ce lonel Cine eprezetantproeminent al nied rOM Sl een 278 recut medieval al Briel intro noua abordare 28 GHEORGHE POSTICA Ossintezi de indubitabila relevatfinnmmnnniionininainnniniioniniiontiniinieninniinnninin ven DSS Cuwént inainte, PERSONALITATI ALE ISTORIOGRAFIEI UNIVERSALE SERGEI G. KLYASHTORNY] Sergei Klyashtorny~ Frm interpretations of Turkic rnc inscriptions to great sythetic writings on Eurasian peoples, FREDERICK KELLOGG Avatarwvle dobindiiindependenfei Romaniei in prospectare america 296 PETER B. GOLDEN A gaan of Eurasian: Oriental studies: Peter B, GOld een jot HEIKO STEUER Heiko Steuer a exceptional academic pursuit PETER SCHREINER Peter Schreiner —cine emblematische Persinlichkeit der Weltbyzantinistik. Cnerrea ttl de Doctor Honoris Causa proesonuli Petr Shiner YU TAISHAN Anoutstanding representative of Chinese historiography: YU Tht nnn 39 CHARLES J. HALPERIN a WARREN TREADGOLD.. Bicatnsica americana pe figasul marioriplitiismeemnenoem enn RFMICHEL KAZANSKI ‘Michel Kazanski— un inestigatew visé de 'paque des Graves Migr tite WALTER POHL Erudition and sagaity: Walter Poll GRZEGORZ JAWOR Jes Valachicursinprospectara a Jus Vaccum dans a recherche de Gregor 000 anne FLORIN CURTA Florin Crt afl balance betwcenthe archacolagy an the history ofthe great gato nee 349 Petrepteleconsarivi pe plan international Flori Cut Qe eee 2 SEBASTIAN BRATHER Sebastian Brathe: Ein lingender Name in der europtischen Ar Og. ener 8 OLIVER JENS SCHMITT Lavaler att pointe nonnbre des aes: Oliver fers Schmit 361 ACTE OFICIALE $I CORESPONDENTA PRIVATA. NICOLAE IORGA... BASIL MUNTEANU.. GHEORGHE I. BRATIANU, DAVID PRODAN, PETRE §. NASTUREL, SERBAN PAPACOSTEA. LEONID BOICU, DAN GH. TEODO) ALEXANDRU ZUB. VIRGIL MIHAILESCU-BIRLIBA. ‘MARCEL POPA., NICOLAE URSULESCI RADU HARHOIU., TONEL CANDEA. PETER B. GOLDEN, FLORIN CURTA, FOTOGRAFIL..CUVANT INAINTE Fiind absorbit de fenomenele specifice epocii migratiilor tarzii si evului mediu din sud-estul Europei — care prezentau pregnante lacune in sfera cunoasterii-, in primii ani de activitate am ignorat cvasitotal problemele aferente istoriografiei. Fara si devina vreodata Pprecumpanitoare, acestea au intrat treptat i intrucatva firesc in orbita preocuparilor. Pe de © parte, am fost condus de veneratia fati Nicolae lorga si Gheorghe 1. Britianu, simfind imboldul de ami asuma responsabilititi pentru scoate din conul de umbra opere stralucitoare ca erudiie si abilitate interpretativa, de creativitatea marilor predecesori, precum printro ingrijits reeditare a acestora. Pe de alt parte, am considerat oportun sa formulez consideratii punctuale asupra aportului stiintific al catorva reputati istorici si arheologi ~ romani si straini -, prilejuite de traversarea unor marcante segmente biografice, de semnalarea anumitor semnificative impliniri profesionale sau de prefaarea citorva volume ‘omagiale dedicate colegilor cu relevante merite. Demersurile in directiasferelor istoriografice mi-au fost stimulate de reusitele realizari datorate unor colegi din diferite centre din fara, dar si de luxurianta literaturi consacrata unor personalitifi marcante ale scrisuluiistoric, innoitori ai domeniului. Prezentul opus inminuncheazi selectiv mai multe studii, medalioane si note, publicate in volume sau periodice in romaneste sau in limbi de circulatie internafionala. Elaborate din ratiuni si in imprejurari diverse, materialele inserate in volum nu beneficiazi in mod constant de unitate conceptual. Unele dintre ele vizeaza activitatea de ansamblu a unor personalitati stiintifice, altele se limiteazi la definirea importantei unor opere reprezentative. Exist totusi intre respectivele materiale un liant, in sensul ci vizeazi somititi stiintfice consacrate pe plan national si international. In cele mai multe dintre ele sunt oferite repere biografice asupra reprezentantilor cinului istoric avuti in vedere, porninduse de la preceptul, acceptat axiomatic de specialisti, a interdependentei intre traiectoria existentiali a autorilor si geneza operei lor. Reeditarea medalioanelor si studiilor am considerat-o oportuna, pentru c’, in multe cazuri, ele au apirut initial in publicatii fird o distribuire corespunzitoare pe piata cirtii — precaritate deja cunoscut’ si blamati in medille intelectuale, dar, din pacate, neremediat’ -, astfel ca au dispus de accesibilitate limitata. Din prezentarea valenfelor personalititilor evocate reies direct sau indirect optiunile noastre pentru tratarea temelor de istorie. in acest sens, ne-am exprimat constant aprecierea pentru operele insumand un mare efort de documentare, prin utilizarea unor surse cat mai variate — atheologice, narative, numismatice etc. -, prospectate dintr-o perspectiva interdisciplinar’, cu ascutit discernimant critic, in consonanti cu traseele interpretative moderne. In pofida verdictelor anatemizante in raport cu metodologia povitivista, considerim ca stabilirea datelor de amanunt privind evolutia colectivitatilorumane nu trebuie neglijati sau abandonati, mai cu seam’ in arealurile geografice unde arsenalul documentar este sirsicicios si echivoc si doar un spor consistent de informatii ar fi {in masura si solidifice si si nuanfeze aprecierile concluzive. Fara o astfel de temelie ferma nici o constructie interpretativa nu are sansa de a rimane viabila si peremptorie. Nu mai putin important este faptul ca reconstituirea timpurilor trecute si se realizeze prin propriile lor elemente, virtuozitatea specialistului autentic constind din penetrarea in atmosfera mentali a epocii. Pledoaria legati de sporirea esafodajului documentar a fost, de altfel, asumata si de exponentii unor curente istoriografice active la un moment dat in Occident cu citeva decenii in urmi, care preconizau idealul unei asa-numite ,istorii totale”, capabile, in conceptia lor, de a reuni si prezenta imensitatea vestigiilor recuperate si colationate. Desigur ci o asemenea ambitie este cu totul iluzorie, cici o cuantificare cit de cat coerenti a oricirui angrenaj infinit de fapte rimane neproductiv, fiind de natura si genereze haos, in conditiile imposibilitatii perceperii elementelor esentiale din puzderia datelor mai mult sau ‘mai putin semnificative. Eforturile constante de prospectare analitic’ a structurilor esentiale ale societatilor revolute nu trebuie evident sa rman un scop in sine si un punct fermrinus al demersurilor stiintifice, Realititile regionale nu vor dobandi niciodati relevant daci nu vor fi juxtapuse ansamblurilor continentale sau mondiale ale devenirii istorice, intrucat nici o societate nua avut pe termen lung o evolutie strict autarhici si omogen’, ci a suportat inraurirea grupurilor invecinate. In egala masura, judecatile concluzive vor dobandi consistenta printro extindere a orizontului cunoasterii atit pe plan sincronic cat si pe cel diacronic. In stiinta contemporana se inregistreazi adesea pledoarii persuasive in sensul primordialitatii orizonturilor teoretice in raport cu expunerea factologic’, ceea ce Presupune o ascendenta a factorului metodologic in abordarea problematicii evolutiei societatilor umane. In realitate insi, este necesar si existe un echilibru intre prezentarea evenimentelor si teoretizirile metodologice, cele dou’ aspecte fiind complementare si nu antinomice. In alti ordine de idei, ambele aspecte sunt expuse disfunctionalitatilor: pe de o parte conformismul, sterilitatea si manierismul, iar pe de alta parte retorica searbada si acrobatiile stilistice. Cititorul care va avea rigazul si ribdarea de a ne parcurge textele va observa probabil, in cazul celor dedicate istoricilor romani, notificirile privind atitudinea lor etic’ in perioada regimului comunist. Din pacate, pe Lingi exemplele luminoase avute in vedere in textele din volum, au existat numeroase cazuri de pervertire a deontologiei profesionale, unii istorici— cedand in fata tracasarilor la care au fost supusi din partea serviciilor represive sia oficinelor propagandiste ale puterii -, si-au calcat pe constiinfa in schimbul avantajelor materiale, fiind recompensati prin propulsarea in pozitii administrative privilegiate, cu remunerarea corespunzitoare. Una din urmirile nocive ale acestei situatii a fost decredibilizarea istoriografiei nationale pe plan extern, in conditiile in care multe din valorile stiintifice autentice au fost obstructionate si se exprime la potentialul lor real si li s- au limitat drastic contactele cu mediile savante de dincolo de fruntariile farii, Pare 10paradoxal, dar totusi este real, cX diversi fosti sustinitori zelosi ai ideologiei defunctelor regimuri de o parte si de alta a Prutului sau cameleonizat peste noapte in campioni ai vederilor democratice si nu ezita s ofere cu nonsalanfa lectii de patriotism grandilocvent, mai ales ci nu si-au pierdut statutul social privilegiat, profitind de duplicitatea noilor guvernanti si de ignoranfa sau naivitatea confratilor. Dezavuand aceste reprobabile realititi, am considerat drept o datorie si subliniem atitudinea acelor istorici, care, cu riscul ostracizirii si a marginalizarii, au pistrat ou obstinatie normele deontologiei profesionale, nu s-au aliniat la preceptele doctrinare marxistleniniste si au repudiat excesele ultranationaliste, sovine si xenofobe. In chip firesc, ne-am exprimat respectul fata de acei reprezentanti ai intelectualitatii care stau mentinut demnitatea si intransigenta in vremuri de restriste, unii dintre acestia plitindw-si fermitatea cu pretul vieti, precum Gheorghe 1. Britianu, altii cu incarcerarea (Serban Papacostea, Alexandru Zub) sau exilul (Basil Munteanu, Petre §. Nasturel, Dinu C. Giurescu). Meritorie a fost si pozitia istoricilor din Basarabia (Demir Dragnev, Gheorghe Postica, lon ‘Turcanu), care, inc& inainte de desprinderea Republicii Moldova din Uniunea Sovietica, au incercat, pe cat le-a fost posibil, sa se opuna ingerintelor extrastiintifice in scrisul istoric si au actionat in spiritul pistrarii spiritului national, amenintat de pervertirea ideologici si de rusificare. In grupajul dedicat unor personalitati de frunte ale istoriografiei mondiale au fost incluse cateva prezentari ale unor Iucrari de referinfi putand semnatura lui Florin Curta, Grzegorz Jawor, Frederick Kellog si Warren Treadgold, cu referiti biografice de rigoare, precum si medalioanele consacrate istoricilor cirora li sau publicat sau republicat studiile in seria Florilegium magistrorum historiae archaeologiaeque Antiquitatis et Medii Aevi, pe care ‘© coordonez impreun’ cu colegul Ionel Candea, directorul Muzeului Brailei. Cu toati notorietatea lor in lumea savant’, multe din detaliile ascensiunii lor profesionale nu fusesera mediatizate in mod corespunzator. In contradictie cu anumite opinii colportate in cercurile stiintifice, volumele din seria amintit’ nu au fost destinate in nici un caz numai specialistilor din Roménia si Republica Moldova, chiar daci acolo dotarea cu carte de valoare a bibliotecilor publice este in general precar’. Ambitiile coordonatorilor seriei au fost mult mai mari, vizand anturaje intelectuale disipate pe mai multe continente. Am considerat util si insotim textele din volum cu un grupaj amplu de documente privind istoricii avuti in vedere in medalioane, compuse prioritar din acte (scrisori, adrese oficiale, etc.) selectate din athive publice si din colectii private, acestea din urma puse dispozitie de destinatari. Optiunea de a edita documente oficiale si scrisori private reprezint’ o reiterare a initiativei aplicate int-un precedent volum reunind articole cu profil istoriografic ~ Reprezentanti de seam ai istoriografiei si filologiei rominesti si universale -, tiparit cu aproape dou’ decenii in urma la Editura Istros a Muzeului Briilei, iar ecourile ozitive venite din partea colegilor de breasla m-au determinat sa reiau procedeul. Materialele respective reflect diverse secvente biografice aferente emifitorilor gi receptorilor lor. Ele sunt de largi diversitate tematic’, fiind in conexiune cu activiti profesionale si birocratice, astfel ci oglindesc natura raporturilor cu alti colegi, cu institutii ude resort, cu organisme publice. Totodata, dezvaluie trairi si sensibilitati personale, detalii asupra vietii familiale, proiecteaza realitati institutionale si private. Astfel, figuri emblematice ale stiintei istorice devin accesibile nu numai prin prisma operei lor, ci si prin intermediul documentelor cu circuit inchis, in care ele sunt uneori depotentate de aura savant si apar intro posturi neconventionala de viat’ cotidian’. Toate aceste materiale au ‘menirea si intregeasci efigia personalititilor si si proiecteze detalii asupra anturajului lor. Spre a nu fi suspectat de orgoliu, neam ferit si includem propria corespondenti personala avuti cu cele mai multe persoane asupra cirora ne-am focalizat atentia, cu toate ci aceasta este extrem de bogati si sugestiv’. Am comis doar o singuri exceptie, reproducand o parte din mesajele primite prin intermediul postei electronice evident cu acordul expeditorului— de la profesorul Peter B. Golden, pentru c’ ele surprind interesante dezviluiri personale. Cea de. treia secventi a volumului consti din fotografi ale istoricilor de care neam ‘ocupat ~ singuri sau in compania unor colegi de breasla sau cu diferite personalitati-, care cu foarte putine exceptii sunt inedite. Publicarea lor este meniti si dea posibilitate generatiilor mai tinere de istorici si vizualizeze imaginea unor reprezentanti de seami ai istoriografiei romanesti si strine, iar celor redati in fotografii si le trezeasci, de ce nu ! sentimente nostalgice pentru vremuti ireversibile. Pentru punerea la dispozitie a materialelor din colectiile publice sau personale (scrisori, acte, adrese oficiale, etc.) sia fotografiilor, ca si pentru permisiunea de a le publica, datorim calde multumiti mai multor colegi si prieteni: Arcadie Bodale, Sebastian Brather, Joan Caprosu, Ionel Candea, Florin Curta, Laura Carmen Cutitaru, Demir Dragnev, Peter B. Golden, Radu Harhoiu, Grzegorz Jawor, Michel Kazanski, Valeriu Leahu, Virgil Mihailescu-Birliba, Serban Papacostea, Andrei Pippidi, Walter Pohl, Marcel Popa, Gheorghe Posticd, Dorina Rusu, Heiko Steuer, Dan Gh. Teodor, Petre Turlea, Nicolae Ursulescu, Dumitru Vitcu, Alexandru Zub, Pentru pregitirea volumului pentru tipar, in afara de colegul dr. Catalin Hriban de la Institutul de Arheologie al Filialei lagi a Academiei — ciruia ia incumbat calitatea de editor al lucraitii, cu cortegiul de responsabilititi ce decurg din aceasti posturi deloc facili -, un ajutor consistent pentru colationarea unor texte Lam primit de la Cristian Ichim (Institutul de Arheologie al Filialei Iasi a Academiei) si, ca in nenumirate alte ocazii, marturisite discret sau nemarturisite, de la Michaela Spinei. Autorul volumului fi este, de asemenea, indatorat lui Constantin-Emil Ursu, director general al Muzeului Bucovinei din Suceava, pentru asumarea tipariri sale in cadrul Editurii Karl A. Romstorfer, al cirei nivel calitativ a dobandit respectabilitate. 2FOREWORD At the beginning of my career, as I was mainly concerned with phenomena specific to the period of late migrations and to the medieval times of Southeast Europe ~ a field with striking gaps in the sphere of knowledge -, | almost totally ignored of historiographical problems. The latter, without becoming dominant, gradually - and somehow naturally — became part of my preoccupations. On the one hand, I had deep respect for the creativity of great predecessors such as N. lorga and G. I. Britianu, and I felt it to be my responsibility to ensure careful re-publication of their brilliant works, which reflected great erudition and interpretative capacity. On the other hand, I found it fit to formulate punctual considerations on the scientific contributions of several reputed Romanian and foreign historians and archaeologists, by pointing out certain notable biographical moments and remarkable manifestations of professional performance or by prefacing some volumes that ‘were meant to pay homage to colleagues with relevant merits. My undertakings in the direction of the historiographical field were stimulated by the achievements of certain Romanian colleagues in various centres, as well as by the abundant literature dedicated to outstanding pathfinders in historiography. ‘The present volume stands for a selection of several studies, notes and articles of homage that were published in volumes or journals. As they were written for diverse reasons and under diverse circumstances, the materials included in this volume do not all appear conceptually unitary. Some of them focus on the whole careers of various academic personalities, whereas others are confined to representative works. Nevertheless, there is a binding element, namely the fact that they all refer to persons of renown, both national and international. Most materials provide biographical details regarding the personalities taken into consideration, the basic precept, axiomatically observed by specialists, being the one of interdependence between the authors’ existential trajectories and the genesis of their works, In republishing the studies and the articles of homage I took into consideration that many of them were originally issued in publications of reduced accessibility, due to unsuitable distribution — a well-known shortcoming that has been blamed, to no avail, by intellectual circles. Out of the presentation of the evoked personalities there ensues, directly or indirectly, my own kind of approach to historical issues. In that respect, I have constantly expressed my appreciation of works that reflect great efforts in documentation and in turning to good account sources as diverse as possible — archaeological, narrative, numismatic, etc. I also have much respect for approaches that reflect interdisciplinary perspectives and critical sense, in agreement with modern manners of interpretation. For all anathemizing verdicts against positivist methodology, I consider that minute organization of data that regard evolution of human communities should not be neglected ‘or abandoned, especially in areas where the amount of data is limited and ambiguous, Btherefore only a significant increase in information could lead to more solid and accurate conclusions. Without such a firm foundation, no interpretative construction has any chance of remaining valid and unquestionable. Also, the reconstruction of past times should be done by usage of elements specific to those times, the capacity of authentic specialists becoming manifest in their own ways of penetrating into the mentality of the studied epoch. Our plea for an increase in the documentary fabric corresponds, in fact, to the similar ones expressed by representatives of various historiographical trends that were active in the West, at various moments, some decades ago. They all promoted an ideal of a so-called “total history”, which, in their opinion, could unify and present the immense amount of recovered and collated vestiges. No doubt, such an ambition is illusory, since a sufficiently coherent quantification of any infinite amount of facts remains unproductive and it may generate just chaos, under circumstances of impossible selection of essential ‘elements out of the multitude of more orless significant data. Painstaking analytical prospecting of essential structures of past societies should certainly not remain an aim in itself and a terminus point in scientific approaches. Regional realities will never become relevant unless they are referred to continental or worldwide backgrounds, since no society had, over a long period, an evolution that was strictly autarchic and homogenous, but one that received influences from neighbouring groups. To the same extent, conclusive judgement will become more credible by approaches that are both synchronicand diachronic. In today's science there have been persuasive pleas for priority of theoretical outlooks ‘over mere exposition of facts, such a tendency implying priority given to methodology in approaching problems of the evolution of human societies, In reality, however, a balance is necessary between presentation of events and theoretical-methodological interpretation, the two aspects being complementary, not antagonistic. From another perspective, both aspects could be fallacious, due, on the one hand, to conformism, sterility and mannerism, or to stale thetoric and stylistic acrobatics, on the other hand. A reader with sufficient time and patience will probably observe, in the texts dedicated to Romanian historians, our references to their ethical attitudes during the Communist epoch. Unfortunately, besides the positive examples represented by the texts of our volume, there were numerous historians who gave in to the demands of official propaganda and of oppressive institutions; those historians acted contrary to their own, conscience, and they were rewarded by material privileges and by high administrative positions. One of the noxious effects of that situation was that Romanian historiography came to be regarded as no longer trustworthy abroad, while authentic Romanian scientists could have only a very limited number contacts, so their valuable opinions could no longer become known to colleagues of other countries. It may sound paradoxical, but it is a real fact that various former supporters of the previous regimes on both banks of the Prut, proved to be overnight turncoats, as they began to present themselves as champions of democratic principles and to give, nonchalantly, lessons of grandiloquent patriotism, 4‘especially since they have not lost their privileged positions and they have been favoured by the duplicity of new governments and by the ignorance or naivety of their peers. In disavowing the blamable aspects presented above, I considered it to be my duty to point out the attitude of the historians who - by taking the risk of being ostracized and marginalized — stubbornly stuck to the norms of professional deontology and did not comply with the requirements of MarxistLeninist dogmas; at the same time, the same historians rejected excesses of nationalism, chauvinism and xenophobia. Naturally, we expressed our respect for intellectuals who maintained their dignity and intransigence under trying circumstances, some of them even losing their lives, like Gheorghe I. Bratianu, or being imprisoned (Serban Papacostea, Alexandru Zub), or exiled (Basil Munteanu, Petre §. Nasturel, Dinu C. Giurescu). Worthy of mention is also the position of some Bessarabian historians (Demir Dragnev, Gheorghe Postici, Ion Turcanu), who, even before the separation of the Republic of Moldova from the Soviet Union, tried, as much as they could, to oppose the intrusions of extra-scientific factors into the field of history writing and they strove to preserve the national spirit, which was in danger of being Russified and ideologically perverted ‘The series of texts by notable historiographers known worldwide includes, with all necessary biographical information, works by authors such as Florin Curta, Grzegorz. Jawor, Frederick Kellog si Warren Treadgold, as well as articles of homage that refer to historians ‘whose studies have recently been published in the collection Florilegium magistrorum historiae archacologiaeque Antiquitatis et Medi Aevi, which the present author co-ordinates together with Ionel Cindea, curator of the Briila Museum. For all their academic prestige, many details of the careers of the authors taken into consideration have not been properly disseminated so far. In contradiction with certain opinions that circulate in academic circles, the volumes of the abovementioned collection were certainly not addressed only to specialists of Romania and the Republic of Moldova, even if, in the latter case, public libraries generally are in need of valuable books. The co-ordinators of the collection had much higher aims, as they intended to address intellectual circles of several continents. I thought it useful to add, to the texts of the volume proper, a significant number of documents that regard the historians taken into consideration in the articles of homage, the additions being mainly consisting in documents (letters, official documents, etc.) selected from public archives and private collections; the ones who placed such documents at our disposal were the addressees. The option of publishing official documents and private letters represents a reiteration of the initiative applied to a preceding volume that contains historiographical articles, namely Reprezentanti de seam ai istoriografieisifilologiei romanesti si universale (Représentants de prestige de Uhistoriographie et de la philologie roumaine et mondiale), which was published by Istros Publishing House (Braila, 1996) almost two decades ago; it was the positive response I received from my peers that determined me to resume the procedure. ‘The materials under discussion reflect diverse biographical sequences regarding either the senders or the addressees, They represent a large variety of themes and they 1sdirectly refer to professional and official activities; also, they mirror the nature of the relationships with other colleagues, with professional institutions and with public organizations. At the same time, they reveal personal feelings and inclinations, as well as details of family life, and so they appear as projections of both institutional and private realities. Thus, emblematic figures of the science of history become accessible not only by way of their works, but also through the intermediation of close-circuit documents, which often remove the scholarly aura of those figures and make them appear in informal everyday positions. All these materials are meant to complete the efligies of personalities and to reveal details of their backgrounds, In order to prevent any suspicion of selfpride, 1 avoided including my own correspondence with several of the personalities taken into consideration, although that correspondence is extremely rich and suggestive. The only exception is represented by the fact that I included — with the sender's approval — a number of the messages I received by ‘email from Professor Peter B. Golden; those messages were selected because they contain interesting personal disclosures. ‘The third sequence of the volume contains pictures of the presented historians, who appear either as single or in the company of peers or of diverse other personalities. With very few exceptions the pictures have never been published before. The reason for their now publication isto give the younger generations of historians the possibility of visualizing the images of outstanding representatives of Romanian and foreign historiography, and ~ why not - also to make the ones represented in the pictures feel nostalgic about times irreversibly past. For the kindness they showed in placing at our disposal a significant amount of materials (letters, documents, administrative acts, as well as pictures from public or personal collections) and also for the permission of publication, we remain grateful to a whole series of colleagues and friends: Arcadie Bodale, Sebastian Brather, loan Caprosu, Jonel Candea, Florin Curta, Laura Carmen Cufitaru, Demir Dragnev, Peter B. Golden, Radu Harhoiu, Grzegorz Jawor, Michel Kazanski, Valeriu Leahu, Virgil Mihailescu-Birliba, Serban Papacostea, Andrei Pippidi, Walter Pohl, Marcel Popa, Gheorghe Postici, Dorina Rusu, Heiko Steuer, Dan Gh. Teodor, Petre Turlea, Nicolae Ursulescu, Dumitru Vitcu, Alexandru Zub. For the final preparation of the material for printing, Dr. Catalin Hriban, of the Institute of Archaeology belonging to the asi Branch of the Romanian Academy, acted as editor of the volume — a position that implies a whole series of not so easy tasks. We received significant help — in text collating — from Cristian Ichim, of the same Institute of Archaeology in lagi, and, as on numberless previous occasions (some declared, others only discreetly avowed), from Michaela Spinei. The author's thanks also go to Constantin-Emil Ursu, curator of the Bucovina Museum in Suceava, who shouldered the responsibility of printing the volume at Karl A. Romstorfer Publishing House, which has gained respectability for its high qualitative level (‘Translated by Adrian PORUCIUC) 16