Books by Daniel Dumitran
Histories Written in Stone: Research, Conservation and Restoration at the Jewish Cemetery of Alba Iulia, 2024
Result of the project CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION OF THE MONUMENTAL FUNERARY STONES IN THE JEWIS... more Result of the project CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION OF THE MONUMENTAL FUNERARY STONES IN THE JEWISH CEMETERY IN ALBA IULIA, ROMANIA, financed by the US Embassy in Romania and implemented by the National Museum of Union Alba Iulia, this volume
is also a review of the research, conservation and restoration works carried out in the last decade at the Jewish cemetery from Alba Iulia, a site that perfectly meets the criteria to be included among monuments, and heritage sites of Romania. It appears ten years after the publication of a first catalogue of the monuments from the oldest sector of the cemetery, in the foreword of which the authors expressed their wish of deciphering and publishing the inscriptions from the tombstones.
The ten conservation and restoration camps organised since 2014, within the partnership between the Jewish Community of Alba Iulia, the Department of History, Archaeology and Museology of 1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba Iulia and S.C. Stoneart SRL company (subsequently S.C.
Metamorfozys SRL), namely the National Museum of Union Alba Iulia, also made possible the epigraphic valorisation of these monuments. As a result, the volume reflects both the dimension of historical and linguistic research of funerary monuments, as well as that of their inventorying, conservation and restoration, without which research would not have been made possible. The second dimension is detailed by presentation of methods of digital documentation and preservation used and exemplified by phases of interventions applied to funerary monuments from the oldest sector of the cemetery. Due to their great number (more than 900 stones and fragments of funerary stones, according topographic inventory carried out in 2014), it was necessary a selection, illustrated by the more than 100 funerary monuments retained in the catalogue from this volume.
One of the selection criteria for funerary pieces was related to the state of preservation of the lithic monuments. One of the primary objectives was to secure as long as possible the funerary monuments, so that their poor state of preservation prevailed when choosing the monuments. There
were selected pieces from the old area of the historical sector of the cemetery, development over the years has evened out this side of the cemetery, giving its current appearance. Without urgent interventions
for the conservation and restoration of lithic cultural assets, this forgotten heritage would have been lost.
Dimension of research, carried out until now based on documentary sources, acquires depth and certitude by the possibility of valorising information offered by the epigraphic study, which may be
correlated with the major trends of development of art and funerary architecture. The selection of funerary pieces for the catalogue from this volume was also made according to their typological, epigraphic and artistic significance, in conformity with a model of investigation that three of the authors of this volume detailed in a recently appeared article, also including texts of other inscriptions that are not found in this catalogue.
The catalogue includes 111 funerary stones from the old sector of the cemetery, for which are presented the initial photographs, made during inventory, and those current, subsequent to interventions of conservation and/or restoration. The texts of inscriptions are rendered in line with norms used in editions of this type, in Jewish alphabet and in transliteration with Latin characters, to which English translation is added. All inscriptions are accompanied by editors’ notes, related to linguistic particularities and meaning of terms from published texts.
Conservation and restoration interventions on cultural objects also had another purpose, being useful also for educational pursuits, to instruct the participants in the valuable domain of stone restoration and to make them aware and involved in preservation of this type of heritage. Therefore, we would like to express our gratitude to successive classes of students who worked in the restoration camp at the Jewish cemetery from Alba Iulia. We have remembered their names in the annual lists of participants published at the end of the volume. Among them, are also volunteers, in ever growing numbers, as the project and its impact gained wider recognition; these were recruited from among specialists interested in perfecting their skills in this area, but also, more recently, from among students interested in knowing about heritage. Hoping that we have not forgotten anybody, we convey our gratitude to everybody.
Annales Universitatis Apulensis Series Historica, 2022
Thematic Issue of the review Annales Universitatis Apulensis Series Historica
Annales Universitatis Apulensis Series Historica, 2021
Thematic issue of the review Annales Universitatis Apulensis Series Historica
Annales Universitatis Apulensis Series Historica 24, I, 2020
Manole Brihuneț, Cimitirele ortodoxe din Republica Moldova. Istorie-Arhitectură-Sculptură (secolu... more Manole Brihuneț, Cimitirele ortodoxe din Republica Moldova. Istorie-Arhitectură-Sculptură (secolul al XVIII-lea-prima jumătate a secolului al XIX-lea (Cartdidact: Chișinău, 2019) (SIDONIA-PETRONELA OLEA) OBITUARY
Catalog al expoziției vernisate în 3 octombrie 2019, 2019
Annales Universitatis Apulensis Series Historica, 2018
Septimiu-Ovidiu Dumitran Proofreading: Ginevra House Cover image: The northern side of Trandafiri... more Septimiu-Ovidiu Dumitran Proofreading: Ginevra House Cover image: The northern side of Trandafirilor Square from
Situaţia patrimoniului arhitectural într-o comunitate multietnică: Alba Iulia DANIEL DUMITRAN ANA... more Situaţia patrimoniului arhitectural într-o comunitate multietnică: Alba Iulia DANIEL DUMITRAN ANA DUMITRAN, VALER MOGA Editura Altip Alba Iulia, 2013 Volum apărut cu sprijinul CONSILIULUI JUDEŢEAN ALBA, în cadrul proiectului PATRIMONIUL DE ACASĂ -PATRIMONIU ŞI EDUCAŢIE. coperta: LUCIAN CRAIU Creative Digital Design www.cdds.ro tehnoredactare: ANA DUMITRAN Descrierea CIP a Bibliotecii Naţionale a României DUMITRAN, DANIEL Mărturii tăcute : situația patrimoniului arhitectural într-o comunitate multietnică : Alba Iulia / Daniel Dumitran, Ana Dumitran, Valer Moga. -Alba Iulia : Altip, 2013 Bibliogr. ISBN 978-973-117-460-0 I. Dumitran, Ana II. Moga, Valer 72(498 Alba Iulia) © autorii
This volume was supported by CNCSIS -UEFISCDI, project number PNII -IDEI 65/2008, contract number... more This volume was supported by CNCSIS -UEFISCDI, project number PNII -IDEI 65/2008, contract number 832/2009, entitled: Etatism and religious diversity in a multicultural area. The policy of religious tolerance in Transylvania, during the reign of Joseph II. © Daniel Dumitran, 2012 Editura MEGA Cluj-Napoca E-mail: [email protected] www.edituramega.ro CUVÂNT ÎNAINTE "Legea e încă nouă şi e nouă toată rânduiala, nu e de mirare că oamenii o înţeleg pe dos." Mór Jókai, Crăişorii, Bucureşti, 1955, p. 179.
Papers by Daniel Dumitran
Museikon. A Journal of Religious Art and Culture / Revue d'art et de culture religieuse, 2023
Les cimetières juifs constituent une source précieuse d'informations sur l'évolution des communau... more Les cimetières juifs constituent une source précieuse d'informations sur l'évolution des communautés auxquelles ils ont appartenu, sur leur orientation rituelle par rapport aux courants du judaïsme traditionnel ou moderne, et sur les interférences entre juifs et chrétiens, en particulier lorsque l'enquête porte sur l'art funéraire et la structure des épitaphes. L'exemple du cimetière juif d'Alba Iulia appartient à la deuxième catégorie, puisqu'il s'agit d'une communauté dotée d'une tradition remarquable, qui a également influencé son adhésion à l'orientation orthodoxe, mais qui a reçu au fil du temps des influences de type réformiste, qui ont conduit à des attitudes plus ouvertes à l'égard des nouvelles idées. C'est pourquoi la perspective historique de la première partie de l'étude, qui s'appuie sur les sources documentaires les plus importantes identifiées (plans du cimetière et ancien registre des sépultures établi en plusieurs étapes par la communauté), analyse les tendances dans l'évolution de la communauté et les changements dans la structure des épitaphes ou le type de monuments funéraires à la fin du xix e siècle. En revanche, les analyses épigraphiques et artistiques, stylistiques et typologiques des deux autres parties de l'article, sont plus strictement circonscrites, pour être convaincantes, et se réfèrent à une sélection de pierres tombales datant du xviii e siècle et de la première moitié du xix e siècle. La différence typologique et stylistique entre les monuments du xviii e siècle, pour lesquels on peut noter des similitudes avec les pierres tombales d'autres cimetières européens inventoriés (et au moins une partie de ceux du xix e siècle), est évidente. Des formes clairement baroques caractérisent certains monuments édifiés vers le milieu du xix e siècle, tandis que des formes néogothiques caractérisent la fin du xix e siècle, ce qui témoigne de retards importants dans leur réception. Le contenu des inscriptions a également changé au cours de la deuxième période, reflétant une plus grande sensibilité dans le cas des épitaphes dédiées aux enfants décédés, ce qui est également corroboré par la délicatesse des symboles accompagnant le texte. Le but de l'article est de mettre en évidence le degré d'orthodoxie dans l'orientation rituelle de la communauté à travers une analyse épigraphique et stylistique. La réponse à cette question est affirmative si l'on considère la période historique d'environ deux siècles et demi qui va de l'établissement de la communauté jusqu'à la fin du xix e siècle. Cependant, au cours des dernières décennies de ce siècle, des éléments sont apparus qui annonçaient une diversification des orientations, comme le montre le profil des monuments funéraires placés pendant cette période dans le secteur historique du cimetière et les profils d'autres secteurs. mots-clés: Alba Iulia ; cimetières juifs ; épitaphes ; linguistique ; typologie et stylistique.
Museikon, 2023
Les cimetières juifs constituent une source précieuse d'informations sur l'évolution des communau... more Les cimetières juifs constituent une source précieuse d'informations sur l'évolution des communautés auxquelles ils ont appartenu, sur leur orientation rituelle par rapport aux courants du judaïsme traditionnel ou moderne, et sur les interférences entre juifs et chrétiens, en particulier lorsque l'enquête porte sur l'art funéraire et la structure des épitaphes. L'exemple du cimetière juif d'Alba Iulia appartient à la deuxième catégorie, puisqu'il s'agit d'une communauté dotée d'une tradition remarquable, qui a également influencé son adhésion à l'orientation orthodoxe, mais qui a reçu au fil du temps des influences de type réformiste, qui ont conduit à des attitudes plus ouvertes à l'égard des nouvelles idées. C'est pourquoi la perspective historique de la première partie de l'étude, qui s'appuie sur les sources documentaires les plus importantes identifiées (plans du cimetière et ancien registre des sépultures établi en plusieurs étapes par la communauté), analyse les tendances dans l'évolution de la communauté et les changements dans la structure des épitaphes ou le type de monuments funéraires à la fin du xix e siècle. En revanche, les analyses épigraphiques et artistiques, stylistiques et typologiques des deux autres parties de l'article, sont plus strictement circonscrites, pour être convaincantes, et se réfèrent à une sélection de pierres tombales datant du xviii e siècle et de la première moitié du xix e siècle. La différence typologique et stylistique entre les monuments du xviii e siècle, pour lesquels on peut noter des similitudes avec les pierres tombales d'autres cimetières européens inventoriés (et au moins une partie de ceux du xix e siècle), est évidente. Des formes clairement baroques caractérisent certains monuments édifiés vers le milieu du xix e siècle, tandis que des formes néogothiques caractérisent la fin du xix e siècle, ce qui témoigne de retards importants dans leur réception. Le contenu des inscriptions a également changé au cours de la deuxième période, reflétant une plus grande sensibilité dans le cas des épitaphes dédiées aux enfants décédés, ce qui est également corroboré par la délicatesse des symboles accompagnant le texte. Le but de l'article est de mettre en évidence le degré d'orthodoxie dans l'orientation rituelle de la communauté à travers une analyse épigraphique et stylistique. La réponse à cette question est affirmative si l'on considère la période historique d'environ deux siècles et demi qui va de l'établissement de la communauté jusqu'à la fin du xix e siècle. Cependant, au cours des dernières décennies de ce siècle, des éléments sont apparus qui annonçaient une diversification des orientations, comme le montre le profil des monuments funéraires placés pendant cette période dans le secteur historique du cimetière et les profils d'autres secteurs. mots-clés: Alba Iulia ; cimetières juifs ; épitaphes ; linguistique ; typologie et stylistique.
Journal of Religion in Europe, 2023
The analysis dedicated to the history of Transylvanian Jews follows their communities’ evolution ... more The analysis dedicated to the history of Transylvanian Jews follows their communities’ evolution in a regional context, from the perspective of integration projects, through the policy of tolerance and civil equality recognition, to see whether the tendencies characteristic of Central Europe, and especially Hungary, were relevant for them. The
investigation refers to the last quarter of the eighteenth century and the first half of the nineteenth century, defined by significant evolutions of demographics and legal status of the Jews. The research conclusions underline the integration of Transylvanian Jews in the Central European cultural area, with differences between the communities
determined by their religious orientation.
Annales Universitatis Apulensis Series Historica, 2022
In the historiography of education, in-depth analyses dedicated to the catalogues of book collect... more In the historiography of education, in-depth analyses dedicated to the catalogues of book collections and libraries constitute a distinct research direction. Starting from these precedents, this research approaches a source very little capitalised upon ad integrum until now, namely, the second manuscript inventory of the library of the Greek-Catholic Seminary in Blaj, probably written in the first third of the nineteenth century. It offers an opportunity to become acquainted with the works available to the teachers and students of this school, as well as providing insight into the denominational and cultural orientations that characterised ecclesiastical education in Blaj at the time of the establishment of the Episcopal Lyceum. The work concentrates on investigating the main sections of the inventory (biblical editions and commentaries, homiletics, ecclesiastical history, canon law, liturgical book, patristics, theological literature), which contain detailed descriptions of the books held there at the time in Latin, Greek, Romanian and other languages, as well as older books in Slavonic and the manuscripts kept in the library. Attention is paid to the students’ training, which was based on the tradition of preserving the Eastern rite on the one hand, and a the tendency to professionalise theological education by appealing to the models of the Western speciality literature on the other.
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Books by Daniel Dumitran
is also a review of the research, conservation and restoration works carried out in the last decade at the Jewish cemetery from Alba Iulia, a site that perfectly meets the criteria to be included among monuments, and heritage sites of Romania. It appears ten years after the publication of a first catalogue of the monuments from the oldest sector of the cemetery, in the foreword of which the authors expressed their wish of deciphering and publishing the inscriptions from the tombstones.
The ten conservation and restoration camps organised since 2014, within the partnership between the Jewish Community of Alba Iulia, the Department of History, Archaeology and Museology of 1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba Iulia and S.C. Stoneart SRL company (subsequently S.C.
Metamorfozys SRL), namely the National Museum of Union Alba Iulia, also made possible the epigraphic valorisation of these monuments. As a result, the volume reflects both the dimension of historical and linguistic research of funerary monuments, as well as that of their inventorying, conservation and restoration, without which research would not have been made possible. The second dimension is detailed by presentation of methods of digital documentation and preservation used and exemplified by phases of interventions applied to funerary monuments from the oldest sector of the cemetery. Due to their great number (more than 900 stones and fragments of funerary stones, according topographic inventory carried out in 2014), it was necessary a selection, illustrated by the more than 100 funerary monuments retained in the catalogue from this volume.
One of the selection criteria for funerary pieces was related to the state of preservation of the lithic monuments. One of the primary objectives was to secure as long as possible the funerary monuments, so that their poor state of preservation prevailed when choosing the monuments. There
were selected pieces from the old area of the historical sector of the cemetery, development over the years has evened out this side of the cemetery, giving its current appearance. Without urgent interventions
for the conservation and restoration of lithic cultural assets, this forgotten heritage would have been lost.
Dimension of research, carried out until now based on documentary sources, acquires depth and certitude by the possibility of valorising information offered by the epigraphic study, which may be
correlated with the major trends of development of art and funerary architecture. The selection of funerary pieces for the catalogue from this volume was also made according to their typological, epigraphic and artistic significance, in conformity with a model of investigation that three of the authors of this volume detailed in a recently appeared article, also including texts of other inscriptions that are not found in this catalogue.
The catalogue includes 111 funerary stones from the old sector of the cemetery, for which are presented the initial photographs, made during inventory, and those current, subsequent to interventions of conservation and/or restoration. The texts of inscriptions are rendered in line with norms used in editions of this type, in Jewish alphabet and in transliteration with Latin characters, to which English translation is added. All inscriptions are accompanied by editors’ notes, related to linguistic particularities and meaning of terms from published texts.
Conservation and restoration interventions on cultural objects also had another purpose, being useful also for educational pursuits, to instruct the participants in the valuable domain of stone restoration and to make them aware and involved in preservation of this type of heritage. Therefore, we would like to express our gratitude to successive classes of students who worked in the restoration camp at the Jewish cemetery from Alba Iulia. We have remembered their names in the annual lists of participants published at the end of the volume. Among them, are also volunteers, in ever growing numbers, as the project and its impact gained wider recognition; these were recruited from among specialists interested in perfecting their skills in this area, but also, more recently, from among students interested in knowing about heritage. Hoping that we have not forgotten anybody, we convey our gratitude to everybody.
Papers by Daniel Dumitran
investigation refers to the last quarter of the eighteenth century and the first half of the nineteenth century, defined by significant evolutions of demographics and legal status of the Jews. The research conclusions underline the integration of Transylvanian Jews in the Central European cultural area, with differences between the communities
determined by their religious orientation.
is also a review of the research, conservation and restoration works carried out in the last decade at the Jewish cemetery from Alba Iulia, a site that perfectly meets the criteria to be included among monuments, and heritage sites of Romania. It appears ten years after the publication of a first catalogue of the monuments from the oldest sector of the cemetery, in the foreword of which the authors expressed their wish of deciphering and publishing the inscriptions from the tombstones.
The ten conservation and restoration camps organised since 2014, within the partnership between the Jewish Community of Alba Iulia, the Department of History, Archaeology and Museology of 1 Decembrie 1918 University of Alba Iulia and S.C. Stoneart SRL company (subsequently S.C.
Metamorfozys SRL), namely the National Museum of Union Alba Iulia, also made possible the epigraphic valorisation of these monuments. As a result, the volume reflects both the dimension of historical and linguistic research of funerary monuments, as well as that of their inventorying, conservation and restoration, without which research would not have been made possible. The second dimension is detailed by presentation of methods of digital documentation and preservation used and exemplified by phases of interventions applied to funerary monuments from the oldest sector of the cemetery. Due to their great number (more than 900 stones and fragments of funerary stones, according topographic inventory carried out in 2014), it was necessary a selection, illustrated by the more than 100 funerary monuments retained in the catalogue from this volume.
One of the selection criteria for funerary pieces was related to the state of preservation of the lithic monuments. One of the primary objectives was to secure as long as possible the funerary monuments, so that their poor state of preservation prevailed when choosing the monuments. There
were selected pieces from the old area of the historical sector of the cemetery, development over the years has evened out this side of the cemetery, giving its current appearance. Without urgent interventions
for the conservation and restoration of lithic cultural assets, this forgotten heritage would have been lost.
Dimension of research, carried out until now based on documentary sources, acquires depth and certitude by the possibility of valorising information offered by the epigraphic study, which may be
correlated with the major trends of development of art and funerary architecture. The selection of funerary pieces for the catalogue from this volume was also made according to their typological, epigraphic and artistic significance, in conformity with a model of investigation that three of the authors of this volume detailed in a recently appeared article, also including texts of other inscriptions that are not found in this catalogue.
The catalogue includes 111 funerary stones from the old sector of the cemetery, for which are presented the initial photographs, made during inventory, and those current, subsequent to interventions of conservation and/or restoration. The texts of inscriptions are rendered in line with norms used in editions of this type, in Jewish alphabet and in transliteration with Latin characters, to which English translation is added. All inscriptions are accompanied by editors’ notes, related to linguistic particularities and meaning of terms from published texts.
Conservation and restoration interventions on cultural objects also had another purpose, being useful also for educational pursuits, to instruct the participants in the valuable domain of stone restoration and to make them aware and involved in preservation of this type of heritage. Therefore, we would like to express our gratitude to successive classes of students who worked in the restoration camp at the Jewish cemetery from Alba Iulia. We have remembered their names in the annual lists of participants published at the end of the volume. Among them, are also volunteers, in ever growing numbers, as the project and its impact gained wider recognition; these were recruited from among specialists interested in perfecting their skills in this area, but also, more recently, from among students interested in knowing about heritage. Hoping that we have not forgotten anybody, we convey our gratitude to everybody.
investigation refers to the last quarter of the eighteenth century and the first half of the nineteenth century, defined by significant evolutions of demographics and legal status of the Jews. The research conclusions underline the integration of Transylvanian Jews in the Central European cultural area, with differences between the communities
determined by their religious orientation.
The present study addresses three eras of urban project: 1. in the interwar period and during the Second World War, in relation to the construction regulations developed during that period; 2. in the period of “popular power” (1948-1965); and 3. in the first decade of the “Golden Age” (1965-1975). The sources utilized come from the archives of local and regional administrative authorities. The projects mainly focused on the systematization of the “Romans’ Plateau” area, where the collective habitation assemblies built in the post-war period first used the “quartal” model, then the “micro-raion” one, both of Soviet inspiration; and on the “Lower City”, whose reorganization has become stringent since Alba Iulia regained the status of an Alba County habitation in 1968. The investigation stops at the time of the destruction caused by the earthquake on 4 March 1977, which led to a radical restructuring of this area of the town.
Abstract: The research of the urban history in the early modern and modern epoch poses different and interesting problems. Population dynamics can be investigate by using census and other statistical sources, less systematically addressed: military conscriptions tax from the first half of the nineteenth century, which provides the social and economic picture of the population at that time. Less discussed is the issue of the cadastre, based on which we can reconstruct the map of the properties and their evolution in time. Its achievement was the result of actions for surveying the territory of the Habsburg Empire under Emperors Joseph II, Francis II (I) and Francis Joseph I. In the case of Transylvania, the cadaster was conduct only in the context of the third topographic surveys. The study assesses the possibilities for research in these directions, starting from the case of a mid-size city from Transylvania, Alba Iulia. I tried a retrospective analysis, starting from a town planning project from the 40s of the twentieth century. Interestingly as intention, it targeted a radical reorganization of the city, in discontinuity with its previous evolution, and with its evolution during the communist regime. The conclusions are only work hypotheses, because the study is only an outline of a possible research.
The study proposes such an investigation, referring to the development of towns in Transylvania and Hungary, in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Based on essential statistic sources, a typology of towns is realized, adequate to the features of the territory in view. The analysis later concentrates on a case study, the one of Alba Iulia. The situation of the city is traced in the first half of the century, based on the information offered by tax censuses, as prerequisite of elaborated research on its further development. The analysis explores the utility of report to different interpretative models, for outlining the physical and social topography of the city.
from XVIIIth century Transylvania, which we proposed in the first part of this study (based on
cases of the non-Uniates from three localities of the Principality: Braşov/Şcheii Braşovului, Alba
Iulia and Făgăraş), continues here with a more extensive analysis, from territorial and
chronological point of view. Objectives set on that occasion (a new reading of primary sources and
effort for identification of new relevant sources, on the one hand; usage of modern methodology
from the area of ecclesiastic and social history, on the other hand) find obvious justification
through results of this analysis. Consistent documentary sources and secondary bibliography
necessitated a nuanced interpretation and similarly ample, of aspects had in view. Yet their
fragmentation would have impeded providing some pertinent answers.
Structurally the study comprises the following sections that we opted for (investigations
conducted by the authorities of the Principality in 1698-1699; period of bishop Atanasie Anghel;
period of sedes vacantes and of bishop Ioan Patachi; period of Inochentie Micu-Klein’s episcopacy
(until 1744); years 1744-1747, marked by action of monk Visarion Sarai and its consequences) are
not accidental. They were proposed for the final phase of a research project that I collaborated on,
dealing with religious union from Transylvania. Thus, it represents result of a longer reflection and
at the same time of my wish of proposing a coherent interpretation on the subject, based on
available sources at that time. The time span of half of century between the attesting of start of
talks for the religious union of Romanians from Transylvania and that of consequences of the first
major confessional crisis (1697-1747) represents a chronological sequence that can only be
approached integrally. I mainly focused on those sources (investigations and conscriptiones),
either published or unpublished, which may help writing possible social history of the union and
overcoming too persistent confessionalizing interpretations on the subject.
The two documentary sources copied in the annexes are extremely representative examples
on this line. They reflect, at local level (of Sebeş Saxon seat and Alba district, respectively Făgăraş
district), two manners of relating to union of the local elites. Then, I have followed development of
terminology by which were termed in primary sources Orthodox Romanians and their attitude as
for issue of rite. The conclusion that we arrived at is similar to that resulted from the first part of
the study: confessional differentiation is still at the middle of the century an ongoing process, yet
which cannot be interpreted according to one tendency or another; on the contrary, more obvious
is confessional instability (mobility) of the communities, connected with external stimuli that acted
on them. Not in the least this means negation of their fundamental religious sensibility. Yet, this
cannot be debated endlessly in terms of abstract references to notions of “law” and faith, which
194 Daniel Dumitran
cannot lead to valid results. Richness of spiritual life of former believers deserves to be paid a
greater attention, starting from those tokens that reflect it, even diffusely. At the same time, it is in
the historians’ interest to propose nuanced interpretations relevant also from the perspective of the
development along a longer period, until contemporaneity.
At the time, consisting mostly of merchant class, the Greeks were the second largest national group after the Armenians. They had already received the settlement privilege in 1589. They were guaranteed all city rights, including access to the city council and offices, more so than in other cities in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
As Orthodox Christians, they had also formed a separate religious community and obtained permission to build their own church, dedicated to St. Nicholas, next to the market square. The Greeks were also associated with the Zamość Academy. The Greek books were printed at the academic printing house, making it a significant centre of Greek printing in the whole Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. During the meeting, scholars from many countries will present papers on the presence of Greek art and history in many places in Europe.