Romanian Students from Turda in Vienna during the modern era
(1781-1918)

Abstract:

The content of this article can be framed in cultural history and contains a presentation of Romanian students from Turda, who studied at Vienna until 1918. The universitary registry books record nine Romanian students from Turda at Vienna. The great majority of them (six) opted for the University of Vienna, two of them chose to study engineering at the Polytechnic Institute and one of them studied at the Export Academy. The first two Romanian students from this town, namely Iosif Pop Sălăgianul and Baziliu Raţiu were notable personalities of the Greek-Catholic Church. The most important Romanian student from Turda was, in our opinion, Ioan Raţiu (1828-1902), one of the leaders of the national movement of the Romanians in Transylvania. Another import student was Grigore Săndeanu doctor in Baia Sprie, one the most important mining center in Maramureş County. Almost all Romanian students from Turda were Greek-Catholic. This proportion confirms the reality that the Romanian intelligentsia in Turda, used to have a major Greek-Catholic component demonstrating the dynamism and vigor of this community of faith in the town on the Arieş river. Through its students, Turda was connected with the European ideas of the time.

Keywords:

Turda, Vienna, student, Raţiu family, university