Ion I. Nistor (August 16, 1876 – November 11, 1962) was a Romanian historian and politician. He was a titular
member of the Romanian Academy from 1915 and a professor at the universities of
Cernăuți
Chernivtsi ( uk, Чернівці́}, ; ro, Cernăuți, ; see also other names) is a city in the historical region of Bukovina, which is now divided along the borders of Romania and Ukraine, including this city, which is situated on the up ...
and
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
, while also serving as Minister of State for
Bukovina, Minister of Public Works, Minister of Labor, and Minister of Religious Affairs and the Arts with a number of governments from 1918 to 1940.
Biography
Early life and education
Nistor was born into a family of peasants in the Bivolărie hamlet of
Vicovu de Sus, Bukovina; in
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
at the time, it is now included in
Suceava County,
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
. He studied at the local school in Vicovu de Sus, then in
Rădăuți
Rădăuți (; german: Radautz; hu, Radóc; pl, Radowce; uk, Радівці, ''Radivtsi''; yi, ראַדעװיץ ''Radevits''; tr, Radoviçe) is a town in Suceava County, north-eastern Romania. It is situated in the historical region of Buko ...
, first at the elementary school and then at the
German High School, getting his ''
Matura
or its translated terms (''Mature'', ''Matur'', , , , , , ) is a Latin name for the secondary school exit exam or "maturity diploma" in various European countries, including Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, C ...
'' in 1897.
He then studied Philosophy and Literature at the
University of Czernowitz
Chernivtsi National University (full name Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University, uk, Чернівецький національний університет імені Юрія Федьковича) is a public university in the City o ...
and between 1898 and 1900, he completed his military service in the
Austro-Hungarian Army
The Austro-Hungarian Army (, literally "Ground Forces of the Austro-Hungarians"; , literally "Imperial and Royal Army") was the ground force of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy from 1867 to 1918. It was composed of three parts: the joint arm ...
, serving in
Polei and in
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
. He graduated from the University in 1902, after which he was named teacher of history and geography at the
Suceava
Suceava () is the largest urban settlement and the seat town ( ro, oraș reședință de județ) of Suceava County, situated in the historical region of Bukovina, northeastern Romania, and at the crossroads of Central and Eastern Europe. Klaus Pet ...
Classic High school. Together with some of his friends, Nistor edited a magazine titled ''Junimea Literară'' between 1904 and 1914, first published in Rădăuți and then in Suceava.
In 1904, Nistor married Virginia Pauliuc, daughter of Gheorghe Pauliuc, a
Romanian Orthodox
The Romanian Orthodox Church (ROC; ro, Biserica Ortodoxă Română, ), or Patriarchate of Romania, is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox Christian churches, and one of the nine patriarchates ...
priest from
Burla; one year later, on July 5, 1905, Oltea, his only child, was born. He then moved to teach at the Orthodox High School, making use of the institution's library, better suited to his studies into the history of
Moldavia
Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic alphabet, Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and for ...
.
In 1908–1909 and 1910–1911, he studied at the
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna (german: Universität Wien) is a public research university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world. With its long and rich hist ...
and completed his
Ph.D.
A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...
under
Konstantin Josef Jireček
The first name Konstantin () is a derivation from the Latin name ''Constantinus'' ( Constantine) in some European languages, such as Russian and German. As a Christian given name, it refers to the memory of the Roman emperor Constantine the Great ...
, with a thesis on ''Moldavia's aspirations regarding
Pokuttya
Pokuttia, also known as Pokuttya or Pokutia ( uk, Покуття, Pokuttya; pl, Pokucie; german: Pokutien; ro, Pocuția), is a historical area of East-Central Europe, situated between the Dniester and Cheremosh rivers and the Carpathian Moun ...
''. After that, he furthered his studies at the Universities of
Munich
Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...
,
Leipzig
Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...
, and
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...
, receiving in 1911 his ''
Docent
The title of docent is conferred by some European universities to denote a specific academic appointment within a set structure of academic ranks at or below the full professor rank, similar to a British readership, a French " ''maître de con ...
'' title and the ''
Venia legendi
Habilitation is the highest university degree, or the procedure by which it is achieved, in many European countries. The candidate fulfills a university's set criteria of excellence in research, teaching and further education, usually including a ...
''; this allowed him to teach at the University of Vienna, where he gave lectures on the
history of the Romanians
The Romanians ( ro, români, ; dated exonym ''Vlachs'') are a Romance-speaking ethnic group. Sharing a common Romanian culture and ancestry, and speaking the Romanian language, they live primarily in Romania and Moldova. The 2011 Romanian ...
.
Career
A year later, in 1912, Nistor moved to
Czernowitz
Chernivtsi ( uk, Чернівці́}, ; ro, Cernăuți, ; see also other names) is a city in the historical region of Bukovina, which is now divided along the borders of Romania and Ukraine, including this city, which is situated on the up ...
, to hold the chair of
Southeastern Europe
Southeast Europe or Southeastern Europe (SEE) is a geographical subregion of Europe, consisting primarily of the Balkans. Sovereign states and territories that are included in the region are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia (a ...
an history, but after the start of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, he moved to the
Romanian Old Kingdom
The Romanian Old Kingdom ( ro, Vechiul Regat or just ''Regat''; german: Regat or ) is a colloquial term referring to the territory covered by the first independent Romanian nation state, which was composed of the Romanian Principalities: Wallachia ...
, where he published various studies on the history of Bukovina. He was elected a member of the
Romanian Academy
The Romanian Academy ( ro, Academia Română ) is a cultural forum founded in Bucharest, Romania, in 1866. It covers the scientific, artistic and literary domains. The academy has 181 active members who are elected for life.
According to its byl ...
in 1915. He also authored an
ethnographic
Ethnography (from Greek ''ethnos'' "folk, people, nation" and ''grapho'' "I write") is a branch of anthropology and the systematic study of individual cultures. Ethnography explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject ...
map of Bukovina under
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
n domination (''see
Cisleithania''), based on the census of 1910.
Living in
Iași by the time Romania entered the war on the
Entente side, Nistor left Romania at the climax of the
Romanian Campaign, when troops of the
Central Powers
The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,german: Mittelmächte; hu, Központi hatalmak; tr, İttifak Devletleri / ; bg, Централни сили, translit=Tsentralni sili was one of the two main coalitions that fought in ...
threatened the region. In July 1917, he moved to
Odessa, in territory held by the
Russian Provisional Government
The Russian Provisional Government ( rus, Временное правительство России, Vremennoye pravitel'stvo Rossii) was a provisional government of the Russian Republic, announced two days before and established immediately ...
, and began teaching Romanian history to the (mostly
Bessarabian) students at the
University of Novorossiya. He interrupted the course in November 1917, after a group of armed
Russian revolutionaries
The Russian Revolution was a period of political and social revolution that took place in the former Russian Empire which began during the First World War. This period saw Russia abolish its monarchy and adopt a socialist form of government ...
broke into the University building. Nistor was, however, safely escorted outside by some of the Bessarabian soldiers who were part of his audience.
![Visarion Puiu si Ion Nistor spre Palatul Mitropolitan 1918 la Cernauti](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/Visarion_Puiu_si_Ion_Nistor_spre_Palatul_Mitropolitan_1918_la_Cernauti.jpg)
In February 1918, together with other Austro-Hungarian refugees (including
Octavian Goga
Octavian Goga (; 1 April 1881 – 7 May 1938) was a Romanian politician, poet, playwright, journalist, and translator.
Life and politics
Goga was born in Rășinari, near Sibiu.
Goga was an active member in the Romanian nationalisti ...
), Nistor departed for
Ovidiopol
Ovidiopol ( uk, Ові́діополь; russian: Овидиополь; tr, Hacıdere) is a coastal urban-type settlement in Odesa Oblast, Ukraine. It is located on the eastern bank of Dniester Estuary directly across Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi an ...
,
Cetatea Albă
Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi ( uk, Бі́лгород-Дністро́вський, Bílhorod-Dnistróvskyy, ; ro, Cetatea Albă), historically known as Akkerman ( tr, Akkerman) or under different names, is a city, municipality and port situated on ...
, and then finally reached
Chișinău. He stayed in the city, where he argued for the founding of a Moldavian University, and soon began lecturing on the History of the Romanians. He used the data gathered from the Chișinău Archives to write the ''History of Bessarabia'', published in 1923. Nistor also witnessed the
Sfatul Țării
''Sfatul Țării'' ("Council of the Country"; ) was a council that united political, public, cultural, and professional organizations in the greater part of the territory of the guberniya, Governorate of Bessarabia in the disintegrating Russia ...
session which voted the
union with Romania.
After the war ended, he returned to his native Bukovina and was one of the members of the National Assembly of Bukovina in
Cernăuți
Chernivtsi ( uk, Чернівці́}, ; ro, Cernăuți, ; see also other names) is a city in the historical region of Bukovina, which is now divided along the borders of Romania and Ukraine, including this city, which is situated on the up ...
who voted for the
union with Romania on November 28, 1918. Nistor was also one of the fifteen Bukovinians who presented the Union Act to Romania's
King
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
Ferdinand I.
![1926 - Guvernul Bratianu la investitura dupa moartea regelui Ferdinand](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/1926_-_Guvernul_Bratianu_la_investitura_dupa_moartea_regelui_Ferdinand.PNG)
Nistor presided upon the
Democratic Union Party, which had a
centralist
Centralisation or centralization (see spelling differences) is the process by which the activities of an organisation, particularly those regarding planning and decision-making, framing strategy and policies become concentrated within a partic ...
agenda. Between December 18, 1918 and May 2, 1919, he was a member of
Greater Romania
The term Greater Romania ( ro, România Mare) usually refers to the borders of the Kingdom of Romania in the interwar period, achieved after the Great Union. It also refers to a pan-nationalist idea.
As a concept, its main goal is the creation ...
's
Ion I. C. Brătianu government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is ...
, as a Minister for Bukovina, and, between February 14 and February 27, also held the rank of minister for Bessarabia, while the nominal minister was delegated to the
Paris Peace Conference. Between May 1920 and January 1922, Nistor was a
Senator in the
Parliament of Romania.
In the
interwar period, Nistor wrote many historical works, including ''The
Origin of Romanians and the
Vlachs
"Vlach" ( or ), also "Wallachian" (and many other variants), is a historical term and exonym used from the Middle Ages until the Modern Era to designate mainly Romanians but also Aromanians, Megleno-Romanians, Istro-Romanians and other E ...
of
Thessalia
Thessaly ( el, Θεσσαλία, translit=Thessalía, ; ancient Thessalian: , ) is a traditional geographic and modern administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thess ...
and
Epirus
sq, Epiri rup, Epiru
, native_name_lang =
, settlement_type = Historical region
, image_map = Epirus antiquus tabula.jpg
, map_alt =
, map_caption = Map of ancient Epirus by Heinri ...
'' and ''The History of Romanians in
Transnistria
Transnistria, officially the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR), is an unrecognised breakaway state that is internationally recognised as a part of Moldova. Transnistria controls most of the narrow strip of land between the Dniester riv ...
'' (1925). He was also the director of the historical magazine ''Codrii Cosminului'', which was published between 1924 and 1939.
[Neagoe, p. XVIII, XX]
Elected
rector
Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to:
Style or title
*Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations
*Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...
of the
University of Cernăuți in 1920, serving as such until 1921, and again from 1933 to 1940. Also in 1920, he joined the
National Liberal Party (PNL), and was again the Minister of State for Bukovina in the
Sixth Ion I. C. Brătianu cabinet (1922–1926), Minister of Public Works in the
Vintilă I. C. Brătianu cabinet (1927–1928), Minister of State and then Labour in the
First Tătărăscu cabinet (1934), and Minister of Labour in the
Second Tătărăscu cabinet (1934–1935). In 1938, he broke with the PNL and sided with the
National Renaissance Front
The National Renaissance Front ( ro, Frontul Renașterii Naționale, FRN; also translated as ''Front of National Regeneration'', ''Front of National Rebirth'', ''Front of National Resurrection'', or ''Front of National Renaissance'') was a Romani ...
regime established by King
Carol II
Carol II (4 April 1953) was King of Romania from 8 June 1930 until his forced abdication on 6 September 1940. The eldest son of Ferdinand I, he became crown prince upon the death of his grand-uncle, King Carol I in 1914. He was the first of th ...
, and was Minister of Religious Affairs and the Arts in the
Fifth Tătărăscu cabinet (November 24, 1939 – May 10, 1940).
Starting October 1940, under the
National Legionary State
The National Legionary State was a totalitarian fascist regime which governed Romania for five months, from 14 September 1940 until its official dissolution on 14 February 1941. The regime was led by General Ion Antonescu in partnership with the ...
, Nistor taught at the
University of Bucharest
The University of Bucharest ( ro, Universitatea din București), commonly known after its abbreviation UB in Romania, is a public university founded in its current form on by a decree of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza to convert the former Princel ...
, becoming the target of
Iron Guard persecutions for the support he had given to King Carol. Following the Guard's defeat during the
Legionnaires' Rebellion of 1941, he sent a congratulatory telegram to ''
Conducător
''Conducător'' (, "Leader") was the title used officially by Romanian dictator Ion Antonescu during World War II, also occasionally used in official discourse to refer to Carol II and Nicolae Ceaușescu.
History
The word is derived from the Ro ...
''
Ion Antonescu. He was pensioned in the same year, and, starting 1943, he was in charge of the Library of the Romanian Academy.
[Neagoe, p. XXXIV] Nistor kept the latter office until after the establishment of the
Communist regime
A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state that is administered and governed by a communist party guided by Marxism–Leninism. Marxism–Leninism was the state ideology of the Soviet Union, the Cominte ...
, when
the purge
''The Purge'' is an American anthology media franchise centered on a series of dystopian action horror films distributed by Universal Pictures and produced by Blumhouse Productions and Platinum Dunes, which are written and in some cases also ...
of
anti-communists
Anti-communism is political and ideological opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in the Russian Empire, and it reached global dimensions during the Cold War, when the United States and the ...
in the Academy began (1948).
Last years
![Bustul lui Ion Nistor din Vicovu de Sus](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Bustul_lui_Ion_Nistor_din_Vicovu_de_Sus.jpg)
His house was
nationalized
Nationalization (nationalisation in British English) is the process of transforming privately-owned assets into public assets by bringing them under the public ownership of a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to p ...
, and Nistor had to live in the attic of his daughter's house, which was also nationalized. On the night of May 5/6, 1950, Nistor was arrested for political reasons by the
Securitate
The Securitate (, Romanian for ''security'') was the popular term for the Departamentul Securității Statului (Department of State Security), the secret police agency of the Socialist Republic of Romania. Previously, before the communist regime ...
, and was incarcerated in the notorious
Sighet Prison
The Sighet prison, located in the city of Sighetu Marmației, Maramureș County, Romania, was used by Romania to hold criminals, prisoners of war, and political prisoners. It is now the site of the Sighet Memorial Museum, part of the Memorial ...
. Originally sentenced to 24 months in prison, his sentence was subsequently raised to 60 months.
He was freed five years and two months later. After that, he continued writing, completing his works, ''History of Bukovina'' and ''The History of Romanians''. Nistor died in Bucharest in November 1962. Some 300 people, mostly Bukovinians and ex-members of the Liberal Party, came to pay respects at his funeral; the religious ceremony was officiated by , previously the
metropolitan bishop of Oltenia.
Legacy
There are streets in
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
(
Sector 3),
Chișinău,
Iași,
Rădăuți
Rădăuți (; german: Radautz; hu, Radóc; pl, Radowce; uk, Радівці, ''Radivtsi''; yi, ראַדעװיץ ''Radevits''; tr, Radoviçe) is a town in Suceava County, north-eastern Romania. It is situated in the historical region of Buko ...
, and
Suceava
Suceava () is the largest urban settlement and the seat town ( ro, oraș reședință de județ) of Suceava County, situated in the historical region of Bukovina, northeastern Romania, and at the crossroads of Central and Eastern Europe. Klaus Pet ...
that are named after Nistor. In his native town,
Vicovu de Sus, there is a technological high school named after him, as well as a
bust
Bust commonly refers to:
* A woman's breasts
* Bust (sculpture), of head and shoulders
* An arrest
Bust may also refer to:
Places
* Bust, Bas-Rhin, a city in France
*Lashkargah, Afghanistan, known as Bust historically
Media
* ''Bust'' (magazin ...
of him, which was unveiled in 2002.
Notes
References
*
* Paul E. Michelson
"Ion I. Nistor in Romanian Politics, Scholarship, and Culture, 1919–1933" in ''Codrul Cosminului'', XVII, 2011, nr. 1, p. 117-148
* , "Ion Nistor, un istoric pentru eternitatea românilor de pretutindeni", foreword of Ion Nistor, ''Istoria Basarabiei'',
Humanitas
''Humanitas'' is a Latin noun meaning human nature, civilization, and kindness. It has uses in the Enlightenment, which are discussed below.
Classical origins of term
The Latin word ''humanitas'' corresponded to the Greek concepts of '' philanthr ...
, 1991.
*Ioan Scurtu, "PNL și PNȚ: Rezerve, nemulțumiri, proteste. Partidele istorice sub guvernarea antonesciano-legionară", in ''Dosarele Istoriei'', 9/2000
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nistor, Ion
20th-century Romanian historians
Titular members of the Romanian Academy
Austro-Hungarian emigrants to Romania
National Liberal Party (Romania) politicians
Leaders of political parties in Romania
Members of the Chamber of Deputies (Romania)
Members of the Senate of Romania
History of Bukovina
People from Suceava County
Members of the Romanian Orthodox Church
Romanian Ministers of Culture
Romanian Ministers of Public Works
Romanian Ministers of Labor
Rectors of King Carol I University
University of Bucharest faculty
Chernivtsi University academic personnel
Chernivtsi University alumni
Leipzig University alumni
University of Vienna alumni
Inmates of Sighet prison
1876 births
1962 deaths