David Prodan Memorial Museum

Overview

Opened in the spring of 2018, David Prodan Memorial Museum is both a place of remembrance dedicated to one of the most important Romanian historians and a dynamic space focused on organizing and supporting cultural events.

David Prodan Memorial Museum houses a unique collection of authentic furniture, art objects, books, correspondence, unpublished documents, and family photographs that belonged to historian David Prodan (1902–1992).

We invite you to visit the place where many masterpieces of historical writing were born and also to experience an atmosphere of another time, which is increasingly rare to find in today’s urban hustle and bustle. More than just the creative space of a historian, David Prodan Memorial Museum is a place to reflect on the destiny of a Romanian intellectual living in the complex 20^th century, on his legacy, and also an invitation to a series of cultural dialogues with personalities of the time from various fields.

Permanent exhibition

The permanent exhibition is, in fact, the visible laboratory of historian David Prodan. His study faithfully preserves the atmosphere in which he wrote monumental works such as Supplex Libellus Valachorum [Petition of the Romanians], Răscoala lui Horea [Horea’s Uprising], Problema iobăgiei în Transilvania 1700-1848 [The Issue of Serfdom in Transylvania 1700–1848], and many others. In addition to personal items belonging to the historian who became a member of the Romanian Academy, this exhibition offers visitors the opportunity to see a beautiful collection of photographs, correspondence, and manuscripts bearing the mark of David Prodan. The exhibition itinerary aims to familiarize the Cluj public with the profile of this personality, with the path of a destiny that, although forced to create in unfavorable times, managed to find refuge through which to survive morally and professionally.

Activities

David Prodan Memorial Museum offers themed tours for various age groups in multiple languages (Romanian, French, and English), free of charge and subject to prior booking. Upon request, the museum staff provides specialized assistance (bibliographic guidance, consultation of the museum’s collections, etc.) to visitors interested in social history and the history of intellectuals.

The library and archive of historian David Prodan are available for consultation upon written request. A room within the museum serves as a quiet reading room for those seeking a peaceful space away from the hustle and bustle.

David Prodan Memorial Museum organizes a series of cultural events under the banner “David Prodan Meetings”, thus offering a platform for discussions not only about Prodan’s legacy but also, by extension, a series of reflections on the relevance of history and historians in today’s world. David Prodan Memorial Museum is a welcoming space for book releases, conferences, roundtables, and more. Our museum also organizes events for young audiences, involving Cluj schoolchildren and students in educational and artistic activities (essay and graphic design competitions, creative workshops, etc.).

David Prodan Fellowship

In the wake of efforts to restore the reputation of historian David Prodan and update his legacy, Babeș-Bolyai University has decided to launch the David Prodan Fellowship, a competition for Romanian and foreign researchers who have distinguished themselves through original work in the social sciences and humanities. In addition to accommodation in the building that houses the memorial museum, the winner of this scholarship will have access to the entire research network provided by Babeș Bolyai University and will be encouraged to publish their research results in prestigious journals. For more details about this competition, interested parties are invited to consult the website https://www.ubbcluj.ro/en/staff/burse

Collections

Some of the museum’s exhibits