Bucharest, the 14th of September 2013
Open letter to Mr Daniel Barbu, Minister of Culture
Dear Mister Minister of Culture,
On the 9th of September 2013, at approximately 09.43 pm, on B1TV, you made a statement concerning the mining project from Roşia Montană ("RMGC Mining Project"). We reproduce your statement ad litteram [1]: "The Ministry of Culture had experts in the working commission which drew up the agreement with the company [sic], we had observations for a few months and finally I gave my approval on the text prepared by Mr. Şova [sic], with observations on a few pages. In this moment, from the point of view of the Ministry of Culture, the project can be done [sic]. For the experts of the Ministry of Culture and for me, of course, as holder of office, there is absolutely no problem concerning the conservation and valorisation. Never in the 100-year history of Romanian archaeology has there been so much money invested as from the part of this project. If this project had got into the Parliament, the Ministry of Culture would have considered the beginning of the exploitation acceptable. From the point of view of the technical expertise, the heritage matters are in best condition and within legal limits. On the basis of the expert analysis, this is true: there is absolutely no problem concerning the patrimony!" (infra "Barbu-B1TV Statement")
However, representatives of professional institutions and organisations from the field of cultural heritage, ICOMOS Romania, the Romanian Academy, Europa Nostra, the International Union of Architects, the European Council of Architects, the Romanian Order of Architects, the Romanian Union of Architects, the ProPatrimonio Foundation, the Association „Architecture. Restoration. Archaeology", the Roşia Montană Cultural Foundation and the National Commission of Historical Monuments, together with specialist members of the Presidential Commission [2] and 1038 specialists from the international academic field - scientists and specialised institutions from the international community of archaeologists, historians and other classicists [3] - repeatedly drew attention on the danger in which the heritage of Roşia Montană is if the mining project you support and approve in the Barbu-B1TV Statement is initiated.
According to the unanimous opinion of the above mentioned professional institutions and organisations [4], the heritage from Roşia Montană, whose value the Romanian State recognises by law (Legea 5/2000) [5], also by its inclusion in the List of Historical Monuments [6], will suffer irreversible destruction as consequence of the realisation of the RMGC mining project you support and publicly approve, demonstrating through the Barbu-B1TV Statement that you placed yourself in total and grave contradiction to the mentioned opinions and, at the same time, to the Romanian law.
Consequently, we demand:
1. To name all the experts of the Ministry of Culture you refer to in Barbu-B1TV Statement and to make public their names and contacts on the site of the Ministry of Culture. These specialists, through their expertise, legitimate the destruction of the cultural landscape and the historical environment represented by Roşa Montană. Therefore, it is of national interest for them to be known by the national and international scientific community and by all Romanian citizens.
2. To bring clarifications concerning the document named by you, in the Barbu B1TV Statement, the "agreement with the company" and to make this document public;
• To name the experts of the Ministry of Culture who participated in the working commission which formulated the "agreement with the company";
• To publish the "agreement with the company" on the site of the Ministry of Culture.
We emphasize the fact that the Barbu-B1TV Statement demonstrates that you, as Minister of Culture, ignore the responsibilities the position you hold imposes: you do not take into account the scientific opinion of the specialists in the field of heritage from the most important professional institutions and organisations in the domain, which would legitimate your firm refuse of the mining project or, at least, could determine you - if you were not able to face the political impact of a firm attitude of rejection - to have an attitude of absolute reserve to the RMGC mining project. More than that, Mister Minister of Culture, you take decisions affecting the protection of culture and heritage in Roşia Montană, on the basis, until the contrary is proved, of pseudo-scientific opinions, of superficial conclusions of some commissions doing their work in a non-transparent way.
Thus, Mister Minister of Culture, through the affirmations you made in the Barbu-B1TV Statement, placed yourself among those who activate for the destruction of the heritage in Roşia Montană. You declare in front of the Romanian citizens that you are ready to hand over the inestimable heritage in Roşia Montană to the promoters of the RMGC mining project, namely to those who are responsible, among others, for the destruction of 150 traditional houses in Roşia Montană, to those who propose to you to accept the destruction of the priceless heritage represented by the Roman galleries, to connive to the irreversible destruction of a fundamental historic environment for this country.
Your ignoring of the scientific opinion in the domain, of the opinion of the prestigious professional organisations in the domain of cultural heritage and your hostile attitude towards the scientific reality from Roşia Montană, made public by numerous members of the Romanian and international scientific community, shows that your presence in the leading position in the Ministry of Culture represents a real danger for the Romanian culture, for our national identity and security.
In consequence, we, the signatories of the present letter, inter alios researchers in the domain of archaeology, history of art and architecture, restoration of historical and art monuments,
DEMAND YOUR IMMEDIATE RESIGNATION.
_________________________
Dr. Monica Mărgineanu Cârstoiu
Grade I scientific researcher: "Vasile Pârvan" Institute of Archaeology of the Romanian Academy
President "Architecture. Restoration. Archaeology" (ARA) Association
Member of the Koldewey Gesellschaft für Bauforschung (Germany)
_________________________
Prof. Dr. Dan Mohanu
National University of Arts, Bucharest
ARA member, ICOMOS - Romania Board member
_________________________
Prof. Şerban Cantacuzino
Member of the Society of Antiquaries, RIBA
President of the "Pro Patrimonio" Foundation
________________________
Arch. Șerban Sturdza
Vice-president of the "Pro Patrimonio" Foundation, vice-president of the Romanian Order of Architects (OAR)
________________________
Prof. Dr. Andrei Pippidi
Faculty of History, University of Bucharest
Corresponding member of the Romanian Academy
former president of the National Commission for Historic Monuments
_________________________
Prof. Dr. Ioan Piso
Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca
Former director of the National Museum for the History of Transylvania
President of the Roşia Montană Cultural Foundation
_________________________
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ştefan Bâlici
"Ion Mincu" University of Architecture and Urbanism
Vice-president of ARA
Ministry of Culture (MC) specialist, ICOMOS-Romania Board member, OAR, RUR
_________________________
Dr. Virgil Apostol
ARA Secretary
MC specialist, member of ICOMOS, OAR, RUR
_________________________
Dr. Maria Alexandrescu Vianu
Grade I scientific researcher: "Vasile Pârvan" Institute of Archaeology of the Romanian Academy
_________________________
Dr. Gheorghe I. Cantacuzino
Grade I scientific researcher: "Vasile Pârvan" Institute of Archaeology of the Romanian Academy
_________________________
Maria Berza
Cultural policy expert, "Pro Patrimonio" Foundation
_________________________
Dr. Ioana Bogdan Cătăniciu
President of the Association Rencontres du Patrimoine Europe-Roumanie (RPER) - Romania, member of ARA
_________________________
Prof. dr. Mircea Babeş
emeritus University of Bucharest
Grade I scientific researcher: "Vasile Pârvan" Institute of Archaeology of the Romanian Academy
_________________________
Prof. dr. Aurelian Trişcu
Former President of the National Commission of Historical Monuments
_________________________
Arch. Șerban Țigănaș
President, the Romanian Order of Architects (OAR)
_________________________
Dr. Radu Harhoiu
Grade I scientific researcher: "Vasile Pârvan" Institute of Archaeology of the Romanian Academy
_________________________
Dr. Iulian Bârzescu
Grade III scientific researcher: "Vasile Pârvan" Institute of Archaeology of the Romanian Academy
_________________________
Dr. Florina Bârzescu
"Vasile Pârvan" Institute of Archaeology of the Romanian Academy
_________________________
Dr. Florian Matei
Grade III scientific researcher: "Vasile Pârvan" Institute of Archaeology of the Romanian Academy
_________________________
Prof. dr. Alexandru Avram
University of Le Mans
Grade I scientific researcher: "Vasile Pârvan" Institute of Archaeology of the Romanian Academy
_________________________
Dr. Alexandru Dragoman
Grade II scientific researcher: "Vasile Pârvan" Institute of Archaeology of the Romanian Academy
_________________________
Dr. Cristina Georgeta Alexandrescu
Grade III scientific researcher: "Vasile Pârvan" Institute of Archaeology of the Romanian Academy
_________________________
Dr. Nicuşor Dan
President of the Association "Salvaţi Bucureştiul" (Save Bucharest)
_________________________
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mihaela Criticos
"Ion Mincu" University of Architecture and Urbanism
director of the Department for the History & Theory of Architecture and Heritage Conservation
MC expert, member of OAR
_________________________
Prof. Dr. Nicolae Lascu
"Ion Mincu" University of Architecture and Urbanism
MC expert, member of the Section for Urbanism and Protected Areas al Secţiunii of the Commission for Historical Monuments
_________________________
Lect. Dr. Ştefan Vianu
"Ion Mincu" University of Architecture and Urbanism
_________________________
Lect. Dr. Celia Ghyka
"Ion Mincu" University of Architecture and Urbanism
_________________________
Prof. Dr. Sorin Alexandrescu
University of Bucharest, University of Amsterdam
_________________________
Dr. Ioana Popescu
member of the National Commission for the Safeguarding of Immaterial Heritage
former Deputy Director General of the National Museum of the Romanian Peasant
_________________________
Dr. Ruxandra Nemţeanu
MC expert, member of ICOMOS
_________________________
Prof. Dr. Rodica Crişan
"Ion Mincu" University of Architecture and Urbanism
member of ICOMOS, OAR, UAR
_________________________
Prof. Dr. Eng. Mircea Crişan
"Ion Mincu" University of Architecture and Urbanism
MC expert, member of ICOMOS
_________________________
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Valeriu-Eugen Drăgan
"Ion Mincu" University of Architecture and Urbanism
MC specialist, member of ICOMOS, OAR
member of Commission for the History of Towns of the Romanian Academy
_________________________
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ştefan Ghenciulescu
"Ion Mincu" University of Architecture and Urbanism
_________________________
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kázmér Kovács
"Ion Mincu" University of Architecture and Urbanism
member of OAR, UAR, UAP, INTBAU
_________________________
Dr. Carmen Popescu
Université Paris I - Sorbonne, National University of Arts, Bucharest
_________________________
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Iosif Kiraly
National University of Arts, Bucharest
_________________________
Lect. Dr. Petru Mortu
"Ion Mincu" University of Architecture and Urbanism
MC specialist, member of OAR, ARA
_________________________
Prof. Dr. Ana Maria Zahariade
"Ion Mincu" University of Architecture and Urbanism
member of ICOMOS, OAR, UAR
member of the National Commission for Public Monuments
_________________________
Lect. Dr. Adrian Crăciunescu
"Ion Mincu" University of Architecture and Urbanism
MC specialist, member of ICOMOS, ICLAFI, the Romanian Association for Industrial Archaeology, OAR
former Director General for National Cultural Heritage in the Ministry for Culture and Religious Affairs
_________________________
Arch. Mariana Celac
_________________________
Dr. Mihaela Mănucu Adameşteanu
Grade II scientific researcher: "Vasile Pârvan" Institute of Archaeology of the Romanian Academy
_________________________
Dr. Constanţa Costea
"George Oprescu" Institute of Arts History of the Romanian Academy
_________________________
Prof. Dr. Virgil Polizu
former president of the National Commission for Historic Monuments
[1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScsnRDmnefQ&feature=youtu.be
[2] Raportul Comisiei Prezidenţiale pentru Patrimoniul Construit, Situri Istorice şi Naturale, 2009, http://patr.presidency.ro/upload/Raport%20Patrimoniu%2021%20septembrie%202009.pdf
[3] See Annex.
[4] See Annex.
[5] Planul de Amenajare a Teritoriului Naţional - Secţiunea a III-a, Zone protejate aprobat prin Legea 5/2000.
[6] Lista Monumentelor Istorice - Monitorul Oficial din data de 01.10.2010 (M.O., Anexa 1, partea I, nr. 670/bis/01.10.2010).