Irreconcilable Differences – Monumental Perspectives in Cluj (Lost Lands #212)

To see a city through the eyes of a local is to see it from an entirely different point of view. One that is more raw and real, uninhibited and steeped in experience.  Guidebooks can only tell you so much. In guidebooks everything is generally positive. Whereas a local can show you the same attractions listed in the guidebook, but they have a much more personal relationship with them. I was fortunate to be given a tour of the city center on my first visit to Cluj in 2012 by a local. A Romanian acquaintance in Brasov contacted a friend in Cluj who grew up in the city. The friend was studying at the university, well acquainted with the city’s history and generously offered to show me around. She had worked in the city welcoming visitors and spoke impeccable English. I spent two hours with the woman and never saw her again. That impromptu tour remained with me for two reasons. One was the kindness of Romanians, who in my experience will go out of their way to help a stranger. Secondly, I received a Romanian perspective on Cluj. My guide was fueled by a love for Cluj. Her civic pride was on display throughout the tour. As was her pride in Romania.

A Brave Man – Romania’s Hero

When we first met, my guide asked me where I had already been in the city. I listed most of the must-see places. She settled on showing me some places that were unfamiliar to me. One of them was the location of the now vanished Citadel atop a hill not far from the city center. The Citadel had been conveniently located there so the Habsburg forces could keep an eye on the city.Along the way, the woman sited an equestrian statue of Michael the Brave. This sent her into a monologue on how he managed to unite all the lands with Romanians for the first time ever. Michael’s achievement was short-lived. He was Prince of Wallachia (1593 – 1601), Prince of Transylvania (October 1599 – September 1600), Prince of Moldavia (May 1599 – September 1601) and all at the same time from May – September 1600. This unity did not last as Michael was assassinated in 1601. All three Romanian lands were not unified again until after the end of World War I.

The woman talked about Michael as though she knew him personally. It was soon obvious to me that though her university studies were in marketing, she was steeped in Romanian history. She did a remarkable job marketing Romania’s past to me. I cannot remember exactly what she said, but it was how she said it that sticks in my memory. Her narrative was bursting with emotion. I could tell Michael the Brave was not just some distant historical figure for Romanian. He was a living, breathing entity, who provoked outpourings of national pride. He represented the vision of a Romanian nation before it became a long-term reality. I admired her nationalism couched in politeness. Her energy level was infectious. I found her a bit naïve about history, she was a true believer. The world had not yet made her skeptical, or even worse, cynical.

Past Perceptions - Lines of Thoughts

This was an interesting line of thought since just before she talked about Vlad, we had walked through Piata Unirii. The King Matthias Monument that stands beside Saint Michael’s Church caught her attention. Matthias Corvinus (r. 1458 – 1490) was born in Cluj. His birthplace still stands in the city center. It takes only a couple of minutes to walk there from Piata Unirii. I had already been to the birthplace, so the woman and I stood in the square looking towards the King Matthias Monument. There are few places in the lost lands beyond Hungary’s borders that are so redolent of the tensions between Hungarians and Romanians. The woman was not a fan of the monument. She criticized it. by saying “isn’t the statue ugly” and then asking me, “Don’t you think they should move it?” I was non-committal. The statue had elicited strong emotions ever since it was installed in 1902. That continued into the 21st century.

Matthias was Hungary’s greatest king and for Hungarians he was a national hero. He was also a native son of Cluj and had been baptized in Saint Michael’s Church. For Hungarians, the Matthias Monument stakes their claim to Cluj’s history. To Romanians, the monument is a perpetual reminder of Hungarian domination. A reminder that Hungarians once dominated the city. I understood my guide’s resentment. On the other hand, removing the monument would do a disservice to not only the legacy of King Matthias and Cluj’s history, but also the history of Hungarian-Romanian relations. The monument makes for a fascinating starting point for discussions between them. The woman mentioned the monument because it still provokes strong feelings. Any monument that does that is worth contemplating.

Going Mental – Psychological Warfare

Our final stop was the Tailors’ Bastion, which had been part of the original fortifications that surrounded Cluj. The tailors were a guild, and the guilds in Cluj were a product of the Saxons. The woman did not have anything to say about the Saxons. They had all but vanished and were no longer a threat to anyone in the city. They were history, and outside of it. Hungarians and Romanians were still battling over Cluj, mostly in their heads. From what I learned from the woman on my guided tour, that battle is not about to end anytime soon. I have no idea what became of that woman, but I am sure a part of her is still living in the past. I doubt she is the only one doing that in Cluj.