Nation-Building and Contested Identities: Romanian & Hungarian ...

BARNA ÁBRAHÁMInstead of this doubtful enterprise, Roman eventually founded the mostimportant Romanian bank, Albina.Although the overwhelming majority of Romanians lived from agriculture,their specialists were aware of the great importance of industrialdevelopment and commerce. In the magazine Economul (fromBlaj/Balázsfalva), Ioan Roman proposed a protectionist economic policytowards the more developed countries, and a similar protection for Transylvaniatowards Austria and even towards Hungary proper. 37 He deducedthe lack of Romanian national industry and commerce from the liberaleconomic system professed by the Hungarian political elite that sacrificedthe economic autonomy of the country in favor of their “unfortunate idea”of Magyarization. 38 Nevertheless, the Romanian elite believed in the possibilityof creating a strong “national” industry and commerce only byshopping exclusively at Romanian shops and using the services of Romaniancraftsmen. The press highlighted the national importance of thisprocess by pointing out that, with Romanian crucers migrating into Romanianhands, a real national wealth could be created. 39In reality, the Romanian middle class could not contribute to thedevelopment of the manufacturing industry, since its capital was insufficient.Instead, the Romanian elite supported the traditional crafts anddomestic industry, encouraging the presevation of traditional costumes,and condemning the use of manufactured textile and ready-made cloth. 40They insisted on sending talented peasant boys to apprentice schools and,at their “national” exhibitions, they allocated space for the products of themost skillful craftsmen, nimble-fingered peasants, and peasant women.The organization of exhibitions was considered of national importance,since they demonstrated the ability and creativity of Romanians,supplementing the political efforts that aimed at national emancipation.This was expressed as early as 1862 by Gheorghe Bariþiu in his articlesconcerning the first exhibition: according to him, the main purpose of theexhibition was to change the disdainful opinion that other nations hadabout Romanians. 41 On its part, the government considered this programa political issue, and forbade the organization of the exhibition in 1881.On the other hand, the Saxon press published appreciative articles aboutthe objects exhibited, as well as about the skills of the Romanian craftsmen.42 The Romanian newspapers reported the event with enthusiasm.Telegraful Român, for example, claimed that the exhibition considerablyimproved the image of the Romanians of Transylvania.” 43After this display that demonstrated the dynamism of the Romaniannational economy, the exhibition organized by the ASTRA in 1905focused on traditional peasant culture (houses, costume), historical documents,literary works and publishing houses, making it clear that the elite214