Merry Christmas! :)

http://www.santas.net/howmerrychristmasissaid.htm

In Romanian it is "Crăciun fericit!", or "Sărbători fericite!" [not "vesele"]

1989: The Romanian Revolution; also instigated, also manipulated, also confiscated

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Romanian_Revolution_1989_Demonstrators.jpg

I was living/surviving in Romania at the time...

Somebody said that "Communism is the longest way to Capitalism".

The Venerable Pope John Paul II (Polish: Jan Paweł II, Latin: Ioannes Paulus PP. II, Italian: Giovanni Paolo II), born Karol Józef Wojtyła said that communism is a tragic utopia.

Political joke ( I might discover one day that some Securitate informant reported me for publicly telling it during those years, and the report was added to my Securitate file):
"What's the difference between Capitalism and Socialism?
Capitalism is based on exploitation of man, by man.
But Socialism....is exactly the opposite!".

Another political joke that I kept telling:
"Capitalism is on the brink of the abyss [of destruction].
As always, Socialism is...one step ahead!".



"The Romanian Revolution of 1989 was a week-long series of increasingly violent riots and fighting in late December 1989 that overthrew the Government of Nicolae Ceauşescu. After a trial, Ceauşescu and his wife Elena were executed. Romania was the only Eastern Bloc country to overthrow its government forcefully or to execute its leaders."


"On December 24, Bucharest was a city at war. Tanks, APCs, and trucks continued to go on patrol around the city and to surround trouble spots in order to protect them. At intersections near strategic objectives, roadblocks were built; automatic gunfire continued in and around Piaţa Universităţii, the Gara de Nord (the city's main railroad station), and Piaţa Palatului. Yet amid the chaos, some people were seen to be clutching makeshift Christmas trees. "Terrorist activities" continued until December 27, when they abruptly stopped. Nobody ever found who conducted them, or who ordered their termination."


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanian_revolution

My native city: Braşov, Romania

"The "Black Church" (Biserica Neagră), which some claim to be the largest Gothic style church in South-Eastern Europe." -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biserica_Neagră

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braşov

The stamp also shows the statue of Johannes Honterus.

"Honter is best known for his geographic and cartographic publishing activity, as well as for implementing the Lutheran reform in Transylvania."

"He returned to Kronstadt in 1533 and became involved in local events. During his stay in the Holy Roman Empire, Honter had encountered Protestant ideas, and he worked hard to introduce Lutheranism to Siebenbuergen. He attempted to achieve this by informing as many persons as possible. As such, he founded the humanist gymnasium local school (functioning to this day as the "Johannes Honterus" School), set up a printing press (1539), printed a large number of books (some of which he himself authored), such as the Reformationsbuechlein, published the Kirchenordnung aller Deutschen in Siebenbuergen and assisted in the introduction of a paper mill. In 1542, in Kronstadt, he printed a new version of his cosmography manual, this time in verse, under the name Rudimenta Cosmographica. He believed that verse would help students remember information contained in the book. Additionally, the book contains 13 maps, engraved by Honter himself. The maps show all known parts of the world. The Rudimenta was so successful that no less than 39 editions of it were printed in Braşov, Zürich, Antwerp, Basel, Rostock, Prague and Cologne. The book was last reprinted in 1602, but sections of it have been included in other books up to 1692. It can be considered the first European-wide manual."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honterus

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Memories, memories...

I could write my own Wikipedia version of this post, but...why re-invent the wheel? Why render useless all the effort that went into the wikipedia.org entry for Braşov, Romania?

My purpose here is to raise the awareness of many people from around the world, hopefully, 

about this.

My focus now is not on the originality of the content, but on the convenience of the reader, 

hyperlinks and all.

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"Braşov (Romanian pronunciation: [braˈʃov]; Medieval Latin: Brassovia or Corona; Hungarian:Brassó; German: Kronstadt; 1950-1960: Oraşul Stalin) is a city in Romania and the capital of Braşov County, with a population of 284,596, according to the 2002 census, is the 8th largest Romanian city. Braşov is located in the central part of the country, about 166 km from Bucharest. It is surrounded by the Southern Carpathians, and is part of the Transylvania region."

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Very few inhabited places on Earth were very isolated throughout history. Most of them went thru much turmoil, interacting peacefully with so many visitors, or violently with so many invaders.

"The oldest traces of human activity and settlements in Braşov date back to the Neolithic age (about 9500 BCE). Archaeologists, working from the last half of the 19th century, discovered continuous traces of human settlements in areas situated in Braşov: Valea Cetăţii, Pietrele lui Solomon, Şprenghi, Tâmpa, Dealul Melcilor, and Noua. The first three locations shows traces of Dacian citadels; Şprenghi Hill housed a Roman-style construction. The last two locations had their names applied to Bronze Age cultures — Schneckenberg and Noua.

German colonists known as the Transylvanian Saxons played a decisive role in Braşov's development. These Germans were invited by King Géza II of Hungary to develop towns, build mines, and cultivate the land of Transylvania at different stages between 1141 and 1162. The settlers came primarily from the Rhineland, Flanders, and the Moselle region, with others from Thuringia, Bavaria, Wallonia, and even France.

In 1211, by order of King Andrew II of Hungary, the Teutonic Knights fortified the Burzenland to defend the border of the Kingdom of Hungary. Although the crusaders were evicted by 1225, the colonists they brought in remained, as did three distinct settlements they founded on the site of Braşov:

• Corona, around the Black Church (Biserica Neagră);
• Martinsberg, west of Cetăţuia Hill;
• Bartholomä, on the eastern side of Sprenghi Hill.

Germans living in Braşov were mainly involved in trade and crafts. The location of the city at the intersection of trade routes linking the Ottoman Empire and Western Europe, together with certain tax exemptions, allowed Saxon merchants to obtain considerable wealth and exert a strong political influence. They contributed a great deal to the architectural flavor of the city. Fortifications around the city were erected and continually expanded, with several towers maintained by different craftsmen's guilds, according to medieval custom. Part of the fortification ensemble was recently restored using UNESCO funds, and other projects are ongoing. At least two entrances to the city, Poarta Ecaterinei (or Ekaterinentor) and Poarta Şchei are still in existence."

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In case you wondered if the Romanians have always endured silently the Communist dictatorship:

"During the communist period, industrial development was vastly accelerated. Under Nicolae Ceauşescu's rule, the city was the site of the 1987 Braşov strike. This was repressed by the authorities and resulted in numerous workers being imprisoned."

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When you visit Romania, you should definitely visit Brasov County - that includes Bran Castle, Poiana Braşov, etc.

"Centrally located Braşov is a good starting point for trips around Romania. The city is situated at fairly equal distances from several tourism destinations in the country: the Black Sea resorts, the monasteries in northern Moldavia, and the well-preserved wooden churches of Maramureş. It is also the largest city in a mountain resorts area. The old city itself is very well preserved, and is best seen by taking the cable-car to the top of Tâmpa Mountain (995 m), a beautiful lookout".
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• Biserica Neagră ("The Black Church"), a celebrated Gothic site - the building dates from 1477, when it replaced an older church (demolished around 1385). Its acquired the name after being blackened by smoke from the 1689 great fire.
• Casa Sfatului ("The mayor's former office building"). The administration for Braşov was here for more than 500 years.
• Biserica Sf. Nicolae (St. Nicholas Church), dating back to the 14th century.
• The First Romanian School, a museum with the first Romanian printing press among many other firsts.
• The Rope Street, the most narrow [I'd say the narrowest :) ] street in Romania.
• Şchei, the historically Bulgarian but then Romanian neighborhood outside of the old walled city.
• The Orthodox church of the Dormition of the Theotokos, built in 1896.
• Muzeul Prima Carte Românească, a museum exhibiting the first book printed in the Romanian language.
• Tâmpa, a small mountain in the middle of the city (900m above sea level), a sightseeing spot near the old city center.
• The "Braşov Citadel Fortress" - Cetăţuia Braşovului
• The nearby Bran Castle, attracting many fans of Dracula, and often (but incorrectly) said to have been the home of Vlad the Impaler.
• Poiana Braşov, mainly a ski resort, but also a sightseeing spot.
• Râşnov Fortress, above the nearby town of Râşnov, is a restored peasant fortress
• Prejmer Fortress, in the nearby town of Prejmer".

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http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Bra%C5%9Fov

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brasov_Sunset.JPG

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I bet many citizens are not aware if their own city has any "twin" anywhere in the world. Just "wiki" your city.

Twin cities with Braşov, Romania

•  Musashino, Japan
•  Rishon LeZion, Israel
•  Tampere, Finland
•  Győr, Hungary
•  Leeds, United Kingdom
•  Liverpool, United Kingdom
•  Poznań, Poland (since 2003)
•  Cleveland, USA
•  Veliko Turnovo, Bulgaria

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braşov