Romanian Academy


The Romanian Academy is a cultural forum founded in Bucharest, Romania, in 1866. It covers the scientific, artistic and literary domains. The academy has 181 acting members who are elected for life.
According to its bylaws, the academy's main goals are the cultivation of Romanian language and Romanian literature, the study of the national history of Romania and research into major scientific domains. Some of the academy's fundamental projects are the Romanian language dictionary, the dictionary of Romanian literature, and the treatise on the history of the Romanian people.

History

On the initiative of C.A. Rosetti, the Academy was founded on April 1, 1866, as Societatea Literară Română. The founding members were illustrious members of the Romanian society of the age.
The name changed to Societatea Academică Romînă in 1867, and finally to Academia Română in 1879, during the reign of Carol I.
The founding members of the Academy:
NumberNameBornProvinceAge at foundingDiedMember forNotes
1Vasile Alecsandri21 July 1821Moldavia22 August 1890
2Vincențiu Babeș21 January 1821Banat22 January 1907
3George Barițiu4 June 1812Transylvania2 May 1893
4Ioan D. Caragiani11 February 1841Macedonia13 January 1921Aromanian
5Timotei Cipariu21 February 1805Transylvania3 September 1887
6Dimitrie Cozacovici1790Macedonia31 August 1868Unknown date of birth
Aromanian
7Ambrosiu Dimitrovici20 July 1838Bucovina3 July 1866
8Ștefan Gonata1 February 1838Basarabia18 September 1896
9Alexandru Hâjdeu30 November 1811Basarabia9 November 1872
10Ion Heliade Rădulescu6 January 1802Țara Românească27 April 1872First President of the Academy
11Iosif Hodoș20 October 1829Transylvania28 November 1880
12Alexandru Hurmuzaki16 August 1823Bucovina8 March 1871
13Nicolae Ionescu1820Moldavia24 January 1905
14August Treboniu Laurian17 July 1810Transylvania25 February 1881
15Titu Maiorescu15 February 1840Țara Românească18 June 1917
16I. C. Massim1825Țara Românească1877No known date of birth/death
17Andrei Mocioni27 June 1812Banat23 April 1880
18Gavriil MunteanuFebruary 1812Transylvania17 December 1869
19Costache Negruzzi1808Moldavia24 August 1868
20Alexandru Roman26 November 1826Transylvania15 September 1897
21C. A. Rosetti2 June 1816Țara Românească8 April 1885
22Ion G. Sbiera1 November 1835Bucovina22 October 1916
23Constantin Stamati1786Basarabia12 September 1869
24Ioan Străjescu1833Basarabia1873No known date of birth/death
25Vasile Urechea-Alexandrescu15 February 1834Moldavia21 November 1901

The Presidents of the Academy:
NumberNameTerm beganTerm endedNotes
1Ion Heliade Rădulescu18671870
2August Treboniu Laurian18701872first term
3Nicolae Crețulescu18721873first term
4August Treboniu Laurian18731876second term
5Ion Ghica18761882first term
6Dimitrie A. Sturdza18821884
7Ion Ghica18841887second term
8Mihail Kogălniceanu18871890
9Ion Ghica18901893third term
10George Bariț5 April 18932 May 1893died in office
11Iacob C. Negruzzi18931894first term
12Ion Ghica18941895fourth term
13Nicolae Crețulescu18951898second term
14Petru Poni18981901first term
15Petre S. Aurelian19011904
16Ioan Kalinderu19041907
17Anghel Saligny19071910
18Iacob C. Negruzzi19101913second term
19Constantin I. Istrati19131916
20Petru Poni19161920second term
21Dimitrie Onciul19201923
22Iacob C. Negruzzi19231926third term
23Emil Racoviță19261929
24Ioan Bianu19291932
25Ludovic Mrazek19321935
26Alexandru Lapedatu19351938
27Constantin Rădulescu-Motru19381941
28Ion Th. Simionescu19411944
29Dimitrie Gusti19441946
30Andrei Rădulescu194612 August 1948
31Traian Săvulescu12 August 194823 December 1959
32Athanase Joja19591963
33Ilie G. Murgulescu19631966
34Miron Nicolescu8 April 196630 June 1975died in office
Șerban Țițeica19751976acting
35Theodor Burghele19763 June 1977died in office
Cristofor Simionescu3 June 197719 March 1980acting
36Gheorghe Mihoc19 March 198025 December 1981died in office
Ioan Anton25 December 198113 November 1984acting
37Radu Voinea13 November 19842 February 1990
38Mihai Drăgănescu2 February 199018 January 1994
39Virgiliu N. G. Constantinescu19941998
40Eugen Simion16 January 199820 April 2006
41Ionel Haiduc20 April 20068 April 2014
42Ionel Valentin Vlad8 April 201424 December 2017died in office
Cristian Hera5 January 20185 April 2018acting
43Ioan-Aurel Pop5 April 2018present

Library

Established in 1867, the Bibilioteca Academiei Române has a collection of over seven million books and collections of drawings, engravings, maps, and coins. The Academy also operates its own publishing house.