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The Kingdom of Hungary (Latin: Regnum Hungariae, Hungarian: Magyar Királyság) came into existence in Central Europe when Stephen I, Grand Prince of the Hungarians, was crowned king in 1000 or 1001. He reinforced central authority and forced his subjects to accept Christianity. Although all written sources emphasize only the role played by German and Italian knights and clerics in the process, a significant part of the Hungarian vocabulary for agriculture, religion, and state matters was taken from Slavic languages. Civil wars and pagan uprisings, along with attempts by the Holy Roman emperors to expand their authority over Hungary, jeopardized the new monarchy. The monarchy stabilized during the reigns of Ladislaus I (1077–1095) and Coloman (1095–1116). These rulers occupied Croatia and Dalmatia with the support of a part of the local population. Both realms retained their autonomous position. The successors of Ladislaus and Coloman—especially Béla II (1131–1141), Béla III (1176–1196), Andrew II (1205–1235), and Béla IV (1235–1270)—continued this policy of expansion towards the Balkan Peninsula and the lands east of the Carpathian Mountains, transforming their kingdom into one of the major powers of medieval Europe.
Rich in uncultivated lands, silver, gold, and salt deposits, Hungary became the preferred destination of mainly German, Italian, and French colonists. These immigrants were mostly peasants who settled in villages, but some were craftsmen and merchants, who established most of the cities of the Kingdom. Their arrival played a key role in the shaping of an urban lifestyle, habits, and culture in medieval Hungary. The location of the kingdom at the crossroads of international trade routes favored the coexistence of several cultures. Romanesque, Gothic, and Renaissance buildings and literary works written in Latin prove the predominantly Roman Catholic character of the culture; but Orthodox, and even non-Christian ethnic minority communities also existed. Latin was the language of legislation, administration and the judiciary, but "linguistic pluralism" contributed to the survival of many tongues, including a great variety of Slavic dialects. (Full article...)
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Anonymous sketch of Bogdan-Pitești, 1917 (signed Correggio)
Alexandru Bogdan-Pitești (Romanian pronunciation:[alekˈsandruboɡˈdanpiˈteʃtʲ]; born Alexandru Bogdan, also known as Ion Doican, Ion Duican and Al. Dodan; June 13, 1870 – May 12, 1922) was a RomanianSymbolist poet, essayist, and art and literary critic, who was also known as a journalist and left-wing political agitator. A wealthy landowner, he invested his fortune in patronage and art collecting, becoming one of the main local promoters of modern art, and a sponsor of the Romanian Symbolist movement. Together with other Post-Impressionist and Symbolist cultural figures, Bogdan-Pitești established Societatea Ileana, which was one of the first Romanian associations dedicated to promoting the avant-garde and independent art. He was also noted for his friendship with the writers Joris-Karl Huysmans, Alexandru Macedonski, Tudor Arghezi and Mateiu Caragiale, as well as for sponsoring, among others, the painters Ștefan Luchian, Constantin Artachino and Nicolae Vermont. In addition to his literary and political activities, Alexandru Bogdan-Pitești was himself a painter and graphic artist.
Much of Bogdan-Pitești's controversial political career, inaugurated by his support for anarchism, was dedicated to activism and support for revolution. He also had an interest in the occult, and maintained close contacts with Joséphin "Sâr" Péladan—sponsoring Péladan's journey to Bucharest (1898). He was detained by the authorities at various intervals, including an arrest for sedition during the 1899 election, and was later found guilty of having blackmailed the banker Aristide Blank. Late in his life, he led Seara, a Germanophile daily, as well as a literary and political circle which came to oppose Romania's entry into World War I on the Entente Powers' side. He was arrested one final time upon the end of the war, by which time he had become the object of public hatred. The enduring mysteries and contradictions of Bogdan-Pitești's career have since drawn interest from several generations of art and literary historians. (Full article...)
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"The Balkan Girls" is a song by Romanian singer Elena Gheorghe for a special 2009 edition of her second studio album, Te Ador (2008), and third record, Disco Romancing (2012). It was written by Laurențiu Duță [ro] and Alexandru Pelin, while production was handled by Duță, Ovidiu Bistriceanu and Daris Mangal. The song was released on an enhanced CD on 6 January 2009 by Cat Music. "The Balkan Girls" is a folk-influenced dance-pop song whose refrain celebrates the party life of Balkan girls.
It represented Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 in Moscow after winning on the preselection show Selecția Națională. Gheorghe qualified in ninth place for the Grand Final in Moscow, where she finished 19th with a total of 40 points (one of Romania's lowest scores in the contest). During her iele-inspired, mostly negatively-received show, she performed "The Balkan Girls" accompanied by female background dancers with hair extensions and chopped dresses. (Full article...)
The agreement defined a demarcation line marking the southern limit of deployment of most Hungarian armed forces. It left large parts of the Lands of the Crown of Saint Stephen (the Hungarian part of Austria-Hungary) outside Hungarian control – including parts or entire regions of Transylvania, Banat, Bačka, Baranya, as well as Croatia-Slavonia. It also spelled out in eighteen points the obligations imposed on Hungary by the Allies. Those obligations included Hungary's armed forces being reduced to eight divisions, the clearing of naval mines, as well as the turning over of certain quantities of rolling stock, river ships, tugboats, barges, river monitors, horses and other materiel to the Allies. Hungary was also obliged to make certain personnel available to repair wartime damage inflicted on Serbia's telegraph infrastructure, as well as to provide personnel to staff railways. (Full article...)
"Liubi, Liubi, I Love You" represented Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest 2007, held in Helsinki, Finland after winning the pre-selection show Selecția Națională. In Helsinki, Romania automatically qualified to the final due to their top ten placement in the previous year and finished in 13th place with 84 points. "Liubi, Liubi, I Love You" was promoted through performances in Belarus and a music video shot in Romania by Dan Manoliu. It charted at number 82 on the Romanian Top 100. (Full article...)
Maria Theresa started her 40-year reign when her father, Emperor Charles VI, died on 20 October 1740. Charles VI paved the way for her accession with the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713 and spent his entire reign securing it. He neglected the advice of Prince Eugene of Savoy, who believed that a strong military and a rich treasury were more important than mere signatures. Eventually, Charles VI left behind a weakened and impoverished state, particularly due to the War of the Polish Succession and the Russo-Turkish War (1735–1739). Moreover, upon his death, Saxony, Prussia, Bavaria, and France all repudiated the sanction they had recognised during his lifetime. Frederick II of Prussia (who became Maria Theresa's greatest rival for most of her reign) promptly invaded and took the affluent Habsburg province of Silesia in the eight-year conflict known as the War of the Austrian Succession. In defiance of the grave situation, she managed to secure the vital support of the Hungarians for the war effort. During the course of the war, Maria Theresa successfully defended her rule over most of the Habsburg monarchy, apart from the loss of Silesia and a few minor territories in Italy. Maria Theresa later unsuccessfully tried to recover Silesia during the Seven Years' War. (Full article...)
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Romania participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 in Athens, Greece. They selected their entry, "Tornerò" (meaning: "I Will Return"), by Romanian singer Mihai Trăistariu through the national selection competition Selecția Națională 2006 in February 2006. Controversy surrounded the event, as seventh-placed duo Indiggo accused the organising broadcaster, Romanian Television (TVR), of vote rigging. Prior to the 2006 contest, Romania had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest eight times since its first entry in 1994. Its highest placing in the contest had been third place, which the nation achieved in 2005.
Prior to Eurovision, "Tornerò" was promoted by a music video, live performances, radio submissions and fellow endeavours in several countries. Romania ultimately reached fourth place in the contest's final on 20 May, achieving 172 points. This remained the country's highest score until 2017. During Romania's show, Trăistariu was accompanied by dance group Big Bounce who performed a mixture of ballet and contemporary dance onstage. Following Eurovision, "Tornerò" achieved commercial success, reaching the top ten in Finland and Greece. (Full article...)
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Christopher depicted in Franz Christoph Khevenhüller's Conterfet Kupfferstich
Christopher's brother, Stephen Báthory, who succeeded John Sigismund in 1571, made Christopher captain of Várad (now Oradea in Romania). After being elected King of Poland, Stephen Báthory adopted the title of Prince of Transylvania and made Christopher voivode in 1576. Christopher cooperated with Márton Berzeviczy, whom his brother appointed to supervise the administration of the Principality of Transylvania as the head of the Transylvanian chancellery at Kraków. Christopher ordered the imprisonment of Ferenc Dávid, a leading theologian of the Unitarian Church of Transylvania, who started to condemn the adoration of Jesus. He supported his brother's efforts to settle the Jesuits in Transylvania. (Full article...)
"Zaleilah" represented Romania in the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest in Baku, Azerbaijan, after winning the pre-selection show Selecția Națională. The country reached 12th place in a field of 26, scoring a total of 71 points. Mandinga's show featured the band members performing choreography and accompanying Ionescu, with pyrotechnics and fireworks also being used. The song received mixed reviews from music critics. While it was praised for its catchiness and dance nature, some viewed it as mediocre and unoriginal. "Zaleilah" received a nomination in the Best Song category at the 2011 Romanian Music Awards. (Full article...)
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"Clap Clap" is a song by Romanian duo Gran Error, Albanian singer Elvana Gjata and Romanian singer Antonia. The song was produced by Achi, Marcel Botezan and Sebastian Barac, who served as co-writers with Iraida. It was released as a single for digital download and streaming by Global Records on 8 July 2022. An English and Spanish-languagetechno-inspired song, it encourages to be bold and transparent, and to let go of anything that stops their freedom. The song received positive receptions from a few music critics, who applauded the music and sound. It reached the record charts at number one in Albania, number three in Romania and number 32 in Poland. An accompanying music video was directed by Alexandru Muresan and Elena Maria Popescu, and uploaded to Gjata's YouTube channel alongside the single release. Filmed in Bucharest, Romania, the video finds the artists and several other people dancing and partying in a karting arena and gaming center. (Full article...)
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"Ra" (stylized in all caps) is a song recorded by Romanian singer Inna, digitally released on 27 September 2018 as the lead single from her sixth studio album, Yo (2019), by Global Records. It was entirely written in Spanish by Cristina Maria Chiluiza and Inna, while Sebastian Barac, Marcel Botezan and David Ciente handled the production. A ballad, the song lyrically features a female empowerment message about leaving a toxic relationship and gaining confidence. Its sound differs significantly and acts as a departure from Inna's previous, club-oriented releases.
"Ra" was met with generally positive reviews from music critics upon its release, with a number of them pointing out its catchiness. For promotion, an accompanying, minimalistic music video was uploaded onto the singer's YouTube channel simultaneously with the digital release of the song. Filmed by Bogdan Păun, it portrays Inna and five other women posing together or individually in front of a planter wall. Inna further supported the song with live performances at the 2018 Telehit Awards and on television program Hoy in Mexico in November 2018. It peaked at number 71 on Romania's Airplay 100 ranking. (Full article...)
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"Wow" is a song recorded by Romanian singer Inna for her second studio album, I Am the Club Rocker (2011). Written and produced by Play & Win members Sebastian Barac, Radu Bolfea and Marcel Botezan, it was made available for digital download on 20 April 2012 as the fifth single from the record through DIY Records. Musically, "Wow" is an electropop song.
Charles came to the Kingdom of Hungary upon the invitation of an influential Croatian lord, Paul Šubić, in August 1300. Andrew III died on 14 January 1301, and within four months Charles was crowned king, but with a provisional crown instead of the Holy Crown of Hungary. Most Hungarian noblemen refused to yield to him and elected Wenceslaus of Bohemia king. Charles withdrew to the southern regions of the kingdom. Pope Boniface VIII acknowledged Charles as the lawful king in 1303, but Charles was unable to strengthen his position against his opponent. Wenceslaus abdicated in favor of Otto of Bavaria in 1305. Because it had no central government, the Kingdom of Hungary had disintegrated into a dozen provinces, each headed by a powerful nobleman, or oligarch. One of those oligarchs, Ladislaus III Kán, captured and imprisoned Otto of Bavaria in 1307. Charles was elected king in Pest on 27 November 1308, but his rule remained nominal in most parts of his kingdom even after he was crowned with the Holy Crown on 27 August 1310. (Full article...)
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Mai bună ca niciodată (Romanian: Better than Ever) is the only studio album recorded by Romanian actress, television host and singer Oana Zăvoranu under her mononym Oana. It was released on 28 June 2007 by Roton and Sincron. Zăvoranu had gained significant popularity in her native country in the early 2000s for her acting roles, but took a hiatus in 2006 to focus on a music career and parted ways with the television production company Media Pro.
Mai bună ca niciodată features production by Adrian Cristescu, who was also a contributing songwriter along with Georgiana Ariton, Sabina Cojocar, Dan Lazăr and Silviu Păduraru. "Pusă pe fapte" and "Cariño" featuring Cristescu under his stage name Adi Korekt were selected as singles to support the album, with the latter receiving an accompanying music video and peaking at number 99 on the Romanian Top 100chart. (Full article...)
Romanian was also known as Moldovan in Moldova, although the Constitutional Court of Moldova ruled in 2013 that "the official language of Moldova is Romanian". On 16 March 2023, the Moldovan Parliament approved a law on referring to the national language as Romanian in all legislative texts and the constitution. On 22 March, the president of Moldova, Maia Sandu, promulgated the law. (Full article...)
One of the world's best-known gymnasts, Comăneci was praised for her artistry and grace, which brought unprecedented global popularity to the sport in the mid-1970s. Called "the most iconic gymnast of the 20th century" by El País, Comăneci was named one of the Athletes of the 20th century by the Laureus World Sports Academy. (Full article...)
... that Dimitrie Ralet, a pioneer Romanian orientalist, commended Ottoman reformers for not "blindly adopting what we in Europe take to mean civilization"?
... that Romanian poet Dimitrie Stelaru said that he once traveled to Paris by truck, adding "I hardly remember anything, I was drunk the whole time"?
... that Soviet politician Pavel Chioru wanted "Moldovan", which he developed from a dialect of Romanian, to serve as a language of the "exploited" against the supposedly upper-class Romanian?
Image 171941 stamp depicting a Romanian and a German soldier in reference to the two countries' common participation in Operation Barbarossa. The text below reads the holy war against Bolshevism. (from History of Romania)
Image 18Territories inhabited by Romanians before WWI (from History of Romania)
Image 28Proclamation of Union between Transylvania and Romania (from History of Romania)
Image 29The comprehensive map detailing the approximate lands inhabited by the Getae according to Strabo's accounts (from History of Romania)
Image 30The Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia in 1786, Italian map by G. Pittori, since the geographer Giovanni Antonio Rizzi Zannoni (from History of Romania)
Image 31The map that shows the Dacian invasion of Boii and Taurisci (from History of Romania)
Image 34Physical and administrative map of Romania, with the historic regions in grey (Țara Românească means Wallachia). (from Geography of Romania)
Image 35Timeline of the borders of Romania between 1859 and 2010 (from History of Romania)
Image 36Ethnic map of Greater Romania according to the 1930 census. Sizeable ethnic minorities put Romania at odds with Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Soviet Union throughout the interwar period. (from History of Romania)
Image 60Bran Castle (German: Törzburg, Hungarian: Törcsvár) built in 1212, is commonly known as Dracula's Castle and is situated in the centre of present-day Romania. In addition to its unique architecture, the castle is famous because of persistent myths that it was once the home of Vlad III Dracula. (from History of Romania)
Image 69Romania has seen its largest waves of protests against judicial reform ordinances of the PSD-ALDE coalition during the 2017–2019 Romanian protests. (from History of Romania)
Image 78Romania after the territorial losses of 1940. The recovery of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina was the catalyst for Romania's entry into the war on Germany's side. (from History of Romania)
Image 86Lieutenant Emil Rebreanu was awarded the Medal for Bravery in gold, the highest military award given by the Austrian command to an ethnic Romanian; he would later be hanged for desertion while trying to escape to Romania. (from History of Romania)
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