Open letter

I took note of the initiative of the Ministry of Culture and National Identity on the draft normative act establishing measures for the establishment, organization and functioning of the National Museum of the Romanian Revolution in December 1989. We support this because it benefits civil society the existence of as many museums, memorials or other such institutions as possible to bring the history of our country as close as possible to the general public.

But we regret to note that through the steps taken, the Ministry of Culture and National Identity has completely ignored any desire for collaboration, consultation or documentation on this subject with many of the institutions mentioned in the foundation note Section 2, point l . For the correct information of public opinion we bring to your attention the following:

1. Memorialul Revolutiei – audio, video, photo and numerous artifacts from 1990 to 2000. In addition to the database, the association’s heritage is complemented by the 13 monuments made by renowned sculptors from the country and abroad. This work of our members was recognized by the Romanian government and parliament in 2000, the Memorial of the Revolution being declared an objective of national interest, the heritage being exclusive of the association and valued according to the statute!
2. The main and major objective of our association was, is and will remain that of finding out the truth about December 1989 and honoring our heroes.

The truth cannot be held by a single institution, regardless of its status!

3. Regarding the claim that this information is not within the reach of the general public, especially of the younger generations, we inform you that the information is done in several ways: Exhibition spaces that have been visited by tens of thousands of visitors from the country and abroad, in 2018 alone there were over 10,000. One way to involve young people in particular is to invite schools in the county and city, especially in the “School differently” week, when teachers are more interested in mobilizing and going out with students to museums. We decided to bring the Romanian Revolution of December 1989 as close as possible to the current generation and started partnership projects with various educational institutions, including the Timiş County School Inspectorate, the House of the Didactic Corps, the Western University, the Christian University “Dimitrie Cantemir” and the Department of Language and Literature Romanian from Szeged.
   • Itinerant exhibitions made by us were present both locally and nationally and internationally. Here we recall only a few: The itinerant exhibition of photographs was also opened in the country: at the National Theatre in Targu Mureş (2003), at the National Museum of History (2004) and at the National Theatre “I. L. Caragiale” in Bucharest (2006), Brașov, Jimbolia (2005 and 2010), Lugoj (2005 and 2010), Oradea, at the University Library of Cluj-Napoca, in Arad (2006), at Sânnicolau Mare (2010 and 2013), at Făget (2011), in Caransebeş and 2013), in Reşița (2011), in Comloșu Mic (2011) and in Buziaş (2011).

Regarding our external participations, remember the most important international openings: Vârşț / Serbia (2003), Sopron / Hungary (2003), Jena / Germany (University “Friedrich Schiller”, 2004), Gera / Germany (City Hall, 2004), Teistungen / Germany (Grenzlandmuseum Eichsfeld, 2004), Mannheim / Germany (“Europe Week”, 2005), Erfurt / Germany (Parliament of Thingen Land, 2005/2006), Vienna / Austria (Romanian Cultural Institute, 2009), Berlin / Germany (Romanian Cultural Institute, 2009), Mtinchen / Germany (“Romanian Culture Days”, 2009), Hamburg / Germany (2009), Prague / Czech Republic (symposium organized by Radio “Free Europe”, 2009), Leipzig / Germany (Symposium Dictatorship of the SED — 20 years. Refund — A balance sheet, 2010), Warsaw / Poland (Memory Institute, 2010), Budapest / Hungary (Romanian Cultural Institute, 201 1), Berlin / Germany (Romanian Cultural Institute, 2011), Ariola / Italy (Institute of Higher Training “Alessandro Lombardi”, 2013), Micherechi and Szeged / Hungary (2013), Venice / Italy (2014), Karslsruhe / Germany (KarlsruheTimişoara Friendship Circle, 2014), Rome / Italy (2 014) and Gyula / Hungary (2014), Vienna / Austria awarding medals and diplomas for humanitarianism and solidarity, 29 June 2015, Krzyzowa/Kreisau / Poland – 15th edition of the Memorial Seminar in the Eastern European Area of (29.03-1.0 4 2017).

• Research and book editing activity. They saw the print light over 45 volumes, 22 issues in our magazine, albums, leaflets and brochures. All books were distributed free of charge to the National Library of Romania, to all county libraries, universities and other interested institutions, Remember some of them: The Timişoara Process, Vol. I-IX (2004-2010); The trial of Nicu Ceaușescu, vol. I (coordinator Gino Rado, 2010), Journalists, Heroes, Terrorists (author Lucian- Vasile

Szabo, 2009); Panic at Cotroceni (coordinator Lucian-Vasile Szabo, 2010); A Revolution, a Memorial (coordinator Lucian-Vasile Szabo, 2010); Media, repression and freedom (coordinator Lucian-Vasile Szabo, 2010); Attacked against the Romanian Revoluly (coordinator Lucian-Vasile Szabo, 2010).

Since 201 1 we have our own publishing house, under the aegis of which they have seen the light of the printing press: the scientific bulletins that have appeared since this year, as well as the English and German editions of the scientific bulletins, a summary of the most interesting articles in the Romanian editions (2013-2014); The trial of Nicu Ceaușescu, vol. II (coordinator Gino Rado, 201 1); December, state of emergency (coordinator Lucian-Vasile Szabo, 2011); Lugoj, December 1989 (coordinator Gino Rado, 201 1); Candela against time (authors Titus Suciu and Vasile Bogdan, 201 1); Foray into the history of institutions participating in the repression of the Romanian Revolution in 1989. Timişoara December 1989 (coordinator Gino Rado, 2011); The victims of Revoluly. Timișoara 1989 (coordinator Romeo Bălan, 2011); Timişoara syndrome 1989 (author Lucian-Vasile Szabo, 2013); Timișoara trial: prosecution of 21 +4 defendants (coordinator Gino Rado, 2013); Revolution of 1989 in Timisoara hospitals (author Lucian-Vasile Szabo, 2014); Encyclopedia of the Revolution of Timișoara 1989: Volume I — Timeline and victims of the Revolution (coordinator Lucian Ionică, 2014) and Volume II — Documents of The Revolution (coordinators Romeo Bălan and Gino Rado, 2014) and the photo album of architect Mihai Botescu, Timișoara, romanian city of freedom (2014).

• Our research work, sponsored by the National Research, Documentation and Public Information Centre on the Romanian Revolution of December 1989, also involved the organization of scientific symposiums on 7, IO, 15, 20, 22 and 25 years after the fall of communism, as well as smaller meetings in December on the occasion of the commemoration of the Revolution, the themes being, of course, communism and the Revolution.

4. By the foregoing, I consider that the assertions in the footnote are not correctly stated. Both about the draft government decision of April 2019 on the establishment of the museum and about the current normative project we only learned by chance from the media. There were no consultations, nor at least minimal information between the institutions.
5. In conclusion to show the true state of affairs, we must remember that in this anniversary year the first money from the annual subsidy granted by the 2019 state budget (the amount is almost symbolic) came only at the end of June 2019, this amount representing the maystatement, the months of January-April (except for 3 days) not settled.

The Revolution Memorial Association will continue the statutory activities of honoring the victims and heroes who fought against communism, the work of documentation, research and public information, and we express our willingness to work with specialized institutions to make the truth about our recent history as easily as possible to reach the general public.

Vice-President 13.09.2019

Executive Director

Gino Rado