Publicat pe 07/08/2019

Cluj-Napoca, August 7^th, 2019: The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania (CCIR), with the support of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Cluj (CCI Cluj) and of the City Hall of Cluj-Napoca, organized Wednesday, August 7^th, the unveiling ceremony of the statues of General Gheorghe Mărdărescu, historical personality who played a central role in the actions of the Romanian Army both during the First World War and in the immediate period afterwards, when he decisively contributed to stopping the advance of communism towards central Europe.

The inauguration of the statue of General Gheorghe Mărdărescu celebrates the 100^th anniversary of the Romanian troops occupying Budapest, in August 1919. The ceremony of unveiling the statue was attended by high state dignitaries, representatives of the local public administration, presidents of county Chambers of Commerce and a large number of Romanians who wished to be present at an event that marks history.

Through this exclusive project, CCIR is directly involved in actions meant to honor the great heroes of Romania, especially in significant historical moments such as those around the Centenary of the Great Union from 1918. The realization and erection of a monument in memory of the great General Gheorghe Mărdărescu has an important one symbolic value and represents, for present and future generations, a landmark of our continuation as a free and sovereign state.

The President of CCIR, Mr. Mihai Daraban, mentioned the motivation that led to the realization of this project: “This year the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania celebrates 155 years since its establishment. Along with many other institutions of modern Romania, such as the Senate of Romania, the National Bank or the Court of Accounts, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania was and is still an institutional witness to all the events that led to the contouring of contemporary Romania. (…) We wanted very much to pay tribute and at the same time to make a historical repair by reducing General Mărdărescu to the public’s attention. As you are well aware, his actions were censored in the period before ’89. We wanted to be here today because we want to contribute to the Centenary, which, in our perception, must be celebrated between December 1, 2018 and June 2020, maybe until October 28, 2020, with the Treaty of Paris recognizing Bessarabia at international level as part of Romania”.

The Minister of National Defense, Mr. Gabriel Leș said: “Today we evoke the personality of a wonderful soldier above all praise, as characterized by Marshal Alexandru Averescu. Gheorghe Mărdărescu was first of all an exceptional man, a visionary, a great patriot and a redoubtable leader. General Gheorghe Mărdărescu understood from the beginning the danger of communism and acted quickly to stop this scourge. He also acted tirelessly for the modernization of the army, advocated that Romania could impose itself as a regional power, along with Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia and Poland. I thank the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania for supporting the project of building the monument of General Gheorghe Mărdărescu, here, in Cluj, in the heart of Transylvania, from where the last military campaign of the First World War started”.

Mayor of Cluj-Napoca, Mr. Emil Boc, said: “The presence of so many officials today, in Cluj-Napoca, is a clear indication of the significance of this moment and of the importance that General Gheorghe Mărdărescu has had for our history. I especially appreciate the dedication, effort and perseverance of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania to complete this project and I hope it will be a model for other institutions, either private or state. Gheorghe Mărădrescu contributed decisively to the act of 1918 and, at the same time, to the defense of the Great Union. He was the one who stopped the evolution and spread of Bolshevism in Europe and can be likened to Iancu de Hunedoara who, at the battle of Belgrade, stopped the ascension of the Ottoman Empire. Through his weapons deeds, Gheorghe Mărdărescu offered Romania the chance to have 20 years of democracy”.

The President of the Academy, Mr. Ioan Aurel Pop, said: “The commemoration and ceremony of today is possible at the initiative of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania, a thing worthy of all praise. Romania managed to develop in the 20th century thanks to a fundamental institution, namely the Romanian Army. It is this institution that has acted in stopping two dictatorial regimes, which have threatened the whole European continent. In 1919, the Romanian Army stopped the expansion of Bolshevism, of Soviet-type communism, which had every chance to establish itself in Central Europe. In 1944-1945, the Romanian Army contributed decisively to the end of fascism. These actions resulted in the consolidation of Romania and especially of Transylvania’s belonging to the Romanian state”.

The unveiling ceremony of the statue of General Gheorghe Mărdărecu was followed by a session of debates that took place in the classroom of the Faculty of Economic Sciences and Business Management and was moderated by the President of CCI Cluj, Mr. Ștefan Florea Dimitriu.

On this occasion, Dr. Alexandru Ghișa, Historian and Diplomat, Associate Professor at Babeș Boylai University, marked by a speech the personality of General Gheorghe Mărdărescu and underlined the historical facts that were commemorated on this occasion.

At the same time, the plastic artist Mr. Valentin Tanase spoke about the realization of the statue and the aspects that inspired it in his creation: “When I propose to give plastic life to a historical figure, I document myself as accurately as possible about his biography, the time in which he lived, I look for data regarding his outward appearance, temperament, to be, even anecdotal, secondary aspects of his life in the desire to penetrate beyond the physical appearance, within his personality, of his inner self, to render him as alive, truthful as possible even more convincing ”.

Background
General Gheorghe Mărdărescu played a central role in the actions of the Romanian army, during the turbulent period, after the First World War, in 1919, when he was entrusted with the command of all the armed forces in Transylvania, with the mission to repel the Bolshevik bands and the Hungarian troops.

On August 4^th, 1919, the Romanian troops enter Budapest, the offensive being executed without an operational pause, with an average advancement rate of 18 km daily, which did not allow the enemy to prepare the defense of the Tisza or the access routes to the capital. Hungary.

The soldiers of the Romanian Army marched on Andrassy Boulevard in the presence of King Ferdinand I, who gave General Mărdărescu “Mihai Viteazul Order” 2^nd class for the action against Bela Kun’s Bolshevik regime.