Romania — books & literature

The story of Romania

Romania's roots reach back to the ancient Dacians, whose kingdom under Burebista and later Decebalus clashed with Rome until Emperor Trajan conquered Dacia in 106 CE, leaving behind the Latin language that still defines Romanian today. After Roman withdrawal, the region absorbed centuries of migrations before the medieval principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia emerged, ruled by voivodes such as Vlad III "the Impaler", who became the inspiration for the Dracula legend. In 1859, Alexandru Ioan Cuza united Wallachia and Moldavia into a single state, and in 1877-1878 Romania won full independence from the Ottoman Empire, becoming a kingdom in 1881 under Carol I. The Great Union of 1 December 1918 joined Transylvania, Bessarabia, and Bukovina to the kingdom, forming Greater Romania. The mid-20th century brought the loss of the monarchy, decades of communist rule under Nicolae Ceaușescu, and the 1989 Revolution that ended communism. Since then Romania has rebuilt as a democracy, joining NATO in 2004 and the European Union in 2007.

Timeline — key moments

1. circa 82 BCE

   King Burebista unifies the Dacian tribes into a powerful kingdom.

2. 106 CE

   Emperor Trajan conquers Dacia, making it a Roman province.

3. circa 1330

   Basarab I secures Wallachia's independence from Hungary at the Battle of Posada.

4. circa 1359

   Bogdan I establishes the independent principality of Moldavia.

5. 1859

   Alexandru Ioan Cuza unites Wallachia and Moldavia, founding modern Romania.

6. 1877-1878

   War of Independence; Romania gains full independence from the Ottoman Empire.

7. 1881

   Romania becomes a kingdom; Carol I is crowned its first king.

8. 1918

   The Great Union (1 December): Transylvania, Bessarabia, and Bukovina join Romania.

9. 1989

   The Romanian Revolution ends decades of communist rule under Nicolae Ceaușescu.

10. 2007

    Romania joins the European Union (having joined NATO in 2004).

Top 10 things to know about Romania

1. Romanian is a Romance language, a Latin-rooted island surrounded by Slavic and other neighbours.
2. Bran Castle in Transylvania is popularly linked to the Dracula legend and Vlad III "the Impaler".
3. The Danube Delta, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, is one of the best-preserved river deltas in Europe.
4. The Carpathian Mountains curve through the country and shelter one of Europe's largest brown bear populations.
5. The painted monasteries of Bucovina, with frescoes on their exterior walls, are UNESCO World Heritage sites.
6. Bucharest's Palace of the Parliament is one of the largest administrative buildings in the world.
7. Nadia Comăneci scored gymnastics' first perfect 10 at the 1976 Montreal Olympics.
8. 1 December is Romania's National Day, marking the 1918 Great Union.
9. Transylvania, Wallachia, and Moldavia are the three historic regions that form modern Romania.
10. Romania has one of the largest areas of virgin forest remaining in Europe, mostly in the Carpathians.

Famous people from Romania

Say it in Romania's language

Did you know?

• ★Romanian retained a strong Latin core even while surrounded by Slavic-speaking neighbours for over a thousand years.
• ★The Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest is widely cited as one of the heaviest buildings in the world.
• ★The Danube Delta is home to hundreds of bird species and is one of the largest wetlands in Europe.

Romania culture

• Mărțișor, a red-and-white string token exchanged on 1 March, welcomes spring and honours women.
• Traditional Romanian folk music and dance, such as the hora, remain central to village festivals.
• Sarmale (cabbage rolls) and mămăligă (polenta) are staples of Romanian home cooking.
• Orthodox Christianity shapes major holidays, including an Easter often celebrated on a different date than in the West.

Why read Romania's books

Romanian literature runs from Eminescu's Romantic poetry through the philosophical essays of Mircea Eliade and the absurdist theatre of Romanian-born Eugène Ionesco. Reading Romania's books opens a Latin literary tradition forged at the edge of the Slavic and Ottoman worlds.