Shared and Diverging Memories and Legacies - Let's Join the Debate and Dialogue!

Romanians and Hungarians in Transylvania have shared the same vibrant space for centuries, but not always the same stories about it! Characters, places, and events from our shared history have been woven into different national narratives, sometimes with a friendly rivalry. John Hunyadi is probably the most famous example of a hero claimed by multiple historic traditions, but there are also fascinating figures like Catherine Varga, whose biography beautifully crosses the ethnic and political borders that we’ve used to organize Transylvania's rich past.

The debate "Shared/Divergent Memories and Legacies" brings together four wonderful guests who encounter the past in unique and exciting ways: through historical research and teaching, projects fostering dialogue about Transylvania, museum work and heritage, and the fresh perspective of a younger generation discovering and sharing Transylvanian stories through tourism, travel, and heritage exploration!

The discussion kicks off with a simple yet fascinating question: what do we actually inherit from a past lived together? What brings us closer and what sets us apart when Romanians and Hungarians talk about the very same history? Can we build a shared relationship with the past without erasing our unique perspectives, and without turning reconciliation into a watered-down version of history?

An important highlight of our discussion will be the memory of both conflict and solidarity. Romanian and Hungarian historiographies have documented the moments of tension that marked the relations between the two communities. However, much less in the spotlight are those heartwarming moments when people refused the logic of ethnic violence and stood up to protect their neighbors! Field research and local memories preserve wonderful accounts of these episodes: communities that stood against authorities or armies to prevent harm. How wonderful would it be if, alongside the memory of hardships, we also recovered the memory of these beautiful, courageous gestures?

At the heart of our discussion is the young generation. How can a complex past be shared without passing down old rivalries? How can we transform heritage, local history, museums, schools, travel, and even tourism into fantastic tools for critical thinking? And could discovering that our past is both shared and delightfully unique spark not just reconciliation, but also curiosity—a real desire to learn more about the people, places, and histories we've inherited?

About our wonderful guests:

Beáta Siklodi is the assistant manager at Muzeon – the Jewish History Museum in Cluj-Napoca. She holds a bachelor's degree in Cultural Tourism and a master's degree in Cultural Heritage Research and Promotion, both earned at the Faculty of History and Philosophy at Babeș-Bolyai University.

During her master's studies, she fell in love with the museum's concept and began volunteering at Muzeon, which inspired her to join the team full-time after graduation! She is also a proud member of EMKISZ (the Youth Organization of the Hungarian Cultural Society of Transylvania).

Her professional and academic journey beautifully reflects her passion for conserving and promoting heritage, and her belief in the role of museums in preserving and passing our past to future generations.

Alexandra Damian is a communication expert with over 10 years of experience in digital communication. She has collaborated with fantastic institutions like the Cluj-Napoca Art Museum and lively festivals like TIFF, the Interferences International Theatre Festival, and Wonderpuck! She is also the co-founder of the fun inter-ethnic humor project "HungaRomânisme" and co-organizer of the public event series "Romanians and Hungarians in the Mirror of their Shared Past."

Gabriel Girigan is an enthusiastic history teacher with a wealth of experience in interdisciplinary and international educational projects, bridging history, geography, and anthropology. He has been involved in fascinating projects dedicated to the history of the Black Sea and the relationship between society, nature, and climate change. He was active at the Cluj Excellence Center, inspiring middle school students, and has collaborated with Cinema ARTA on film education projects for high schoolers. He loves connecting universities and schools on environmental history and climate change. His recent research focuses on the history of forests in Romania and Eastern Europe, as well as forestry labor in the context of the green transition. He passionately promotes an approach to history education based on interdisciplinarity, research, and connecting the past to contemporary challenges.

Ferencz Loránd is 23 years old and, starting this autumn, will pursue a master's program in Gastronomy, Nutrition, and Dietetics at USAMV Cluj. He is a graduate of the Food Control and Expertise program, and subsequently studied for a year at the Faculty of History, specializing in Cultural Heritage Research and Promotion.

For the past two and a half years, he has been sharing his passion as a tour guide for both Romanian and international groups! In Cluj, he initiated a wonderful project within the Mathias Corvinus Collegium Association, organizing themed trips and visits dedicated to history, ethnography, and architecture for students in Cluj-Napoca and its beautiful surrounding areas. He has also been a tourism agent for the Unitarian Bishopric of Cluj-Napoca for the past year and a half.

He is deeply passionate about history, art history, geography, natural sciences, hiking, and cycling. He is also an active member of the Transylvanian Carpathian Society, where he has enthusiastically organized and participated in many trips across Transylvania!

Valer Simion Cosma is a historian and anthropologist, serving as the director of the "Lucian Blaga" University Library in Sibiu. His fascinating research focuses on the social and cultural history of the rural world, modernization, nationalism, vernacular religion, and memory, with a special love for Transylvania. He is the initiator and coordinator of several research and cultural intervention projects dedicated to rural life and the creative dialogue between academic research, heritage, and communities. Over the past few years, he has developed brilliant projects that bring history and social research directly to the public outside of academia!