News

Launch of the Project Website

The official website for the project funded through the EEA Grants, PA16/RO12 Program for the Conservation and Revitalization of Cultural and Natural Heritage, was launched in May 2015, as per the information and publicity plan.

Launch of the Project's Facebook Page

The official Facebook page for the project funded by the EEA Grants 2009-2014, PA16/RO12 Program for the Conservation and Revitalization of Cultural and Natural Heritage, was launched in April 2015, according to the publicity plan.

Presentation of the Project at the 2015 Night of Museums

On the occasion of the international event "Night of Museums 2015," the Buzău County Museum organized a temporary exhibition titled 9 Objects, 9 Stories, where a unique document from the Dumitru Dan Collection, a documentary film, and general project information were presented. During the same evening, as part of the activity A Night at the Museum, a group of students aged 14-18 received detailed information about the project.

Announcement of the Official Project Launch

We are pleased to announce the project's launch conference, which will take place on Monday, May 25, 2015, starting at 11:30 AM, in the conference hall of the Buzău County Museum, located at N. Bălcescu Blvd, No. 50. The conference will be attended by representatives from Buzău County Museum, the Sports Museum of Bucharest, the "Iulian Antonescu" Museum Complex in Bacău, various personalities, and media representatives.

Craft Workshops

As part of the project Around the World on Foot: The Story of the 497 Pairs of Opinci, funded by a grant from Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and the Government of Romania under the EEA Financial Mechanism 2009-2014, 10 craft workshops were organized at the General School in Brădeanu commune, Buzău County. A group of students, mostly of Roma ethnicity, participated in the workshops, learning how to make traditional Romanian footwear (opinci). So far, three workshops have taken place in June, September, and October.

By March 2016, a total of 9 craft workshops had been held between June 2015 and March 2016.

The final workshop will take place at the Buzău County Museum on May 18, 2016, during the opening of the exhibition.

The workshops were coordinated by Mrs. Doina Mușat, an experienced folk craftsman, educator, and initiator of the ethnographic collection in the village of Brădeanu, who has participated in various festivals and craft fairs.

New Craft Workshops: Sewing Traditional Shirts

In collaboration with the General Directorate of Social Assistance and Child Protection of Buzău, the Buzău County Museum will organize four workshops to teach a group of 5-10 socially assisted students from Buzău how to sew and create traditional Romanian shirts, under the guidance of folk artisan Mariana Țicleanu (May–June 2016).

Permanent Exhibition Opening

On Wednesday, May 18, 2016, starting at 11 AM, the opening of the permanent exhibition dedicated to Romania's first globe-trotter, Dumitru Dan, will take place at the Buzău County Museum, located at Bd. N. Bălcescu, no. 50, Buzău.

The event will begin with a presentation of the progress made in implementing the project "Walking Around the World." The story of the 497 pairs of traditional Romanian shoes and the personality of globe-trotter Dumitru Dan will be highlighted, focusing on his athletic achievements and his role as an "ambassador of Romania" and bearer of Romanian traditional values across various parts of the globe. This event is part of the "Walking Around the World" project.

The story of the 497 pairs of traditional shoes is supported by a non-reimbursable funding of €77,224 within the "Conservation and Revitalization of Cultural and Natural Heritage" program, through a grant provided by Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.

Closing Conference of the "Walking Around the World" Project

The Buzău County Museum will organize the closing conference of the "Walking Around the World" project on July 20, 2016. The event will take place at its headquarters located at Bd. N. Bălcescu, no. 50, and will focus on the story of the 497 pairs of traditional Romanian shoes.

Implemented from March 2015 to July 2016, the project aimed to contribute to the cultural offerings of the city and county of Buzău by preserving, protecting, and promoting the cultural heritage related to the personality of Romania's first globe-trotter, Dumitru Dan.

The project received eligible non-reimbursable funding of 341,932.94 lei (€77,224.11) from the EEA Financial Mechanism 2009-2014, through the "Conservation and Revitalization of Cultural and Natural Heritage" program, with grants provided by Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and the Government of Romania.

Visit of the Minister of National Defense

On August 18, 2016, on the occasion of the Centenary of the 2nd Army, the Minister of National Defense, Mihnea Motoc, along with other personalities from the military leadership, visited the event. Among them were General Dr. Nicolae Ciucă, Chief of the General Staff; Major General Dr. Dumitru Scarlat, Chief of the Land Forces General Staff; and Major General Dr. Petrică-Lucian Foca, Commander of the 2nd Infantry Division “Getica.” They were joined by the prefect of Buzău County, Aurelia Mitrea; the mayor of Buzău, Constantin Toma; and other representatives of local authorities, war veterans, active military personnel, and reservists.

A Romanian Around the World (Interactive Lesson)

On November 29, 2016, the activity "A Romanian Around the World" (interactive lesson) will take place in partnership with the Agricultural College Dr. C. Angelescu in Buzău, in celebration of Romania's National Day.

Project Presentation

On January 22, 2017, the main activities and results of the project will be presented during the Lecturer Training Course in the Field of Olympism, Edition II, 2016-2017, organized by the Romanian Olympic Academy – Buzău Branch, at the Romeo Iamandi Sports Hall in Buzău.

Workshops on Traditional Stitched Signs

We announce that from March 6 to 8, 2017, the Buzău County Museum will host three craftsmanship workshops on TRADITIONAL STITCHED SIGNS with students from the Spiru C. Haret Pedagogical High School and the George Emil Palade Secondary School in Buzău. The workshop will provide students with the opportunity to acquire new knowledge, shared by the museum with the help of the folk artisan Mariana Trif from the Bisoca commune. Participants will have the chance to interpret decorative designs of regional folk motifs (signs and symbols present in ornamental fields), focusing on the compositional scheme (geometric shapes, stylized forms), color schemes, and the traditional materials and techniques used in the Buzău area.

Visit of the President of the European Museum Academy, Dr. Wim van der Weiden

From April 4 to 5, 2017, we are pleased to welcome the visit of the President of the European Museum Academy, Dr. Wim van der Weiden (EMA Chairman), who will be in Buzău as a juror for the Academy, judging the exhibition "Walking Around the World: The Story of the 497 Pairs of Traditional Romanian Shoes" hosted by the Buzău County Museum.

Workshop "We, the Children of Europe"

On May 9, 2017, starting at 10:00 AM, the workshop "WE, THE CHILDREN OF EUROPE" will take place in the room dedicated to the exhibition "Walking Around the World: The Story of the 497 Pairs of Traditional Romanian Shoes" in collaboration with George Emil Palade Secondary School in Buzău and Grăjdana Secondary School in the commune of Tisău, Buzău County. The workshop is part of a series of events dedicated to May 9, organized at the Buzău County Museum.

Night of Museums 2017

During these days, you have the opportunity to meet and take photos with the character Dumitru Dan, THE FIRST ROMANIAN GLOBE-TROTTER, in Youth Park (May 16), Marghiloman Park (May 17), Dacia Square (May 18), Crâng Park (May 19), and Bd. Nicolae Bălcescu (May 20) as part of the promotional activities for the Night of Museums 2017 event, organized by the Buzău County Museum along with its partners. We look forward to seeing you at the museum!

Storytelling: Journey Around the Globe

On May 25, 2017, the first storytelling activity will take place at the Buzău County Museum, together with a group of students from the "Captain Aviator Mircea T. Bădulescu" Secondary School in Buzău. Journey Around the Globe will consist of a dialogue between the character Dumitru Dan and his audience, during which students will discover information about geography, history, gastronomy, language, culture, and civilization of other peoples, as well as information about Romanian folklore, traditions, folk costumes, songs, and traditional dances. The storytelling activity aims to contribute to:

• Cultivating love and respect for history, national tangible and intangible heritage, as well as for Romanian traditions, customs, and folklore;
• Educating, raising awareness, and sparking students' interest in travel, nature, sports, geography, and history;
• Combating forms of discrimination based on ethnicity;
• Combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and intolerance

Nomination for the 2017 European Museum Academy Awards

The Buzău County Museum is honored to announce that from September 28 to 30, 2017, it participated in the annual conference of the European Museum Academy and the awards ceremony recognizing excellence in European museology. The event was held in Skopje, the capital of the Republic of Macedonia, and brought together over 120 specialists and experts from 30 countries.

The European Museum Academy annually awards the Heritage in Motion Award, the Luigi Micheletti Award, and the DASA Award.

In the fall of 2016, the Buzău County Museum was the only museum in Romania to submit its candidacy alongside more than 130 other European museums and was selected to compete alongside 34 museums from 21 countries (Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Denmark, Switzerland, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, and Turkey).

The Academy's jury is composed of prominent figures in international museology, including: Dr. Karl Borromäus Murr (jury president, Netherlands), René Capovin (representative of the Micheletti Foundation, Italy), Dr. Arno van Berge Henegouwen (Netherlands), Dr. Massimo Negri (EMA Director, Italy), Ann Nicholls (EMA Coordinator, United Kingdom), Dr. Virgil Ștefan Nițulescu (President of the National Museum Network of Romania), Dr. Andreja Rihter (President and Director of EMA, Slovenia), Dr. Hermann Schäfer (EMA Adviser, Germany), Her Royal Highness Princess Sibilla of Luxembourg (art historian, Luxembourg), Danièle Wagener (Luxembourg), Dr. Wim van der Weiden (EMA President, Netherlands), and Dr. Henrik Zipsane (CEO of Jamtli Foundation, Sweden).

Each nominated museum was visited by at least one Academy juror, who submitted a final report including an extensive analysis based on the following criteria: the condition of the building, the themes of the core exhibitions and innovative concepts, design, multimedia, graphics, facilities (parking, café or restaurant, shop, information desk, restrooms, multilingual facilities, accessibility for people with disabilities, publications of various types), museum management and staff training, types of activities conducted (educational programs, adult education, courses, workshops, educational programs, etc.), the museum's impact on the local, regional, national, and international community, marketing and PR activities, creative and innovative elements, and contributions to the development of ideas and best practices in European museology.

In April 2017, the Buzău County Museum was visited and evaluated by Dr. Wim van der Weiden, the President of the European Museum Academy, who judged the exhibition "Walking Around the World: The Story of the 497 Pairs of Traditional Romanian Shoes," which was developed as part of the project of the same name between 2015-2016, through a grant provided by Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and the Government of Romania. The Buzău County Museum submitted its candidacy for the DASA Award, which recognizes excellence in the field of museology based on the following criteria: the quality of learning and educational opportunities, museotechnical concept, storytelling quality, creativity and exhibition design, quality of educational programs, degree of interactivity with the public, and the mix of education and entertainment.

The Buzău County Museum was represented at the events in Skopje by Mădălina Oprea, Head of the History Department (project manager), Răican Marinela (History Conservator), Duma Lucia (expert restorer), Marica Nicoleta (financial assistant), members of the implementation team for the project "Walking Around the World: The Story of the 497 Pairs of Traditional Romanian Shoes." More details about the 2017 EMA Conference and the award ceremony can be found at http://europeanmuseumacademy.eu/micheletti-award-2017/.

DIRECTOR, dr. Laurențiu Florin Grigoraș

Participation in the Workshop on the Sustainability of Projects Implemented under EEA Grants

From October 23 to 26, 2017, members of the project team will participate in the international workshop on the sustainability of projects funded by the EEA Grants, organized by the Ministry of Culture and National Identity, through the Project Management Unit, in its capacity as the Operator of the PA16/RO12 Program for the Conservation and Revitalization of Cultural and Natural Heritage, funded by the EEA Grants 2009-2014. The event will take place in Cluj-Napoca.

Tribute to Dumitru Dan

On Monday, October 30, 2017, at 12:00 PM, a ceremony will take place at the Heroes' Cemetery in Buzău for the unveiling of the funerary monument dedicated to Romania's first globe-trotter, Dumitru Dan. Complementing the project carried out by the Buzău County Museum between 2015-2016, the monument was established through the initiative and funding of Mr. Gheorghe Dan, associate professor at "Ovidiu" University in Constanța. On this occasion, the major achievements of the famous Romanian traveler—highlighted in the project "Walking Around the World: The Story of the 497 Pairs of Traditional Romanian Shoes," funded by a grant from Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and the Romanian government through the "Conservation and Revitalization of Cultural and Natural Heritage" program—will be reiterated. The personality and athletic accomplishments of Romania's first globe-trotter will be highlighted by Professor Silviu Negruț from the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies. The event will conclude with a religious ceremony.

Interactive Storytelling Lesson: TRAVEL THE WORLD

The Buzău County Museum, a cultural institution under the authority of the Buzău County Council, is organizing an interactive storytelling lesson titled TRAVEL THE WORLD on November 15, 2017, starting at 10:00 AM, in collaboration with School No. 7 Buzău.

The interactive lesson is part of the sustainability of the project "Walking Around the World: The Story of the 497 Pairs of Traditional Romanian Shoes," implemented by the Buzău County Museum through a grant provided by Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and the Romanian Government, under the EEA Grants 2009-2014 Program for the Conservation and Revitalization of Cultural and Natural Heritage.

For more details about the project implemented by the Buzău County Museum through EEA Grants between 2015-2016, please visit http://dumitrudan.muzeubuzau.ro.

Between November 13-17, 2017, School No. 7 Buzău will host a Transnational Meeting and Teaching and Learning Activities. The participants' program includes workshops at Steam Hub Brașov, Casa Experimentelor Bucharest, visits to the Grigore Antipa National Museum of Natural History, the Mud Volcanoes, and hands-on experiments at the Buzău school.

On November 15, 2017, at the Buzău County Museum, within the exhibition "Walking Around the World: The Story of the 497 Pairs of Traditional Romanian Shoes," students from partner schools in Czechia, Greece, Bulgaria, Spain, Turkey, Slovenia, and Romania will take part in the TRAVEL THE WORLD activity, led by Mădălina Oprea, head of the History section, as part of the partnership between the two Buzău institutions.

TRAVEL THE WORLD will consist of a dialogue between the character Dumitru Dan and his audience, during which students will discover information about geography, history, gastronomy, language, culture, and civilizations of various nations, as well as Romanian folklore, traditions, traditional costumes, songs, and dances.

The target group for this activity consists of 43 students and teachers from the seven mentioned countries. The language of communication will be English, and access to the event is free.

Grupul țintă al acestei activități este format din 43 de elevi și cadre didactice din cele 7 țări menționate mai sus. Limba de comunicare va fi limba engleză. Accesul la eveniment este gratuit.

COORDINATORS:

• Buzău County Museum: Mădălina Oprea
• School No. 7 Buzău: Professors Maria Grațiela Popescu, Roxana Matei

International Seminar "Creative Dialog", Latvia

Between November 21-24, 2017, a member of the team from the project "Walking Around the World: The Story of the 497 Pairs of Traditional Romanian Shoes" will participate in the international seminar "Creative Dialog."

This international match-making seminar is organized by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia and Creative Europe Desk Latvia for project promoters under the Creative Europe Programme 2014-2020 and the EEA Grants Financial Mechanism. The event will take place in Riga, Republic of Latvia.

Project promoters from Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia will be in attendance.