The University of Bucharest, in partnership with the “21 December 1989” Association and the Senior Members of the Students’ League, is organizing the conference “June 13–15, 1990. 35 Years Later.” Marking the 35th anniversary of the June 13–15, 1990 events, the University reaffirms its firm commitment to preserving and promoting the values and principles of genuine democracy.
The event will take place on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, starting at 5:00 PM, in the Reading Room of the Faculty of Letters Library (5–7 Edgar Quinet Street, Bucharest).
The events of June 13–15, 1990 marked the end of the “University Square” movement and projected the image of a Romania still unable to distance itself from its totalitarian past. The assault on students, intellectuals, and civil society, along with the symbolic destruction of the university space, left a deep mark on public consciousness. In this context, the conference is intended as an exercise in collective memory and public debate, a moment of reflection on the “University Square” phenomenon and its significance in the evolution of post-communist democracy.
The event will feature the participation of Professor Marian Preda, PhD, Rector of the University of Bucharest, Professor Emeritus Emil Constantinescu, PhD, former UB Rector and former President of Romania, Teodor Mărieș, President of the “21 December 1989” Association, attorney Antonie Popescu, senior member of the Students’ League, Associate Professor Matei Gheboianu, PhD, Dean of the Faculty of History, historian Mihai Dodu; General Magistrate Dan Voinea, and Colonel Magistrate Vasile Doană.
“The University of Bucharest does not forget and will not remain silent in the face of events that severely tested democratic values and academic freedom. Thirty-five years after the events of June 13–15, 1990, we reaffirm the university’s fundamental role as a space of free thought, dialogue, and critical engagement with the past. Only through a clear-eyed and honest understanding of our recent history can we strengthen a true democratic culture and educate generations that value freedom, responsibility, and truth,” said Professor Marian Preda, PhD, Rector of the University of Bucharest.
The conference will explore key themes essential to understanding the complexity of the June 13–15, 1990 events—such as the dynamics of violence in post-communist Romania, its manifestations, and the contested legitimacy of the brutal intervention against the protesters. Special attention will be given to the University of Bucharest’s role, at the institutional level, as a space of civic and intellectual resistance against authoritarian tendencies, and to how students and faculty helped shape a democratic public discourse.
The conference will also examine the role and responsibilities of state institutions in managing the crisis, as well as the use of brute force—an act that raised serious concerns about the separation of powers, the protection of citizens’ rights, and the use of violence as a tool to suppress free expression. This event thus invites a critical reflection on these issues from the perspective of the present and with an eye toward Romania’s democratic future.
SECŢIUNE ACCESIBILIZATĂ PENTRU PERSOANELE CU DIZABILITĂŢI DE VEDERE
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