Following the press release „Where is the plan to preserve the writing from 1989?” issued on Thursday, December 19 of this year, and signed by the Association „21 December 1989” and other related associations, the University of Bucharest makes the following clarifications:
(1) The Rector of the University of Bucharest, Professor Marian Preda, PhD, was surprised to learn about the communication issues between UB representatives and petitioners and has taken measures to clarify the university’s firm position on the conservation and promotion, including for tourism, of the inscriptions remaining from the 1989 Revolution, as well as other historically significant elements in the institution’s patrimony.
(2) The renovation project of the University of Bucharest Palace (Bd. Regina Elisabeta nr. 4 – 12 din București) already includes a historical conservation plan that provides technical solutions for the preservation of the mentioned inscriptions and other items and for their promotion, including tourist access for the public.
(3) On Friday, December 20, the Rector of the University of Bucharest, Professor Marian Preda, PhD, contacted Teodor Mărieș, president of the „21 December 1989” Association from Bucharest, the first signer of the press release on this subject published on Thursday, December 19, and they agreed to organize a meeting at the Rectorate of the University of Bucharest in early January 2025. The meeting will include representatives of civil society interested in the topic, along with architects and other specialists involved in the renovation of the University Palace.
(4) During this meeting, the University of Bucharest remains open to any additional solutions for improving the conservation and promotion measures already included in the plan, which may come from civil society representatives and specialist.
(5) The leadership of the University of Bucharest reiterates its firm, unequivocal, and engaged commitment to preserving and promotion all historically significant elements in its patrimony, including the inscriptions from the 1989 Revolution, and to upholding the memory of the democratic ideals that inspired this defining moment in Romania’s history. Among other initiatives, the renovation project for the University Palace includes relocating the University of Bucharest Museum to this building and dedicating it primarily to preserving the memory of the 1989 Revolution and the University Square phenomenon (including tourist access to the University Balcony). Additionally, the UB Faculty of History offers a master’s program on „The History of Communism in Romania”, the only one in the country dedicated to this topic. Representatives of the Faculty of History are directly involved in drafting the curriculum for the history of communism manual, which was recently announced by the Ministry of Education on Monday, December 16, during an event hosted by the University of Bucharest. Furthermore, researchers and faculty members of the Faculty of History are among the most renowned international specialists in the history of communism, with research and studies recognized at the highest global level.