Răzvan Theodorescu
Encyclopedia
Emil Răzvan Theodorescu is a Romania
n historian and politician. He has researched and written extensively on art history in particular. A member of the Social Democratic Party
(PSD), he was a member of the Romanian Senate
for Iaşi County
from 2000 to 2004, and for Botoşani County
from 2004 to 2008. In the Adrian Năstase
cabinet, he was Minister of Culture and Religious Affairs from 2000 to 2004.
He is unmarried and has two children.
into a family of intellectuals, and following high school, studied History at the University of Bucharest
from 1955 to 1963. Between 1959 and 1961 he was excluded from the university by the communist authorities
for political reasons, and worked as an unskilled labourer in this period. A cultural
and art historian
, he studied on a scholarship in France in 1968 and received a doctorate in history from the University of Bucharest in 1972. From 1963 to 1987, he was a researcher at the Romanian Academy
's Institute of Art History, serving as adjunct research director from 1972 to 1977. He was removed from his leadership position after protesting against the demolition of the Enei Church in 1977, and in 1984-1985, initiated a collective protest against the demolition of the Văcăreşti Monastery. From 1987 to 1990 he was an associated professor at the Bucharest National University of Arts
, where he became a professor in 1990, teaching courses on the history of old Romanian art, the typology of Eastern Christian art and on the history of European civilisation. He has held additional posts in his field, including within UNESCO
.
After the 1989 Revolution
, Theodorescu headed the Romanian Television
from 1990 to 1992 and was a member of the National Audiovisual Council from 1992 to 2000. The 2000 election
brought the PSD into office and Theodorescu became senator and a cabinet minister. He was returned to the Senate at the 2004 election
, which his party lost, and sat in opposition. He ran for a Bucharest seat at the 2008 election
, but lost.
Before his election in 2000 and the return of his friend Ion Iliescu
as President of Romania
, Theodorescu was a strong critic of the centre-right governments under Emil Constantinescu
, at one point labelling the Radu Vasile
cabinet "Stalinist
, Stakhanovite
, totalitarian". Once in office, he pledged to continue his predecessors' "very interesting" projects, with an increased emphasis on Romania's then-upcoming European Union accession. In the religious affairs field, he continued to attempt advances on the issue of property retrocession from the Romanian Orthodox Church
to the Greek-Catholic Church
(which had been shut down in 1948 and had its possessions transferred to the Orthodox Church), and supported building the Romanian People’s Salvation Cathedral in Carol Park
. He also, in a step that was not without controversy at the time, admitted Romania's participation in the Holocaust, declaring that Romania has a responsibility toward those killed and their families, to acknowledge what happened, and to protect historic Jewish properties and cemeteries.
In 1993, Theodorescu became a correspondent member of the Romanian Academy
, rising to titular member in 2000. In 1990 he became a correspondent member of the Archaeological Society of Athens
, and since 1998 belongs to the New York Academy of Sciences
. He has received the chevalier (1997) and commandeur (2003) of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
, and since 2000 is a great officer of the Romanian National Order for Merit. He has received a number of other academic distinctions and memberships, as well as prizes and decorations, both at home and abroad.
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n historian and politician. He has researched and written extensively on art history in particular. A member of the Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (Romania)
The Social Democratic Party is the major social-democratic political party in Romania. It was formed in 1992, after the post-communist National Salvation Front broke apart. It adopted its present name after a merger with a minor social-democratic party in 2001. Since its formation, it has always...
(PSD), he was a member of the Romanian Senate
Senate of Romania
The Senate of Romania is the upper house in the bicameral Parliament of Romania. It has 137 seats , to which members are elected by direct popular vote, using Mixed member proportional representation in 42 electoral districts , to serve four-year terms.-Former location:After the Romanian...
for Iaşi County
Iasi County
Iași is a county of Romania, in Moldavia, with the administrative seat at Iași.-Demographics:As of 1 July 2007, Iași County had a population of 825,100, making it the second most populous county in Romania after Bucharest, with a population density of 150/km².*Romanians - 98.1%*Roma -...
from 2000 to 2004, and for Botoşani County
Botosani County
Botoșani is a county of Romania, in Moldavia, with the capital city at Botoșani.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 452,834 and the population density was 91/km2.*Romanians – – the highest percentage of Romanians in Romania...
from 2004 to 2008. In the Adrian Năstase
Adrian Nastase
Adrian Năstase is a Romanian politician who was the Prime Minister of Romania from December 2000 to December 2004.He competed as the Social Democratic Party candidate in the 2004 presidential election, but was defeated by centre-right Justice and Truth Alliance candidate Traian Băsescu.He was...
cabinet, he was Minister of Culture and Religious Affairs from 2000 to 2004.
He is unmarried and has two children.
Biography
He was born in BucharestBucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
into a family of intellectuals, and following high school, studied History at the University of Bucharest
University of Bucharest
The University of Bucharest , in Romania, is a university founded in 1864 by decree of Prince Alexander John Cuza to convert the former Saint Sava Academy into the current University of Bucharest.-Presentation:...
from 1955 to 1963. Between 1959 and 1961 he was excluded from the university by the communist authorities
Communist Romania
Communist Romania was the period in Romanian history when that country was a Soviet-aligned communist state in the Eastern Bloc, with the dominant role of Romanian Communist Party enshrined in its successive constitutions...
for political reasons, and worked as an unskilled labourer in this period. A cultural
Cultural history
The term cultural history refers both to an academic discipline and to its subject matter.Cultural history, as a discipline, at least in its common definition since the 1970s, often combines the approaches of anthropology and history to look at popular cultural traditions and cultural...
and art historian
Art history
Art history has historically been understood as the academic study of objects of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts, i.e. genre, design, format, and style...
, he studied on a scholarship in France in 1968 and received a doctorate in history from the University of Bucharest in 1972. From 1963 to 1987, he was a researcher at the Romanian Academy
Romanian Academy
The Romanian Academy is a cultural forum founded in Bucharest, Romania, in 1866. It covers the scientific, artistic and literary domains. The academy has 181 acting members who are elected for life....
's Institute of Art History, serving as adjunct research director from 1972 to 1977. He was removed from his leadership position after protesting against the demolition of the Enei Church in 1977, and in 1984-1985, initiated a collective protest against the demolition of the Văcăreşti Monastery. From 1987 to 1990 he was an associated professor at the Bucharest National University of Arts
Bucharest National University of Arts
The Bucharest National University of Arts is a university in Bucharest preparing students in fine arts.The university has three faculties:* The Faculty of Fine Arts* The Faculty of Decorative Arts and Design* The Faculty of History and Theory of Art...
, where he became a professor in 1990, teaching courses on the history of old Romanian art, the typology of Eastern Christian art and on the history of European civilisation. He has held additional posts in his field, including within UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
.
After the 1989 Revolution
Romanian Revolution of 1989
The Romanian Revolution of 1989 was a series of riots and clashes in December 1989. These were part of the Revolutions of 1989 that occurred in several Warsaw Pact countries...
, Theodorescu headed the Romanian Television
Romanian television
Romanian television may refer to:* Communications media in Romania* Televiziunea Română, TVR, the national television network* List of Romanian language television channels...
from 1990 to 1992 and was a member of the National Audiovisual Council from 1992 to 2000. The 2000 election
Romanian legislative election, 2000
Legislative elections where be held in Romania on November 26, 2000, together with the Presidential election. The Greater Romania Party made big gains, as did the PDSR, which became the ruling party. The formerly governing Romanian Democratic Convention lost all its seats and was shortly...
brought the PSD into office and Theodorescu became senator and a cabinet minister. He was returned to the Senate at the 2004 election
Romanian presidential election, 2004
A presidential election was held in Romania on November 28, 2004. 12 candidates competed for the office. As no candidate won more than 50% of the votes, a run-off was held on December 12, 2004, between the two leading candidates: prime minister Adrian Năstase of the ruling Social Democratic Party...
, which his party lost, and sat in opposition. He ran for a Bucharest seat at the 2008 election
Romanian legislative election, 2008
Legislative elections were held in Romania on November 30, 2008. The Democratic Liberal Party won most seats in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, although the alliance headed by the Social Democratic Party won a fractionally higher vote share.-Electoral System:President Traian Băsescu...
, but lost.
Before his election in 2000 and the return of his friend Ion Iliescu
Ion Iliescu
Ion Iliescu served as President of Romania from 1990 until 1996, and from 2000 until 2004. From 1996 to 2000 and from 2004 until his retirement in 2008, Iliescu was a Senator for the Social Democratic Party , whose honorary president he remains....
as President of Romania
President of Romania
The President of Romania is the head of state of Romania. The President is directly elected by a two-round system for a five-year term . An individual may serve two terms...
, Theodorescu was a strong critic of the centre-right governments under Emil Constantinescu
Emil Constantinescu
Emil Constantinescu was President of Romania from 1996 to 2000.He graduated from the law school of the University of Bucharest, and subsequently started a career as a geologist...
, at one point labelling the Radu Vasile
Radu Vasile
Radu Vasile is a Romanian politician, historian and poet.-Education and Professional Activity:*1967 - Graduate, with exceptional results, of the Faculty of History - University of Bucharest...
cabinet "Stalinist
Stalinism
Stalinism refers to the ideology that Joseph Stalin conceived and implemented in the Soviet Union, and is generally considered a branch of Marxist–Leninist ideology but considered by some historians to be a significant deviation from this philosophy...
, Stakhanovite
Stakhanovite
In Soviet history and iconography, a Stakhanovite follows the example of Aleksei Grigorievich Stakhanov, employing hard work or Taylorist efficiencies to over-achieve on the job.- History :...
, totalitarian". Once in office, he pledged to continue his predecessors' "very interesting" projects, with an increased emphasis on Romania's then-upcoming European Union accession. In the religious affairs field, he continued to attempt advances on the issue of property retrocession from the Romanian Orthodox Church
Romanian Orthodox Church
The Romanian Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church. It is in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox churches, and is ranked seventh in order of precedence. The Primate of the church has the title of Patriarch...
to the Greek-Catholic Church
Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic
The Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic is an Eastern Catholic Church which is in full union with the Roman Catholic Church. It is ranked as a Major Archiepiscopal Church and uses the Byzantine liturgical rite in the Romanian language....
(which had been shut down in 1948 and had its possessions transferred to the Orthodox Church), and supported building the Romanian People’s Salvation Cathedral in Carol Park
Carol Park
Carol Park is a public park in Bucharest, Romania, named after King Carol I of Romania. For the duration of the communist regime, it was called Liberty Park ....
. He also, in a step that was not without controversy at the time, admitted Romania's participation in the Holocaust, declaring that Romania has a responsibility toward those killed and their families, to acknowledge what happened, and to protect historic Jewish properties and cemeteries.
In 1993, Theodorescu became a correspondent member of the Romanian Academy
Romanian Academy
The Romanian Academy is a cultural forum founded in Bucharest, Romania, in 1866. It covers the scientific, artistic and literary domains. The academy has 181 acting members who are elected for life....
, rising to titular member in 2000. In 1990 he became a correspondent member of the Archaeological Society of Athens
Archaeological Society of Athens
The Archaeological Society of Athens is an independent learned society. Also termed the Greek Archaeological Society, it was founded in 1837, just a few years after the establishment of the modern Greek State, with the aim of encouraging archaeological excavations, maintenance, care and exhibition...
, and since 1998 belongs to the New York Academy of Sciences
New York Academy of Sciences
The New York Academy of Sciences is the third oldest scientific society in the United States. An independent, non-profit organization with more than members in 140 countries, the Academy’s mission is to advance understanding of science and technology...
. He has received the chevalier (1997) and commandeur (2003) of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
The Ordre des Arts et des Lettres is an Order of France, established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture, and confirmed as part of the Ordre national du Mérite by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963...
, and since 2000 is a great officer of the Romanian National Order for Merit. He has received a number of other academic distinctions and memberships, as well as prizes and decorations, both at home and abroad.