Revista Română De Studii Baltice Şi Nordice the Romanian Journal For
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Revista Română de Studii Baltice şi Nordice The Romanian Journal for Baltic and Nordic Studies Vol. 4, Issue 1 (2012) Târgovişte ISSN 2067-1725 E-ISSN: 2067-225X Revista Română de Studii Baltice şi Nordice, Vol. 3, Issue 2 (2011) Subscription information: Revista Română pentru Studii Baltice şi Nordice [The Romanian Journal for Baltic and Nordic Studies] (RRSBN) is a biannual multidisciplinary peer-reviewed journal dedicated to publishing the results of research in all fields which are intertwined with the aims of The Romanian Association for Baltic and Nordic Studies (www.arsbn.ro). The magazine is published in cooperation with Cetatea de Scaun Printing House, Targoviste, Romania (www.cetateadescaun.ro). Annual subscription: Institution Lei 80 € 20 £ 17 $ 28 Individual Lei 60 € 15 £ 13 $ 21 Online: free download (www.arsbn.ro/RRSBN.htm) Ordering information: Asociatia Româna pentru Studii Baltice si Nordice (ARSBN) 35 Lt. Stancu Ion St., 130105 Târgoviste, Romania Telephone: (004) 0724403094, Fax: (004) 0345 819714 E-mail: [email protected] Online store: http://www.arsbn.ro/store.htm Advertising: The ARSBN offers the companies the possibility to advertise their products and services in the pages of RRSBN. For more details, please contact the secretary of ARSBN at e-mail: [email protected] Exchanges: The magazine is open to any suggestions of publications exchange coming from publications with a similar profile or from any kind of scientific publications from Baltic and Nordic states. Quality process: Although by its peer-review process and quality standards we are striving to produce good quality articles, the RRSBN makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the articles presented in print or on the site. © Copyright by Asociaţia Română pentru Studii Baltice şi Nordice Table of contents Editor’s Foreword Silviu Miloiu ..................................................................................................................... 5 Articles: Alteration of the ethnic diversity and ethnic segregation index in Latvia during the first and second independence periods Ádám Németh and Guntis Šolks ....................................................................................... 9 An attempt to appoint a Swedish vice consul to Bucharest (1834-1835) Veniamin Ciobanu .......................................................................................................... 35 From the Fringe of the North to the Balkans: The Balkans Viewed by Scottish Medical Women during World War I Costel Coroban ................................................................................................................ 53 Romanians and the Nobel Prizes for Science and Literature Vasilica Sîrbu .................................................................................................................. 83 Events: Norwegian Film Days in Iaşi. Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iaşi, May 27- 29, 2012. Interview with Jan Erik Holst Ioana Grecu and Crina Leon ......................................................................................... 105 Call for Papers: ............................................................................................................... 116 Senior Editors: Vladimir Jarmolenko, Ambassador, Honorary Chairman of the Romanian Association for Baltic and Nordic Studies Ion Calafeteanu, Valahia University of Târgoviste Neagu Udroiu, Ambassador Editor in Chief: Silviu Miloiu, The Romanian Association for Baltic and Nordic Studies Associate Editors: Florin Anghel, Ovidius University of Constanta Crina Leon, Al.I. Cuza University of Iasi Bogdan Schipor, “A.D. Xenopol” Institute of History of the Romanian Academy Editorial Assistant: Ioan Bodnar, "Grigore Gafencu" Research Center for the History of International Relations and Cultural Studies Editorial Board: Mioara Anton, “Nicolae Iorga” Institute of History of the Romanian Academy Leonidas Donskis, European Parliament Elena Dragomir, University of Helsinki Tatiana Dragutan, Maastricht School of Management Romania Jaroslav Dvorak, Klaipeda University Raluca Glavan, Mykolas Romeris University of Vilnius Tuomas Hovi, University of Turku Saulius Kaubrys, University of Vilnius Oana Popescu, "Grigore Gafencu" Research Center for the History of International Relations and Cultural Studies Tiberius Puiu, Romania International Advisory Board: Eriks Jekabsons, University of Latvia Kari Alenius, University of Oulu Ceslovas Laurinavicius, Lithuanian Ioan Chiper, “Nicolae Iorga” Institute of Institute of History History of the Romanian Academy Katalin Miklóssy, University of Helsinki Carsten Due-Nielsen, University of Viatcheslav Morozov, St. Petersburg Copenhagen State University Björn M. Felder, Germany Valters Šcerbinskis, Riga Stradinš Rebecca Haynes, University College of University London David J. Smith, University of Glasgow John Hiden, University of Glasgow Viktor Trasberg, University of Tartu Kalervo Hovi, University of Turku Luca Zanni, Embassy of Italy in Kyiv ISSN: 2067-1725 © Copyright by Asociaţia Română pentru Studii Baltice şi Nordice/The Romanian Association for Baltic and Nordic Studies Editorial Foreword Silviu Miloiu President of the Romanian Association for Baltic and Nordic Studies, E-mail: [email protected] Revista Română pentru Studii Baltice şi Nordice / The Romanian Journal of Baltic and Nordic Studies (RRSBN) gathers in this issue contributions based on new documentary sources and interpretations concerning the area it investigates, i.e. the Baltic and Nordic Sea area, and the relations and contacts between this region and its Black Sea match. The fascinating ethnic and cultural diversity of the area, the contacts between distant European lands, the perceptions of “the other” are topics approached from different angles and brought before the judgment of the public and the community of fellow researchers. Diversity is, indeed, one of the characteristics of an area with a distinctive cultural richness understood in the largest meaning. To this accounts the article which opens this issue of the journal bearing the signature of Ádám Németh and Guntis Šolks. The article tackles diversity by an innovative use of probability theory which stood behind the Simpson’s Diversity Index processed by modern GIS software in order to meet its main research question: where, when, why and how has the Ethnic Diversity and Ethnic Segregation Index changed in Latvia during the first and second independence periods. The outcome of the study is revealing for the importance of the theme: Latvia has one of the most diverse population in Europe, and while homogenization occurred during the two periods of Latvian independence, Riga and the towns of Latgale showed throughout the entire period a high degree of ethnic heterogeneity. While the segregation indexes of the ethnic groups altered slightly during periods of independence, it undertook dramatic changes at the time of Soviet occupation. The following article included in this issue evokes an episode of the earliest contacts between Sweden and Romania, namely the Swedish attempts to appoint a vice-consul in the capital of Valahia, Bucharest. This occurred at a time when Swedish and Norwegian commercial fleet was registering a remarkable upswing and Sweden sought to pave the way to Revista Română de Studii Baltice şi Nordice, Vol. 4, Issue 1 (2012): pp. 5-7 trade expansion by concluding commercial conventions with the European nations. The Romanian Principalities had economic potential and a strategic position which an expanding commercial nation could not ignore, and as Professor Veniamin Ciobanu argues, this stood behind the Swedish attempts of 1834-1835 to appoint a vice-consul in Bucharest. The cultural clash and the lack of mutual knowledge made what seemed a banal search for a person possessing the moral and intelectual qualities to represent Sweden in Valahia into an Odyssey. Although the article dedicated to the Scottish Women’s Hospitals organization in the Balkans during World War I exceeds the geographical area this journal encompasses, we have included it in this issue in order to better understanding the complexity of human contacts between the North, understood in a wider sense, and the Balkans. Moreover, the activity of Scottish Women’s Hospitals in the Balkans represents a meaningful page in the development of an international mindset of the relief activities: help must be provided not only to compatriots, but according to the Hippocrates principles to all those in need, was the philosophy of Dr. Elsie Inglis and her followers. The last study included in this issue deals with the Nobel Prizes for Science and Literature and the Romanian relatively low degree of success in winning such outstanding international recognition. Although the author does not undertake an in-depth analysis of some of the most prestigious Romanian candidates for the Noble Prize which failed to be awarded the honor, it provides a valuable overview and raises some fundamental questions regarding the reasons of this failure. The Norwegian Film Days in Iaşi (May 27-29, 2012) coordinated by Dr. Crina Leon represented a significant cultural event designed to make Norwegian cinema better accessible to the Romanian public. While the domination of American cinema seems bound to continue, Scandinavian cinematography proves to be capable to fill a vital niche of public interest based as it is on the rich cultural