ANALELE BANATULUI, S.N., ARHEOLOGIE – ISTORIE, XX, 2012 http://muzeulbanatului.ro/mbt/istorie/publicatii/ab.htm

THE PORTRAIT OF A SOCIOLOGIST ADVOCATE

Carmen Albert * Keywords: Cornel Grofşorean, Social Institute of -Crişana, monographic campaigns. Cuvinte cheie : Cornel Grofşorean, Institutul Social Banat Crişana.

(Abstract) Although Timişoara did not have a University to concentrate an academically elite, there has been an exceptionally intellectuality who was constantly preoccupied to form provincial individuality. One of the most remarkable representative personalities in the Banat was Cornel Grofşorean. " e study deals in the fi rst part about his personality with some biographical details. In the second part there is an analyses of a scientifi cally research manuscript. Born in the 1881 in the village Periam, he was the child of Ioan and Iulia. He graduates primary school in Debeleanca and Covăciţa and secondary in Panciova, Becicherecul Mare, and Sibiu. In 1905 he graduated the University form Budapesta and in 1906 the Law Academy in Oradea. In 1907, graduate the Commercial Superior School from Kesmark. In 1909 got the PhD at the Cluj University. Cornel Grofşorean opened a law offi ce in Lugoj, short time after that had been to war in Italy between 1915–1918. At the age of 38, accepted the fi rst public job at Reşiţa, and then he got into the politics, became member of Partidul Poporului ruled by gen. . " e public responsibilities did not stop here. He become mayor of Timişoara two times and then deputy in 1926. After that, he quit political aff aires and never gets back. In 1932 while was the mayor for the second time, he set up with Iosif Nemoianu and Victor Blaşian, Social Institute of Banat-Crişana. " e moment was very important, special guest coming from was Dimitrie Gusti. He was not there by chance, but on purpose. " e activity of the new Institute follows the Romanian Social Institute ruled by Dimitrie Gusti. " e pattern of the monographic campaigns based on his concept, used as a pattern of as well. " e specifi c of Banat claims for this pattern to be adapted, Gusti’s scheme being very fl exible. Cornel Grofşorean was at the fi rst chief section, director and at the 1938 president of the Institute. From the beginning, the activity based on public conferences and later on, monographic campaigns. " ese focused on the main problems existing in the region such as lower down the birth rate, loosing identity for the Romanians peasants or the industrial infl uence on peasants. One of the most important moments in the ISBC existence was the participation at the Peace Conference. In 1943 Cornel Grofşorean was contact by Alexandru Marta and Silviu Dragomir, to represents Banat at the Peace Conference doing some reports of the signifi cance aspects. At the second part, the study deals about a scientifi c material made by Cornel Grofşorean called “ " e research of Banat village ” for an exceptional occasion, which was the World Sociology Congress in Bucharest 1939. " e participation of Social Institute of Banat-Crişana through Cornel Grofşorean at this event means an international recognition of importance and prestige. Unfortunately the study made for this, was never presents because the Second World War started.

he Social Institute of Banat- Crișana 1 Banat. Apparently the statement can be conside- Tcan be considered, without exaggeration, red un- founded, if we think that during that time the pilar of Romanian sociology in the inter-war there was no faculty of sociology, a profile seminar or a university which could concentrate, even from * Muzeul Banatului Montan, Reşiţa, B-dul Republicii, the perspective of other sciences, the preoccupati- nr. 10, [email protected] ons of social research. Despite all these the Banat 1 Its research was fi nalized in the last years with some papers among which the most important are: C. Albert, V. Leu, Din had, as compared to other historical provinces, a istoria cercetării sociologice în Banat: Dimitrie Gusti, Anton great chance: the existence of an exceptional intel- Golopenţia, Cornel Grofşorean şi Institutul Social Banat- lectual elite who contributed substantially to the Crişana (1932–1944) , Banatica, XIV, (1996), 345–385; formation of provincial identity and individuality. A. Negru, Din istoria cercetării româneşti: Institutul Social In the attempt to outline the profi le of inter- Banat-Crişana, Cluj-Napoca, (1999); Carmen, C. Bălan, Institutul Social Banat-Crişana , Timişoara, (2001); C. Albert, war Banat, a history of the intellectuals would Cercetarea monografi că în Banat (1859–1948 ), Reşiţa, (2002). be desirable. Who were those who imprinted the

323 ANALELE BANATULUI, S.N., ARHEOLOGIE – ISTORIE, XX, 2012 mark specifi c to the environment in which they some years during his childhood at Bozovici lived? What accomplishments did they have? How where his father was a notary, a fact recalled on did they contribute to the achievement of the the occasion of the campaign in the Almăj Valley, destiny of a province with such an individuality? when he saw again, with excitement, after 40 " ese are questios to which if we give answers, we years, the house he lived in. In 1905 he passed could write such a history, that of the inter-war his degree at the University in Budapest and in intellectuals in Banat. 1906 at the Law Academy in Oradea majoring in Regarding us, we will stop on a certain per- administrative sciences. A year later, he also grad- sonality who has founded the most solid research uated the Superior School of Comerce-Textile in structure of inter-war Banat by founding the Social Késmárk, as his graduation diploma proves which Institute Banat-Crişana and the adherence to the is to be found in the archive of the Mountaineous national movement imprinted by the Sociologist Banat Museum in Reşiţa 5. Probably, during this School of Bucharest. " e personality we refer to is period he met Berta Luiza, of Hungarian origin, Cornel Grofşorean, thus, trying to achieve in the a widow with two children, whom he married fi rst part a short biographic outline which consti- in Budapest, marriage wich lasted until 1913. tutes an analytic demarche previous to a monogra- Cornel Grofşorean remarried after many years phy dedicated to this one, and in the second part to much younger Anuţa Klesner who was beside the analysis of a study achieved by him in manu- him until the end and about whom Grofşorean script in order to be presented to the 14th World emotionally confesses in his diary years later, her Congress of Sociology which was to take place in devotion during the hardest times: Bucharest. “A year ago I was dying, and I was left in the Cornel Grofşorean was born in Banat in 1881, care of a single person , Anuţa. Everybody left me, on the 27 th of October in the village Periam. His fi rst of all my children (…) Often we did not have grandfather George (born in 1826) was the mayor of money neither for the medicines, nor for food, the Comloş and married to Eva Pesecan (1828–1873) offi ce was neglected, without encashments, without had several children (Persida, Nicolae, Miletie, fortune... Only good God and Anuţa know what soul Ioan, Marta, Maria, Saveta, Iuliu, Vichentie). Ioan tempests we had gone through. " is poor woman has (1850–1925) married to Iulia Dogariu (1852– suff ered so much beside me... When we started our 1913) had two children Cornel and Cornelia 2. marriage we barely had a spoon and a fork, Cori was " e dates about his family are relatively few, one of almost grown-up and she had many demands, I was them refers to his grandfather about whom Cornel a clerk with a fi xed salary and honest to stupidness, Grofşorean said: “ he was one of the founders of the then I was fi red and on the streets (...) ill, exhausted, united church, however, after his death the children poor, persecuted, without any protection, without turned back to orthodoxy, so that one of my uncles was any friend, I made my future by myself, conquering an orthodox priest ”3. though hard and restless fi ght each step of the way. At his birth, his father Ioan, was a chief of Counting exclusively on my brain and my hands and cabinet for the subprefect of the Torontal County, on a single friend, Anuţa ”6. the baron Tallián Béla, who insisted to be the In 1909 he presented his PhD paper at the child’s godfather. Cornel also received the name University in Cuj, becoming a law PhD. In 1911 Béla at his baptism in the Orthodox church of he met at Teregova, probably when visiting his Pesac. " is fact was later on speculated by his polit- father who was prime-praetor, Oszkar Iaszi, who ical opponents, attributing to Cornel Grofşorean, conducted the Hungarian movement of Sociologic certain Hungarian origins. He graduated the research, the future minister of nationalities in the primary school at Debeleanca and Covăciţa, the government of Hungary, this one advising him secondary school at Panciova, Becicherecul Mare, to study social sciences. " e moment is relevant Lugoj and Sibiu at the German confessional gym- for Cornel Grofşorean’s destiny who after a while nasium. He passed his baccalaureate in 1900 at the Romanian highschool in Beiuş 4. He passed colleague and good friend with Todor Manojlovici one of the 2 C. Grofşorean, Arbore Genealogic , Serviciul Judeţean most important vanguardist of Serbian literature. Caraş-Severin al Arhivelor Naţionale (SJCSAN), Fond 5 A short biographic presentation of Cornel Grofşorean Muzeul Judeţean Reşiţa, nr. 380, dosar 3/1898. is published in Romanian in the introductory study to the 3 Domnul dr. Grofşorean răspunde d-lui Bocu, Ecoul , 12 volume Carmen Albert, Documentele Institutului Social aprilie 1936, 4. Banat-Crişana II, Corespondenţă , Timişoara, (2009), 417p. 4 Ioan Olărescu, Comloşu Mare şi Lunga , Timişoara, (2001), 6 Cornel Grofşorean, Jurnal , document which is in a private 93. At Becicherecul Mare (Zrenjanin in today) was collection.

324 has followed his advice. 7 After the PhD, he settled long series of trials at Timişoara Law Court 10 : “ this down at Lugoj as an intern-advocate and in 1913 battle lasted for months because I did not remain he opened his own law offi ce. During this “ lugo- impassible but the result of the campaign was that jian ” period, his preoccupations were headed not for two years no one dared to open the door of my only towards the professional fi eld but also towards offi ce ”11 . some civic nature activities, participating voluntar- Restless, Cornel Grofşorean has founded “" e ily in public activities of reformation of the village Association of Petit Bourgeois” having 2000 in the fi eld of education and health, supporting members with the aim to encourage the activi- some village conferences. " e active cultural life in ties of the Romanian bourgeoisie and to protect Lugoj, which he will remember with great joy over it from the infl uence and pressure of the political the years put him in contact with famous personal- parties. Not much later, he became a member of ities of the universal culture whom he will proudly the Banatian Law Circle, Rotary Club and Lojii evoke in his correspondence: George Enescu and Del, a part of the Great Symbolic Hungarian Pablo Casals. Lodge in Budapest 12 . " e First World War brought about Cornel On political plan, his activity is marked by the Grofşorean’s mobilization and his sending on the procurement of a deputy mandate in 1926 from Italian front from 1915 until 1918, as an artillery the part of the People’s Party. Again for a short offi cer, participating in the battles of Doberdo and time, because disappointed by the political rheto- Piave. We do not know much about this part of his ric in , Grofşorean defi nitively ends his life, his front diary was unfortunately lost, as like a political career retiring from the party in 1927 and many other sources from the First World War. never coming back on this realm. He still remained After the war, aged only 38, Cornel Grofşorean an admirer of marshall Averescu and his policy, accepts the suggestion of George Dobrin and being attached, as he himself confesses “ to the right becomes prime-praetor in Reşiţa parish in 1919, in movements, not to the legionarism .” an atmosphere tensioned by a small salary, trying In 17 August 1931 he comes back to the to pacify 8000 Bolshevik workers. 8 . It is the fi rst Timişoara City Hall during the governing of public dignity, a new stage in his life has opened, Iorga-Argetoianu, until 18 June 1932. Benefi tting that of his involvement in the political activity. His of his position of high public dignity, he together aff ective affi liation took place in 1920, when friend with other intellectuals (Iosif Nemoianu and with Avram Imbroane (leader of the National Victor Blaşian), founds the Social Institute Banat- Union of Banat), he became close to the People’s Crişana on 21st May 1932 with the headquarters Party which was then governing and he accepted at Timişoara/subsidiary at Arad and the journal the post of sub-prefect of Caraş-Severin County. with the same name. A year later he becomes the mayor of Timişoara, At the beginning chief of section, then vice- a position in which besides the numerous reform- president, president (once with the affi liation of ing initiatives, was also the eff ort of reconstructing the Institute to the Institute of Social Research of the Romanian identity, introducing the Romanian Romania in 1939) and director of “" e Journal language in the local public administration, so that of the Social Institute Banat-Crişana”, Cornel “in touch with the public, the clerk should speak as Grofşorean used his authority, his qualities of much as possible in the solicitor’s language .” 9 . He was organiser and his leader skills, founding the infra- mayor for a short time. " e fall of the Marshall structure of the Institute and subsequently direct- Alexandru Averescu’s government has been fol- ing the monographic campaigns as his whole lowed by Grofşorean’s replacement at the City Hall activity. He was not president from the beginning of the town with Stan Vidrighin in 1923. After his because the legislation of the time imposed that own confession, then a vast denigration campaign the institutions of this nature should have a full started followed by a mass-media war with the aim professor in this position, and this was the rector of of denigrating him which later on degenerated in a the Polytechnic, Victor Blaşian, the only superior education institution in town. 7 About the affi nities between these two, more details in Carmen Albert, Cornel Grofşorean şi Oskár Jászy în Gh. 10 SJCSAN, Fond Muzeul Judeţean de istorie, inv. 380, Popovici, C. Albert (coord.) Studii şi cercetări bănăţene , dosar 157/1927–1931, 1–5. Reşiţa-Novi Sad, (2012), 150–162. 11 Cornel Grofşorean, Informaţiune, 1930, AMBM, MD 8 Domnul dr. Grofşorean răspunde d-lui Bocu, Ecoul , 34/9751. (1936), 4. 12 " e adherence happened on the 16th April 1910, 9 Dare de seamă asupra activităţii de primar şef al Timişoarei, according to the information received from Mr. Atilla Varga, Arhiva Muzeului Banatului Montan (AMBM) MD 34/9759. to whom we kindly express our gratitude.

325 ANALELE BANATULUI, S.N., ARHEOLOGIE – ISTORIE, XX, 2012

Afer constitution, ample manifestation in jurists, teachers, engineers, agronomists) who had which all Timisoara’s elite took part, having as competences both regarding the academic research special guest, Dimitrie Gusti who has honored and the elaboration of some regional policies the meeting coming from Bucharest accomapa- meant to solve the observed critical situations. nied by the general secretary of the Romanian " e performances of the Banatian Institute Social Institute, Alexandru Costin, the program were pretty soon obvious. At fi rst, focused on the of research was fi xed. " e minutes of the meeting segment of public conferences, the Institute has undoubtedly refl ect an attitude of adherence to also started some monograhic campaigns 2 years the Gustian ideology and practice from Cornel after its foundation. In fact this was its meaning: Grofşorean’s part in his intention to reform rural researching the problems of the village. " us, life, Dimitrie Gusti being a remarkable personality themes such as: the decrease of demographic birth with important results in sociologic research. rate, loosing the Romanian identity in some locali- " e professional relationship with Dimitrie ties, the identifi cation of the folkloric specifi city Gusti deepened during the years, also contouring were studied. " e end is to form a “monography on the personal dimension, Grofşorean appeal- of Banatian border”, a regional project which was ing often to him in problems which were not just partially fi nalised. " e social and political related to the monographic research. However, objectives of such a vast research were presented the several function held by him (director of the to Dimitrie Gusti 14 and can be synthetised in some Royal Foundations, director SR, minister of Public directions: Instruction etc.) and his merits of exceptional 1. direct contact with the rural popula- researcher of the Romanian rural area, turned tion in order to regain their trust so that Dimitrie Gusti into a person always in attention, such expressions as “ it was better under the whose advice Grofşorean did not hesitate to ask. Hunagarian government ” should not exist " is fact made contacts with other remarkable and national desolidarization should not be researchers, (Traian Herseni, H.H.Stahl, Anton produced, Golopenţia, Sabin Manuilă, Octavian Neamţu) 2. the diff erences between intellectuals and identifying his intellectual authority and the social peasants should gradually disappear signifi cance of the Institute’s ativity. 3. " e grasp of corruption acts in local admin- " e ethnic and cultural diversity of Banat istration and their eradication. imposed a modifi cation or adaptation of Gusti’s " e highlight moment of the Institute, exclu- paradigm according to realities, starting with sively administrated by Cornel Grofşorean is repre- the objectives specifi c to monographic research, sented by his participation in the Peace Conference. themes, methodology, organisation, the structure Contacted by Alexandru Marta and then by Silviu of the teams etc. Finally, it resulted a paradigm with Dragomir in 1943, Cornel Grofşorean enrolls for specifi c marks, original as compared to the refrence the second time the Social Institute Banat-Crişana in Bucharest, where in 1921 " e Romanian Social in the diffi cult process of representation at the Institute operated and the Banatians took it as a Peace Conference. " e memoirs that resulted, model. " is reunion meant in fact the extension although they did not arrive at the European in Banat of the Eugenian movement supported by institutions due to the political conjuncture, the Sociologic School in Bucharest, understood as they show the profesionalism of those who have a way of defyning of the social problems and the drawn it, many of them members or collaborators reformation of the village, based on biologic prin- of the Institute (Melentie Şora, Traian Birăescu, ciples such as the law of hereditary determinism 13 . Traian Topliceanu, Ghorghe Cotoşman, Cornel " us, the study of the organisation and action Grofşorean, Emil Botiş şi alţii). of the Social Institute Banat-Crişana can off er Of course the management of this institute some basics for a more clear understanding of was not always harmonious and liniar, the dif- monographic research in a cultural context diff er- ferent problems which appeared, especially of ent from the rest of the country. " e absence of a fi nancial nature, many times have put under the university which should provide human resources question mark its existence. In 1937, Grofşorean in the direction of fi eld research was compensated even thought of suspending the activities of this in a certain measure with the regimentation of the Institute 15 . " is did not stop its activity then, at intelectuals practicing liberal professions (doctors, 14 Carmen Albert, Documentele Institutului Social Banat- 13 Maria Bucur, Eugenie şi modernizare în România Crişana, II, Corespondenţa , Timişoara, (2009), 138. interbelică , Iaşi, (2005), 75. 15 Ibidem , 229.

326 the insistence of the General Assembly, the project involved in the problems of the Romanian minor- being rejected, but later on in 1946 after 14 years ity in Jugoslavia, and this even before the appear- of operation. ance of the Institute in Timisoara. " is was one „" e Journal of the Social Institute Banat- of the reasons for which the Institute was consti- Crişana”, issued during the period 1933–1946, tuted, the idea appearing once with the Congress having as director C. Grofşorean, wanted to be “ a of Romanian Refugees in Jugoslavia in 1929. 20 faithful icon ” of the Institute’s activities. " us, a Born and formed during the Austro-Hungarian quantitative analysis shows the percent of 52,31% monarchy, Grofşorean could not have another (2071 pages) 16 of the fi eld – sociology, expressing conception on the state and Romanian people, the essence of this journal and the specifi c of the than a nationalist one. " e Hungarisation policy Institute’s researches. " is aim was surpassed from supported by that time’s authorities was deeply felt the beginning, Grofşorean intending through the and had as eff ect – a phenomenon which was also refl ection of the encountered realities to form an seen in other intellectuals in Banat – the engage- adequate political culture, both at the level of ment in the fi ght for national politic emancipa- elite and of the receiving public, considering it a tion. A particular fact is that, in his case, he did not sine-qua-non condition of the state’s survival. " e have these convictions from youth. " e evolution percent of 30,06% (1190 pages) for history and of his thinking, from the left of socialist nature to 4,62% law and policy 17 , refl ects a point of view the right-wing nationalism, make C. Grofşorean which is also original as compared to the concep- a controversed personality who is even more tion in Bucharest: “ " e moment has come to elab- interesting. orate the Romanian history of Banat which should Having heart problems, Cornel Grofşorean died mirror the life of the native people as it was from early in January 1949 and was buried in Luoj, the town times until our days. But balancing our modest powers where he started from, many years ago. Ion Luca we do not have the courage to proceed at drawing up Ciomac, an old collaborator, in his letter of con- a defi nitive work but we decided to elaborate fi rst a doleances, writes sadly to the widow: “ By his death, series of studies and monographies referring to the dif- the Banat has a great loss because PhD. C. Grofşorean ferent ages in Banat’s past which we will publish” 18 . was not only a great Romanian, a great cultural man, " us, the Historical Bulletin of the Journal was but a Banatian whom no one can replace now. Our created and in 1943, the journal appeared in the circles have gone through an ireparable loss and there form of two bulletins: historical and sociologi- will pass a lot of time until a man with his stature, cal, the percent of the last ones being smaller, this thinking and his soul could be formed” 21 . being due especially to the absence of some mono- " e absence of a University in Banat which graphic researches which should draw attention 19 . should form specialists directed towards social Cornel Grofşorean’s contribution in the con- research, made more diffi cult the mission of the tents of the journal was considerable, very many of Social Institute Banat-Crişana, in his intention to the studies and reviews, published under his name reform. Lacking a profi le academic environment, or under the pseudonym Omega, were dedicated to the research itself was not in a happier situation. the intern and international political events, to the Despite all these, the theoretical studies regarding world geopolitical context, comentaries and criti- the researched aspects, the sociologic information cal refl ection connected to the position and inter- and the analysis of monographic results, published ests of Romania towards other European nations. or which remained in manuscript did not lack. " e " e manuscripts which remained in an impres- prestige of ISBC was well known in Bucharest and sive archive (memoirs, diaries, correspondence) the relations that Cornel Grofşorean had with the show the same interest, especially when he speaks Sociologic School have constituted the premises of Romanians, wherever they are, of Romania favourable for its inclusion and that of the Institute and its borders. Not by hazard was he seriously to a manifestation of great importance, the 14 th International Congress of Sociology which was to 16 Andrei Negru, op. cit ., p. 139–166. take place in Romania. Hosting in Bucharest in 17 Ibidem. 18 ***Cuvânt înainte, Revista Institutului Social Banat- Crişana , XI, (1943), 12. 20 Carmen Albert, Cornel Grofşorean şi problema 19 " e last campaign that in Naidăş was published in a small reprezentării românilor la Congresul Minorităţilor de la number of copies and none was kept. " e materials of the Geneva, Studii şi cercetări , Zrenianin-Novi Sad, (2010), 157– campaign, as many as they were saved, were published by 188. Carmen Albert, Documentele Institutului Social Banat-Crişana 21 Ion Luca Ciomac, Scrisoare, 1949, SJCSAN, Fond I, Timişoara, (2003), 406 p. Muzeul Judeţean Reşiţa, nr. inv. 380, dosar 215/1943.

327 ANALELE BANATULUI, S.N., ARHEOLOGIE – ISTORIE, XX, 2012

1939 this event represented an international recog- diff erence between the activities of the two centres. nition well-deserved by the Romanian Sociologic " e Gustian principle itself of applied research School and its founder Dimitrie Gusti, whose fame is based on the existence of social units which has surpassed the borders of the country. " e rep- existed under the form of family, village, town, resentation of the Institute of Timisoara through region, state, nations 23 . If Gusti school was centred Cornel Grofşorean, meant more. For a regional upon the social unit “ village ”, those in Timişoara, institute without university youth, without the according to their own realities which did not res- exceptional funding that the Social Romanian semble the rest of the country, have fi xed as social Institute in Bucharest had through the program of unit “ the problem ” which existed in the respective Royal Funding or Rockefeller, ISBC has succeeded village, problem which must be solved. Operating performances which made it remarked and invited on the same Gustian scheme, thus, those in to such well-known manifestations. Timişoara have found the most adequate solution, Having in view his paticipation in the Congress, professor Gusti’s paradigm proving to be extremely Cornel Grofşorean has conceived a study, not adequate, which proves once more the fl exibility of very large, entitled “ " e research of the Banatian his way of thinking 24 . village ”22 , which we approach in the following " e accent on the “ problem ” was also due to pages in order to illustrate the capacity of synthesis the diffi culty of constituting the research teams, of the author which contains in some pages the diffi culties due, as we have said, to the lack of a essence of the monographic activity of the institute university. In this situation “ a voluntary team ” was and also the performance for which he became constituted of specialists in diff erent fi elds, who famous and praised by the press of the time, and have taken the diffi cult task of investigating the by Dimitrie Gusti himself. problems in the village which was pre-established In this study, Cornel Grofşorean realises a short by the program of campaign 25 . incursion on the activity of the Institute that he " e fi rst problem considered important was was leading for 7 years and which became known that of the depopulation, the demographic indi- by some accomplishments, even if it did not reach cators presenting for the Banatian province some because it could not the standards of the Social alarming fi gures 26 . " is is why it was considered Institute of Bucharest. From the beginning of as pertinent the investigation of the phenomenon his study, he highlighted the research character in two villages, establishing the resemblances and applied specifi cally to the Sociologic School that diff erences, resulting the only monographies pub- has inspired him. " e need to adopt this type of lished in volume 27 . " e decrease of birth rate in research resulted from the new political confi gu- Banat, illustrated by the realities of the two locali- rations which followed the fi rst world war which ties preoccupied the Banatian intellectuals who has determined mutations, dislocations, new social could foresee some possible negative consequences relations, new challenges determined by the update for this province, incorporated not long ago to the of society, changes negatively received by a rural Romanian state. " e preliminary researches on population in its majority illiterate. " e experience this theme, especially those of Petru Râmneanţu 28 , of states in Europe, he says, has proved that the an important representative of the Eugenist move- governors have not succeeded to solve the diffi cult ment in Banat, have illustrated this phenomenon problem of post-war reconstruction, because they as having signifi cant consequences for the future did not bother to understand the new realities, so the reforms did neither have the necessary adher- 23 Ilie Bădescu, Şcoala Gusti: perenitatea unei paradigme, ence nor the anticipated consequences. Sociologie Românească , III–2, (2005), 6. 24 Cătălin Zamfi r, Ce a lăsat Dimitrie Gusti sociologiei Furthermore, Grofşorean states that this orien- postbelice?, Sociologie Românească , III–2, (2005), 11–14. tation towards concrete research has also charac- 25 " e topic of the congress was dedicated exactly to the terised the activity of the Social Institute Banat- “social units”. Crişana, being the only possible in that respective 26 " e problem of depopulation in Banat analysed by geopolitical context. " e only problem that arise, the Banatian Institute was detailed in the study signed by Carmen Albert, Fenomenul depopulării în Banatul interbelic, was the concentration of activity towards a certain Populaţia României, trecut, prezent, perspective , Cluj-Napoca, social unit which must be investigated. " e men- (2006), 337–346. tioning of this problem is very important, it con- 27 *** Anchetă monografi că în comuna Belinţ , Timişoara, stitutes one of the particularities which made a (1938); *** Monografi a comunei Sârbova , Timişoara, (1939). 28 Petru Râmneanţu, Studiu asupra depopulării Banatului, 22 Cornel Grofşorean, Cercetarea satului bănăţean, SJCSAN, Rezultatul anchetei demografi ce din comuna Vărădia jud. Caraş , Fond Muzeul Judeţean Reşiţa, nr. inv. 380, dosar 80/1938. Timişoara, (1933).

328 of the province, the situation resembling that of where the administration has become indiff erent France after the First World War 29 . As such, those towards the needs of the population and the state in the Banatian Institute were trying to convince represented by the Silvan Offi ces has become the the authorities to initiate some concrete programs exploring agent together with the Factories and for the amelioration of the situation. " e results of Domains Reşiţa, the Romanians loosing both the the inquiry have shown “ a slow degeneracy ”, mani- religious feelings and the national ones. fested by luxury, divorces, abortions etc, caused by " e manuscript we refer to continues the pres- the peasants’ emancipation, especially the women’s entation of the Institute’s campaigns, with that at who were considered guilty for this state of the Ohaba-Bistra (1938), its themes being the infl u- problem. ence of the industry on the autochthon Romanian Another investigated problem was refering element. Its research is imposed in a period of to the loss of Romanians’ identity in the locality industrial boom, a component part of the mod- Pojejena de Jos, situated in the Clisura Dunării, ernizing wave which has come over Romania. " e a region inhabited in a large proportion by the peasants’ dislocation from the rural to the urban Serbian minority who has assimilated in a large environment, could have unwanted infl uences, measure the Romanians. " e alteration of the thus it was to be researched in what measure these spoken language, the mixture of traditions and were benefi cient for a large part of the population customs, were the signs that the things were evolv- who come from villages and they were hired at the ing towards an unwanted direction for the future of Franţ Ferdinand Factories. " e Romanian migrant the Banatian province and because the Romanian peasants were risking to become poor in the cor- administrations installed after the Union have rupted environment of towns and to become some not taken any measures, some interventions were proletarians incapable to support an iminent war imposed. Another point of interest was repre- which was already threatening the destructuring of sented by the direct contact with the rural popula- Romania’s teritory. Cornel Grofşorean considered tion from which arise “ the hatred towards every gen- that the arduous problem would be in its essence: tleman, a hatred towards the town, a hatred against “if the machine, the machinism forms or deforms the Bucharest ” 30 . " e correspondence and the studies Romanian peasant; in what strata will we have to published subsequently have revealed the mistrust recruit the phalanx of the industrial workers. In other of the population in the town dwellers who have words: the industry will proletarize the Romanian come in the village, a fact observed in all the mon- peasant or will it open for him the road towards ographic campaigns of the Social Institute Banat- urbanization? ”33 . Crişana, as well as those led by Dimitrie Gusti or " e manuscript also makes reference to the his collaborators 31 . It seems that it was a general campaign which was going on for the drawing of reality, that of the existence of a social class of peas- the monography of Bozovici, corresponding to a antry having an insuffi ciently exploited potential, general work plan made at Bucharest. " e impos- totally ignored by the town dwellers, the only con- ing of Social Service by law, has attracted after tacts with these ones being on the occasion of col- itself the reorganisation of the institutes founded lecting taxes and in electioneering. According to after the model of the Romanian Social Institute the principles of Eugenia to which the Banatian in Bucharest, which has become in the meantime Institute has adhered, it was imposed to trans- the Institute of Social Research of Romania. " ese form this class in a real force through education modifi cations of organisational structure were fol- in the peasant schools, Community Center and lowed by changes of the research method, choos- through the Social Service founded by Dimitrie ing to make monographies of an area or region, an Gusti, these off ering a real chance towards eman- older suggestion made by Anton Golopenţia and cipation 32 . " e conclusion to which they arrived put into practice on this occasion 34 . " e activities was that “ denationalization ” was produced due to being in development, Grofşorean sum up only the precarious state of the economy of a region, at expressing his admiration towards the Law of Social Service which foresee the compulsoriness of 29 Maria Bucur, op. cit ., 102, apud. V. Noveanu, Mişcarea eugenică în Franţa, Buletin eugenic şi biopolitic 3, 1–2, (1929), eff ecting voluntary work in villages for the cultural 26–31. uprise of the peasantry. " e law itself had a large 30 Carmen Albert, Documentele Institutului Social Banat- international recognition being undertaken and Crişana II, Corespondenţa , Timişoara, (2009), 138. 31 Zoltán Rostás , Atelierul Gustian o abordare organizaţională , 33 Dimitrie Gusti, Note personale , Biblioteca Academiei Bucureşti, (2005), 63–69. Române- Manuscrise, Fond “Dimitrie Gusti”, IX (21). 32 Maria Bucur, op. cit ., 191. 34 *** Sociologia militans , III, Bucureşti, MCMLXXI, p. 203.

329 ANALELE BANATULUI, S.N., ARHEOLOGIE – ISTORIE, XX, 2012 adapted by several European states having great which were also remunerated, which did not success even abroad, but other kinds of interests happen before in the Banatian Institute. After have determined its suspension after less than one this moment of reorganisation after which the year of operation, without having the time neces- Banatian Institute became a “subsidiary”, then the sary for implementation and evaluation. Dimitrie monography of a “country” was achieved – Almăj Gusti in some personal notes on this theme, writes Country. " us, a continuity in the research activ- disappointed: “ I have received the visit of a State ity was insured, under the new face of the institute Subsecretary who communicated confi dentially as unfolding the monography of the parish Bozovici. a sign of great esteem and admiration for me and " e monography of a parish was Anton my work that ‘from an order from high quarters’. I Golopenţia’s “invention”. A close collabora- understood (...) it will start a campaign in the news- tor with Dimitrie Gusti, originary from Banat, papers against S(ocial) S(ervice) and which can point Anton Golopenţia has taken the idea of consti- at orders and arrests ”35 . tuting a “model parish” from the doctor George " enceforth in the manuscript, Cornel Banu, the leader of the Social Medicine Institute 37 . Grofşorean approaches methodological questions Preoccupied by actions of social medicine, he which have particularised the activity in Banat as has conceived some pilot-centres of action and compared to that in Bucharest, explaining the need research which by extension could easily become to constitute research teams made up of specialists social parishes. Anton Golopenţia proposed this from diff erent fi elds, instead of young students for new methodology, being convinced that only in the work of collecting data. " e diffi culties gener- this way they will succeed to end Dimitrie Gusti’s ated by the absence of University and sociologists, ambitious project, the monographies of all the vil- the fi rst who should go on the fi eld and the others lages in Romania. to interpret the obtained data, have determined a Cornel Grofşorean, through this material with re-formation of the research team by hiring “pro- which he was to participate in the World Sociology fessionists” keeping the same scheme: frameworks Congress, he was trying to argue that in Banat it and manifestations. " us, 40 intellectuals (jurists, was created a counterpart to the Sociologic School doctors, teachers etc) during three weeks in their in Bucharest, capitalizing the opportunity to exist rest leave discovered and researched, the practical and research in a province atypical by history, interventions being of small proportions because culture, mentalities but which was confronted with here is another diff erence: in Banat there were the same problems as the rest of the country. " e no Royal Fundations which for three months to Social Institute Banat-Crişana through its achieve- deal with the recovery of the observed defi cien- ments has represented until its end the social cies. Subsequently, there was a change of letters research centre of Banat, promoting a methodo- with Dimitrie Gusti for the foundation of regional logical direction advanced for that period, aligning Royal Foundation, which was not materialized 36 . next to the Romanian Social Institute in the current Cornel Grofşorean clearly highlights in this of the international monographic movement con- study, the practical importance of the studies tributing to the outline of the provincial specifi c resulted after the research, they represent, in his of Banat. Due to the unfavorable political context, opinion, only the starting point for some theo- the World Congress of Sociology was postponed, retical analyses. Otherwise, the objective estab- Cornel Grofşorean’s communication has remained lished from the beginning was reached, which is to in manuscript but the expressed beliefs are to be achieve: “ real ascertainments, proposals and practi- found in all the studies published afterwards, the cal conclusions about the country’s governors, made author manifesting consistency in supporting his by professionists ”. Practicing an applied sociology, ideas and projects. Infl uenced by Dimitrie Gusti, a ISBC was co-opted in the framework of the Social great personality of the Romanian culture, Cornel Research Institute of Romania, transforming itself Grofşorean has placed in the centre of his activities in a “subsidiary”, changing its status and accept- and interests the problems of the Banatian village, ing volens nolens the new obligations which they ensuring next to other intellectuals, the institu- received. One of the consequences remarked with tional framework of developing the social research satisfaction, was that the “permanent members of by founding and supporting the activity of the the team”, meaning a stable team of professionists Social Institute Banat-Crişana.

35 Dimitrie Gusti, Note personale , Biblioteca Academiei Române- Manuscrise, Fond “Dimitrie Gusti”, IX (21). 37 36 SJCSAN, dosar 184/1937, f 1–5. Zoltán Rostás , op cit ., 70.

330