Revista Română de Studii Baltice şi Nordice The Romanian Journal for Baltic and Nordic Studies Vol. 9, Issue 1 (2017) 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 (https://balticnordic.hypotheses.org & www.arsbn.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. 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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 ISSN 2067-1725 E-ISSN: 2067-225X TABLE OF CONTENTS Silviu Miloiu Editorial Foreword ....................................................................................................... 5 Paweł Jaworski The beginning of revolution of the ”Solidarity” in Poland as seen by the Swedish media (August–September 1980)............................................................... 7 Marian-Alin Dudoi The Transylvanian issue: Swedish perspectives (1944-1945) ............................ 27 Crina Leon Norwegian studies at “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iaşi ..................... 41 Silviu Miloiu Baltic studies in Romania: sources, beginnings and perspectives .................... 49 Alexandru Ciocîltan The identities of the Catholic communities in the 18th century Wallachia .... 71 Crina Leon Svanhild Naterstad, “To me Romania is magic!” ................................................. 83 Call for Papers ................................................................................................................. 91 Editorial Foreword Silviu Miloiu President of the Romanian Association for Baltic and Nordic Studies, E-mail: [email protected] Volume 9, issue no. 1 (2017) of Revista Română pentru Studii Baltice şi Nordice / The Romanian Journal for Baltic and Nordic Studies (RRSBN) is divided into three main parts. The first part deals with the Swedish perception of East-Central European 20th Century developments. The article bearing the signature of Paweł Jaworski of the University of Wrocław tackles the first two months Solidarność as seen from the perspective of the Swedish press. A very innovative article it details the imagology of the set up and evolution of the syndicate and investigates how the relations between this emerging independent civil society and the Communist Party evolved. The article corroborates press analysis with international relations and bilateral relations between Poland and Sweden and shows their impact on the rather privileged status enjoyed by Swedish journalists in the Communist country. The second article by Alin-Marian Dudoi focuses on Gustav Bolinder and Arvid Fredborg’s accounts of Transylvania at the end of World War II. Although the original Swedish books and their significance have already been investigated by some authors, the article looks at their perspectives in relation to the Romanian national credo and adopts the stand of the former which supported the claim that Transylvania should belong to Romania mostly based on ethnography. The second section of the journal is devoted to Norwegian and Baltic studies in Romania. Crina Leon, lecturer of Norwegian at “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iaşi deals with the study of this language at the university starting with the academic year 2005-2006 when it was included in a Master’s program “German Culture in a European Context” and when it began to be taught at the Centre of Foreign Languages of the oldest academic institution in extra-Carpathian Romania. The article follows the genealogy and evolution of Norwegian studies at “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iaşi pinpointing at the landmark events which raised their status within her alma mater. Silviu Miloiu discusses the sources, beginnings and perspectives of Baltic studies in Romania, focusing in the latter part of his article on the academic courses of Baltic and Nordic studies introduced at Valahia University of Târgoviște in the academic year 2000/2001 and their developments afterwards. It also explores the activity of the Romanian Association for Baltic and Nordic Studies as an organization expressly devoted to these fields of studies in Romania. The organization acts as an institute of Baltic and Nordic studies in itself but also as an umbrella for these researches in Romania and beyond. The scholarly, educational, editorial, dissemination of its activities constitute the core of the last part of the article. The third section of the journal integrates the insightful analysis of Alexandru Ciocîltan of the Catholic communities in Valahia at the beginning of the Modern Age. The transformations suffered by these minority communities, including their discrimination, vanishing, resurrection and renewal stand at the center of this contribution. Finally, this issue brings to the fore a Norwegian journalist and author, with a profound knowledge of Romania, Svanhild Naterstad, in a fascinating interview taken by Crina Leon. How she discovered Romania, her contribution to the Norwegian-Romanian relations and the cultural exchanges between the two states are very well mirrored in this interview. Revista Română de Studii Baltice și Nordice / The Romanian Journal for Baltic and Nordic Studies, ISSN 2067-1725, Vol. 9, Issue 1 (2017): pp. 7-26 HE BEGINNING OF REVOLUTION OF THE ”SOLIDARITY”IN POLAND AS SEEN BY THE T SWEDISH MEDIA (AUGUST–SEPTEMBER 1980) Paweł Jaworski University of Wrocław, E-mail: [email protected] Acknowledgements The article was prepared thanks to financial support from Narodowe Centrum Nauki (UMO-2011/01/B/H53/00714) granted for the project ‘Sweden towards Solidarity 1980–1982. Historical analysis’). The main effect of the project is a monograph in Polish that will be published soon: P. Jaworski, Most przez Bałtyk. Szwecja wobec ‘Solidarności’ 1980–1982. Abstract: This article is a case study on the role of media during the Cold War era. The aim is to present the effects of the ventures of Swedish journalists in Poland during the strike of summer 1980 and in its aftermath when the Polish authorities decided to accept the creation of a new trade union independent from the communist regime. How these events were interpreted and what kind of the future was predicted? The article will demonstrate that the creation and development of ”Solidarity” Trade Union was received with a great interest in Sweden as well as in other western countries. Besides, it proves that this interest was a result of the course and the meaning of internal changes in Poland. Their scale and the non-violent means by which they were reached surprised and impressed numerous foreign observers. Rezumat: Acest articol reprezintă un studiu de caz cu privire la rolul mass-media în timpul Războiului Rece. Scopul său este de a prezenta efectele activității jurnaliștilor suedezi în Polonia din perioada grevei din vara anului 1980 și după ce autoritățile poloneze au decis să accepte crearea unui nou sindicat independent de regimul comunist. Cum au fost interpretate aceste evenimente și ce fel de viitor a fost prezis Poloniei de către aceștia? Articolul va demonstra că formarea și dezvoltarea Sindicatului ”Solidaritatea” a fost primită cu un interes deosebit atât în Suedia, cât și în alte țări occidentale. În plus, el dovedește că acest interes a fost rezultatul cursului și al 8 | Revista Română de Studii Baltice și Nordice/The Romanian Journal for Baltic and Nordic Studies 9(1) înțelesului schimbărilor interne din Polonia. Scara lor și mijloacele non-violente prin care au fost atinse au surprins și impresionat numeroși observatori străini. Keywords: Poland, Cold War, Solidarity (Solidarność), Swedish press, perceptions The condition of foreign journalists' functioning in the Polish People's Republic was peculiar. They were kept under surveillance, some of them were spotted to be recruited into the Polish intelligence. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs tried to obstruct their work by issuing single-entry visas instead of multiple-entry visas. Extension of their stay was often dependent on the significance of the reports published in the press. When the Polish authorities were not satisfied with the tone of the articles, they tried to exercise a pressure on the author in order to make them change their reporting of events. It was not easy to be granted a status of a permanent correspondent. The authorities