Bogdan Popa, Straja Ţării în „Enciclopedia României”
The Country Watch in the “Encyclopaedia of Romania”
Probably the only institution created by King Carol II which is still remembered, the Country Watch was inspired by youth movements created by the totalitarian regimes during the interwar. Having the cult of the sovereign as its focal point, this organisation tried to integrate all the other youth organisations in Romania, in order to counterbalance the rise of the extreme right. In this article, I aim to investigate the small chapter dedicated to the Country Watch (Straja Ţării) in the 1938 Encyclopaedia of Romania. I intend to discuss the structure of the text, its authors, and the images chosen to illustrate the chapter. Nevertheless, I intend to place the text in the context of its era. However, my conclusion is that for the present day scholar, the chapter from the 1938 “Encyclopaedia of Romania” is rather an introduction, and not the ultimate resource for the investigation of this de-famed, yet complex youth organisation.
Keywords: Straja Ţării/Country Watch, Encyclopaedia of Romania, youth, education, mass-organisation
- Decret-lege pentru organizarea şi funcţionarea „Straja Ţării” din 8 Octombrie 1937 / Law-decree for the organization and functioning of the “Country Guard” from October 8, 1937, Bucureşti, Universala Alcalay & Co., [1937].
- Filaret V. Doboş, Arcaşii. Gânduri şi fapte din Ţara de Sus 1905-1940 / The Archmen. Thoughts and deeds from the Upper Country 1905-1940, Cernăuţi, Tipografia Cernăuţeanu Teodot, 1940.
- Enciclopedia României, I, Bucureşti, 1938.
- Ion Manolescu, „Începuturile Străjeriei” / “The Beginnings of the Guard”, in Straja Ţării. Cinci ani de activitate 1935-1940 / The Country Guard. Five years of activity 1935-1940, Bucureşti: Vremea, [1940?].
- Mirela-Luminiţa Murgescu, Silvana Rachieru (ed.), Copilăria şi adolescenţa altădată. Tinerii de azi cercetează istoria de ieri. Concursul ISTORIA MEA – EUSTORY, ediţia I, 2000 / Childhood and adolescence of yore. Today’s youth searches yesterday’s history. The competition MY HISTORY – ISTORY, Bucureşti, Dominor, 2003.
- Cezar Petrescu, Domnia Regelui Carol al II-lea / The Reign of King Charles II, in Enciclopedia României, I, Bucureşti, 1938.
- Straja Ţării. Cinci ani de activitate 1935-1940 / The Country Guard. Five years of activity 1935-1940, Bucureşti: Vremea, [1940].
