Historian Marian OLARU, National Institute “Bucovina”, at FERM 2025: “Bucovina must be known for its interethnic and historical complexity.”
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REGIONAL ECONOMIC FORUM MOLDOVA 2025
19th Edition – Vatra Dornei, July 9–13, 2025
Thematic Panel:
Culture and Regional Identity – Tradition, Innovation, and Social Cohesion
Speaker:
Marian Olaru – historian, researcher at the National Institute “Bucovina”, Suceava
Topic of Intervention:
“Bucovina at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century: identity and multiculturalism”
Present at this year’s edition of the Regional Economic Forum Moldova (FERM), held from July 9 to 13 in Vatra Dornei, historian Marian Olaru, researcher at the National Institute “Bucovina” in Suceava, delivered a memorable presentation within Panel 10 – Culture and Regional Identity.
His speech was a dense journey into the history, identity, and profound transformations of Bucovina, a province historically positioned at the crossroads of great powers and various cultural, economic, and political influences.
Bucovina – a “political experiment” at the empire’s border
Marian Olaru emphasized that Bucovina, “the northern part of Moldova”, is the result of a complex geopolitical context, shaped by the ambitions of the Habsburg Empire to reach the Danube’s mouths. Austria incorporated this region not only for strategic reasons but also to transform it “in its own image”, separating it from the rest of Moldova.
During the 144 years of Austrian administration, the province underwent radical changes: the ethnic structure shifted significantly, with the Romanian population decreasing from around 66-70% to 34% in 1910, while Ukrainians (then called Ruthenians) reached 38%. Colonization brought Poles, Germans, Jews, Armenians, and other communities with the aim of alienating the territory from its Moldavian roots.
Modernization and sacrifices
Although official historiography, including Romanian, acknowledged that the Austrian period brought economic and infrastructural progress – imperial roads, advanced agriculture, material support for newlyweds – Olaru drew attention to the price paid by the local population.
“This economic progress was made with sacrifices and, in many cases, to the detriment of the locals,” he noted, explaining that the bureaucracy was largely foreign, and Romanians rarely held administrative positions.
An interesting detail highlighted was Bucovina’s role as a transit area for Jews from Galicia and Russia, attracted by the prospect of emigrating to the United States. They often settled in border towns, benefiting from lower emigration taxes and the province’s strategic location.
Return to Romania and interwar disappointments
In 1918, Bucovina returned to the Romanian state, a moment described by Olaru as “one of the stellar moments of this nation”. However, the enthusiasm for unification was not absolute.
“The Austrian official, despised for so long, was sometimes more efficient than the Romanian one imposed from Bucharest,” noted the historian, citing contemporary testimonies.
This administrative change also brought dissatisfaction, including due to bureaucracy and particular interests that sometimes undermined the public good.
Bucovina – a lesson in interethnic coexistence
According to Marian Olaru, Bucovina should not be mythologized solely for its uniqueness but understood as a space where “complex and rich interethnic relations brought prosperity”. This diversity was one of the region’s strengths, distinguishing it from other provinces.
The historian also recalled Bucovina’s deep cultural connections with major literary figures: Mihai Eminescu, who loved this province; poet Rose Ausländer, who called it “my green mother Bucovina”; or Dimitrie Petitnou, who described it as “the diamond that joins the crown of Stephen the Great”.
A call for knowledge and respect for history
Finally, Olaru urged participants to know Bucovina “not because the Austrians or Germany teach us about Bucovina, but to understand the complexity and richness of its history”.
His speech was a plea to overcome political and geographical barriers, preserve historical memory, and recognize the role that diversity played in the region’s prosperity.
Conclusion
Marian Olaru’s intervention at FERM 2025 was more than a historical presentation – it was a profound discourse and a call for clarity. Using concrete examples and documentary data, the historian reconstructed Bucovina’s journey from a province of Moldova to a “political experiment” of the Habsburg Empire and then to an integral part of the Romanian state.
He demonstrated that the evolution of this region cannot be understood only through myths or nostalgia, but through a balanced analysis of the economic, social, and ethnic transformations that shaped it.
His central message was clear: Bucovina is a lesson in interethnic coexistence and an example of how diversity can generate prosperity when it is respected and valued.
