Tropaeum Traiani
Tropaeum Traiani

Monument and propaganda

Summary/Abstract: Many times History was used to legitimate the Power, speaking about the past means speaking about the present.The past was re-constructed and reinterpreted as to support the policy and the propaganda of the rulers, also by building official monuments. But sometimes the monuments were used by the subsequent political regimes to legitimate themselves.The triumphal monument Tropaeum Traiani was erected in 109 to celebrate the victory of the Romans against the local inhabitants. In the vicinity was founded the roman town with the same name. First excavations were made by Grigore Tocilescu beginning with 1882, shortly after Romania wins the state independence. During a period when the national states appear this monument became an important support for the origins of the Romanians. The idea to reconstruct it on a central square fromBucharest seems natural. The original pieces were brought to Bucharest but the monument was never reconstructed. Till the 60’s they were exposed in different places in the city (museum and park) and then were brought back to Adamclisi. During the communist regime the idea of the reconstruction of the monument was again brought to life in connection with the celebration of a century since the wining of the state independence. In May 1977 Nicolae Ceauşescu featured the opening ceremony of the recently restored monument. The main newspapers on the first pages presented the event as the final moment of a so-called “working visit” in Constanţa County. The press presents almost the same photos and commentaries, reflecting the official propaganda, even “Pontica” the publication of the Archaeological and Historical Museum in Constanţa, published three articles concerning the restoration of the monument and also the future development of the village into a “model village” (rather a “communist” town, with blocks, factories nearby and a modern agriculture). According to the propaganda Tropaeum Traiani was “a true chronicle engraved in stone, telling of the bloody confrontations of the 101-106 A.D. period”. The manifestation from Adamclisi is specific for the communist propaganda and manipulation: a historical event is turned into an occasion to demonstrate the unity of the nation all around the Party and to express love for the unique leader of the Party and Country. Th e propaganda was based on a very complex system of rituals which were supposed to be more powerful than the religion, forbidden in the communist countries. In 1992 the local authorities organized a new anniversary – 1890 years from the Romans’ victory against the Dacians. The ritual is the same like before and for the people participating it is not so difficult to remember the past, in their mind the clichés are still alive. But this time a group of orthodox priests participate at the celebration. This was a double abuse! In 2007 during the electoral campaign for a referendum for the president Traian Băsescu the posters in the village puts the accent on the name of the president (the same with the Roman Emperor) and on the fact that he has to come back to make History!

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