In 2023, over 1,200 young people participated in the activities organised by the Civic Academy Foundation.
VISITS AND GUIDED TOURS OF THE SIGHET MEMORIAL
Throughout 2023, the team at the Memorial conducted numerous guided tours of the museum’s permanent exhibitions for groups of visiting students. These tours were led by museum educators Luminița Țintaș, Annamaria Linzenbold, Gabriela Kadar, and Norbert Kondrat.
The museum welcomed pupils from all across the country, including, but not limited to pupils from:
- the Lower Secondary School in Avrig, Sibiu County,
- Alexandru Ioan Cuza Lower Secondary School in Baia Mare, Maramureș County,
- Panda School in Cluj, Cluj County
- Ion Bojoi Lower Secondary School in Flămânzi, Botoșani County,
- Iosif Mărturisitorul Upper Secondary Seminary in Baia Mare, Maramureș County, accompanied by their teachers,
- Technological Upper Secondary School in Lechința, Bistrița-Năsăud County,
- Ioan Sima Upper Secondary School for the Arts in Zalău, Sălaj County
- Vocational School in Lespezi, Iași County,
- Roman Vodă Upper Secondary School in Roman, Neamț County
- Nicolae Steinhardt Upper Secondary School for Orthodox Theology in Satu Mare, Satu Mare County
- Lower Secondary School no. 16 in Oradea, Bihor County
- Joseph Haltrich Upper Secondary School in Sighișoara, Mureș County
- Lower Secondary School no. 1 in Spinuș, Bihor County
- Nicolae Steinhardt Upper Secondary School for Orthodox Theology,
- Ion Căian Românu Technological Upper Secondary School in Căianu Mic, Bistrița-Năsăud County,
- Satulung Lower Secondary School,
- Nicolae Iorga Upper Secondary School in Bucharest,
- Upper Secondary School for Pedagogy in Sibiu, Sibiu County,
- Constantin Noica Upper Secondary School,
- Livada Lower Secondary School in Satu Mare, Satu Mare County,
- Ion Agârbiceanu School in Cluj,
- Iuliu Maniu Greek-Catholic Upper Secondary School in Oradea,
- Joseph Catholic Upper Secondary School in Bacău,
- Upper Secondary School for the Arts in Baia Mare,
- Samuel Vulcan School in Beiuș, Bihor County,
- Johann Ettingen German Upper Secondary School in Satu Mare (a group of pupils from Romania and Germany, participating in an Erasmus project), as well as pupils from Caraș-Severin County.
Study visit to the Memorial, 7 March 2023
On 7 March, our Memorial was visited by pupils from Italy, Turkey, North Macedonia, Greece, and Romania participating in a meeting within the Erasmus+ project Testify the resource before sharing a post, which was hosted by the Johann Ettinger German Upper Secondary School in Satu Mare. Our colleague, Norbert Kondrat, served as their guide.
Pupils from the Upper Secondary Seminary in Baia Mare visit the Memorial
On 22 March, pupils and their accompanying teachers from Sf. Iosif Mărturisitorul Upper Secondary Seminary in Baia Mare visited the Sighet Memorial.
The young participants of the project Maramureș, land of the voivodes, heroes and saints. Cultural and historical landmarks for young people visit the Memorial
19 May was a special day because we had the pleasure of hosting 500 pupils from Maramureș County for a visit to the museum. This marked the largest group to partake in a guided tour of the Memorial.
Our young visitors were attending the events organised within the project Maramureș, land of the voivodes, heroes and saints. Cultural and historical landmarks for young people. The project was run by the Association of Orthodox Youths in Baia Mare in partnership with the Maramureș County Council, the Orthodox Bishopric of Maramureș and Sătmar, the Maramureș County School Inspectorate, and the newspaper Gazeta de Maramureș.
The overarching goal of the project was to promote the history, significant historical personalities, and events of the county through a comprehensive historical-educational tour and history lessons in each of the four regions of Maramureș County.
The participants of the national competition on Culture and Civilisation in Romania pay a visit to the Memorial
On 27 May, 104 pupils participating in the national competition on Culture and Civilization in Romania, held at the end of May in Baia Mare, visited the Memorial.
Guided tours in June
Throughout the month of June, numerous guided tours were conducted, particularly for the groups of pupils that visited our Memorial. For instance, on 2 June, 53 pupils from the Republic of Moldova participating in the project Know your Country visited the museum. On 3 June, the members of the Romanian Association of the Blind were led on a special guided tour.
2 June also saw the commemorative pilgrimage honouring Bishop Áron Márton. Every year, numerous Roman Catholic pilgrims partake in this symbolic pilgrimage organised by Monsignor Gergely Kovács, the postulator of the beatification of Áron Márton, and Kornélia Ferencz, editor at Radio Maria. Our colleague, Andrea Furtos Dobeș, served as their guide.
Pupils visit the Memorial in July
In July, a large number of pupils hailing from various regions of the country visited our museum. One notable visit was from a group of pupils from Vâlcea who were on a trip in Maramureș as part of a project organised by the Foundation Din inimă pentru inimă. The young visitors were guided through the museum by our colleague Luminița Țintaș. We also welcomed the visit of 50 pupils from Pogana, Vaslui County.
Throughout the summer holidays, pupils from across the country visited the museum while participating in summer camps held in Maramureș County. On 4 July, 40 pupils and their teachers who were attending the summer camp organised by the Franciscan Monastery Mother of God (Greek-Catholic Parish of Oradea) visited the Memorial.
Guided tours for pupils and students
In August, the Memorial team conducted guided tours of the museum’s permanent exhibitions for groups of visiting pupils. These tours were led by Luminița Țintaș, Annamaria Linzenbold, Gabriela Kadar, and Norbert Kondrat, museum educators at the Sighet Memorial.
One of the guided tours was given for 40 pupils from the Grigore Antipa Lower Secondary School in Botoșani, while another for 50 pupils from the lower secondary school in Rădăuți Prut.
On 2 August, 40 participants of the Romanian, and History Olympiad and their 12 accompanying teachers participated in a guided tour of the Museum. The young Olympians were attending the camp Educational Bridge: Maramureș-Hîncești-Strășeni-Ungheni, held in Șuior, Maramureș County. Our colleague Annamaria Linzenbold served as their guide.
On August 5, our museum was visited by the attendees of the summer camp organised by the Museum of Maramureș in Sighet within the project Elie Wiesel Art and Creative Writing Competition, funded by the Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund of the US Embassy in Bucharest. Our colleague Luminița Țintaș was their guide.
Young scouts from Râmnicu Vâlcea visit the Memorial
In August, a group of 50 young scouts from Râmnicu Vâlcea made a pilgrimage to Bucovina and Maramureș. The highlight of their journey was the visit to the Memorial to the Victims of Communism and to the Resistance in Sighet on 11 August. They also attended a service led by His Holiness Mihai Frățilă honouring the victims of the communist regime. The guided tour was led by Andrea Dobeș Furtos, chief museographer.
The yearly pilgrimage Bădăcin-Sighet
The young pilgrims participating in the annual Bădăcin-Sighet pilgrimage reached the Sighet Memorial on Tuesday, 29 August.
The Bădăcin-Sighet pilgrimage, spanning 165 km, commemorates the sacrifices of the martyrs who perished and/or endured suffering in communist prisons.
In the last 24 years, young pilgrims have honoured the memory of the victims of communism by joining the annual pilgrimage that starts from the symbolic tomb of Iuliu Maniu in Bădăcin, his intended resting place, and ends at Paupers’ Cemetery in Sighetu Marmației, the anonymous tomb of both Bishop Ioan Suciu (died on 27 June 1953), and Iuliu Maniu (died on 5 February 1953).
The pilgrims travelled through several localities, including: Bocșa village (the birthplace of Simion Bărnuțiu, one of the leaders of the 1848 Revolution), Chilioara, Cehu Silvaniei, Băsești (the birthplace of Romanian politician Gheorghe Pop de Băsești), Ulmeni, Mireșu Mare, Baia Mare, Șișești, Hărnicești, Giulești (the birthplace of peasant leader Ilie Lazăr), and Vadu Izei. Finally, they reached the town of Sighetu Marmației, passing through it to reach the Paupers’ Cemetery. Here lie the bodies of those who perished in the prison in the town centre, which now serves as the Memorial to the Victims of Communism.
Guided tours for pupils and students
From September to December, the Memorial team led guided tours of the museum’s permanent exhibitions for groups of visiting pupils. The tours were conducted by museum educators Luminița Țintaș, Annamaria Linzenbold, Gabriela Kadar, Norbert Kondrat, and Adela Ulici.
Pupils’ visits to the Memorial between October and December
The museum welcomed a significant number of pupils from across the country during October and November. Notable visits included those from Ipotești Lower Secondary School, Suceava County; Moisei Lower Secondary School; Dumbrăveni Technological Upper Secondary School, Suceava; Gheorghe Pop de Băsești Upper Secondary School, Baia Mare; Onisifor Ghibu Upper Secondary School, Cluj Napoca; Gabriel Țepelea Upper Secondary School, Bihor County; Pedagogical Upper Secondary School, Sibiu; Sălsig Lower Secondary School, Maramureș County; Sfânta Maria Vocational School, Bistrița; Onisifor Ghibu Upper Secondary School, Cluj; Upper Secondary for Sports, Baia Mare; Alexandru Ioan Cuza School, Baia Mare; Liviu Dan Mociu Lower Secondary School, Cluj; Dr. Ioan Mihaly de Apșa Lower Secondary School, Sighet; Logos Upper Secondary School, Bistrița; Lower Secondary School no. 3, Negrești Oaș; Dragoș Vodă Upper Secondary School, Sighet; Regele Ferdinand Upper Secondary School, Sighet; Technological Upper Secondary School for Transportation, Baia Sprie; Ion Creangă Lower Secondary School, Cluj Napoca; Alexandru Ioan Cuza Lower Secondary School, Baia Mare; Ion Creangă Lower Secondary School, Suceava; Spiru Haret Lower Secondary School, Bacău; Adam Müller Upper Secondary School, Arad; Roman-Vodă Upper Secondary School, Neamț; Nicanicor Moroșan Upper Secondary School, Suceava; Lucian Blaga Upper Secondary School, Reghin; Costache Negruzzi Upper Secondary School, Iași; visits from pupils from the Republic of Moldova; Dragoș Vodă Upper Secondary School, Sighet; Lower Secondary School in Tășnad, Satu Mare County; Mihai Eminescu Upper Secondary School, Alba Iulia; Al. Leușeanu Lower Secondary School, Reghin; Samuel von Brukenthal Upper Secondary School, Sibiu; Lower Secondary School in Straja, Suceava; Victor Babeș Upper Secondary School, Cluj; Lower Secondary School in Săsciori, Alba; Gheorghe Pop de Băsești Upper Secondary School, Sighet; Ion Creangă Lower Secondary School, Cluj; Lower Secondary School nr. 2, Piatra Neamț; Grigore Ghica Upper Secondary School in Dorohoi; Wesselényi Upper Secondary School for Reformed Theology in Zalău; and Eugen Pora Upper Secondary School in Cluj.
