Magazin istoric pentru Dacia

Magazin istoric pentru Dacia (Romanian for “Historical Magazine for Dacia”) was a Romanian historical journal published in the mid-19th century, regarded as the first periodical dedicated exclusively to history in Romanian culture.^[1]

The magazine first appeared in 1845, founded and edited by August Treboniu Laurian (age 35) and Nicolae Bălcescu (age 24).^[2] It published, for the first time, several Wallachian and Moldavian medieval chronicles and many archival documents,^[3] promoting a distinctly nationalist perspective on the antiquity, continuity, and unity of the Romanian people across all historical provinces (Transylvania, Wallachia, and Moldavia).^[1] Between 1845 and 1848, five volumes of the journal were issued in Bucharest (over 3,000 pages in total).^[2] After the 1848 revolutions, Laurian continued the project on his own, publishing two additional volumes (Volumes VI and VII) from Vienna in 1851.^[1] The journal is noted for inaugurating modern Romanian historiography by gathering and printing primary historical sources and fostering a shared national historical consciousness.^[4]

The establishment of Magazin istoric pentru Dacia came at a time of rising national awakening among Romanians in the 1840s. It was founded shortly after Mihail Kogălniceanu’s pioneering Arhiva românească (the first Romanian historical archive journal, 1840–1845) ceased publication. Laurian (a Transylvanian Romanian scholar) and Bălcescu (a Wallachian revolutionary-intellectual) sought to continue and expand the effort of publishing historical materials for a pan-Romanian audience. In a January 1845 letter, Laurian informed George Bariț of Brașov that he and Bălcescu were launching a new history journal and requested Barițiu’s help in announcing and distributing it along with Gazeta de Transilvania and Foaie pentru minte, inimă și literatură (Transylvanian Romanian newspapers).^[1] Historian Nicolae Iorga later noted that this was “the first purely historical magazine of the Romanians” and remained the only such publication until the early 20th century,^[1] underscoring its unique role in that era.

The magazine was conceived as a pan-national forum to collect and publish historical sources from all Romanian-inhabited lands. Its stated mission was to cultivate the interest and love of Romanians for their past, and to launch a campaign for gathering the documents of national history, much as Kogălniceanu had done in Moldavia through Arhiva Românească and the publication of chronicles, and as Barițiu was doing in Transylvania through his cultural gazettes.^[1] The appearance of Magazin istoric pentru Dacia was greeted enthusiastically by the Romanian press: for example, on 16 July 1845 Foaie pentru minte, inimă și literatură and Gheorghe Asachi’s Albina Românească in Iași announced and praised the new journal. The broader historical context was one of increasing intellectual cooperation across the Romanian provinces: Laurian and Bălcescu’s collaboration itself symbolized the unity of Transylvanian and Wallachian efforts. In 1848, shortly after the first volumes appeared, revolutionary movements erupted in Wallachia and Transylvania; many contributors (including the editors) became involved in these events, which interrupted the journal’s publication. Nonetheless, the Magazin’s foundation laid a cornerstone for modern Romanian historiography, decisively contributing to the development of historical science in Romania^[4].

Nicolae Bălcescu (1819–1852) was a young Wallachian historian, writer, and revolutionary who co-founded Magazin istoric pentru Dacia. At 24 years old in 1845, Bălcescu brought a passionate vision of using history to inspire patriotism and national unity. In the inaugural issue (Volume I), he authored the “Cuvânt preliminar despre izvoarele istoriei românilor” (“Preliminary Word on the sources of Romanian history”), a programmatic essay urging Romanians to study their past and draw lessons in patriotism and courage.^[5] Bălcescu argued that a well-disseminated national history would help strengthen character and unity, noting that “history is the foremost book of a nation”.^[1] He also participated in editing and selecting historical documents and chronicles for publication in the journal’s early issues.

Bălcescu’s direct involvement in the magazine was cut short by his departure to Paris in June 1846.^[1] Originally meant as a brief trip to research and further Romania’s cause, his stay in France extended until 1848, during which time he became active in European revolutionary circles. Consequently, the burden of editing Magazin istoric pentru Dacia fell largely on Laurian during 1846–1848. In a letter to Vasile Alecsandri dated 29 November 1847, Bălcescu admitted “for a long time I have not been able to send articles” and appealed for Alecsandri’s collaboration to “uplift the Magazine a little”.^[1] Despite his physical absence, Bălcescu remained committed to the journal’s mission and continued to support it from afar. The historical perspective championed by Bălcescu in the magazine—emphasizing the heroic and unified past of the Romanian people—would later be reflected in his own major work, Românii supt Mihai Vodă Viteazul (a history of Michael the Brave, written in exile). Bălcescu’s early contributions to Magazin istoric pentru Dacia are credited with infusing it with a revolutionary nationalist spirit that linked scholarly history with the goals of national awakening.

August Treboniu Laurian (1810–1881) was the senior co-founder of the journal and its driving force throughout its existence. A Transylvanian Romanian scholar and linguist, Laurian was a professor at St. Sava College in Bucharest in the 1840s.^[6]

He teamed up with Bălcescu to launch Magazin istoric pentru Dacia in 1845, and contributed the “Discurs introductiv la istoria românilor” (“Introductory Discourse on the history of the Romanians”) in the first volume. Laurian’s introductory study was a succinct synthesis of Romanian history from ancient Dacian times to the early 19th century,^[1] asserting the uninterrupted continuity of Romanians in their homeland.^[1] Barițiu, reprinting Laurian’s study in his newspaper, remarked that even foreign friends of historical truth could not help but be convinced of the Romanians’ ancient origins after reading it attentively.^[1] To increase its impact, Laurian soon published this study in Latin, French, and German as well,^[1] aiming to insert Romanian historical research into European scholarly discourse.

After Bălcescu’s departure in mid-1846, Laurian effectively became the sole editor of the magazine. He imposed a clear editorial vision, including a modernized Romanian orthography and language style intended to be accessible across regional dialects.^[1] Initially, the journal was printed using the Romanian Cyrillic alphabet (standard in Wallachia at the time), but Laurian gradually transitioned it to Latin script.^[1] He even urged colleagues like Barițiu in Transylvania to “latinize” their print, noting that it would not be fitting for Transylvanians—who had pioneered Latin-letter printing in Romanian decades earlier—to lag behind in adopting the Latin alphabet.^[1] Laurian’s editorial policy aimed to unify terminology and spelling so that articles would be understood by readers in all provinces of “Dacia” (the term invoking the ancient roots of all Romanians).^[1]

Laurian was also adept at building a distribution network to ensure the magazine reached a broad readership. He enlisted the support of figures such as George Barițiu, Ion Maiorescu, Timotei Cipariu, and Constantin D. Loga, as well as numerous bookdealers, to circulate the journal throughout Wallachia, Moldavia, Transylvania, and beyond.^[1] The first issue’s print run of about 1,000 copies sold out quickly, prompting a second run of 1,500 copies – exceptionally high circulation for a Romanian publication of that era.^[1] Under Laurian’s stewardship, Magazin istoric pentru Dacia became a platform for the critical publication of historical sources. For example, Laurian took charge of editing medieval chronicles (such as Radu Greceanu’s, published in 1846) by collating different manuscript versions, and he oversaw the inclusion of old official records, inscriptions, and scholarly essays in each volume.

During the revolutionary year 1848, Laurian himself became actively involved as one of the leaders of the Romanian movement in Transylvania.^[6] The upheavals of 1848 interrupted the journal’s publication after the fifth volume. In the aftermath of the failed revolutions, Laurian went to Vienna, where he resumed publication of Magazin istoric pentru Dacia in 1850–1851.^[6] There, he single-handedly compiled two more fascicles (Volumes VI and VII), focusing on documentary evidence of the 1848 Transylvanian revolution.^[6][7]

This effort also led to the first major collection of 1848 documents concerning Romanians, printed under Laurian’s direction.^[6] Laurian’s dedication to the magazine, even after the turmoil of 1848, underscores his lifelong commitment to advancing Romanian national historiography. He later became a founding member of the Romanian Academy (1867) and remained an influential figure in cultural and educational affairs, but Magazin istoric pentru Dacia was arguably his most important early contribution to the intellectual unification of the Romanian people through history.

The content of Magazin istoric pentru Dacia was organized into several thematic sections in each issue, as outlined by the editors from the start.^[1] According to the prospectus, the journal’s materials were grouped into six rubrics covering different types of historical sources and studies:^[1]

• Cronicul românesc – the “Romanian chronicler” section, publishing indigenous chronicles and annals written in Romanian.^[1] This included medieval chronicles of Wallachian and Moldavian rulers.
• Diplomaticul românesc – a section for authentic official acts and documents (charters, decrees, treaties, etc.) from archives.^[1]
• Memoratoriul dacian – “Dacian memorandum,” featuring references to Dacia and the ancient/medieval Romanians in old sources by Greek, Latin, Byzantine and other authors, often presented in Romanian translation.^[1]
• Inscriptoriul dacian – a collection of epigraphic and inscriptional material (texts from stone inscriptions, monument descriptions, tombstones and other archaeological-historical inscriptions).^[1]
• Disertatoriul istoric – the “historical disquisitions” section, containing studies of chronology (lists of rulers, etc.), historical geography, ethnography, and critical commentary on historical topics.^[1]
• Buletinul bibliografic și critic – a bibliographic and critical bulletin, which listed new publications related to Dacia or Romanian history and provided reviews/critical notes on them.^[1]

Within this broad framework, each volume of the magazine brought forth a mix of primary sources (transcribed from manuscripts or stone, often with annotations) and analytical pieces. Below is an overview of each known volume and its notable contents:

Volume I was published in Bucharest with the date 1 July 1845.^[1] As the inaugural issue, it set the tone and scope of the magazine. It opened with two programmatic essays by the editors: Nicolae Bălcescu’s Cuvânt preliminariu despre isvoarele istoriei românilor (“Preliminary word about the sources of Romanian history”) and A. T. Laurian’s Discursu introductiv la istoria românilor (“Introductory discourse on the history of Romanians”). In these pieces, the editors emphasized why Romanians needed to study their past and outlined the national-historical approach of the journal. Laurian’s introductory study provided a condensed narrative of Romanian history from ancient times through the early 19th century,^[1] asserting the Daco-Roman roots and historical continuity of the Romanian nation. Bălcescu’s preliminary address, meanwhile, was a passionate appeal for historical awareness as a foundation of patriotism.^[5]

Beyond these introductory texts, Volume I presented a variety of historical documents and sources in line with the six rubrics. For example, it included the first publication of a Wallachian princely decree from 1631 (a hrisov issued by Prince Leon Tomșa regarding the expulsion of Greek administrators from the country).^[5] This document, printed in the original Romanian of the 17th century (with its old Cyrillic orthography), exemplified the Diplomaticul românesc material aimed at making archival records accessible to the public. Volume I likely contained other items such as excerpts from chronicles or inscriptions, though specific titles are not all recorded in modern sources. Overall, the first volume comprised 410 pages^[8] and established the journal’s mission of unearthing historical evidence. The reception was very favorable, with contemporary newspapers highlighting its national importance.^[1] By the end of Volume I, the template for the magazine’s content – blending primary sources with interpretive commentary – was firmly in place.

Volume II appeared in 1846 (printed in Bucharest) and continued the ambitious publishing program. A major highlight of this volume was the first-ever printed edition of the Chronicle of Radu Greceanu, an early 18th-century Wallachian chronicle detailing the reign of Prince Constantin Brâncoveanu.^[2] Portions of Greceanu’s chronicle were included in Volume II (spanning multiple segments of the issue, indicating the text was serialized or placed in parts).^[2] Prior to this, Radu Greceanu’s work existed only in manuscript form; Bălcescu and Laurian obtained a manuscript (the Blaj Manuscript 59 from the Romanian Academy’s Cluj branch) despite its gaps, and Bălcescu compared it against another manuscript to prepare a coherent text.^[2] This scholarly effort, though not flawless by modern standards (Bălcescu is noted to have occasionally altered the text arbitrarily during collation^[2]), was a pioneering attempt to publish a Romanian chronicle critically. The Cronicul românesc section of Volume II thereby gave Romanian readers access to a significant indigenous historical source for the first time.

In addition to Greceanu’s chronicle, Volume II likely featured other documents and studies. Given its 386 pages length,^[8] the volume would have contained various shorter pieces: perhaps additional medieval documents (charters or letters) and entries in the “Memoratoriul” or “Inscriptoriul” sections (such as translations of classical authors’ references to Dacia or descriptions of ancient artifacts). Volume II was published while Bălcescu was still in the country (early 1846), so he may have contributed or supervised some content here before departing. The successful serialization of a chronicle in this volume demonstrated the magazine’s role in recovering national historical literature. It also underscored Laurian and Bălcescu’s commitment to scholarly editing practices (introducing critical comparison of sources) at a time when Romanian historiography was still in its infancy.

Volume III was the second issue produced in 1846 (often the journal is noted to have had two volumes in 1846^[2]). By the time of compiling Volume III, Nicolae Bălcescu had left for Paris (mid-1846), so August Treboniu Laurian managed this volume largely on his own. The volume, comprising about 382 pages,^[8] continued to publish a broad array of historical materials consistent with the magazine’s established sections. While specific contents of Volume III are less frequently cited in secondary literature (no singular “first” like Radu Greceanu’s chronicle is attributed to it), it likely contained further chronicle excerpts, documents and scholarly essays. Laurian, as a classical scholar, may have enriched the Memoratoriul dacian section in this volume with translated excerpts from ancient writers about Dacia or Rome’s Dacian provinces. The Inscriptoriul might have featured transcribed Latin or Slavonic inscriptions from Transylvanian churches or castles, given Laurian’s interest in epigraphy.

Volume IV was published in 1847, under Laurian’s sole editorship (Bălcescu being abroad). It contained roughly 378 pages of content.^[8] This volume arrived amid growing revolutionary sentiment in Europe, but early 1847 in Wallachia and Moldavia was still a time of intense scholarly and cultural activity. Volume IV likely continued the serialization or publication of chronicles and documents started in earlier issues. For instance, if any part of Radu Greceanu’s chronicle remained unpublished, it may have been concluded in Volume IV. Additionally, Laurian might have introduced another Wallachian or Moldavian chronicle in this volume, or printed documents related to the Phanariote era or other historical periods that had not yet been covered.

Volume V, published in late 1847 (and possibly completed in early 1848), was the final volume of the journal’s initial run in Bucharest before the revolutionary upheavals. It comprised about 388 pages.^[8] By the time Volume V was issued, Magazin istoric pentru Dacia had published a total of five large tomes (Volumes I–V) between 1845 and 1848, collectively exceeding 1,900 pages of content.^[1] This fifth volume likely continued to fulfill the journal’s mandate by including additional chronicles, documents and scholarly notes. Given the timing, Volume V might have started to touch on more recent historical events or figures leading up to 1848. It is known from later summaries that the five volumes together encompassed Romanian history “from ancient times until the start of the 19th century”,^[1] so Volume V may have included materials on late 18th-century or early 19th-century history (for example, documents from the 1821 uprising or the reform period of the 1830s could conceivably appear, though this is speculative).

One noteworthy aspect is that by Volume V, Laurian had succeeded in switching the publication’s alphabet to Latin script (as he planned). The transition from Cyrillic to Latin in Romanian publishing was largely accomplished in the late 1840s; Laurian had announced his intent to use exclusively Latin letters by “next year” (probably 1848).^[1] Therefore, Volume V might be the first volume of Magazin istoric printed entirely in the Latin alphabet, reflecting a significant cultural shift. In terms of content highlights, no specific singular document from Volume V is singled out in sources, indicating that it mostly carried on the steady work of printing historical sources. The completion of Volume V coincided with the outbreak of the Wallachian Revolution in June 1848. This turbulent context meant that Magazin istoric pentru Dacia had to pause publication; there was no immediate Volume VI in 1848 as events overtook the scholarly project. Nonetheless, by the end of Volume V, the journal had firmly established itself as an invaluable repository of Romanian historical texts, to the extent that later historians would often refer back to “Laurian and Bălcescu’s magazine” for source material. Indeed, the five volumes published up to 1848 were frequently cited in 19th-century Romanian historiography and were included in bibliographies of Romanian printed works.^[7]

Volume VI was not published at the time originally intended (1848) due to the revolution, but evidence shows it was prepared and partially printed by August Treboniu Laurian in 1851, during his exile in Vienna. After the collapse of the 1848 revolutions, Laurian remained in the Habsburg capital and endeavored to continue Magazin istoric pentru Dacia on his own.^[6] An announcement discovered on the cover of Volume VII’s first issue (see below) indicates that “Volume VI is in the press” and would appear shortly.^[7] From Laurian’s notes, we know that Volume VI was intended to compile acts and documents related to the revolution of 1848–1849 in Transylvania, similar to the content of Volume VII.^[7] In other words, Laurian planned to dedicate both Vol. VI and VII to publishing the official documents, petitions, proclamations, and correspondence from the revolutionary period – essentially creating a documentary history of the 1848 Transylvanian Romanian movement.

However, Volume VI in tangible form has remained somewhat elusive. While Laurian clearly worked on it (and it was “under print” in 1851^[7]), it appears that Volume VI was either never fully published or only very limitedly circulated. No complete copy was known for over a century, and it was not listed in standard bibliographies (such as the 19th-century bibliography by Gheorghe Adamescu or A. Veress’s Romanian-Hungarian bibliography).^[7] This suggests that Volume VI’s issues may not have reached the main libraries of the time or were lost/misplaced. Laurian’s own activities in 1851 (lecturing and collecting documents^[6]) might have delayed or interrupted the finalization of Volume VI. Modern scholars surmise that if found, Volume VI would contain valuable new data on the events of 1848–49 in Transylvania.^[7] As of the information available, Volume VI remains known from announcements and partial discoveries rather than a readily accessible text. The effort Laurian put into compiling it, nonetheless, shows his determination to preserve the history of the revolution in print. The rediscovery of any portion of Volume VI would be a significant boon to historians, as it was meant to include documents (petitions, official responses, etc.) not published elsewhere at the time.^[7]

Volume VII marks the final known volume of Magazin istoric pentru Dacia, produced by Laurian in Vienna in 1851. Remarkably, Volume VII, fascicle 1 was rediscovered in 1966 in the library of an Orthodox church in Ţichindeal, Transylvania.^[7] This find confirmed that Laurian had managed to print at least the first part of Volume VII, even though it had gone unnoticed by scholars for over a century. The copy is dated 1851 and was printed “cu tipariul văduvei [I.] P. Sollinger” in Vienna – meaning it was issued by the printing house of J. P. Sollinger’s widow^[7] (Sollinger was a known Viennese printer). The existence of this fascicle was “unknown until now” (in 1967), as noted by the researchers who reported the discovery.^[7] Its survival shed new light on Laurian’s post-1848 publishing endeavors.

The content of Volume VII, fascicle 1, is focused squarely on the 1848–1849 revolutionary events. According to the cover announcement and the text itself, it “comprises all the petitions of the Romanians addressed to the Court in Vienna and the Hungarian Government in Budapest, as well as the responses to these petitions”.^[7] In other words, Laurian compiled the official correspondence between the Transylvanian Romanian leadership and the authorities during the revolution – documents of immense historiographical importance. The published fascicle contains these petitions and replies, which largely had not been published elsewhere. Researchers compared this content with other known collections: only about 10–15% of it overlapped with the documents published in Die Romanen der östreichischen Monarchie (Vol. I–III, Vienna, 1849–1851),^[7] and none of the petitions appeared in the volume Documente istorice despre starea politică și ieratică a românilor din Transilvania (Vienna, 1850, at Sollinger’s press).^[7] This means that the majority of the documents in Magazin istoric Vol. VII were unique in print at that time. The fascicle also included an announcement (on the inside of the cover) that Volume VI was in press and forthcoming, and that the magazine would continue publishing further acts and documents on the 1848/49 revolution.^[7] It is unclear if additional fascicles of Volume VII were ever printed after the first; none have yet been found, but the wording implies Laurian intended to publish more installments of Vol. VII if possible.^[7]

The discovery of Volume VII’s first issue in 1966 was significant for Romanian historiography. It revealed a trove of primary sources that had “escaped unnoticed” in major libraries and were omitted from all bibliographies.^[7] Only after this find did scholars realize the extent of Laurian’s documentary project on 1848. The content of Volume VII now provides historians with direct access to the Romanian revolutionary demands and official communications, complementing and expanding the known body of 1848 documents. Laurian’s effort to preserve these materials in Magazin istoric pentru Dacia underscores the legacy of the journal as a preserver of historical truth, even when those truths were politically sensitive and nearly lost to time.

Although Magazin istoric pentru Dacia had a relatively short publication span (1845–1851) and was disrupted by historical events, its impact on Romanian historiography and national consciousness was substantial. It is celebrated as a precursor of scientific history in Romania^[4] – the first enterprise to systematically collect, edit, and publish historical sources for the Romanian past. By printing chronicles, documents, and inscriptions with critical commentary, Laurian and Bălcescu set early standards for source-based history in the Romanian language. This initiative came at a formative time for the Romanian national movement, and the magazine’s content reinforced ideas of national unity and historical continuity that were important ideological fuel for 1848 and beyond.^[6] The very title of the journal, invoking “Dacia,” symbolically linked modern Romanians to their ancient roots, a theme that resonated in later historiography.

The journal’s influence is also evident in how it inspired subsequent generations of scholars. Many of the young intellectuals of the 1848 generation (and the generation that followed, who built Romanian academic institutions in the late 19th century) were familiar with Magazin istoric pentru Dacia or even contributed tangentially by sending documents. The practice of unearthing and publishing medieval chronicles and archival records was continued by others, eventually leading to large-scale projects like Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu’s document collections and the publication of Hurmuzaki’s historical documents later in the century. In essence, Laurian and Bălcescu’s magazine planted the seed for a culture of archival research in Romania. Historian Nicolae Iorga, writing in 1903, explicitly recognized Magazin istoric pentru Dacia as the first and (until that time) singular attempt at a dedicated historical periodical.^[1] By the early 20th century, new historical journals finally began to appear (such as Iorga’s own Revista Istorică from 1915), fulfilling the legacy of Magazin istoric as a trailblazer.

In addition to shaping historiography, the magazine had a nation-building influence. By disseminating a wealth of historical knowledge and documentation, it educated the public (albeit the educated public) about a shared heritage. The enthusiastic contemporary reception – evident in Barițiu’s promotion and the high demand that led to expanded print runs^[1] – suggests that the magazine struck a chord among Romanian readers of the 1840s. It helped instill pride in national history and provided factual underpinnings for the political arguments of the time (such as the Romanians’ demands for rights and recognition within the Habsburg Empire in 1848, many of which Laurian documented in the later volumes).

Lastly, the Magazin’s legacy includes the actual historical data it preserved, some of which might have been lost if not published when it was. For instance, the chronicle of Radu Greceanu might have remained obscure in manuscripts if Laurian and Bălcescu hadn’t printed it in 1846. The 1631 Wallachian decree by Leon Tomșa^[5] provided insight into 17th-century policies and had not been available in print before. And, notably, the documents from 1848 that Laurian compiled in Volumes VI–VII were not utilized by later 19th-century historians simply because they were unaware of them.^[7] The 1966 rediscovery of Volume VII’s fascicle thus not only illuminated Laurian’s dedication but also enriched the corpus of primary sources for the 1848 revolution.

• Magazin istoric pentru Dacia – full-text archive on Romanian Wikisource (in Romanian)
• Google Books: Magazin istoric pentru Dacia, Volumul 1 (1845)
• Google Books: Magazin istoric pentru Dacia, Volumul 2 (1846)
• Google Books: Magazin istoric pentru Dacia, Volumul 3 (1846)
• Google Books: Magazin istoric pentru Dacia, Volumul 4 (1847)
• Google Books: Magazin istoric pentru Dacia, Volumul 5 (1847)