Atitudini faţă de patrimoniu la români în secolul Luminilor: colecţia de Inscriptiones Dacico-Romanae a lui Ioan Iacob Aron
Romanians Protecting their National Heritage During the Enlightenment: Ioan Iacob Aron’s Collection Inscriptiones Dacico-Romanae

Summary/Abstract: Among the most important aspects pertaining to national identity for the Romanians living in Transylvania during the Enlightenment must be numbered the Latin origin of the Romanian language. The interest taken in this aspect had a significant impact or the structure and content of historical discourse. As it has already been noticed, we can observe here cultural and political connotations – not only the interest of some Romanian scholars of the Enlightenment for Roman antiquity (as reflected in their historical work), but also a real concern for the national heritage which they saw as a testimony for our “European identity”. Ioan Iacob Aron (?-1788) was a teacher at the school from Blaj and a deputy bishop. He illustrates the cultural interests of the Enlightenment scholar, among which a constant concern for the preservation of the national heritage. Belonging to the nobility, Ioan Iacob Aron graduates from the College “De Propaganda Fide” from Rome with a major in philosophy and theology (“Excellens in Collegio, in Ministerio et in Patria”, as we find from one of the documents of the time). In 1762, Ioan Iacob Aron takes the monastic vows and, after 1766, he becomes a teacher at the high school from Blaj (he teaches grammar and syntax). After a while, he is elected deputy bishop of the bishopric of Blaj (“in spiritualibus vicarius generalis”) and in this capacity he has to visit various Romanian towns and villages. As a result, he becomes aware of various historical, religious, cultural and political realities and often manages to improve the situation (among other things, he donates a significant number of signed prayer books to the churches in his bishopric). After bishop Atanasie Rednic dies, Ioan Iacob Aron candidates for the position of bishop. After 1774, he becomes “Canonicus cancellarius” and, one year later, we find him (together with another, Iosafat Devai) a missionary in Ţara Haţegului (Varolia, Balomir, Sântămăria Orlea etc). During this period (1780-1783) Ioan Iacob Aron is also the rector of the well-known “Sancta Barbara” College from Vienna. Due to his renown as a theologian and his exquisite academic qualities, he brings a decisive contribution to the good functioning of the institution as well as taking care of the Romanian students who attend the college. After bishop Grigore Maior abdicates, Ioan Iacob Aron candidates again, but the emperor Josef II prefers Ioan Bob as bishop of Blaj. However, as a late recognition by the Habsburg authorities of his religious and cultural merits, Ioan Iacob Aron is appointed Greek-Catholic bishop of Oradea after the death of Moise Dragoş. Unfortunately, he dies on February 21st, 1788, before the actual ordaining ceremony takes place. Ioan Iacob Aron’s collection of Inscriptiones Dacico-Romanae can be situated on the borderline between the political and the identitary.

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