The Academy warns: The abolition of the National Institute of Heritage, a serious blow to cultural memory

The Romanian Academy reacts firmly to the statements of some dignitaries regarding a possible abolition of the National Institute of Heritage (INP), a key institution in protecting Romania's historical and cultural memory. In an official statement, the academic forum calls on the Government and Parliament to preserve and support this institution, warning that any attempt to abolish it would lead to irreparable losses for the national heritage. In the message sent publicly, the Romanian Academy recalls that the National Institute of Heritage is the direct heir of the "Commission of Historical Monuments", established in 1892, under the signature of some great personalities of Romanian culture and science. Among its first leaders were Vasile A. Urechia, Iancu Kalinderu, Dimitrie Onciul, Nicolae Iorga and Alexandru Lapedatu, the latter being killed in 1950 in Sighet prison - a symbol of intellectual sacrifice for the protection of Romanian heritage. After the Commission was abolished in 1948, the communist regime temporarily re-established a Directorate of Historical Monuments, but it was suppressed again in 1977, after it opposed the massive demolitions ordered by the communist authorities. "The abolition of the Directorate allowed for true communist vandalism, to which the great monasteries of Văcăreşti and Pantelimon, churches such as Sfânta Vineri, Albă Postăvari, the Hermitage of the Nuns and others fell prey,” the Romanian Academy recalled in a statement. After 1989, efforts at institutional reconstruction were resumed. In February 1990, under the leadership of academician architect Grigore Ionescu, the National Commission and the Directorate of Monuments, Ensembles and Historical Sites were reconstituted, which, despite difficulties and successive reorganizations, managed to preserve most of the heritage of documents and archives of the former Commission from 1892. In 2003, the institution became the National Institute of Historical Monuments, and later the National Institute of Heritage, a body with an essential role in researching, inventorying, classifying, protecting, restoring and promoting the material cultural heritage of Romania. According to the Romanian Academy, the INP is the only institution in the country that concentrates authentic scientific expertise in the field of protecting historical monuments. Its team brings together specialists in architecture, archaeology, history, conservation and restoration, capable of collaborating with international partners and providing independent scientific advice in the face of economic or political pressures. "Whenever the institution specific to the field has lost its autonomy or has been suppressed, the losses suffered by the national heritage have been major and irreparable," warns the academic forum. The Romanian Academy, through its president Ioan-Aurel Pop, draws attention to the fact that the abolition of the INP would be equivalent to a form of "cultural disarmament" of the Romanian state, leaving historical monuments, archives and heritage databases without a reference institution to manage them. "Considering the above, in accordance with the role that falls to us in the cultural life of the country, we demand the preservation of the National Institute of Heritage and its support by the Romanian state," states the press release signed by the president of the Academy. In recent years, heritage specialists have constantly warned about the pressures exerted by real estate and infrastructure developments on historical sites and architectural monuments. The arbitrary dissolution or reorganization of the INP, without guarantees regarding professional continuity, could lead to the blocking of restoration projects, the loss of unique documentary archives and the diminution of Romania's capacity to access European funds for heritage. At the same time, Romania risks compromising its international credibility before the specialized bodies of UNESCO and the Council of Europe, which require member states to have public institutions dedicated to heritage management. The message of the Romanian Academy is not only a gesture of institutional solidarity, but also an alarm signal addressed to the authorities, at a time when cultural heritage is threatened not only by time, but also by indifference. In a society that is searching for its identity landmarks and cohesion values, cultural memory becomes part of national security, and the National Institute of Heritage represents one of the key institutions that guarantees the continuity of this memory. Through its position, the Romanian Academy reaffirms the principle that cultural heritage is not a secondary domain of the administration, but a fundamental dimension of national existence. The loss or weakening of the institutions that watch over the heritage inevitably means the loss of part of Romania's identity. And in the face of these challenges, iscuri, the message of the Romanian Academy is clear: the National Institute of Heritage must be preserved, consolidated and respected - as a duty to the past and a commitment to the future.