20-24 septembrie 2009 - Biblioteca Metropolitana Bucuresti

Onisifor Ghibu and the Romaniansfrom all over the worldIon ConstantinMetropolitan Library of Bucharest – BucharestBefore First World War even started, Onisifor Ghibu maintainedcultural relations with science people and with cultural coteries from freeRomania, Bucovina and Basarabia and he participated to cultural activitiesdeveloped in all around the geographic space inhabited by Romanians.One of the greatest representatives of the Romanians on the right sideof the Danube, who was well known by the Transylvanian cultural manand with whom he kept close relations in that period, was Dr. AthanasiePopovici, vice-president of the Committee League for the Cultural Unity ofRomanians, practically the leader of the National Movement of Timoc. Bornin Geanova, near Negotin, he came from a family of priests in Mihailovaţ,also in Negotin region. As he graduated theology in Belgrad and pedagogyin Irena (Germany), Athanasie Popovici wore a family name which wasaltered by the Serb language. The original one was in fact Romanian,respectively Furnică.Supported by Onisifor Ghibu, who gave him letters of recommendationto Nicolae Iorga and Spiru Haret, Dr. Athanasie Popovici presented amemoir about the Romanians from Timoc within the meeting of the Houseof Representatives in the 18 th of December 1912. In a speech held on thismatter, N. Iorga pointed out the Romanians from Timoc appealing to thepublic’s opinion: “Thereby I send forward to the Parliament and Governmenta complaint which will touch all the people. This complaint is the firstintervention made by the free Romanians, our brothers from Serbia…” 1Athanasie Popovici turned various times to the Romanians authorities and1Apud Dr. Draghişa Constandinovici 2008, Militanţi Timoceni pentru Unire laChişinau – Dr. Athanasie Popovici Furnică, Bucureşti, 3.