The History of Romania in One Object / Cuza's Oka

The simultaneous election of charismatic and visionary Alexandru Ioan Cuza to the thrones of Moldavia and Wallachia in 1859, a brilliant diplomatic coup accomplished by a progressive generation forged during “the Spring of Nations” in 1848, was not only the first chapter in the eventual unification of all Romanian provinces but also a crucial inflection point from which a massive process of radical, all-encompassing, transformation ensued. The massive change in all aspects of life, from the design of the state to the measurement standards, is aptly captured in the tale of the rigged OKA weighing device, a symbol of a past abhorred and rejected. Learn more about this famous legend and its rich historical meaning from historians Alexandra Mărășoiu and Nicoleta Konig in the next episode of our HISTORY OF ROMANIA IN ONE OBJECT series.

Watch the video on our FACEBOOK, YOUTUBE and WEBSITE from Monday, June 1, 2 p.m. EDT (or anytime later).   

Historian Alexandra Mărășoiu is a curator at the National History Museum of Romania. He has a master's degree in "Medieval Studies". Her academic interests cover the field of medieval and modern history. She published noumerous articles and specialized studies and coordinated, as author or co-author, the publication of several collection catalogs ("Cities of Moldova", "Cities of Wallachia", "Monuments of public forum in Romania", " A Short History of the Romanian Railways”). She is the coordinator of the NMHR online project galeriaportretelor.ro.

Nicoleta Konig is a curator in the History Department of the National History Museum of Romania. She is a specialist in modern and contemporary history of Romania. She has published articles and studies in specialized magazines and in catalogs and collection albums. Nicoleta Koning is co-author of the volumes "100 Romanians Who Made History" and "Cities of the Union: Chisinew, Chernivtsi, Alba-Iulia". She was part of the organizing teams of important exhibitions such as "Communism in Romania", "Romania in the Great War", "Semper Uniti", "1989. Thirty years after ...".

Our online series THE HISTORY OF ROMANIA IN ONE OBJECT, developed in partnership with the The National History Museum of Romania, evokes decisive epochs in Romanian past starting from an artifact or vestige with powerful symbolic, representative value. In the following weeks the history of Romania will be revealed object by object, from prehistoric figurines and ancient jewelry to Medieval battle flags, modern symbols of power and makeshift machines for printing anti-communist manifestos.