| Excerpt |
The several dozen articles from the “Vestea” newspaper (which appeared in Alba Iulia) increase the number of known facts regarding the coronation of King Ferdinand I and Queen Marie as sovereigns of Greater Romania through the information about the state of mind of the Alba Iulia city on the eve of such an important event. The information is diverse and also concerns aspects connected to local urban planning and the local institutions and personalities involved in the preparation of the festivities. “Vestea” began to publish articles about the coronation several months before the event was due, in order to inform the locals about it. At first, the information, grouped into a few columns, had a general character, but it became more detailed as time went by and the event grew closer; some of the news were taken from the central press, while some were re- written. There are also numerous articles which comprise information regarding the measures taken by the local decisional factors for the preparation of the event and that of the city, the embellishment of Alba Iulia, the completion of some construction and restoration works, as in the case of the Coronation Church and the Union Hall respectively, the ensuring of the guests’ accommodation and protection. Some articles provide strictly technical information, on days and hours, about the program or the guests, while others describe the Romanians’ emotional, expectant state of mind. In most of the cases, the articles - critical or not towards the state of things observed in the territory - also had the role of mobilizing and solidarising the community in face of such an event. |
