German academics protest at Romanian neglect of great composer’s home

We have tried to help raise awareness of the terrible state of the buildings associated with Romania’s foremost composer, Georges Enescu. It’s a battle worth fighting. Bucharest is sensitive to its cultural image. Today, a battery of composers and musicologists have launched a campaign in Germany to save the Enescu heritage. Thanks to Victor Eskenasy for the following English précis of his article:

Thirteen German and Romanian composers and musicologists, at a Symposium organized by the Music Department of „Carl von Osietzky” University at Oldenburg, have signed an open letter addressed to the Romanian Minister of Culture, urging him to save the abandoned George Enescu’s Memorial House from Mihăileni, Botosani county.

The signatories call the present state of the composer’s house ‘disastrous and shameful’ and remind the Romanian authorities that the National Commission of Historical Monuments has already classified the House as part of Romania patrimony. They urge the Romanian Minister to sign the official order needed for the start of the restoration procedures.

Meanwhile, they manifest strong concern about the constant degradation of other George Enescu’s Memorial Houses as the National Museum in Bucharest, never restored after decades of Communist regime. Despite an urgent procedure for saving the Mihaileni House in January 2013 and an international and local press campaign to avoid the demolition of the monument, Romanian Cultural officials have not reacted publicly till now. The open letter can be seen here.