ABSTRACT
In post-1945 Communist Eastern Europe, monument preservation served various purposes, which are analysed in this comparative study addressing reconstruction projects in Romania and Hungary. This chapter focuses on the period from the 1950s onwards and examines the agendas underlying a number of projects in terms of the two countries’ policies of commemoration. In the case of Hungary, efforts concentrated on architectural remnants in Budapest and Esztergom distinguished by their associations with the Anjou and Corvinus royal dynasties of the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Conversely, Romania sought to reinforce the alleged roots of the nation in classical antiquity by means of ambitious reconstructions such as the triumphal monument in Adamclisi originally built by Emperor Trajan. Apart from attributing these projects to endeavours to forge a national identity, the architectural initiatives are discussed regarding the specific circumstances under which heritage conservators had to operate in Romania and Hungary.
