The first Romanian pedagogical school, established in Arad, had Dimitrie Țichindeal as its director. He was a priest, scholar, fabulist, translator and militant for the emancipation of Romanians from Banat.
Dimitrie Țichindeal was the first director of the school Photo: Muzeul Preparandia Arad
Dimitrie Ţichindeal (b. 1775, Becicherecu Mic – d. January 20, 1818) was born into a family of priests and studied theology in Timisoara.
Once he finished his studies, he returned to his native village, becoming a teacher and then a priest. He later came to Arad where he practiced for two years.
At the same time, he published a volume of fables with a social background, adapted to Romanian realities. This also led to his dismissal from education due to the promotion of the Romanian language and culture at the expense of the Serbian one, synonymous at that time with Orthodoxy in Banat. Ţichindeal submits a memorandum to the emperor of Austria-Hungary in which he complains about this persecution, but without result.
According to what was posted on the Facebook page of the Arad Preparatory Museum, his activity as a militant for the rights of the Romanians in Banat gained new momentum in 1807. Ţichindeal is among the signatories of a memorandum to Emperor Francis I of Austria for the appointment of a Romanian director over the Romanian schools in Banat . Ţichindeal thus becomes the first Romanian director of the Preparandia in Arad.
He loses the chair again
In 1814, representatives of the Romanians from Banat, including Ţichindeal, sent a new memorandum to the emperor, this time asking for the appointment of a Romanian bishop in Arad. This again brings him the loss of the chair, due to the discontent created in the leadership of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
On the literary level, Ţichindeal deals with the translation of texts from Serbian into Romanian, with the same goal of promoting the education and emancipation of the Romanian masses. He mainly translates the works of the great Serbian scholar Dositej Obradovic. He also translates the fables, slightly modified, which he later published as his own creations. That is why they do not have both literary and symbolic value, being adapted from Serbian life and customs to the Romanian reality.
Sick, he dies at only 43 years old, in a hospital in Timisoara. He is buried in his native village, at Becicherecu Mic.
The school that bears her name PHOTO Claudia Untaru
Today, a school in Arad bears his name. “Dimitrie Țichindeal” Pedagogical High School was founded in 1812 by Dimitrie Țichindeal as Preparandia in Arad. Its importance was major due to the lack of a Romanian-language school throughout Transylvania.
At the beginning, 78 students were enrolled, and the classes were held by 4 teachers: Dimitrie Țichindeal, who was also the director, Iosif Iorgovici, Constantin Diaconovici Loga and Ioan Mihuț. In addition to teachers, priests were also trained here until 1822 when the Theological Institute of Arad was established. Over time, the educational institution has had many names. Today the name is “Preparandia – Dimitrie Ţichindeal” National College Arad, given in 2013.
Image 1/4:
Dimistrie Tichindeal 3 jpg
