Barlad History, Romania

Barlad, History – Early times

Barlad is a lovely little Romanian town, situated in Moldavia, near the most important town of the region, Iaşi. Any Barlad History guide would have to start with some of the earliest historical ages as archeological discoveries placed this small town at the beginning of man’s historical evolution. Therefore, there are remnants starting with the Paleolithic Age, while the Neolithic, the Bronze and the Iron Age are very well represented by all sorts of tools and objects preserved till present day. Anyone who is interested can see them in the town’s museum called Vasile Parvan Museum.

Barlad, History – Middle Ages

The first document attesting the existence of Barlad dates from the Medieval Age, more precisely from 28th June 1401, when the Moldavian ruler Alexandru cel Bun (Alexander the Benevolent) issues an act of ownership among whom there is also a squire named Negrea of Barlad. This town became really important during the reign of Ştefan cel Mare (Stephan the Great) as the High Steward of the Moldavian region had his residence here. Furthermore, the Chancellery of the Moldavian Region under the reign of Ştefan cel Mare was Barlad as well. Not to mention the fact that the Moldavian ruler also had a large fortification built in Barlad to protect his country against the attacks of the Ottoman Empire which was expected to counter-attack after the defeat at Vaslui. The development of the town was sometimes impeded by the many attacks of the Ottomans, the Polish, or the Tartars.

Barlad, History - Modern Times

Barlad gets again into the limelight of Romania’s history in the 19th century, when Alexandru Ioan Cuza, born in Barlad, succeeds in unifying the three most important regions existing on the territory of present Romania: Moldavia, The Romanian Country and Transylvania. After the 1859 Union, Barlad starts developing along with the other Romanian cities, having the advantage of being Cuza’s birth town. Therefore, Barlad is among the first towns in the country that sets up a high school, in 1864. Furthermore, there are more than 150 periodicals in Barlad in the second half of the 19th century and until the first decades of the 20th century. In 1915, a group of intellectuals bring into existence The Academy of Barlad, an important cultural and literary organization. The theatrical representations that began in 1860 developed so much that in 1955 The V. I. Popa Theatre was founded and it is still functioning.

After 1948, Barlad undergoes significant social, economic and cultural changes which had both positive and negative aspects. Present day Barlad presents some economic problems, characteristic of all Romanian towns, but it is a nice town to visit due to the deep marks that history left on its customs, buildings and people.

This Barlad History guide ends here, hoping you have enjoyed reading it. If you are interested in other Romanian towns, then Constanta Travel Guide or Iasi Travel Guide might prove a nice reading material.