The Transformation of Commons in Roşia-Montană. Which Property Regimen for Which Development?

In the 18th-19th centuries, Roşia-Montană, a village in the Carpathian Mountains of Transylvania (Apuseni), Romania, has been privy to a period of prosperity due to the gold ore existing in the area, but also a period of social and cultural bloom due to the autonomy awarded by the government in Vien...

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Main Author: Radu C. Barna
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Institut de Géographie Alpine 2023-05-01
Series:Revue de Géographie Alpine
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/rga/11465
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author Radu C. Barna
author_facet Radu C. Barna
author_sort Radu C. Barna
collection DOAJ
description In the 18th-19th centuries, Roşia-Montană, a village in the Carpathian Mountains of Transylvania (Apuseni), Romania, has been privy to a period of prosperity due to the gold ore existing in the area, but also a period of social and cultural bloom due to the autonomy awarded by the government in Vienna (Transylvania was at the time a province in the Habsburg empire). The community of this village structured around some common goods owing to the harsh environment of mountain living conditions, as well as to the risks inherent to the mining activity. Communism and the following transition towards the market economy reduced the autonomy and transferred properties to the State and subsequently to multinational companies. This had a significant impact on said goods. All these changes then determined the inhabitants to structure around a new “common”.In order to highlight the positive influence of commons on the development, this article performs a historic analysis of the four cornerstone periods of Roşia-Montană. Each of these has witnessed a specific property regimen and specific freedoms of action. Therefore, for each stage we aimed to highlight the degree of co-activity in the life of the people, their capacity to convert the gold ore into real freedom and the satisfaction of their varied needs. This is how we were able to conclude that there is an ongoing connection between commons and development.
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publisher Institut de Géographie Alpine
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spelling doaj-art-15d4e4940cfd4770a4c5bd5da9c9c5682025-01-10T15:55:01ZengInstitut de Géographie AlpineRevue de Géographie Alpine0035-11211760-74262023-05-01111110.4000/rga.11465The Transformation of Commons in Roşia-Montană. Which Property Regimen for Which Development?Radu C. BarnaIn the 18th-19th centuries, Roşia-Montană, a village in the Carpathian Mountains of Transylvania (Apuseni), Romania, has been privy to a period of prosperity due to the gold ore existing in the area, but also a period of social and cultural bloom due to the autonomy awarded by the government in Vienna (Transylvania was at the time a province in the Habsburg empire). The community of this village structured around some common goods owing to the harsh environment of mountain living conditions, as well as to the risks inherent to the mining activity. Communism and the following transition towards the market economy reduced the autonomy and transferred properties to the State and subsequently to multinational companies. This had a significant impact on said goods. All these changes then determined the inhabitants to structure around a new “common”.In order to highlight the positive influence of commons on the development, this article performs a historic analysis of the four cornerstone periods of Roşia-Montană. Each of these has witnessed a specific property regimen and specific freedoms of action. Therefore, for each stage we aimed to highlight the degree of co-activity in the life of the people, their capacity to convert the gold ore into real freedom and the satisfaction of their varied needs. This is how we were able to conclude that there is an ongoing connection between commons and development.https://journals.openedition.org/rga/11465mountaindevelopmentminingco-activityRoşia-Montană
spellingShingle Radu C. Barna
The Transformation of Commons in Roşia-Montană. Which Property Regimen for Which Development?
Revue de Géographie Alpine
mountain
development
mining
co-activity
Roşia-Montană
title The Transformation of Commons in Roşia-Montană. Which Property Regimen for Which Development?
title_full The Transformation of Commons in Roşia-Montană. Which Property Regimen for Which Development?
title_fullStr The Transformation of Commons in Roşia-Montană. Which Property Regimen for Which Development?
title_full_unstemmed The Transformation of Commons in Roşia-Montană. Which Property Regimen for Which Development?
title_short The Transformation of Commons in Roşia-Montană. Which Property Regimen for Which Development?
title_sort transformation of commons in rosia montana which property regimen for which development
topic mountain
development
mining
co-activity
Roşia-Montană
url https://journals.openedition.org/rga/11465
work_keys_str_mv AT raducbarna thetransformationofcommonsinrosiamontanawhichpropertyregimenforwhichdevelopment
AT raducbarna transformationofcommonsinrosiamontanawhichpropertyregimenforwhichdevelopment