Scientific Board for the "Free Europe - Here" project

 For the next stage of the "Free Europe - Here" project a consulting Scientific Board has been formed with the following specialists: Dennis Deletant, Dorin Dobrincu, Mihnea Berindei, Gabriel Andreescu and Nestor Ratesh. The reasons are both of a scientific nature (the need of assistance from specialists in the field of recent history and experience as former employees of Radio Free Europe; promoting of the archival research), and of a practical nature (expertise concerning the structuring of the archive material, insuring the integrity and preservation of the archive material etc.).

The third edition of the Swim in the Digital World seminar, financed by the Media Program of the European Union, takes place this year (May 27 – June 13) in Zaragoza, Spain. Romania will be represented by a team from the Babeș-Bolyai (Cluj) University (Faculty of Journalism). The case study chosen by the Romanian team is the “Free Europe – Here” campaign and the digitizing of the Romanian broadcasting archive of Radio Free Europe.

The "Free Europe - Here" campaign in Timișoara.
The "Timișoara Society" supports the "Free Europe - Here" project.

Articles from Timpolis, Timiș Online, Evenimentul Zilei, Bănățeanul and from the Timișoara Society website.

Listing of the companies who have made donations for the “Free Europe - Here” campaign

Bucharest, April 10, 2010

In alphabetical order:

Camera de Comerț și Industrie - 10.000 Euro
CEC Bank - 500 Euro
Mușat&Asociații - 1.000 Euro
Omnilogic - 1.200 Euro
RMGC - 5.000 Euro
Sanador - 1.000 Euro
Sistec/RTC - 2.500 Euro
Unicredit Țiriac Bank - 3.000 Euro

Many thanks!

Institutul Român de Istorie Recentă (IRIR)

Award for Excellence.

The IAA Romania Award for Excellence was given to Mr. Liviu Tofan and IRIR for the "Free Europe - Here" campaign. “Europa Liberă, AICI”. The Awards for Excellence are meant as a public recognition of initiatives and actions by persons who contributed decisively to increase the ethic and professional standards in Romania's communication industry.

Click on the image to view the IAA Romania web page on the 2010 Awards for Excellence.

On Friday, March 26, 2010, at the Faculty of History of the „Alexandru Ioan Cuza” Iaşi University, the Center for Studies on Communism and Post-Communism organized a debate titled "Has there been a Free Europe Phenomenon?"

Guest of the Iași history students was Mr. Liviu TOFAN, former Assistant Director of the RFE Romanian BD, now director of the Romanian Institute for Recent History (IRIR).

The Adevărul de Iași newspaper about the meeting with the students

The "Free Europe - Here" campaign balance sheet after the TVR fund-raising show

Press Release, Bucharest, March 22, 2010

The televised show dedicated to the "Free Europe - Here" campaign managed to mobilize more donors for the campaign and, first of all, to increase awareness concerning the history chapter written by the Radio Free Europe journalists up to 1989, and to spur the interest and curiosity of the young people for this period of time and for the Free Europe media phenomenon.

The balance sheet of the campaign up to date is:

Donations announced by the end of the TV show and coming from companies, individuals and the special value-added phone lines totaled 39,150 Euros.

Donations announced by viewers on the Personalities' phones amount to 4,100 Euros.

The text messages sent to the special number 8820 (2 Euros donated with each message) total 11,293, with a total value of 22,586 Euros.

Donations via PayPal amount to 1,008 Euros.

The "Free Europe - Here" campaign goes on till April 30, 2010. The next public event will be a fund-raising show on April 20 at the Radio Concert Hall in Bucharest.

 Romanian National Television hosted a special show dedicated to the "Free Europe - Here" campaign.

Saturday, March 20, 2010, TVR 1 and TVR International carried a 100 minutes show that became the highlight of the "Free Europe - Here" campaign. The sound of the show was re-broadcast simultaneously by Radio Romania on its Culture Program.

The fund-raising show was hosted by Andreea Marin Bănică and Cristian Tabără in two separate but liked studios. Performers in the show were, among others, Mircea Vintilă, Florin Chilian, Victor Rebegiuc and the Proconsul band.

 "Free Europe - Here" in the TV show GARANTAT 100%. On TVR 1, Sunday, March 14, host Cătălin Ștefănescu invited Gilda Lazăr and Liviu Tofan to talk about the significance of the "Free Europe - Here" campaign.

Click on the image to view the TV show GARANTAT 100%.

 “Pages of History” and the “Free Europe Phenomenon”. The members of the students' association "Dacia" (ASID), representing the students studying history at the University of Bucharest, value the "Free Europe - Here" project as being of utmost interest for them and for all the young people interested in the history of Romania. In view of this, ASID organized, together with IRIR, a public discussion on the “Free Europe Phenomenon”. The event took place on Feb.25 at the Faculty of History. Special guests were prof. Adrian Cioroianu, Mr. Virgiliu Tarau, vice-president of CNSAS, Mr. Nestor Ratesh, Mr. Andrei Voiculescu and Mr. Liviu Tofan.

 IRIR has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Romanian National Archives and the former Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes in Romania (now IICCMER - www.iiccr.ro). According to the MoU, the common objective is the implementation of the "Free Europe - Here" project. The aim of this project is to digitize the Romanian broadcasting archive of Radio Free Europe, so that it becomes accessible - online and free of charge - for all those interested in studying it.

The MoU also states that the funds raised by the "Free Europe - Here" campaign launched by IRIR will be used to enable IICCR to fulfill its agreement of 2008 with the Hoover Institution and RFE/RL on the Romanian broadcasting archive of Radio Free Europe.

 See also www.arhivelenationale.ro

 “Jurnalul Național” on the extention of the “Free Europe - Here” campaign

 On behalf of IRIR, Liviu Tofan took part in a meeting with students of the National School for Political and Administrative Studies (SNSPA). After viewing the German film “The Life of the Others” (Das Leben der Anderen), the discussion concentrated on similar aspects of life in Romania in the 1970s and 1980s, including specific measures by the secret police Securitate against Radio Free Europe and its listeners.


 IRIR and the National Public Radio (SRR) signed a "Strategic Partnership Agreement". Its objective is to promote SRR as a partner of IRIR and to promote events organized by IRIR.

 Liviu Tofan interviewed by “Dilema Veche” on the significance of the “Free Europe - Here” campaign

 IRIR and the National Public Radio (SRR) signed a "Strategic Partnership Agreement". Its objective is to promote SRR as a partner of IRIR and to promote events organized by IRIR.

 The Royal House gave a reception in support of the “Free Europe - Here” campaign:
 Feature broadcast by TVR
 Feature broadcast by Prima TV

 Program on Money Channel TV with Nestor Rateș and Liviu Tofan

 Liviu Tofan și Andrei Voiculescu as guests in Robert Turcescu's TV show.

 Article in the magazine "Capital" about the “Free Europe - Here” campaign

 “Free Europe - Here” in Stelian Tanase's TV show.

 Interview in “Jurnalul Național” on the “Free Europe - Here” campaign

 Marina Constantinoiu in “Jurnalul Național” on the “Free Europe - Here” campaign

 Mediafax on the launching of the “Free Europe - Here” campaign