Danubia
Year of unveiling
1996
Person/persons/event to whom the monument is dedicated
The monument is dedicated to the people who tried to flee Romania and make it to the West during communism. Thousands of people attempted to illegally cross the border towards the free Western World. These people were referred to as "frontieriști" (frontiersmen). One of the ways to leave Romania was to cross the Danube toward Yugoslavia. Some of those who tried actually made it to Western Europe. Others, however, saw the end of their road here, being killed while attempting to swim across the Danube or caught by the border guards and subsequently sentenced to prison for "attempted illegal border crossing".
Localization
Romania, county of Mehedinţi, Orşova
Location in relation to the surroundings
The monument is placed on the bank of the Danube, on the outskirts of the town, close to the shipyard.
Text of the inscription
-
General description
The monument represents a woman preparing to jump into the Danube river. It is made of sandstone and is 6.5 meters high, standing on a concrete pedestal.
Condition
Needs renovation
The circumstances of unveiling
The initiative to build a monument dedicated to the "frontiersmen" came from sculptor Patriciu Mateescu, who then also made the statue, as he too had fled the country at the end of the 1970's. The statue was carved in sandstone from Târnăveni and donated by its sculptor to the authorities in the town of Orşova. It was unveiled in October 1996, during a memorial service for those who died trying to cross the Danube.
Later history
Contemporary importance
As there is no informational or memorial plaque, very few people know what this statue symbolizes, although it is very easily visible.
Localization
Gallery
Orșova, Județul Mehedinți.
Rumunia ,225200
