The studies included in this volume reflect on the history and culture
of Romania during the twentieth century, a critical century for the
country that saw such realizations as the achievement of national unity,
as well as the horrors of two world wars and the installation of a
brutal communist dictatorship, ending in the overthrow of the
totalitarian regime and the hopes for a freer and more prosperous
future. These papers, written in English and Romanian, were presented at
the Eighth International Conference of the Center for Romanian Studies,
held in Iasi, Romania, on 24-25 June 2002, on the theme "Twentieth
Century Romania: A Retrospective."