Casa memorială Ecaterina Teodoroiu

Aţi auzit cu toţii de Ecaterina Teodoroiu, "eroina de la Jiu", nu? O fată care, în Primul Război Mondial, după moartea fratelui ei, a plecat pe front, luptând din toamna 1916 în timpul retragerii armatelor române pe Valea Jiului până în vara anului 1917 în Moldova.

Numită cu afecţiune "Cătălina" de către compatrioţi, supranumită Jeanne d'Arc a României de către Generalul Berthelot, a însufleţit armata română prin exemplul personal de eroism şi sacrificiu.

A murit la Bătălia de la Mărăşeşti iar mausoleul ei, sculptat de Miliţa Petraşcu, se află la Târgu-Jiu, după părerea mea insuficient semnalat, în faţa clădirii Palatului Administrativ-Prefecturii(conform imaginii de la postarea "Târgu Jiu").

Casa memorială a Cătălinei există şi astăzi, în Vădeni, cândva sat, astăzi cartier al oraşului Târgu-Jiu. Multe s-au schimbat în 100 de ani. Uliţa a devenit bulevard, căsuţe bătrâneşti nu mai sunt, în schimb sunt vile... Casa Ecaterinei Teodoroiu a supravieţuit, ocrotită de faima celei care a trăit acolo şi este însăşi un preţios monument de arhitectură ţărănească.

Acum 100 de ani, aici a locuit familia eroinei, 10 suflete în 2 încăperi, oameni simpli care au făcut România Mare.

Ecaterina Teodoroiu Memorial House

Ecaterina Teodoroiu was the Romanian Jeanne d'Arc of World War One, which Romania joined in 1916 on the side of the Allies, with the objective of recovering Transylvania and Bukovina from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The initial offensive in Transylvania was stalled by the weak Allied support and the vigourous Bulgarian, Ottoman and German offensive on the Danube (Battle of Turtukaia). The German and Austro-Hungarian offensive accross the Carpathians breached the front on the Jiu river valley. Ecaterina was a nurse, like many girls her age. When hearing the news of her brother's death on the front, she took his weapon and uniform and joined the ranks. She was praised for her courage and determination, as she strove to encourage the troops around her not to lose their heart despite the demoralising retreat in Moldova, leaving two thirds of the country in the hands of the enemy.

The next year, 1917, the Romanian army was reformed under the guidance of the French Military Mission under General Berhelot. Thus it prevented any further enemy progress through the victories of Oituz, Mărăşti and especially Mărăşeşti. Like many other brave soldiers fighting in the front line, Ecaterina Teodoroiu fell there. She was burried with honours and she now rests in front of Târgu Jiu Cathedral and Târgu Jiu Administrative Palace (as shown in this post "Târgu Jiu), in a stone mausoleum sculpted by Miliţa Petraşcu.

Ecaterina Teodoroiu's home still exists today in Vădeni. The former village is now a suburb of Târgu Jiu. Many things have changed in 100 years but the small wooden house was protected by the heroic status of the child once born under its roof.

Ten souls lived in this small house, with no more than two rooms, but they were part of the generation that created Greater Romania.