A rare building enriches the patrimony of the Ethnographic Park in Cluj

A Jewish house dating from the beginning of the last century was dismantled in
Cămârzana and transported to the “Romulus Vuia” Ethnographic Park in Cluj-Napoca.
The project is the work of artist Belu Făinaru and has been made possible with the
support of the Satu Mare County Museum, the Transylvanian Museum of Ethnography,
and the Cluj County Council.

The “Romulus Vuia” National Ethnographic Park in Cluj-Napoca is a cultural institution
operating under the coordination of the Cluj County Council. There is currently a rare
dismantled building stored safely on the site: a Jewish house from the village of
Cămârzana in the Satu Mare County. The house belonged to a family who were
deported to Nazi extermination camps in 1944.

The final shipment of large-capacity wooden components for the Jewish house in
Cămârzana arrived in Cluj at the end of last week. The wooden beams and planks that
make up the house were transferred and stored in the “Romulus Vuia” Ethnographic
Park in Cluj-Napoca.

The house is expected to be rebuilt at some point this year.

“Our ethnographic park is, and must remain, a repository of our collective memory. It is
a valuable addition that offers visitors a new chapter in our shared history. I would like to
thank everyone involved in bringing this project to life. We look forward to welcoming
the people of Cluj to the Ethnographic Park so they can learn more about our
grandparents’ world!” (Alin Tișe, President of the Cluj County Council)
The Jewish House in Cămârzană – an ongoing story

The house in Cămârzana, the only Jewish house in the Cluj Museum, belonged to the
Weinstein family: Samuel Weinstein, his wife, and their eight children. They were all
members of the Jewish community in the Oaș Country (Țara Oașului). After the family
was deported, the house remained in the possession of a Romanian family. In the
1980s, it was donated to the Satu Mare County Museum. However, it could not be used
for museum purposes.

The building has not yet been renovated, but its journey is worth telling even at this
intermediate stage: between memory, responsibility, and the future.

Over time, the structure was moved from its original location to private land, leaving it
vulnerable and at risk of permanent loss. Fortunately, the structure was rediscovered
thanks to the efforts of Belu Simion Făinaru, a professor at the University of Haifa and
director of the Mediterranean Biennale, and Flavius Lucăcel, an artist who identified it.

Adrian Crivii, a long-standing supporter of socio-cultural projects, became one of the
driving forces behind this endeavour. The aim was to preserve the house by moving it to
an open-air museum, where it could be studied and made accessible to the public.
“From a museological point of view, the best solution was to transfer it to an open-air
museum. In this setting, the house will benefit from specialised assistance in conserving
wooden buildings and become accessible to a wider audience.

The building is located within the open-air section of the Transylvanian Museum of
Ethnography in the “Romulus Vuia” National Ethnographic Park. It will serve as a
monument to commemorate the history of the Jewish community in the region and as a
place for remembrance and cultural dialogue.
Disassembling and transporting the house was a complex logistical operation. The
house was dismantled and transported to Cluj in four trucks, each loaded with large
items.” (Tudor Sălăgean, manager of the Transylvanian Museum of Ethnography).

The project to transfer the Jewish house was carried out with the full support of the
authorities and institutions in the Satu Mare County. By Decision No. 130 of 23 October
2025, the Satu Mare County Council approved the Transylvanian Museum of
Ethnography’s free use of the “Cămârzana House” museum property, which is in the
county’s public domain and administered by the Satu Mare County Museum, for a
period of 15 years.

The initiative was carried out with the agreement and support of Liviu Marta, Director of
the Satu Mare County Museum, and with the direct support of Pataki Csaba, President
of the Satu Mare County Council. Prodexim played a key role through its director, Petru
Mureșan, who oversaw the loading, transportation and unloading, as well as providing
support in obtaining the necessary authorisations. The Darian Group, the AB
Constructions Group (through Aurel Borza), and numerous other collaborators also
made a decisive contribution to completing this stage.

A sculpture of memory
For Belu-Simion Făinaru, the house is more than just a museum piece; it is a
monumental sculpture of memory. Once renovated, it will serve as a living memorial to
the Jewish communities of Transylvania, who suffered greatly at the hands of the
Holocaust.

The house before dismantling:
“This house is a symbol of life — of family life, Jewish life and integration into the local
community. Today, after almost 80 years, it returns to recount a story that must not be
forgotten,” emphasises the artist.

The initiative has attracted interest and support from the Romanian Academy, the
Jewish Community of Cluj, the National Network of Romanian Museums, and various
historians, artists, and cultural figures worldwide.