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Societatea Banateana-Vasile Alecsandri records
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Held at: Historical Society of Pennsylvania [Contact Us]1300 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19107
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
During the wave of European immigration that occurred during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, European immigrants to the United States frequently established fraternal societies that represented a particular ethnic heritage and provided their members with insurance and other financial benefits. These fraternal societies were often vital to the survival of a particular ethnic group as newly arrived immigrants struggled to adapt to the language and customs of the United States. Following this pattern, Romanian immigrants living largely in the Northern Liberties section of Philadelphia who were from the then Austria-Hungarian Timis County in the province of Banat established Societatea Banateana in 1906. In 1912, a similar society named Vasile Alecsandri formed in the city. The two united in 1913 to form Societatea Banateana-Vasile Alecsandri, an organization that as of 2015 continues to provide cultural and financial support for its members.
Like other organizations of its kind, the society offered its members sick and death benefits and an opportunity to socialize in an environment that reflected the culture of their homeland. Societatea Banateana-Vasile Alecsandri frequently hosted activities such as public dances with music provided by Romanian American musicians. In addition, the society encouraged the formation of choral groups and dance troupes to perform traditional Romanian forms of entertainment. In an effort to provide Romanian immigrants a comfortable place to worship, in 1913 the society helped form Philadelphia’s first Romanian Orthodox parish: Descent of the Holy Ghost Romanian Orthodox Church (currently known as Descent of the Holy Spirit Romanian Orthodox Church). The society allowed visiting Romanian clergymen to celebrate services in the society’s original headquarters in Old Fellows Hall on the northeast corner of Philadelphia’s Third and Brown Streets. The parish eventually moved in 1923 to a church building at 723 N. Bodine Street. The parish remained there until 1965 when it moved again to 1323 Ashbourne Road in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania.
The Societatea Banateana-Vasile Alecsandri rented space for its headquarters in the Old Fellows Hall on Third and Brown Streets from 1906 until 1923. In 1923, the society purchased a building at 229 Brown Street where it remained for fifty-one years. In 1974, the society’s members sold the property and rented headquarters space from the parish it helped establish – Descent of the Holy Spirit Romanian Orthodox Church in Elkins Park.
Societatea Banateana-Vasile Alecsandri remains active. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the society sponsored cultural exhibits at the Philadelphia Folk Festival and promoted a Romanian folkdance ensemble, “Banateana.” In 1993, the society established a cultural museum at Descent of the Holy Spirit Romanian Orthodox Church which currently preserves manuscripts, photographs, and artifacts that document Philadelphia’s Romanian-American community.
The collection documents the history of Societatea Banateana-Vasile Alecsandri through the society’s meeting minutes, membership lists, and financial records. The collection materials span from 1906 (the Societatea Banatiana’s founding year) and go as far as 1982, but the bulk of the collection dates from 1906-1955. Minute books offer insight into the society’s goals and activities while membership lists provide member names and sometimes member addresses. Membership dues account books include notations on dues collected and frequently contain membership indexes. The membership indexes often provide a member’s birth and death dates, initiatation date, home address, age, and marital status. In a few instances, a member’s former Romanian village may be listed in these indexes. Property inventories, library and bar ledgers, and sick and death benefit account books provide additional insights into the organization’s general activities. Also included in the collection are records from the Vasili Alecsandri Society prior to its merger with Societatea Banateana. These records span Vasili Alecsandri’s only years of independent existence, 1912-1913. In addition, one 1916-1919 income and expense account book from an affiliated group in Ambler, Pennsylvania is included, presumably because the group was directly associated with Societatea Banateana-Vasile Alecsandri. Finally, one Philadelphia Romanian-American Voluntariul meeting minutes book spanning 1909-1913 is included. No records indicate the relationship of this group to Societatea Banateana-Vasile Alecsandri.
The physical collection does not contain membership correspondence, society publications, or photographs. However, the digital collection contains facsimilies of photographs, clippings, and ephemera that may be of interest to researchers. (The originals are at the Societatea's museum.) Most of the early documents were written exclusively in Romanian. English begins to appear more frequently in the documents created after 1930. English translations of meeting minutes appear consistently after 1936. Researchers of Romanian-American life in the 20th century, early 20th century immigration, ethnic fraternal societies in the United States, and insurance institutions may find this collection useful. The collection may also be useful for genealogy purposes.
Series I. Meeting Minutes, 1907-1965 (Volumes 1-8)
Series II. Member Records, 1909, 1918, 1929-1930, 1938-1939 (Volumes 9-12)
Series III. Finances and Assets, 1906-1982 (Volumes 13-48)
Series IV. Sick and Death Benefits, 1906-1930, 1936-1955 (Volumes 49-50)
Series V. Merged, Affiliated, or Similar Groups, 1909-1913, 1916-1919 (Volumes 51-54)
Series VI. Artifacts (Box 1)
The 2013 president of the Societatea Banateana-Vasile Alecsandri , John Petiu, donated the Societatea Banateana-Vasile Alecsandri records on behalf of the organization to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in 2013.
Accession number: 2013.055.
Volume 41 was cleaned for mold in 2012. The remaining volumes in the collection are in stable condition. Item identification closely followed the notations of Societatea Banateana-Vasile Alecsandri member Carmen D. Valentino, who provided a collection inventory and labeled each of the collection’s volumes prior to the collection's arrival at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. The entire collection has been digitized including the pages within each volume. The digitized collection also includes photographs, clippings, and ephemera that are not in the physical collection and are instead held at the Societatea Banateana-Vasile Alecsandri sponsored museum at Descent of the Holy Spirit Romanian Orthodox Church in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania.
The oversized map in Series 6 was removed to conservation for repair. The finding aid will be updated when conservation is complete and the item is returned to the collection.
Organization
Subject
- Fraternal organizations--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia
- Insurance, Fraternal--Pennsylvania
- Insurance, Life
- Pennsylvania--Emigration and immigration--History--20th century
- Romania--Emigration and immigration
- Romanian Americans--Ethnic identity
- Romanian Americans--Pennsylvania--Philadelphia
- Romanian Americans--Religion
- Romanian Americans—20th Century
- Romanian Americans—Pennsylvania—Philadelphia
- Publisher
- Historical Society of Pennsylvania
- Finding Aid Author
- Finding aid prepared by Michael DiCamillo.
- Finding Aid Date
- ; 2015.
- Access Restrictions
-
The collection is open for research.
Collection Inventory
This series contains the recorded highlights of general, special, and committee meetings. These volumes shed light on organizational goals, activities, and special projects, including discussion of merging Vasile-Alecsandri with Societatea Banateana (Volume 4) and starting the church that would become Descent of the Holy Ghost [Spirit] Roman Orthodox Church (Volume 1). The minutes were recorded in Romanian, but English translations are provided beginning with the first meeting of 1937. In addition to meeting minutes, Volume 2 contains several pages of membership dues records collected from 1914-1924. Volume 4, which contains Societatea Banateana-Vasile Alecsandri’s minutes from 1920-1934, also contains the meeting minutes of Vasile Alecsandri during its brief period of independent existence (1912-1913) prior to its merger with Societatea Banateana.
This volume contains special and committee meetings. The volume does not contain the minutes of meetings from 1910-1912. Those meeting minutes are in Volume 2.
A discussion of starting a church is included in this volume (16 February 1913).
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8797.
This volume contains the general meeting minutes that were missing from Volume 1.
This volume contains dues collections for 1914-1924.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8756.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8772.
The first 58 pages of this volume contain the meeting minutes of Vasili Alecsandri from its inception in 1912 to its merger with Societatea Banateana in 1913.
The volume also includes the meeting minutes from Societatea Banateana-Vasili Alecsandri from 1920-1934.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8775
The first meeting in 1936 was recorded in English.
Beginning in 1937 (page 129), meetings were recorded in Romanian and English.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8760
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8774.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8758.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8757
This series contains several membership lists that include member names and may also provide member addresses, original Romanian village, marital status, and children. Volume 10, which contains the 1918 membership list, was also used as an income and expense book for 1916. Autographed poetry of Jack Barber and autographed poetry of Eugene Bratue appear in Volume 11.
The membership list includes names, addresses, marital status, children, age, and Romanian villages.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8854
The membership list includes names and some addresses for 158 members.
The volume also served as the 1916 income and expenses account book.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8852
The membership list contains 119 members but provides only the names of each member.
Two pages contain autographed poetry of Jack Barber and one page contains autographed poetry of Eugene Bratue.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8953
The volume contains the names and addresses of 170 members.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8849.
This series is the most comprehensive portion of the collection. It mostly contains the organization’s income and expense books and membership dues account books. Expense books provide information on purchases for costumes for men's dances. Many of the membership dues account books contain member indexes that often provide a member’s birth and death dates, initiation date, home address, age, and marital status. In a few instances, a member’s former Romanian village may be listed in these indexes. Property inventories included in this series provide listings of the organization’s belongings such as furniture, flags, and books. Ledgers pertaining to library dues and bar expenses offer insight into some of the organization’s activities, and one ledger documents fines assessed on members. Also of note in this series is a list of the 17 founding members of the organization (Volume 23), and a summary of the organization’s 30th anniversary celebration (Volume 47).
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8817.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8819.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8818
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8839
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8840
Income and expenses for 1916 can be found in Series II Volume 11.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8823.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8825.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8824.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8838
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8827.
The volume includes summaries of yearly totals.
Page 1 contains a list of the 17 founding members.
Page 23 contains a list of visiting Romanian dignitaries in 1927.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8830.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8924.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8911.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8897.
Volume includes a name index with initiation dates and addresses.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8916.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8910.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8926.
This volume includes bar expenses for 1933-1934.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8891.
Name index includes some addresses and initiation dates.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8940.
Name index includes addresses, birthdates, place of birth in Romania, initiation dates, and beneficiary.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8925.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8912.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8914.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8915.
This volume also contains sections on the society's expenses and some sick and death benefit payouts.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8869.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8868.
Membership registry includes dates of birth, initiation dates, and addresses. Also includes some nick names, maiden names, and army service.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8907.
Membership registry includes birth and death dates, initiation dates, addresses, and beneficiaries.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8908.
The financial portion Includes information about income, expenses, and bonds.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8929.
This volume has been cleaned for mold.
The financial portion contains information about income, expenses, and bonds.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8955.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8851.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8954.
This volume includes eight pages of general income and expenses from 1931-1932 in addition to the club and bar expenses from 1937-1941.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8863.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8857.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8848.
In addition to the property inventory, this volume includes a summary of 1937's 30th anniversary celebration.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8808.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8811.
This series contains sick and death benefit ledgers covering most of the first fifty years of Societatea Banateana-Vasile Alecsandri’s existence.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8850.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8814
These records span Vasile Alecsandri’s only years of independent existence, 1912-1913. In addition, the series contains one 1916-1919 income and expense account book from an affiliated group in Ambler, Pennsylvania. Presumably, the group was directly associated with Societatea Banateana-Vasile Alecsandri. Finally, one Philadelphia Romanian-American Voluntariul meeting minutes book spanning 1909-1913 is included. No records indicate the relationship of this group to Societatea Banateana-Vasile Alecsandri.
Volume contains member dues and member addresses for Vasile Alecsandri in the years prior to its merger with Societatea Banateana.
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8798.
The volume contains the expenses for Vasile Alecsandri in the years prior to its merger with Societatea Banateana.
The volume also includes three pages of expenses for the Societatea Banateana-Vasile Alecsandri library in 1916. Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8755
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8841
Can be found in HSP's Digital Library, record number: 8799
The map is an oversized map of Romania printed in 1970.