The National Museum of the Union

The National Museum of the Union in Alba Iulia was founded in 1888 at the initiative of the Society of History, Archaeology and Natural Sciences of Alba. The museum grew alongside Romanian national consciousness, becoming a national institution directly subordinate to the Ministry of Culture in 1992. The museum complex occupies two buildings with historical monument status. The Babilon Building, constructed between 1851 and 1853 in the Romantic style, once housed officers of the Habsburg army, men from every corner of the empire who spoke so many languages that the locals named the building after the biblical tower. With walls over one metre thick and more than 100 rooms, the Babilon today houses archaeological collections: prehistoric artefacts, Dacian artefacts from the fortresses of Craiva, Cugir and Căpâlna, Roman pieces from Apulum, and medieval items including gold and silver jewellery. Opposite stands the Sala Unirii, built in 1898-1900 as a military casino. It was in this hall, on 1 December 1918, that the union of Transylvania with Romania was voted. The museum keeps documents, photographs and objects related to the Union of 1 December 1918, including the delegates' credentials and the flags brought to Alba Iulia. The museum also includes Museikon, a section dedicated to religious art and early books, inaugurated in 2017. Did you know that the first director of the museum, opened in 1888, was the archaeologist Adalbert Cserny (1842-1916)?