Cuvintele care au construit România, de Ciprian Cristea ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.108, 08/2026 ▲ Noi mai credem încă în cultură!
▲▲▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.108, 8/2026 ▲▲▲
Noi încă mai credem în cultură!
Abstract: In „The Words That Built Romania”, published in ALTCULTURE Magazine (no. 108, 2026), Ciprian Emanuel Cristea reports on the international conceptual history conference HERC 2026 held in Timișoara, an academic gathering dedicated to the memory of Reinhart Koselleck. Under the scientific leadership of Professor Victor Neumann, the event laid the intellectual foundations for a landmark Lexicon of Fundamental Romanian Concepts, bringing together renowned scholars—including Andrei Marga, Hans Erich Bödeker, Ruxandra Demetrescu, Mihai Dinu Gheorghiu, Gheorghe Schwartz, Horea Corneliu Oprean, and Dacian Palladi—to trace how core ideas like liberty, nationhood, justice, Freemasonry, art, and conservatism have evolved over centuries.
Moving beyond event-centered historiography, the text explores the semantic shifts, ideological reappropriations, and political weaponization of language across Romanian and European history. Highlighting a crucial dialogue with Prof. Bödeker on the dangerous contemporary redefinition of terms like Remigration, Cristea warns against the erosion of democratic values through corrupted vocabulary. Ultimately, the essay frames the upcoming Lexicon not merely as an ambitious encyclopedic project, but as a vital intellectual defense mechanism designed to preserve historical truth, foster critical discernment, and safeguard genuine democratic discourse in a world of rapidly distorted words.
LOCURI INEDITE DIN EUROPA by Adina Baranovschi (Foto: Bogdan Baranovschi)
▲▲▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.108, 8/2026 ▲▲▲
Noi încă mai credem în cultură!
Abstract:
In „Unusual Places of Europe”, published in ALTCULTURE Magazine (no. 108, 2026) as part of an ongoing monthly exploration of the continent’s distinct cultural and natural wonders, Adina Baranovschi presents a visual and descriptive tour of Europe’s iconic artistic fountains. Featuring photography by Bogdan Baranovschi, this August installment focuses specifically on the architectural masterpieces of Italy and France, celebrating how these monumental water features transform urban plazas and historic estates into vibrant cultural landmarks.
Tracing a journey through Italy—from Rome’s legendary Trevi, Navona, and Spain square fountains to the grand installations of Tivoli’s Villa d’Este, Bologna, and Perugia—the text highlights their enduring magnetism for travelers worldwide. Shifting to France, the essay explores the dual charm of classic and modernist fountains, spanning from Parisian boulevards to regional gems in Nice, Bordeaux, Lyon, and Aix-en-Provence. Ultimately, the piece honors these dynamic sculptural works as enduring symbols of European heritage, aesthetic refinement, and public art.
▲▲▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.108, 8/2026 ▲▲▲ Noi mai credem încă în cultură!
Abstract: How Do We Defend Fraternity in a Society That Often Transforms Difference into Hostility?
Author: Adrian Scriminț
In a public discourse increasingly fragmented by suspicion and fed by the seductive narratives of grand conspiracy theories—ranging from the mysteries of ancient Luxor to contemporary claims of hidden power structures—Adrian Scriminț undertakes a rigorous anatomy of Fraternity and the search for Truth. Warning that unexamined distrust steadily erodes the fundamental bond between human beings, the author contrasts dogmatic, easy certitudes with the Masonic exercise of inner labor: the discipline of questioning, the proper reverence for symbols as interior compasses, and the acceptance of mystery as a catalyst for reason rather than a tool for paranoia.
The essay argues that genuine Fraternity is not built on forced uniformity or the total possession of absolute truth, but rather on our willingness to transform difference from a source of conflict into the very raw material of dialogue. By accepting that truth is fragmented and incomplete, the seeker avoids easy suspicion and refines their inner discernment. Ultimately, this article offers a profound ethical reflection on active listening, humility, and the courage to abandon comfortable illusions in order to walk alongside the Other toward a cleaner mind and a straighter heart.
CONVOIUL (XV) by Gheorghe Schwartz
Translated by Eugene Matzota
▲▲▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.108, 8/2026 ▲▲▲
Noi încă mai credem în cultură!
Abstract: In „The Convoy (XV)”, published in ALTCULTURE Magazine (no. 108, 2026) as an excerpt from Gheorghe Schwartz’s visionary speculative work, the narrative plunges deeper into the disorienting, meticulously engineered realities of life outside the collective march. Against a backdrop of silent surveillance, pervasive self-censorship, and automated transportation, the protagonist reflects on a tense encounter at a secluded niche table with a nervous, polarized-lens-wearing youth who has similarly abandoned the serpentine procession.
Blending sharp existential philosophy with Orwellian institutional critique, the text examines the friction between assigned covert missions, the illusion of free will, and the haunting psychological vacuum left behind by erased memories and cashless societies. As the protagonist navigates urban traffic toward a rendezvous at Konrad’s—haunted by fleeting glimpses of women seemingly vanished from the Convoy—the excerpt resonates as a profound exploration of human alienation, systemic control, and the desperate quest for individual identity in a totally programmed world.
Maria (I), Nicholas Jordan
▲▲▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.108, 8/2026 ▲▲▲
Noi mai credem încă în cultură!
Abstract: In „Maria”, published in ALTCULTURE Magazine (no. 108, 2026) as an excerpt from Nicholas Jordan’s work ASHMAN, the narrative follows the tour group’s ascent into the picturesque yet austere landscapes of Bukovina, arriving at Vatra Dornei against a backdrop of mounting geopolitical tension. As rumors of civil unrest and historical uprisings filter in from the outside world via anxious transatlantic phone calls and foreign journalists, the narrator navigates eccentric interpersonal dynamics among the travelers—notably the mismatched, reluctant pairing of Moira and Geoffrey Johnston.
Blending vivid travelogue with evocative reflections on sacred art and spiritual pilgrimage, the text captures the group’s visit to the legendary painted monasteries of Moldovița. Amidst stunning Byzantine frescoes and discussions of medieval theology with local monastics, the narrator encounters Maria, an enigmatic and brilliant tour guide whose sharp intellect and intersecting paths with foreign reporters hint at deeper cultural and spiritual currents just beneath the surface of a changing Romania.
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▲ ANOTHER KIND OF CULTURAL MAGAZINE / Un alt fel de revistă de cultură ▲ 64 pag. color, MONTHLY / lunar ▲ Director&FOUNDER / fondator: EUGEN MATZOTA ▲ALTCulture (Online) = ISSN 2601 – 159X ISSN-L 2601 -159X ▲ PUBLISHED BY / editată de Asociația ECOULTOUR – OAMENI, FAPTE, IDEI
EDITORIAL BOARD / Colegiul de redacție: ciprian cristea, CORINA GHEORGHEZA, ADRIAN GRAUENFELS, CLAUDIU IORDACHE, NICHOLAS JORDAN. BOGDAN MARTIN, EUGEN MATZOTA (redactor-șef), CRISTIANA MIRANCEA, MARIUS OANȚĂ, EUGEN D. POPIN, GHEORGHE SCHWARTZ, NICOLAE ULIERIU
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Cuvintele care au construit România, de Ciprian Cristea ▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.108, 08/2026 ▲ Noi mai credem încă în cultură! ▲▲▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.108, 8/2026 ▲▲▲ Noi încă mai credem în cultură! Abstract: In „The Words That Built Romania”, published in ALTCULTURE Magazine (no. 108, 2026), Ciprian Emanuel Cristea reports on the international conceptual history conference HERC 2026 held in Timișoara, an academic gathering dedicated to the memory of Reinhart Koselleck. Under the scientific leadership of Professor Victor Neumann, the event laid the intellectual foundations for a landmark Lexicon of Fundamental Romanian Concepts, bringing together renowned scholars—including Andrei Marga, Hans Erich Bödeker, Ruxandra Demetrescu, Mihai Dinu Gheorghiu, Gheorghe Schwartz, Horea Corneliu Oprean, and Dacian Palladi—to trace how core ideas like liberty, nationhood, justice, Freemasonry, art, and conservatism have evolved over centuries. Moving beyond event-centered historiography, the text explores the semantic shifts, ideological reappropriations, and political weaponization of language across Romanian and European history. Highlighting a crucial dialogue with Prof. Bödeker on the dangerous contemporary redefinition of terms like Remigration, Cristea warns against the erosion of democratic values through corrupted vocabulary. Ultimately, the essay frames the upcoming Lexicon not merely as an ambitious encyclopedic project, but as a vital intellectual defense mechanism designed to preserve historical truth, foster critical discernment, and safeguard genuine democratic discourse in a world of rapidly distorted words.
LOCURI INEDITE DIN EUROPA by Adina Baranovschi (Foto: Bogdan Baranovschi) ▲▲▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.108, 8/2026 ▲▲▲ Noi încă mai credem în cultură! Abstract: In „Unusual Places of Europe”, published in ALTCULTURE Magazine (no. 108, 2026) as part of an ongoing monthly exploration of the continent’s distinct cultural and natural wonders, Adina Baranovschi presents a visual and descriptive tour of Europe’s iconic artistic fountains. Featuring photography by Bogdan Baranovschi, this August installment focuses specifically on the architectural masterpieces of Italy and France, celebrating how these monumental water features transform urban plazas and historic estates into vibrant cultural landmarks. Tracing a journey through Italy—from Rome’s legendary Trevi, Navona, and Spain square fountains to the grand installations of Tivoli’s Villa d’Este, Bologna, and Perugia—the text highlights their enduring magnetism for travelers worldwide. Shifting to France, the essay explores the dual charm of classic and modernist fountains, spanning from Parisian boulevards to regional gems in Nice, Bordeaux, Lyon, and Aix-en-Provence. Ultimately, the piece honors these dynamic sculptural works as enduring symbols of European heritage, aesthetic refinement, and public art.
▲▲▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.108, 8/2026 ▲▲▲ Noi mai credem încă în cultură! Abstract: How Do We Defend Fraternity in a Society That Often Transforms Difference into Hostility? Author: Adrian Scriminț In a public discourse increasingly fragmented by suspicion and fed by the seductive narratives of grand conspiracy theories—ranging from the mysteries of ancient Luxor to contemporary claims of hidden power structures—Adrian Scriminț undertakes a rigorous anatomy of Fraternity and the search for Truth. Warning that unexamined distrust steadily erodes the fundamental bond between human beings, the author contrasts dogmatic, easy certitudes with the Masonic exercise of inner labor: the discipline of questioning, the proper reverence for symbols as interior compasses, and the acceptance of mystery as a catalyst for reason rather than a tool for paranoia. The essay argues that genuine Fraternity is not built on forced uniformity or the total possession of absolute truth, but rather on our willingness to transform difference from a source of conflict into the very raw material of dialogue. By accepting that truth is fragmented and incomplete, the seeker avoids easy suspicion and refines their inner discernment. Ultimately, this article offers a profound ethical reflection on active listening, humility, and the courage to abandon comfortable illusions in order to walk alongside the Other toward a cleaner mind and a straighter heart.
CONVOIUL (XV) by Gheorghe Schwartz Translated by Eugene Matzota ▲▲▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.108, 8/2026 ▲▲▲ Noi încă mai credem în cultură! Abstract: In „The Convoy (XV)”, published in ALTCULTURE Magazine (no. 108, 2026) as an excerpt from Gheorghe Schwartz’s visionary speculative work, the narrative plunges deeper into the disorienting, meticulously engineered realities of life outside the collective march. Against a backdrop of silent surveillance, pervasive self-censorship, and automated transportation, the protagonist reflects on a tense encounter at a secluded niche table with a nervous, polarized-lens-wearing youth who has similarly abandoned the serpentine procession. Blending sharp existential philosophy with Orwellian institutional critique, the text examines the friction between assigned covert missions, the illusion of free will, and the haunting psychological vacuum left behind by erased memories and cashless societies. As the protagonist navigates urban traffic toward a rendezvous at Konrad’s—haunted by fleeting glimpses of women seemingly vanished from the Convoy—the excerpt resonates as a profound exploration of human alienation, systemic control, and the desperate quest for individual identity in a totally programmed world.
Maria (I), Nicholas Jordan ▲▲▲ ALTCULTURE MAGAZINE Nr.108, 8/2026 ▲▲▲ Noi mai credem încă în cultură! Abstract: In „Maria”, published in ALTCULTURE Magazine (no. 108, 2026) as an excerpt from Nicholas Jordan’s work ASHMAN, the narrative follows the tour group’s ascent into the picturesque yet austere landscapes of Bukovina, arriving at Vatra Dornei against a backdrop of mounting geopolitical tension. As rumors of civil unrest and historical uprisings filter in from the outside world via anxious transatlantic phone calls and foreign journalists, the narrator navigates eccentric interpersonal dynamics among the travelers—notably the mismatched, reluctant pairing of Moira and Geoffrey Johnston. Blending vivid travelogue with evocative reflections on sacred art and spiritual pilgrimage, the text captures the group’s visit to the legendary painted monasteries of Moldovița. Amidst stunning Byzantine frescoes and discussions of medieval theology with local monastics, the narrator encounters Maria, an enigmatic and brilliant tour guide whose sharp intellect and intersecting paths with foreign reporters hint at deeper cultural and spiritual currents just beneath the surface of a changing Romania.