The Libraries of the Greek-Catholic Diocese of Cluj-Gherla During World War II

During the Second World War, and especially during the years when Northern Transylvania was part of Hungary, Bishop Iuliu Hossu was a protector of reading practices and other cultural activities, providing constant support and promoting cultural events among the priests. Both the clergy and part of the laity belonging to the Greek-Catholic Diocese of Cluj-Gherla, stimulated by the efforts of Iuliu Hossu, donated a significant number of books in Romanian to libraries, at a time when the government of Budapest tried to restrict the language. In those difficult conditions, books and newspapers written in Romanian ended up being mainly kept in the libraries that were under the auspices of the diocese.