Ioan Buteanu

Ioan Buteanu (born 1821, Sighetu Marmaţiei) was a leader of the Transylvanian Romanian Revolutionaries in 1848 and a prefect of Zaránd County between 1848 and 1849.

Ioan Buteanu
Born	1821
Died	23 May 1849 Austrian Empire, Principality of Transylvania
Nationality	Romanian
Occupation	lawyer prefect of Zarand revolutionary leader
Known for	tribunal of the Auraria Gemina Legion in the Revolution of 1848

The monument of Ioan Buteanu in Gurahonţ, built in 1934

The tomb of Ioan Buteanu from Țebea

Bust of Ioan Buteanu of Baia Mare

Early life and activity

Ioan Buteanu was born in 1821 to a noble family. His birthplace is sometimes listed as Sighetu Marmatiei or Somcuta Mare, where his father was born.[1] He attended gymnasium in Baia Mare and Carei. He was a Chancellor for three years at Tabula Regia in Targu Mures (Transylvanian Court of Appeal). After obtaining a lawyer's diploma he settled in Abrud. Austrian General Anton Puchner appointed him as the administrator of Zarand, and the Romanian National Committee appointed him prefect in that region.

On May 15, 1848, he gave a speech at the Blaj Assembly, criticizing the intent of the Hungarian revolutionaries to unify Transylvania with Hungary.

Located in Sibiu in the summer of 1848, he received an invitation from Nicolae Bălcescu asking him to join the Wallachian Revolution. Buteanu asked Avram Iancu to advocate in the National Committee to take action "to help the brothers beyond."

During the 1849 truce between the Hungarian revolutionaries and the Transylvanian Romanians led by Avram Iancu, on May 6, the major adventurer Imre Hatvani with a detachment of Hungarian revolutionaries Abrud surprised and disarmed the Romanians. On May 7, the prefects Petru Dobra and Ioan Buteanu were taken as prisoners.[2] Dobra was shot at Abrud, and Buteanu was sent to Brad and jailed. On May 19, Major Hatvani withdrew from Abrud to Brad, then through Baia de Criş and Hălmagiu to Gurahonţ. Hatvani hanged Buteanu without trial on 23 May 1849 at Josesel.

Legacy

Ioan Buteanu was painted by Barbu Iscovescu when he was held prisoner alongside other Wallachian revolutionaries in the Apuseni Mountains.

On May 23, 1999, Pro-Maramures Cultural Society "Dragos Voda" built a bust in the center of Sighet to commemorate the 150 year anniversary of the death of Buteanu. On the Memorial House, now a place of worship, a commemorative plaque was placed.

Gurahont-Arad High School is named after Buteanu.

His name was also worn by the 6th Regiment of Turda, a regiment commanded between 1972-1976 by Stefan Gusa.

Notes

1. Mager, Revoluția de la 1848: rolul și cultul lui Buteanu, manuscript of Ținutul Hălmagiului, 1937
2. Ela Cosma, Cronologia anilor 1848-49 în Transilvania, in: „Yearbook of the History Institute in Cluj”, tom.

Bibliography

• Traian Mager, Ținutul Hălmagiului, a monography in 4 volumes, Arad: The Diecean Typography, 1937
• Silviu Dragomir, Ioan Buteanu, The Zarand Prefect in the years 1848–49, Bucharest, 1928.
• Silviu Dragomir, Ioan Buteanu, Prefect of Zarand in the years 1848-49, Bucharest, 1928. Silviu Dragomir, Ioan Buteanu, Prefect of Zarand in the years 1848-49, 2nd edition, coordinated and completed by Vasile Iuga of Sălişte, "Dragoş Vodă" Publishing House, 2012.