Alexandru N. Lahovari was one of the most remarkable figures in Romanian political life during the second half of the 19th century. Born in 1841, he came from an influential and well-established family: his father, Nicolae, was of Greek origin, while his mother, Eufrosina, descended from an old Oltenian boyar family. This double heritage gave him both the local aristocratic tradition and an openness towards the cosmopolitan world of the Balkans and the West. He was not the only member of the family to stand out at the time; his brothers, Iacob and Ion, also pursued important careers in the military and politics.

Political rise and parliamentary activity

Lahovari benefited from an elite education, supported by the family’s strong financial situation. His early schooling was carried out with private tutors, and in 1855 he left for Paris, where he enrolled at the prestigious Louis-le-Grand High School. 

He later studied Law, earning a doctoral degree in 1865. That same year, he returned to Romania, prepared to take part in public life, where he would soon make a name for himself thanks to his intelligence and his eloquence.

The first major step in his career came in 1867, when he was appointed secretary general and director in the Ministry of Justice. Just three years later, in 1870, he became Minister of Justice in the government led by Manolache Costache Epureanu. 

Later, between 1873 and 1876, he returned to the same ministry under Prime Minister Lascăr Catargiu, during which time he gained a reputation as a rigorous administrator and a reliable politician.

In the following years he held other key positions: between 1888 and 1889 he served as Minister of Agriculture, Industry, Commerce, and Domains, and later, on several occasions, he was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs. 

In this capacity, Lahovari carried out intense diplomatic work that significantly raised Romania’s prestige abroad. Intelligent, cautious, yet also bold, he knew how to defend the country’s interests during a period when European diplomacy was extremely complex. 

It is said that King Carol I once remarked that Romania had only two truly valuable foreign ministers: Mihail Kogălniceanu and Alexandru Lahovari.

In Parliament, Lahovari served both as deputy and senator between 1870 and 1895. Here he became famous for his fiery speeches, which he delivered with remarkable eloquence. 

At times he spoke with passion and pathos, other times with vehemence and biting irony, but he always managed to capture attention and influence debates. He was considered “the second most important man in the Conservative Party,” after Lascăr Catargiu, proof of the leadership role he played in political life.

Cultural dimension and personality

Beyond his political career, Alexandru Lahovari also had literary pursuits. He wrote poetry and translated works from French, and his political and parliamentary speeches, later published posthumously, stand as evidence of his oratorical talent. 

He was a cultivated man, formed in the European spirit but at the same time deeply attached to Romanian values. His contemporaries respected him not only for the offices he held, but also for his integrity and the strength of his ideas.

His premature death, in Paris on March 4, 1897, at only 55 years of age, was a great loss for Romanian political life. Soon after his passing, his colleagues and supporters in the Conservative Party felt the need to keep his memory alive by raising a monument in the capital.

The statue of Alexandru Lahovari

The idea of building the statue appeared in 1899, just two years after his death. Funds were raised through a public subscription, an important detail that shows the respect he inspired. 

The monument was created by the French sculptor Marius Jean Antonin Mercié and cast in bronze at a renowned foundry in France. It was brought to Bucharest in the spring of 1901 and officially inaugurated on June 17 of that year, in Dorobanți Square, which was then renamed Lahovari Square.

The statue depicts Alexandru Lahovari in the pose that defined him: that of an orator. He is shown standing, with his left arm extended, as if delivering an important speech. At the base of the pedestal are two allegorical figures that give the monument a special significance. 

The first is Danubius, the personification of the Danube River, inspired by classical European models and referring to a famous speech Lahovari delivered in 1881. The second is a female figure dressed in national costume, interpreted either as Agricultural Romania or Modern Romania, who offers him a laurel branch as a sign of homage.

At the time of its inauguration, the pedestal was adorned with bronze plaques inscribed with quotations from Lahovari’s speeches. However, these disappeared after 1947, during the communist period, when other changes were also made: the inscription referring to the “Birth of Prince Carol” was erased, and the square itself was renamed first Kuibyshev Square and later Cosmonauts Square. After 1989, the square regained its original name, and the statue was revalued as part of the national heritage.

The meaning of the monument today

The statue of Alexandru Lahovari is more than a tribute to a conservative politician. It is a heritage piece that tells the story of an era and of the way Romania at the end of the 19th century sought to build its modern identity. The allegories that accompany the central figure underline the values Lahovari defended: the safeguarding of national interests, economic modernization, agricultural development, and integration into the European concert of nations.

Placed in Lahovari Square, in a central part of the city, the monument became both an urban and cultural landmark. Today, it is included on the list of historical monuments, which guarantees its protection and confirms its importance for collective memory.

Alexandru Lahovari was a leading political figure, a formidable orator, and a diplomat who managed to enhance his country’s prestige. The statue erected in the heart of Bucharest, funded through community contributions and supported by his party colleagues, stands as proof of the recognition he earned. 

It represents not only the figure of a man but also the symbolism of an entire generation that fought for the consolidation and modernization of Romania. Looking at the monument today, we can understand not only who Lahovari was, but also what ideals inspired Romanian society more than a century ago.

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