The contemporary local press celebrated the inauguration ceremony in 1897 with hymns: "The monument to Tomaszczuk has been unveiled. Now it stands in brilliant artistic beauty, the head of the contemplative thinker turned towards the West, whose intellectual treasures in his homeland laid the foundation for the greatness of the famous son of Bukovina” (Bukovinaer Rundschau, 19 October 1897, p. 1). Western orientation was a frequent motif in the discourse of Habsburg Bukovina.
Whenever political, cultural or social issues were discussed, the focus was always on Vienna. Western trends were also to be reflected in Bukovina, and Constantin Tomaszczuk was seen by his contemporaries as an outstanding figure in this development, especially in view of his role in the founding of the university. The monument in the Volksgarten thus also proclaimed “the new spirit that had taken hold of the country” during Tomaszczuk's lifetime, and so representatives of all political persuasions, all nationalities and confessions, all classes, came together in rare unity to celebrate the unveiling of the Tomaszczuk monument. However, according to the press, the fact that national movements were also gaining momentum in Bukovina at the turn of the century was reflected in the speeches of the mourners, who “in view of the current zeitgeist [did] not find the courage to emphasise the tolerance that was the most outstanding characteristic of the great deceased”. The design of the bust was also discussed, which “bore very little resemblance to the deceased”, but it was more important that “one day our descendants will think of the real Tomaszczuk in the statue, if only Tomaszczuk lives in their memory”.
Text: Markus Winkler
