“George Pop de Băsești” Memorial House

George Pop was the son of a noble family from Ardeal, born on August 1, 1835 in Băsești. He attended primary school in his native village, gymnasium in Baia Mare, then he studied law in Oradea. After enlisting in the army, he was elected first praetor, then judge at the County Seat. George Pop de Băsești campaigned for the political and cultural emancipation of Romanians from Transylvania. In 1872, benefiting from the trust of the Romanian and Hungarian citizens, he began his political career, being elected deputy in the Budapest Parliament. On May 28, 1892, he arrived at the court of Emperor Franz Josef, in Vienna, to hand over the Memorandum, along with 300 other Transylvanian delegates. Starting with 1902, George Pop de Băsești was also president of the Romanian National Party. He was also elected president of the Great National Assembly from Alba Iulia, from December 1, 1918. This was the response of his peers to all the efforts of George Pop de Băsești over the past 60 years, put in the service of the reunification of the Romanian nation. He died on February 23, 1919, at his home in Bășești.

The mansion where George Pop de Băsești lived became a museum on December 1, 1989. It is a house built in the period 1885-1890, being an important meeting point for many personalities from Transylvania: Dr. Vasile Lucaciu, Ioan Rațiu, Teodor Mihali, Vasile Goldiș etc. During the communist regime, the house served as CAP headquarters and a grain warehouse. The mansion’s rooms exhibit pieces of furniture, photographs, but also historical elements related to the life and career of George Pop de Băsești.