# Alexandru Ioan Cuza

> first ruler of the United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia

**Wikidata**: [Q294832](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q294832)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandru_Ioan_Cuza)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/alexandru-ioan-cuza

## Summary

Alexandru Ioan Cuza was born on March 20, 1820 in Bârlad and died on May 3, 1873 in Heidelberg[1][2][3]. He was a politician, military officer, revolutionary, jurist, and diplomat who practiced the Romanian Orthodox Church.He was the son of Ioan Cuza and married Elena Cuza in 1844, remaining together until his death. They had two children: Alexandru Al. Ioan Cuza and Dimitrie Cuza[4]. He received his education at the University of Paris.Throughout his life, he received several honors including the Order of the Redeemer, Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus, Order of the Medjidie, and Order of Osmanieh. He was buried at Trei Ierarhi Monastery.

## Summary
Alexandru Ioan Cuza was a Romanian politician, military officer, revolutionary, jurist, and diplomat who served as the first ruler of the United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia. He is best known for unifying the Romanian principalities in 1859 and founding major national institutions including Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, the University of Bucharest, and CEC Bank.

## Biography
- Born: March 20, 1820
- Died: May 3, 1873
- Nationality: Romanian (Principality of Moldavia, Principality of Wallachia, United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia)
- Education: University of Paris
- Known for: First ruler of the United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia and founder of key Romanian institutions
- Employer(s): Ruler of the United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia
- Field(s): Politics, Military, Law, Diplomacy, Revolutionary activities

## Contributions
Alexandru Ioan Cuza founded Alexandru Ioan Cuza University in Iași, Romania, on October 26, 1860, which serves approximately 40,000 students and operates as a research university and open-access publisher with multiple faculties including Economics and Business Administration, Law, Physics, Roman Catholic Theology, Biology, Chemistry, Physical Education and Sport, Philosophy and Political and Social Sciences, Computer Science, and History. He established the University of Bucharest on July 16, 1864, and founded CEC Bank on December 1, 1864, a state-owned Romanian bank. As ruler, he led the personal union of the Principality of Moldavia and Principality of Wallachia beginning January 24, 1859, creating the early form of the modern Romanian state.

## FAQs
**Q: Who was Alexandru Ioan Cuza?**
A: Alexandru Ioan Cuza was a Romanian statesman who became the first ruler of the United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia in 1859, uniting two separate principalities into a single state that formed the foundation of modern Romania.

**Q: What institutions did Alexandru Ioan Cuza establish?**
A: Cuza founded three major Romanian institutions: Alexandru Ioan Cuza University in Iași (1860), the University of Bucharest (1864), and CEC Bank (1864).

**Q: When did the unification of the Romanian Principalities occur?**
A: The United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia were established as a personal union on January 24, 1859, under Cuza's leadership, replacing the former Principality of Moldavia (1346–1859) and Principality of Wallachia (1330–1859).

**Q: What honors did Alexandru Ioan Cuza receive?**
A: Cuza received the Order of the Redeemer (Greece's highest decoration), Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (Royal House of Savoy), Order of the Medjidie, and Order of Osmanieh (Ottoman Empire).

**Q: Where was Alexandru Ioan Cuza educated?**
A: He attended the University of Paris, a historic French university established around 1150 that operated until 1970.

## Why They Matter
Alexandru Ioan Cuza fundamentally transformed Southeast European geopolitics by uniting the Principality of Moldavia and Principality of Wallachia into a single state, creating the foundation for modern Romania. His vision extended beyond political unification to institutional development: the universities he founded became centers of intellectual life, with Alexandru Ioan Cuza University growing into a major research institution serving 40,000 students with international affiliations including the Coimbra Group and European University Association. The bank he established, CEC Bank, continues operating as a state-owned institution. Cuza's multi-faceted career as politician, military officer, jurist, diplomat, and revolutionary demonstrated how personal leadership could reshape national identity. Without his actions, the Romanian state might have remained fragmented, and the educational and financial infrastructure that supported national development would have been delayed or never established.

## Notable For
- First ruler of the United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia (1859–1881 personal union)
- Unified Principality of Moldavia (1346–1859) and Principality of Wallachia (1330–1859)
- Founded Alexandru Ioan Cuza University in Iași on October 26, 1860
- Founded the University of Bucharest on July 16, 1864
- Founded CEC Bank on December 1, 1864
- Educated at the University of Paris
- Received Order of the Redeemer, Greece's oldest and highest decoration (established 1833)
- Received Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus from the Royal House of Savoy (established 1572)
- Received Order of the Medjidie (established 1852)
- Received Order of Osmanieh, Ottoman civil and military decoration (established 1861)
- Member of the Romanian Academy (founded April 1, 1866)
- Held citizenship across Moldavia, Wallachia, and the United Principalities
- Recognized by aliases including Alexander Joan Cuza and Alexandru Ioan I

## Body

### Early Life and Education
Alexandru Ioan Cuza was born on March 20, 1820, during a period when the Romanian lands were divided between the Principality of Moldavia and the Principality of Wallachia. He pursued higher education at the University of Paris, a prestigious French institution with roots dating to approximately 1150, where he developed the intellectual foundation for his future political and diplomatic career.

### Political Unification of the Principalities
The political landscape Cuza inherited consisted of two distinct feudal states in Southeast Europe. The Principality of Moldavia, established in 1346 with its capital in Iași, operated as a sovereign state with Romanian as its official language alongside Church Slavonic. The Principality of Wallachia, dating to 1330, maintained its own parallel governance structure.

Cuza's pivotal achievement came on January 24, 1859, when he became the first ruler of the United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia. This personal union represented the early form of the modern Romanian state, ultimately replacing both former principalities. The Moldavian principality alone had a population of 564,340 as recorded in 1857, illustrating the scale of the territories unified under his leadership.

### Educational Institutions and Academic Legacy
Cuza demonstrated particular commitment to building educational infrastructure for the newly unified state.

**Alexandru Ioan Cuza University**: Founded on October 26, 1860, in Iași at Bulevardul Carol I 11 (postal code 700506), this institution operates under the motto "Per libertatem ad veritatem" (Through liberty to truth). The university functions as both a research university and open-access publisher, serving approximately 40,000 students. Its academic structure encompasses ten faculties: Economics and Business Administration, Law, Physics, Roman Catholic Theology, Biology, Chemistry, Physical Education and Sport, Philosophy and Political and Social Sciences, Computer Science, and History.

The university's early rectors included Ion Strat (1860-1861), Filaret Scriban (1861-1862), Nicolae Ionescu (1862-1863), Titu Maiorescu (1863-1867), Ștefan Micle (1867-1875), Petru Suciu (1875-1880), Nicolae Culianu (1880-1898), and Alexandru Dimitrie Xenopol (1898-1901). Notable affiliated scholars include Grigore Moisil (born January 10, 1906), a mathematician and computer pioneer, and Dan Cristea (born December 16, 1951), a computer scientist and writer.

The university maintains international memberships in the Utrecht Network, Coimbra Group, European University Association, EC2U, Agence universitaire de la Francophonie, Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment, and International Association of Universities. Its digital presence includes a website at http://www.uaic.ro/ and social media accounts on Twitter (@uaiciasi, established January 25, 2011), Facebook (UAICdinIASI), and Instagram (uaiciasi).

**University of Bucharest**: Cuza established this institution on July 16, 1864, with headquarters in Bucharest, creating a second pillar of Romanian higher education.

### Financial and Institutional Development
Cuza founded CEC Bank on December 1, 1864, establishing a state-owned Romanian financial institution. He was also connected to the Romanian Academy, founded April 1, 1866, which serves as Romania's academy of sciences and culture.

### Military and Professional Roles
Cuza's career encompassed multiple professional domains. He served as a military officer holding positions of authority in uniformed service, worked as a jurist studying and developing law, functioned as a diplomat conducting state-level diplomacy, participated as a revolutionary in political transformation, and held political office as ruler of the United Principalities.

### International Recognition and Honors
Cuza received decorations from multiple European and Near Eastern powers:
- **Order of the Redeemer**: Greece's oldest and highest decoration, established May 20, 1833
- **Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus**: Knightly order of the Royal House of Savoy, established 1572
- **Order of the Medjidie**: Established August 29, 1852
- **Order of Osmanieh**: Civil and military decoration of the Ottoman Empire, established 1861

### Citizenship and National Identity
Cuza held citizenship across three successive Romanian political entities: the Principality of Moldavia, the Principality of Wallachia, and ultimately the United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia. This progression reflects his central role in the evolution of Romanian statehood.

### Death and Legacy
Alexandru Ioan Cuza died on May 3, 1873. His legacy endures through the institutions he founded, particularly the university bearing his name, which continues to function as a major academic center. The university maintains extensive cataloging across international bibliographic systems, with identifiers including ISNI 0000000419371784, VIAF ID 169501756, GND ID 4422009-1, Library of Congress Authority ID n81066112, and numerous others spanning global academic and cultural databases. Cuza is referenced across academic and historical sources with multiple name variations including Alexander Joan Cuza and Alexandru Ioan I.

## References

1. Integrated Authority File
2. [Pagina de istorie: Moartea lui Alexandru Ioan Cuza](https://www.rfi.ro/politica-111486-pagina-de-istorie-moartea-alexandru-ioan-cuza-descrisa-elena-cuza)
3. BnF authorities
4. The Peerage
5. International Standard Name Identifier
6. Virtual International Authority File
7. CiNii Research
8. [Source](http://www.itc-cluj.ro/capatana/valori/Portrete/cuza.htm)
9. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
10. Quora
11. LIBRIS. 2017