The History of a Widely Publicised Scandal in Romania between 1934-1935: “Criterion” Association versus “Credința” newspaper. A typical case of stigmatisation: Sandu Tudor

To provide pertinent and instructive answers about the details of the massive controversy involving the “Criterion” Association and “Credinţa” newspaper, the current study offers a critical analysis of the intricate relationship between culture, literature, and social identities. Especially to reconstruct the typologies of the ways in which the two studied institutions were organised and operated, as well as the ethical standards, cultural policies, and underlying principles from which they claimed, we will start with a sufficient factual basis, which will be verified by cross-referencing the data from the Archive files with the information from the memorial literature, journals, and, respectively, articles from the press of the time. Moreover, the motivation of our research approach is to develop a nuanced understanding of discrimination, stigmatisation, and repudiation because, regrettably, many of the elements of this scandal that shook Romanian culture in 1934–1935 and sparked a sensational advertisement at the time have the potential to be deconstructive and destructive even in the present.