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Vasile Alecsandri National College
Colegiul Național "Vasile Alecsandri"
Vasile Alecsandri National College; Colegiul Național "Vasile Alecsandri"
Address
	Strada Nicolae Bălcescu, Nr. 41; Galați, Galați County; Romania
Coordinates	45°26′27″N 28°03′05″E / 45.4408°N 28.0513°E
Information
Funding type	Public
Established	1867; 158 years ago
Status	Open
Category	Middle School and High School
Principal	Romeo Zamfir
Grades	5 to 12
Gender	coeducation
Age range	11–19
Language	Romanian
Hours in school day	5–7
Campus type	Urban
Website	cnva.eu

Vasile Alecsandri National College (Romanian: Colegiul Național "Vasile Alecsandri") is a public day high school in Galați, Romania, located at 41 Nicolae Bălcescu Street.

In the mid-1860s, amidst increased economic development, the lack of a gymnasium in Galați became apparent. Thus, after repeated petitions, in August 1867 the Education Ministry authorized the establishment of a school with a single class. Three months later, the school opened its doors in a public ceremony; the principal, from Transylvania, had two teachers working under him. During its first twenty years, twenty-eight teachers worked at the gymnasium, and over 1500 pupils studied there, most prominently Eremia Grigorescu (1874–1878). In 1887, the institution was declared a high school, with seven grades. The school building was completed in 1890; two years later, it was named after the poet Vasile Alecsandri. Also in 1890, academic V. A. Urechia (who represented the Galați area in the Senate) donated his personal library to the school. Beginning in 1913 and upon the initiative of principal Ion Tohăneanu, the school hosted a "people's university" that involved political, cultural, scientific and literary figures delivering lectures open to the public.^[1]

During World War I, the school building was evacuated for use as a hospital, faculty were sent to the front and the number of students diminished. In the early 1920s, the school hosted literary circles and the editing staff of modernist cultural, artistic and literary magazines. Faculty members were involved in organizing these activities, while the publications were largely written by students, including future art critic Nicolae Argintescu-Amza [ro]. In 1926, a dormitory for rural pupils was completed under the initiative of Tohăneanu, whose other projects included a new classroom wing, an amphitheater and sport facilities for gymnastics, swimming and shooting. Starting in 1923, he organized a monthlong summer camp near Cheia Monastery, an initiative that continued throughout the interwar period.^[1]

In World War II, the school headquarters again functioned as a hospital and teachers were sent to fight; many pupils took refuge in surrounding villages, while relatively few continued their studies. The institution was downgraded to a theoretical high school in 1944, after King Michael's Coup. In 1948, following the establishment of a communist regime, it was renamed the Co-educational Theoretical Middle School. In 1965, the Vasile Alecsandri name was restored. Around this time, the school became renowned for its mathematics program, and its students became passionate participants in national olympiads, with some of them going on to Balkan and Europe-wide competitions.^[1]

The school building is listed as a historic monument by Romania's Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs.^[2]

Alumni

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c (in Romanian) Istoric at the Vasile Alecsandri National College site
^ (in Romanian) Lista Monumentelor Istorice 2010: Județul Galați
^ "Cristian S. Calude: Vitae". Retrieved August 10, 2024.
^ Olteneanu, Mihai (February 15, 2003). "Ingineri mari personalități Nicolae Caranfil (1893–1978)". www.agir.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved August 10, 2024.
^ Dobrincu, Dorin (December 22, 2006). "Rezistența armată anticomunistă în sud-estul Munților Apusieni (I)". Revista 22 (in Romanian). Retrieved August 10, 2024.
^ "Dongorozi, Ion" (PDF). Alexandru and Aristia Aman County Library. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
^ "Virgil Madgearu". www.madgearu.ro (in Romanian). Colegiul Economic Virgil Madgearu, București. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
^ "I. Valerian" (in Romanian). Paul Păltănea History Museum Galați. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
^ "Gheorghe Zane" (in Romanian). Alexandru Ioan Cuza University. Retrieved August 10, 2024.