We Remember So We Last
Short Story and Essay Writing Competition
The Bethlen Gábor College and the Bethlen Gábor College Foundation announce, for the first time in the 2024–2025 school year, a short story and essay writing competition for students in grades 9–12. This initiative will continue in the 2025–2026 school year as well.
Theme of the competition:
The life stories of the soldiers of Aiud who took part in the War of Independence of 1848/1849, as well as those of the soldiers who survived the war and the civilian population.
Purpose of the competition:
By researching and recalling historical memories, the aim is to commemorate our past, whenever possible by presenting newly discovered documents and by portraying individual life stories. Special emphasis should be placed on the lives of individuals after the War of Independence and on their new beginnings in Aiud. An important aspect is the presentation of national consciousness passed down through generations.
The goal of the competition is to explore the past through personal life stories. In the submitted works, accounts by relatives, neighbors, and acquaintances should play an important role.
The works should focus on how the descendants of soldiers and civilians who survived the events of 1848/1849 recount how the hardships of that period shaped the lives of their ancestors afterward. The jury will place special value on entries that include the discovery and presentation of new documents of historical significance and works created on the basis of such materials.
Format and formal requirements for the short story/essay:
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write a short story or essay of a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 10 pages
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format requirements: PDF format, A4 page size, 5–10 pages, Times New Roman font size 12, 1.5 line spacing, 2 cm margins, justified text
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images and documents should be included as appendices at the end of the paper, with captions
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the document must be saved under the following name format: surname_first name_class
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at the end of the paper, it is mandatory to list the sources used; in the case of online sources, the link must be provided, as well as the names of the interviewees
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under the title of the paper, please include the following information:
Name …………………..
Place of residence ………………
Name of school ………………
Class ……………
Name of supervising teacher ………………
Submissions should be sent to the following e-mail address:emlekezzunk.palyazat@bethlengabor.ro
Awards:
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1st Prize – 500 RON
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2nd Prize – 300 RON
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3rd Prize – 200 RON
Submission deadline: June 8, 2026
Announcement of results: during the school year-end ceremony / graduation ceremony
Szőcs Ildikó Galambfalvi Angyalka
President, Director Chair of the Scholarship Committee
