Orghidan, Traian

On the 27th May 1985, Professor Traian Orghidan, director of the Institute of Speology "Emil Racovitza", died in Paris. An eminent scientist, Prof Traian Orghidan continued the scientific creation of Emil Racovitza, and dedicated his whole energy to reorganise from new points of view and in a dynamic and modern, frame work, our institute to promote speological* scientific research.

He was born on 27th February, 1917 in the village of Qnesti- Piugari in the Iassy district where his family, although originally from Brasov, withdrew during the first World War. His father, Nicolae Orghidan, was a college teacher arid prominent geographer with well known scientific papers such as the synthesis work: "Transversal Valleys in Romania, published after his death (Editura Academic R.S.R., 1969). His mother, Eugenia Orghidan, teacher of philosophy and pedagogy, was school headmistress in Brasov and Bucharest.

Traian Orghidan attended high school in Brasov and Bucharest and in 1937 he became a student of the Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, from which he graduated in 1941. Ever since his second university year, Traian Orghidan begins the study of phyllopod Crustacea, discovering with his fellow student, Nicolae Botnariuc a new species called Imnadia voiteşti and establishing therefore a new family: Imnadiidae. The paper won the prize awarded by the University, and was presented to Prof. C. Motaş at the Romanian Academy, then published in the Buletinul Secţiei Ştiinţfice a Academiei (1941). Ever since his university studies he worked with the well-known Romanian geologist Prof I Popescu-Voiteşti in the field of geology, taking part in field investigations for the geological study of the area between Dimboviţa and Olt. In 1942 he worked as a geologist for the Oil Society Columbia, as an assistant of Prof I Atanasiu. On the occasion of some tunnel diggings along Homorod Valley (Perşani Mountains), he discovered a remarkable oligocene fauna, mentioning the age of the respective strata, the paper was-submitted to the Society of Geology in a meeting having as a chairman Prof L Mrazec

In 1943, at the suggestion of Prof C Motaş, he took over his zoological research being appointed assistant professor in the Zoological Station Sinaia, within the Facility ;of Natural Sciences. Besides the study of psyllopod Crustacea he was concerned with the fauna of springs and torrents. In 1946 he started systematic exploration, under the guidance of Prof R Codreanu of the fauna of the interstitial underground waters in the river valleys, by means of the Karaman-Chappuis method.

In 1949 he passed his PhD defending a thesis under the title: "Contribution to the study of phyllopod Anostraca in Romania". In the same year he was appoint associated professor in the Department of Zoology of the Faculty of Natural Sciences of the University of Iassy where he delivered a course on Ecology. In 1951 he moved to the Faculty of Biology of Bucharest where; he defended the course of Hydrobiology until 1956. In the same institution he initiated in 1957, the first university course of speology in our country’

Based on series research on the interstitial underground water in the river valleys, Traian Orghidan defined the biotope called by him "hyporheic biotope". The synthesis paper regarding this biotope was published in the Buletinul Ştiinţific al Academiei (1955). At the suggestion of the German Scientist, A. Thienemann it was republished in German in" Archiv fűr  Hydrobiolgie (1959).

Ever since 1950, Prof Traian Orghidan started his studies on caves and their fauna together with a staff under the care of the Geological Committee, together with Prof Margareta Dumitrescu,. Prof V Puşcariu and Dr Jeana Tanasachi. In the Anuarul Comtetului Geologic (1958) he, published two monographical cave studies "The Cave in Valley Fundata" (in collaboration  with Margareta Dumitrescu) and "The Cave at the Gura Dobrogei" (in collaboration with Margareta Dumitrescu and Jeana Tanasachi).

In the Faculty of Biology he was responsible for the organisation .and functioning of the Students Scientific Society. Prof Traian Orghidan together with Prof Margareta Dumitrescu, guided and attracted the students to the study of subterranean fields, those who shall be further the staff of the Institute of Speology. In 1956, together with Prof; C Motaş and Prof Margareta Dumitrescu, he brought a contribution to a revival of ;Romanian ;Speology. Between 1956-1964, Trajan Orghidan was appointed deputy director of the Institute of Speology and since 1964 he was director. In this capacity he carried out a prodigious scientific activity for caves and karst regions, monographical studies of the karst complex in Virghiş Valley (1963), monographical study in the Cave Limanu (1965), contributions to the study of caves in Hunedoara district (1967). He published, in collaboration with group of research workers, "The Map of Karstic Regions in Romania" (1965) the paper won the Academic prize "Emil Racovitza". Prof Traian Orghidan participated to numerous speological expeditions abroad: Bulgaria (1966), Yugoslavia (1967), Balearic Islands (1970, 1971), Cuba (1970, 1973, 1975), Venezuela (1975, 1982)., He also participated with communications to International Congresses of Speleology (Vienna 1961, Ljubljana 1965, Stuttgart 1969, Olomouc 1973). He was a member of the International Speleological Union, member of the French Society of Biospeleology, member of the Speleological Society of Venezuela, member of the National Museum of Natural History of Paris.

Professor Orghidan published alone or in collaboration more than 100 scientific papers in various fields (speology, systematics, zoology, ecology, paleontology). He was editor of numerous publications: Travaux de 1'Institut de Speologie "Emile Racovitza" (Editura Academiei R.S.R.), Livre du Centenaire "Emile Racovitza" (Editura Academiei R.S.R., 1970), Livre du Cinquantenaire de 1'Institut de Speologie ''Emile Racovitza" (Editura Academiei R.S.R., 1973), "Speologia" in monographical series "Porţile de Fier" (Editura Academiei R.S.R., 1979), Resultats des Expeditions Biospeologiques Cubano-Roumaines a Cuba (Editura Academiei R.S.R.) Vol. I-IV, 1973, 1977, 1981, 1983), Theoretical and Applied Karstology (Vol. 1, 1984).

Professor Traian Orghidan was an active supporter of the amateur speological activity in Romania; always stimulating their connections with the Institute "Emil Racovitza" and publishing books for general information: "Travels Underground" (in collaboration with Margareta Dumitrescu, Editura Stiintifica, 1959), "New Tendencies in Speology" (Progresele Ştiinţei. Editura Academiei R.S.R., 1967), "Romanian Caves - Touristic Guide" (in collaboration with S. Negrea, G. Racoviţă, C. Lascu, Editura Sport-Turismm 1984).

For his special merits, Prof Traian Orghidan was awarded the medals: Order of Work (3rd class) 1964, and Scientific Merit (1975); the academic prize "Emnil Racovitza" (1969), the Gold Medal of the University of Olomouc (Czechoslovakia, 1973), the Medal XXth Aniversary of Cuba (1973),

His collaborators, most of them his former students as well, regret the loss of that man who was for them a most respectful master and a great friend.


 * Rumanian scientist use Emil Racovitza’s spelling of speological, Speology etc. In some cases I have retained this spelling.