The Hossu-Longin Fund comprises a rich archival material, summarizing acts and documents with political, cultural, administrative and legal contents, covering almost a century of Transylvanian history (1848– 1934). It contains documents relating to the Hossu family, as well as a number of documents concerning the activity of the Romanian National Party, from its inception until 1918. From his works as a lawyer, the documents preserved represent testimonies, speeches, articles concerning the trials in which he participated, either as a defender or as a defendant. A significant part of the collection also contains the correspondence of Francis Hossu-Longin, of which we must mention the exchange of letters he had throughout his life (1878 – 1935) with various personalities of the Romanian political field and scene.
He was the son of Mihai Lupu-Hossu and Aloisa (b. Pandak). He attended primary school in Deva and later in Orastie, but unfortunately the untimely death of his parents radically changed the course of his life. The guardianship of the child was entrusted to the closest living relative, namely an aunt who lived in Beius. Here he began his high school studies, which he continued in Alba-Iulia, Cluj and Orastie. About his aunt, he would later recount that she was a woman without feelings, who caused him countless hardships, depriving him of much of his inheritance after the disappearance of his parents. After several changes of residence, he went, in 1868, to Pest, to attend the Faculty of Law. During his student years he became a member of the "Petru Maior" Society, a society that offered young Romanians from different regions of the Empire the opportunity to meet and stimulate each other's intellectual concerns. Due to his persistence and, above all, the seriousness with which he treated all the tasks and activities in which he was involved, he was offered the position of librarian of Astra. The years spent in Pest made a substantial contribution to the formation of the personality of the young man who, in addition to perfecting his education, managed to penetrate and know the high circles of society, strengthening his social relations. Returning in 1872 to the country, he settled in Deva. He quickly became a member of the Leadership Committee of the Romanian National Party, after initially having been the secretary of the Party Formation Conference. An important role in the political ascent and in the creation of his public image was his status as a defence lawyer in the Memorandum process. Thus, during the period of Austro-Hungarian dualism, he was recognized as a constant defender of Romanians and national rights, being one of the most active animators of the Romanian political scene who advocated for unification.
Francis Hossu-Longin was also a tireless supporter of women's rights, equal to those of men, so he was always with Elena Pop Hossu-Longin, daughter of Gheorghe Pop de Băsesti, who became his wife in 1882. His political and cultural activity has always been accompanied by a publicistic one. In the struggle to achieve national ideals, he published and collaborated with the magazines Gazeta Transylvania, Familia and Gura Sat. In addition to works of political and social interest, he published numerous literary or general interest materials. During the First World War he maintained his position of independence, refusing to sign the declaration of loyalty to the Government of Budapest, while actively engaging in the struggle for national completeness. On December 1, 1918, on the stage of the Assembly of Alba-Iulia, he played a significant role. After the Union, Francis Hossu-Longin retired from public life.
After 1920, he moved to Băsesi (Salaj), the place of origin of his wife's family, where he lived until February 12, 1935, when he died.
He left behind a vast correspondence and documents that today are at the Central University Library in Cluj. Between 1923 and 1932 he wrote Memories of My Life, in the form of eight manuscript notebooks which, together with his other treasures, were donated to the library. These notebooks were posthumously edited in 1975 and include information from his childhood and adolescence. In these memories they are reconstructed without literary pretensions, but with flavors, morals and happenings characteristic of Transylvanian life in the second half of the 19th century, complemented by a rich historical documentary material.
