b. 23 June 1867, Mintiu (Bistrita Năsăud) – d. 1937, Mintiu. Historian, honorary member of the Romanian Academy.
The donation of the Martian family comprises numerous bibliophile rarities, of which we mention the Tetraevangeliary of Coresi, printed in Brasov in 1561 (the oldest Romanian book preserved in our library). In addition to the approximately 900 volumes of Latin and German books from the 17th to 19th centuries, the Martian donation also contains several important medieval documents (since the 13th century), as well as 120 prints and valuable reproductions.
After his elementary studies, Iulian Martian attended six classes at the Border High School in Năsăud (1877–1883), then the Sibiu Military School, graduating in 1887, when he became an infantry officer in the Austro-Hungarian Imperial Army. Activates in the garrisons triest, Sarajevo, Brasov, Lemberg, Cluj, Dej and Bistrita. Arriving at the rank of major, he was placed on request, in reserve, settling in 1904 at Năsăud. Passionate about archaeology and history, Iulian Martian collected precious documents and books on the presence and continuity of Romanians in Transylvania. Throughout his life he has carried out a rich activity as a historian and researcher, his concerns in the field of history and archaeology being reflected in specialized studies, such as: The Archaeological Repertory for Transylvania, published in German, in Vienna in 1909. An improved edition of the work was printed in the Romanian language in Bistrita in 1920. He also published: Traces of the Roman wars with the Dacians, Cluj, 1921 or Transylvania. History and toponymy, Bistrița, 1924. He has contributed studies and articles to various publications of history or culture: Gazeta Transylvania, Someşean Archive, Land of Năsăud, Twinning, Tribuna, etc. Together with the archivist Iuliu Moisil and Professor Virgil Sotropa (director of the Someşean Archive magazine) he founded the Năsăudean Museum. For his entire contribution to the knowledge of national history, he was elected, in 1933, an honorary member of the Romanian Academy.
