Analele Universităţii din Craiova. Istorie, Anul XXV, Nr. 2(38)/2020 31 THE SOCIAL AND PUBLIC ACTIVITY OF THE VESTRY OF MADONA DUDU CHURCH DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR Constantin Sorin Semenov* Abstract The Vestry of Madona Dudu Church was an influential and rich entity that played a key role in helping and sustaining war efforts in the First World War struggle. Thanks to the founders, the vestry had a consistent wealth, including buildings, fertile lands, and other benefits that were under the administration of responsible people. In 1913 the old church was demolished and the plan was to construct a new cathedral, but all the financial resources and the vestry’s goods were redirected to help the people that were suffering from the Great War. The unpublished documents that I studied are a testimony of the efforts and the consistent help of the Vestry of Madona Dudu Church for those that needed not only spiritual guidance but more likely material support. Key words: Madona Dudu, First World War, archive documents, war efforts, Craiova A brief history of the Church Starting with the 16th century, the spiritual life in the Romanian provinces knows a great development, some boyars, merchants or even noble family rulers show a special interest towards the “holy ones” and compete in building churches. Most of the old dwellings have disappeared due to perishable materials or have been consolidated and rebuilt. However, their merit is indisputable not only from a spiritual perspective but also due to their contribution to medieval culture. With the formation of the Romanian feudal states, the need to have servants who propagate the Orthodox faith is manifested more and more, but at the same time the secular educational system is formed within the monastic and church structures. The place of worship known since the twentieth century as Madona Dudu or Mother-Precist (Mother of God) from Dud, has a long history, with events that sometimes go beyond the realm of ordinary reality, but for the most part, events alongside a tumultuous past have a confirmed historical documentation. The first mention of a settlement, most probably made of wood, is supposed to be from the 16th century, during the reign of Alexandru Vodă II and two other mentions from the 17th century during the reign of Matei Basarab, at about 70 years away. In the general sense, however, the event that remains in popular consciousness is the construction of a religious establishment that is related to the miraculous appearance of an icon in a mulberry tree. Over time, the building and implicitly the administration around it managed to have a fruitful collaboration with many believers, intellectuals, clergy members, politicians and artists that contributed to the development of a central and reference space, not only locally but also nationally. Like any settlement with a rich history, it has constant fluctuations, being dispossessed of property, it was destroyed by an earthquake, set on fire; but managing to return * Assistant Professor, PhD Candidate, University of Craiova, Faculty of Theology, No. 13, A.I. Cuza Street, Dolj County, Phone: 0040786851019, Email: constsemenov@gmail.com