[5] The law of public instruction, issued in November 1864, during the reign of Alexandru Ioan Cuza in Romania, ruled that in the country's major cities state-funded secular high and secondary schools were to be open.

This decision was motivated by a lack of funds, and by the fact that in Buzău there was already a secondary school functioning, the Theological Seminar.

In 1873, Costache Ciochinescu, a 1848 revolutionary from Buzău, donated his personal library made up of 557 books, 4 paintings, and a map of Romania to the Vladimirescu secondary school.

In 1893, the Ministry issued an order to approve the opening of the first high-school class at the Al. Hâjdeu school, which happened in 1894.

Basil Iorgulescu resigned as headmaster in 1901, due to poor health, and died three years later.

During World War I, the high school was closed and the building was used by the army as a military hospital.

As Buzău was occupied by German forces, the Romanian Army evacuated the city on 26 November 1916.

Five days later, the German Army reached Buzău and also decided to use Hasdeu as a hospital, as well as stable for horses.

[6] On 11 February 1918, before the end of the German occupation, the Hasdeu reopened in a different building, provided by the mayor and shared with the Theological Seminar and the Şcoala Normală.

Eventually, on 1 November 1918, as the war was almost over, the German Army allowed the school to use its own building for classes.

The war damaged the buildings heavily, and many valuable items, as well as 20% of the books in the library were lost at the time.

At the ceremony, a bust of Hasdeu, sculpted by Oscar Han was unveiled in front of the main building.