His father used to offer refuge to persecuted Romanian political leaders from Transylvania, and went into considerable debt for this.

After the political upheaval abated, he returned to continue studying history at the Vienna State Archives.

At this time, the inhabitants around Câmpulung Moldovenesc asked him to do research in order to regain lands that had been confiscated from them.

He was successful, and the people of Câmpulung erected a small stone monument as a token of their gratitude.

In 1861, he was elected as their representative in both the local council (Diet) of Bukovina and the Imperial Parliament in Vienna.