The Retezat region has been a subject of scientific interest, particularly with regard to its
flora, since at least the early 19th century. During the 1930s, several scientific personalities like
Alexandru Borza and
Emil Racoviță campaigned for the creation of nature reserves in the country. In 1935, the
Tătărescu government set aside of the Retezat Mountains, creating the country's first national park. It took four more years for legislation to be passed regarding the park's status, paving the way for all future
protected areas of Romania. In 2008 it was granted the
European Diploma of Protected Areas. Since the 1990s,
sheep grazing and
logging increased considerably in the region, damaging the park's
natural capital. In the 21st century, Retezat has been the subject of several
ecological restoration efforts. In 2006 the Romanian state decided in favor of heirs to the Austro-Hungarian aristocratic family Kendeffy, who claimed of land in the Retezat Mountains, including large tracts of the park, under a law allowing the restitution of property seized by previous regimes. The
Romanian Academy, who was granted the land in the 1930s, challenged the decision. After a lengthy trial, the land restitution was deemed illegal by a 2022 court decision, and the park returned to being state property. == Description ==