Timișoara (The City of Flowers) – A Visit to the Old Hungarian Banat
My interest in Timisoara, the westernmost city of Romania, was first peaked while I was watching a documentary on the fall of Nicolae Ceaușescu, the brutal communist dictator of Romania. The revolution that brought him down started in this city, in large part due to the protests of a Hungarian priest. Learning about the ethnic makeup of the town and the history of it, I wondered what was exactly it was about this small student city that projected it onto the international stage.
As I got older, I visited the Balkans and Timisoara appeared to me once again, like a mirage. At Sarajevo, Novi Sad, Belgrade, Budapest and Vienna I learned of a dashing military officer named Eugene of Savoy, a friend and partner in war of the great British general John Churchill, who drove the Turks from most of the Balkans. I was invigorated to discover that Eugene had daringly entered the gates to Timisoara with great fanfare and, after liberating the town, established a brewery here. This was a city that was practically begging for me to discover it.
Table of Contents
Geography
The city is located in the Banat, a historical region of Hungary, today split between Hungary, Romania and Serbia. The Romanian Banat is flat, surrounded by arable farmland and gentle rivers. The Banat has historically been one of the most multicultural regions of Europe, this being true while it was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The rise of Nationalism in the 20th century along with the establishment of often ethnically inclined communist dictatorships has done much to change the demographic equation.
The name Timisoara derives from the Hungarian name for the city Temesvár, where “vár” refers to a castle on the river Timiș (Temes).
A Brief History
Antiquity
The area surrounding Timisoara has been occupied since the stone age. The former Dacian territory was subdued by Rome in 106A.D and a castrum (fortified camp) called Temesiensis was built where the city stands today.
Medieval Ages
During the course of the the 10th century a prosperous medieval settlement began to develop. This was the land of the Hungarians, a people who had migrated to the Carpathian basin from central Asia. This settlement was completely razed by the Tatars (Mongols) in 1241. Like most of Hungary, the city is built on plains an was an easy target for the horse-backed warriors. The city would recover and in 1315 Charles I of Hungary would set up his royal residence here after some conflicts with other Hungarian nobles. It was the capital of Hungary until 1323.
As the Ottomans advanced into the Balkans, the city became an important rallying point for the Hungarian resistance. Hungarian/Romanian national hero John Hunyadi built a powerful fortress here so that raids into the advancing Ottoman armies could be conducted from the Banat. The city was besieged several times by the Ottoman army, 1462, 1476, 1491 and 1422 before finally succumbing in 1552 to an army boasting numbers over 16 000 strong.
Ottoman and Austrian Era’s
After massacring much of the Timisoara’s christian population, the Ottomans made the city their state capital, bestowing it with a special status. Not much would change in the city the over the course of the Ottoman occupation.
In 1716, Eugene of Savoy liberates the city. He is greeted as a hero as he rides though the gate of the city. Much of the town has been ruined by fire and orders are made to rebuild both the city and the fortifications. The new town would be enveloped by a star shaped defensive bastions, the newest style of fort building. In 1848 revolutionaries from Hungary and Serbia laid siege to the city, both attempting to reassert their independence from the Austrian monarchy. Fortifications were removed in 1892 as the city began to suburbanize. During the Austrian years, it was declared a “Free Royal City” and German setters arrived in droves. Marshes were filled and the first river channels in Romania were dug connecting the city to both the Black Sea and the rest of Europe by river. Thus the city became a commercial powerhouse. It was the home of the first horse drawn trams, one of the first to have an ambulance service and only the second city in the word to implement electric street lighting (after New York)!!!
Kingdom of Romania, Communism and the Modern Era
After the First World War, Austria-Hungary was dismantled and the Hungarian crown lost the lands of Transylvania, an ally of the British and the French. Banat was declared an independent republic ruled by the four major groups (Hungarian, Serbian, German and Romanian) but a series of political events ensured that the territory was divided with Timisoara becoming part of the neighboring Kingdom of Romania. In 1920, the Romanian King declared Timisoara to be a University City, a distinction it holds to this day.
Fascists in Romania led by Ion Antonescu overthrew the Monarchy and Romania joined the Axis during the Second World War. They were forced to do so as they were under threat of invasion by both Germany and Russia (who had already invaded northern Berbasarria, today called Moldova). This proved disastrous and Michael I, king of Romania overthrew the government and switched sides (1944) only to be invaded by Germany and Hungary. Timisoara was at the front-line of this fight and resisted invasion gallantly. At the end of the war Stalin installed the People’s Republic of Romania and King Micheal was forced to abdicate (1947).
Timisoara was forcefully industrialized and the population tripled due to the policies of dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu. Part of his program could be summarized as a forced “child production” where abortions were banned and women were encouraged to have as many children as possible. Many of these children ended up poverty stricken and in poorly run state orphanages. In 1989, Hungarian pastor László Tőkés created a protest movement that was heard around the world. As one of the primary dissidents of Romania, he gave a televised interview to Canadian journalists in secret. Orders were put out for his arrest, yet his loyal parish protected his house. Several attempts were made on the pastors life but with each failure the crowd grew. It was now not only Hungarian but also Romanians hand in hand forming a protective circle and defending his house. Ceausescu attempted to have the crowd shot and some of the the military officers refused, themselves joining the jeering crowd. The city was in full insurrection mode, masses of people filling the streets. In the ensuing chaos, men loyal to the dictator killed over 130 peaceful protesters. When the dust settled Timisoara had become the first city free of communism and had inspired a whole nation to revolt – thus starting the Romanian Revolution.
Today Timisoara is a burgeoning center for the rapidly growing Romanian technology scene and one of the best cities to visit as a tourist in Romania.
What to Do in Timisoara?
I arrived at the Timisoara train station from Budapest sometime in the afternoon. The concrete, socialist era monstrosity that awaited me is exactly what I would expect of a train station in Romania but otherwise the city itself was much different than I had imagined. Although there is some residual decaying concrete remnants from the communist years, the city is like a giant green garden. It is clean and well maintained. As a student city, the population is young and the vibe is very relaxed.
The weather was excellent and I walked to my hostel soaking in the atmosphere of the lively town. The hostel I stayed at is called Downtown Hostel Timisoara and it is located on one of the upper floors of the stately buildings leading the the Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral. I thought I had made a mistake when I walked though the doors of a buildings marked as the Ministry of Agriculture but nope, the hostel was here. Classic Romania! I dropped my bags off and left to explore the city when I returned later at night I was woken by a band of singing Germans. They must have heard that I was Canadian as they proceeded to sign my national anthem as well as some eagles songs for some reason. I knew then that I had to join them. Sadly this hostel is now closed!
You will come out of the hostel on Victory Square, a long boulevard with well maintained gardens and fountains. On the north side you will see the Romanian National Theater. The building dates from 1923 and during the 1989 revolution was held by Ceausescu supporters, while a rebel crowd of 40 000 gathered in the square. To the east of the theater, you will find the old Timisoara castle, now transformed into the museum of Banat.
On the south side of the square you have the Metropolitan Cathedral, a building that is quintessentially Romanian in style. It has nine towers and was erected in 1941 and its interior is stunning. The building now houses a small religious art museum in its basement, something that I only became aware of when an old lady working there offered to show us around. On a pillar in front of the cathedral is a statue of a Capitoline wolf, symbol of Rome. The wolf symbolizes the founding of the modern Romania after the conquest of Dacia by Rome. Hence the Romanians are a people of roman roots.
If you pass the National Theater, heading north you will go though a small pedestrian street. You will find the tourism office here as well as a sea of umbrellas.
At the end of the street you will cross into Victory square, one of the oldest public space in the city. The square is filled with stunning architecture including the old military casino, where Beethoven’s first love (Jeanette d’Honrath) lived. All the buildings in the square have a story to tell so ask around to get some further information from the locals. In the center of the square you will find a memorial to the plague.
To the west of the square you will find the Fabric District, interesting sights include an old Moorish style synagogue dating from 1899 and the Eugene of Savoy House. The house was built on the site of the very gate that Eugene of Savoy entered in 1817. To the east you will find the Teresa Bastion, the last remaining part of the city walls, originally composed of 9 bastions. There were only three gates to the city under Austrian Rule; Vienna (north-west), Petrovaradin (south-west) and Transylvania (east) hence the walls were removed to improve traffic flow. The direction of the gates can be deducted by the geography of their names. Not far from here you will find the 1989 Revolution museum. It is located in a suburb but just slightly north of the old town. This museum details the events of the Hungarian Revolution and is a must see!
Finally, north of Victory Square, in the old town, you will find the beating heart of Timisoara… Union Square (Piaţa Unirii)! This stunning public place is a show of Baroque architecture. The square was built after the Austrian occupation of the city on the site of the original fortification. The land was leveled and turned into a public market. The square was the main assembly point for Romanian troops when they entered the city in 1919 and as such is of symbolic importance. The square is home to many the most important buildings in the city and much of its patio life. Important civic structures include: the roman yellow painted St George’s catholic church, painted in yellow and dating from 1774. To its side are a row of multicolored row homes that are home to many pubs today. Other buildings include the house of Lei (Lions), a 1900 Vienna succession building with lion statues and the art museum, once a baroque palace. I would venture to say that this square is one of the top ten most picturesque urban spaces in Europe!
On the corner of the square you will find a personal favourite of mine, the Drunken Rat Pub. This funky pub offers a great selection of beers but if you would rather try a non-craft local legend try Timisoreana. This beer dates from 1718 and is the most popular beer in Romania. The brewery was the one established by Eugene of Savoy so you should try it just for that reason. If you want something craftier brew try Terapia by Clinica de Bere, a local brewery. Its quite tasty!
Conclusion
Timisoara is a vibrant and stunning city! It should absolutely be added to your itinerary whether you are exploring Hungary or Romania. Although rather small in stature and short on attractions, you will find yourself losing track of time. The elegant public spaces and enchanting boulevards will captivate you and before you know it, hours will have been spent wandering around in marvel!
