The modern history of the capital of Romania starts with the second half of the 19th century, around 1850
The modern history of the capital of Romania starts with the second half of the 19th century, around 1850, when it turns from an Oriental into a European city. Looking at a map or a drawing depicting the city over 150 years ago, one would hardly be able to recognize it. This is because the Old City, former commercial quarters, with a few medieval churches, only vaguely sketch the old capital of Wallachia.
The history of Bucharest crosses three periods of great transformation. The first is during the reign of King Carol I, between 1866 and 1914. The second was during the reign of King Carol II, in the 1930s, while the third was during the rule of communist ruler Nicolae Ceausescu, in the 1980s.
King Carol II was the most controversial sovereign of the four that Romania had. With a strong personality, intelligent, but also full of flaws and weaknesses, Carol II managed to transform Bucharest in conformity with the needs of the capital, and the architecture trends of the time. Carol II's reign, between 1930 and 1940, was one of grand projects, recalling those of his forebear, Carol I. His father Ferdinand I's reign, between 1914 and 1927, covered WWI and the consolidation of the newly formed country, Greater Romania, by uniting, in 1918, most of territories inhabited by Romanians. The 1920s were years of integration and recovery after the war. Only in the 1930s did Romania manage to resume grand development projects, one of them being Bucharest itself. During the reign of Carol II, building roads across the country and state and culture institution buildings were a priority.
Construction engineer, professor, and academician Nicolae Noica is the director of the Romanian Academy Library. He reviewed for us a few notable buildings that Bucharest owes to controversial ruler Carol II. The list has to begin with the royal residence itself:
"The first building would be the Royal Palace. On the night of December 7th to the 8th, a conflagration consumed the entire central part of the palace. Consolidation of the foundations, and the resistance structure, was made by engineer Pragher. After 1932, building works were done for the central section, which ended with a reception report for the Royal Palace. I found that report. Then, in 1938, building started for the wing that faces the Atheneum, which went on until 1940. It is remarkable that the 1940 earthquake did not damage the building."
The projects continued at an alert pace. Institutions for a state that doubled in size in 1918 needed bigger buildings. Here is Nicolae Noica:
"Another important building was the headquarters of the Foreign Ministry, now the seat of government. This building was designed by Duiliu Marcu, while the reinforced concrete buildings were done by engineer Gheorghiu between 1937 and 1938. That was the old foreign ministry building. The new National Bank palace was done at a time when an urban design study was being run, when the Higher Technical Council analyzed all the changes in alignment in the area. The public utility decree issued by King Carol II expropriated those areas."
King Carol II lives in history as a great supporter of culture. The Academy was no exception to the list of institutions he encouraged. Noica mentioned the very building of the institution he leads:
"Another impressive building is the building of the Romanian Academy Library. For the first time, after in 1931 Professor Duiliu March had submitted to the Academy the project for one of the sections of the library building, between 1935 and 1937 they built this remarkable edifice, with work led by engineer Ioanovici. The inauguration, on 5 June 1937, was attended by the king himself, who insisted to be present at the Academy session when they made Lucian Blaga a member."
On one of the big boulevards of Bucharest we find another grand building erected during the reign of Carol II, the headquarters of the National Archives. To the west, close to Cotroceni Palace, the presidency building, we find the Military Academy, a monument in the Bauhaus style. Here is Nicolae Noica:
"Another representative building is the Patrimony of the Official Registry, today the National Archives, across from Cismigiu Park. The Higher School of War, today the Military Academy, was built between 1937 and 1939. The main body of the Higher School of War was built on a length of 120 meters, and has 3,650 sqm. The entire building was erected in just two years. The work was led by engineer Emil Pragher, a great personality."
We may also put on the short list the Institute of Agricultural Research, the Village Museum, the Triumphal Arch of Bucharest, the royal residence in Scrovistea, the Fire Tower Castle in Sinaia, and the Orthodox cathedrals of Cluj, Medias, and Timisoara.
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