About Oradea - My City

Architecture and legend

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Project manager: dr. Dumitru Sim

Collaborator: Dr. Ioan Ciorba Dumitru Noane

Photos: dr. Dumitru Sim Samoilă Adrian Graphic Design: Samoilă Adrian

Translation: Ioana Lucaciu Felicia Duma Anca Blaga

Această publicaţie este realizată în cadrul proiectului Hist.Urban - Identitate Culturală Europeană, proiect derulat de Primăria

Municipiului Oradea cu sprijinul financiar al Uniunii Europene prin Programul PHARE Naţional, cod proiect RO 2004/016-772.05.02.02.10.

Editor: Primăria Municipiului Oradea Data publicării: noiembrie 2008

Date de contact beneficiar: Primăria Municipiului Oradea, Piaţa Unirii nr. 1, tel: 0259/437000

Conţinutul acestui material nu reprezintă în mod necesar poziţia oficială a Uniunii Europene.

Comisia Europeană http://ec.europa.eu Consiliul Uniunii Europene http://www.consilium.europa.eu

Parlamentul European http://www.europarl.europa.eu

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Geographic location and general presentation

Oradea, the county seat of Bihor County, is one of the most important economic, social and cultural centres from NW Roma-nia, holding on to these features throughout its history. The town lies among the hills that divide and unify, in a harmonious way, the Crişana Plain and the foot with hilly aspect of the Apuseni Mountains. Located on the banks of the river Crisul Repede, river that divides the town in almost two equal halves, Oradea makes the connection to the Central-European and West-European world.

According to the cardinal points, the town is situated at the north-western extremity of Romania, at the intersection of parallel of latitude 47°03’ North with the meridian of longitude 21°55’ East.Situated at approx. 10 km from Bors, the biggest customs house on the Western border, Oradea is the 10th largest town in Romania. More exactly, it covers a surface of 11,556 hectares.

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Relief

The town is situated at an al-titude of 126 m above sea level, in the area where the valley of the river Crisul Repede opens to the low plain, in a contact zone between the foot of the Apuseni Mountains and the vast Banat-Crisana Plane. It is a passage area from the hilly relief (West-ern Hills, Oradea Hills and Gepis Hills) to that of Pannonian plane.

The topoclimate of the town is determined by the persistent action of the Western Winds. Therefore, we are dealing with a temperate-continental climate with oceanic influences. The mul-tiannual average temperature is of 10.4˚ C. In July, the average temperature is of approx. 21˚ C, while in January is of -1.4˚ C. The rainfalls are relatively rich; the annual average is of approx. 585.4 mm. They vary during the year and it is impossible to clearly delimit the maximum and the minimum temporal areas of rain-fall.

Climate

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Tourism and touristic attractions in Oradea

Its geographic location makes from Oradea a very important node for the regional and in-ternational tourism. Thus, the town is located only 12 km from Baile Felix, the larg-est permanent watering and climate resort from Romania. In the same time, on the area of Bihor County, there can be found several important tour-istic attractions: the Stana de Vale resort, the karst forma-tions from the Apuseni Moun-tains, the spectacular river valleys that cross the county, the customs and traditions all over the county, the multi-tude of peasant architectural remainders, and other natu-ral and antropic attractions. Oradea’s touristic potential is underlined not only by its general position, but also by its history and architecture as well as by the location of its monuments all over the town. The impression that the town

leaves of those who cross it, simple tourists or admirers of ancient architecture, is that of a spectacular architectural reservation, a place where beauty, ancient and new mix in a unitary, harmonious and complex whole.

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Patrimony – Oradea – Architecture and Legend

Oradea, a city with a millennial history, situated at the confluence of the Occident with the Orient, a true “bridge city” between two worlds, managed along the existence to absorb and to contour ac-cording to its own vision on the world all the best things in the greatest two cultural “tec-tonic” plates. The spiritual effervescence, the economic richness of the community and the taste for beautiful, made that here in the city on the shores of Crisul Repede River, very valuable architects who have architectonic styles close to Central and Western Europe, find a place for mani-festing their ideas.

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Central Railway Station Bucureşti Square

Central Railway Station (Bucureşti Square). It was built in 1857 in the Eclectic style. In 1900-1902, due to the increase of the travellers’ affluence, it was modernized and much enlarged. The two side wings are being built now in the same Eclectic style with Neo-roman and Neo-gothic influences. It is worth mentioning the fact that two of the most im-portant constructors in the town, architect Rimanoczy Kálaman senior and construction engineer Réndes Vilmős, left their mark on the building.

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COMPLEX

The Baroque

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The Baroque Complex Bucureşti Square

The Baroque Complex is only 3-5 minutes away of the railway station, walking down in front of the station crossing Bucureşti Square towards Petőfi Park. It has three component parts that once belonged to the same architec-tural complex. Now, the situation has returned, all three buildings belong to the Roman-Catholic Bishopric of Oradea.

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THE CANONS

The Row of

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The Row of the Canons Şirul Canonicilor Street

The Row Of The Canons (Şirul Canonicilor Street), situated on the left side of the followed route, represents in fact an architectural complex made up of 10 ranging buildings erected during several phases that covered 100 years. It seems that the first building was erected in 1753-1758 and the last one in 1875. They sheltered the canons of the Bishopric. Even if not unitary from an architectural point of view, a skillful eye can notice the differences in shape and dimension of the windows that give the aspect of a whole thanks to the archway supported by massive pillars and Bohemian-style vaults. The baroque style is the predominant one, even if there are specialists who assert that it is more a Transylvanian popular classical architecture. The curious ones can count the 56 vaults of the complex that, when looked at from an end to the other, give the impression of an endless row.

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OF THE HOLY VIRGIN”

“The Ascension

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“The Ascension Of The Holy Virgin” Roman-Catholic Cathedral Şirul Canonicilor Street

“The Ascension of the Holy Virgin” Roman-Catholic Cathe-dral (Şirul Canonicilor Street) is located inside the park that still shelters the Ţării Crişurilor Mu-seum. The access to the cathedral can be done either on the main gate or on the gate that leads to the nave. It is the masterpiece of the Viennese architect Franz An-ton Hillebrandt, the one who ac-cepted Bishop Paulus Forgács’s proposal of building it. It is worth mentioning the fact that, from 1750 until May 1, 1752, when the head-stone was laid, the name of the Austrian architect was omni-present, but, from that moment on, he disappeared and was re-placed by the Italian constructor Giovanni Battista Ricca. A sad fate hung above those whose names were linked to this worship estab-lishment. The Italian Ricca died in 1756. The arrival of a new bish-op, Adam Patachich, gave a new impulse to the construction. He

arranged that the cathedral be built by the Austrian Johann Michael Neumann under the supervision of the same Franz Anton Hillebrandt, who meanwhile had become chief architect of the Imperial Court. In 1761, Ricca’s plans were replaced by new ones and that is why, instead of a north-Italian Baroque basilica a late-Austrian Baroque building was erected. After several modifications to the plans and holdbacks, works ended in the summer of 1779. One year later, on the 25th of June 1780, the halidom was dedicated.

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PALACE

The Baroque

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The Baroque Palace Şirul Canonicilor street

The Baroque Palace (Şirul Canonicilor Street) was built be-tween the years 1761-1777. It be-longs to the same architectural complex, and again, it is the mas-terpiece of the Viennese architect Franz Anton Hillebrandt. After having laid the head-stone on the 23rd of May, 1762, the construc-tion works were supervised by the Austrian constructor Johann Michael Neumann. The building of the palace is remarkable for its exterior monumentality and for its interior sumptuousness. It has the shape of a huge U, the fa-çade is 102.3m and the side wings 25m long. The style adopted for its construction is French import on Austrian side; it is the French Palatine Baroque style, also known as cour d’honneur. On the three floors of the building,

one can count 365 windows, one window for each day of the year. It is notable the fact that even if the palace did not follow entirely the initial plans that would have increased its architectural value it still remains the most important and extensive baroque complex from our country and probably from south-eastern Europe.

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PALACE

The Baroque

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The Hospital Of The Mercifulls and the Chapel of the Mercifulls no.33 Republicii

The Hospital of the Merci-fulls (33, Republicii Street) and The Chapel of the Mercifulls are situated at the entrance from Magheru blvd. to Corso, that is Republicii Street. The chapel was the first erected and finished building of the complex (1754-1760). The style adopted for its construction is late Baroque. The novelty of this worship es-tablishment consists in the roof solutions. The elliptic cupola that covers the small dimension construction, 22m per 14.30m, represents one of the rarest archi-tectural solutions used in those times.The construction of the hospital started in 1761. The rooms in the short wing were built during this period. The construction of the long wing, the one on Republi-cii Street, started only in 1792. The impressive portal that gives upon the yard was built in 1799.

Stylistically, it belongs to the late Baroque style. On top of the building there are three statues representing St. John Nepomuk, in the middle St. John, protector of the invalids and of the hospital establishments, and on the left side of the portal, St. Florian. In-side, the visitor discovers sculp-tured furnishings of solid timber that belongs to the same period, bronze statuettes, a few very old and worth admiring tools and pharmaceutical recipients.

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The Palace Of Public Finances no.35 Republicii Street

The Palace Of Public Finances (35, Republicii Street), now a policlinic and hospital of catching diseases, forms a diago-nal with the County Hospital and it is located at the left entrance of the Republicii Street. Its con-struction in the Eclectic style began in 1900 and it is the mas-terpiece of the famous architect Rimánoczy Kálmán junior. He considered necessary that such a building should combine a multitude of architectural styles, but let the renascent elements prevail.

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“The Descent of the Holy Spirit” Roman-Catholic Church Republicii Street

“The Descent of the Holy Spirit” Roman-Catholic Church (Republicii Street), parallel to the two buildings described above, has an old and tormented history. Initially, a Franciscan monastery had functioned there that was lat-er abolished by Emperor Joseph II. Thus, beginning with 1787, the land with the construction on it belonged to the Roman-Catholic Church. Consequently, the new owners added to the old Baroque ecclesiastic establishment, of which few elements are still pre-served (the lateral alters of the chapels, the crypt), a high tower (53m) divided in three registers on the main façade. Engineer Knapp Ferencz built it in only four months.

Beginning with 1891, a curse hung over the church. The first signs of a not solid construction, between the nave and the tower, appeared and an evident crack could be noticed. The immediate recon-

solidation of the structure became imminent. Despite all these, a new crack in the cupola appeared a cen-tury later, in 1901. No rehabilita-tion solutions were envisaged, so the churched was closed and the nave was demolished. Architect Rimánoczy Kálmán Jr. received the assignment of reconstructing the building. He was the one who gave the building a pseudo Ba-roque style or, according to other specialists in the history of archi-tecture, a manieristic style.

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OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Descent

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PALACE

The Apollo

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The Apollo Palace no.12 Republicii Street

The Apollo Palace (12, Re-publicii Street) is located on the right side of the pedestrian street, on the way to the fortress. The construction of this monumental palace began in 1912. It respected the plans of architect Rimánoczy, combining in an elegant way the Berliner Secession with the her-aldry of the German Empire style. It is a building with impressive ornaments: stucco works, statues and ironware. The attic shelters the studios of some famous plas-tic artists.

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PALACE

The Moskovits

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The Moskovits Palace no.4 Parcul Traian

The Moskovits Palace (4, Parcul Traian), opposite the Apollo Palace, was built accord-ing to the plans of the same ar-chitect, in 1904-1905. It is a new example of Rimánoczy’s special inclination for the Berliner Seces-sion. It was for the first time when prefabs were used in Oradea, re-spectively cement sheets with metallic ribs. It has very rich veg-etal and symbolic ornaments, a perfect inclination of the curves and very well manufactured Se-cession ironware.

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The Stern Palace no.10-10/A, Republicii Street

The Stern Palace (10-10/A, Republicii Street) was built in 1904-1905. Its constructors, architects Komor Marcell and Jakab Dezső chose the Secession style, more exactly the Lechnér sub variant of this style. Domi-nated by straight lines, with the exception of the window frame-works, this palace is remarkable for its beautiful frieze beneath the eaves. It is decorated with textile and floral motifs in coloured coat-ing.

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The Rimanoczy Kalman Senior Palace no.1 Parcul Traian

The Rimanoczy Kalman Se-nior Palace is on the right cor-ner of the crossroads of Republicii and no.1, Parcul Traian Streets. Since there are no accurate data of the period when it was erected, specialists date its achievement in 1905. It is a copy, at another scale and much simplified, of the Cá d’Oro Palace of Venice. It was designed by the owner’s son, the widely mentioned Rimánoczy Kálmán Jr. Dominated by curve lines, accolades in decorated brow, and ogives the palace be-longs to the Eclectic style with Neogothic influences.

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Ursulas’ “st. Ana” Chruch and monastery no.1-3 Moscovei Street

Ursulas’ “st. Ana” Chruch and monastery, apparently two distinctive buildings, they are united by a common historic evolution. Their construction began in 1771 at canon Stepha-nus Szentzy’s initiative, the one who bought the land of a former monastery yard. The construc-tion of this complex knew sev-eral phases, and the architectural solutions were among the most various ones. That is why, hav-ing the shape of the letter L, the complex formed of a church and of a monastery presents both Baroque and Romantic elements with Neogothic influences. It seems that its construction was finished in 1877, when the wing on Republicii Street was complet-ed with that on no.1-3, Moscovei Street, the actual “Ady Endre” Highschool.

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The Bazaar Republicii Street

The Bazaar is located between the Republicii and the Madách Imre Streets. The construction realized by Rimánoczy Kálmán senior in Eclectic style was made of materials resulted from the de-molition of some houses located on the land of the actual Theatre and Bazaar. A massive construc-tion, dominated by symmetry and by an imposing frontispiece that mark the pedestrian street situ-ated on its median side.

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HOUSE

The Poynar

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The Poynar House Ferdinand Square corner with N. Grigorescu street

The Poynar House (Ferdi-nand Square corner with N. Gri-gorescu street) was built in 1907, in Secession style. The master-piece of constructor Sztarill Fe-rencz, the building is dominated by ornamental and curvilinear construction elements. On its fa-çades, perfectly symmetrical, at the window cappings and at the level of the cornice we can ob-serve polychrome ornamental el-ements of ceramics. The decora-tion of the frontispiece consists of floral coating with a special visual and aesthetic impact.

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The State Theatre Ferdinand Square

The State Theatre dominates the Ferdinand Square with its grandeur. Located in the middle of a real museum of architecture, this Eclectic building is remark-able for its exceptional achieve-ment. The construction, much desired by the municipality of that period, was assigned to the famous Viennese construction company Fellner & Helmer. The two Viennese entrepreneurs, fa-mous all over Europe for their ef-ficiency and good taste, presented a project to the town municipal-ity and the effective construction began on July 21, 1899. Thanks to the constructors’ efficiency, Rimánoczy Kálmán senior, Gutt-man József and Rendes Vilmos, the building was finished on Oc-tober 1, 1900, and the official in-auguration took place two weeks later. An art expert can admire Neoclassic and Neorenescent decorative elements on the fa-çades, and the Neobaroque style

inside. The statuary complex in front of the Theatre repre-sents the two muses that protect the histrionics: Tragedy (Mel-pomene) and Comedy (Thalia). A sculpture company from Buda-pest performed it.

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THEATRE

The State

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The Adorjan I House Patrioţilor Street corner with Moscovei Street

The Adorjan I House in the continuation of the warehouse of the theatre, on its left side, on Patrioţilor Street corner with Moscovei Street, was built in 1903 by Sztarill Ferencz after the plans of architects Komor Marcell and Jakab Dezső. The Secession style, heavy and adorned, paying huge attention to being overwhelmed with details, is “completed” with ornamental solutions of popular influence.

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The Adorjan II House no.4 Patrioţilor Street

The Adorjan II House, no.4 Patrioţilor Street, was built by the same entrepreneur. Its construc-tion was done in 1904-1905, and the curvilinear Secession style is evident. From an ornamental point of view, it combines the preponderant style with the art of popular influences, just like its twin construction.

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PALACE

The Sztarill

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The Sztarill Palace Ferdinand Square

The Palace Of Public Finances (35, Republicii Street), now a policlinic and hospital of catching diseases, forms a diago-nal with the County Hospital and it is located at the left entrance of the Republicii Street. Its con-struction in the Eclectic style began in 1900 and it is the mas-terpiece of the famous architect Rimánoczy Kálmán junior. He considered necessary that such a building should combine a multitude of architectural styles, but let the renascent elements prevail.

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Transylvania Hotel, former “Panonia” Hotel Ferdinand Square

Transylvania Hotel, former “Panonia” Hotel, located in Ferdinand Square, between Asto-ria and the Palace of the Central Savings bank, was built according to the plans of the local architect Guttman József. The construc-tion of the two wings was real-ized in 1903-1904. The style is the Eclectic one with strong Seces-sion marks. The friezes and the stucco works, the cappings and the ironware form a complemen-tary whole that are worth admir-ing.

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The Palace of the Central Saving Bank no.4 Ferdinand Square

The Palace of the Central Savings Bank (no.4, Ferdinand Square). Rimánoczy Kálmán Jr. designed and constructed the building in 1907. The building would be gradually extended. In 1911, the same entrepreneur added a show room and a cin-ema (Transylvania Cinema in the present) at the ground floor and at the floor a reception room for the bank (the present Culture House of the town). Numerous renovations led to the disappear-ance of some Eclectic decorative elements. The initial Secession ironware from the entrance and the beautiful portals are history.

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The Levay Palace Ferdinand Square

The Levay Palace located at the crossroads of Ferdinand Square with Libertatii Square, on the right bank of river Crisul Repede. In the shape of L, the building was constructed in 1892-1894, has a small axis given by the three registers on the wing that gives upon Ferdinand Square. The lager extension, 14 registers, is situated on the riverbank. Its constructor, architect Hazlián Já-nos, preferred the Classical style with some early Eclectic con-struction solutions.

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“St. Ladislaus” Roman-Catholic Church Unirii Square

“St. Ladislaus” Roman-Cath-olic Church (Unirii Square) is situated on the other bank of the river that crosses Oradea. It is considered one of the most im-portant Baroque establishments of the town. Its construction started around 1720, and accord-ing to the inscription above the entrance, it was finished in 1733. In fact, its construction took place during several phases and lasted a longer period. There are only a few data on the constructors of this establishment of provincial, simple but elegant, Baroque style. There is no available information on the architect and only a few on one of the constructors, Francis-cus Suszter. It is worth mention-ing the fact that until 1780, when the roman-catholic basilica was dedicated, St. Ladislaus church functioned as a roman-catholic cathedral, making temporar-ily the transition between the old

fortress cathedral and the current one – the one found in the Ba-roque Complex.

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OF ORADEA

The City Hall

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The City Hall Unirii Square

The City Hall is the work (de-sign and execution) of architect Rimánoczy Kálmán Jr., who, in 1896, won the design contest for a new city hall building. The construction of this monumental building started with the demo-lition of the former Episcopal residence in 1901, the head-stone being laid in February, 1902. In October, 1903, the building was inaugurated and commissioned. The clock tower, the façade rich in architectural elements (pilas-ters, colonnades, balconies, ar-

cades, a traffic road portico and till recently an allegoric statuary group) received special attention from the designer-constructor. They are also underlined by the relative classical and by the com-positional modesty of the lateral wings. The tower served as an ob-servation point for the firefighter on duty. Ironically, in 1944, the tower, the roof and the last floor burned up. They were later re-built.

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COMPLEX

The Black Eagle

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The Black Eagle Complex Independenţei Square

The Black Eagle Complex , maybe the most monumental architectural achievement of Oradea and Transylvania, if we are to refer to the constructive Secession style. Architects Komor Marcell and Jakab Dezső won the contest for the construction of this architectural complex. Its construction, on the site of the former “Black Eagle” Inn, started in 1907 under the supervision of construction engineer Sztarill Ferenc. In December, 1908 it was already finalized. Formed of two unequal and asymmetric parts, connected by a third one situated in the middle and much withdrawn, the complex was to shelter: a theatre, ballrooms, a casino, offices etc. The passage in the shape of Y and the three entrances (the main entrance on Unirii Square, the back ones on V. Alecsandri and Independenţei Streets), the amazing avalanche of curve lines, the alternance of

stucco works – bass reliefs with floral and figurative motifs, the stained glasses and the huge chandeliers are so well organized from a symmetrical point of view that no one could impugn the dis-tinction of the establishment.

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The Black Eagle Complex Independenţei Square

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COMPLEX

The Black Eagle

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The Palace Of The Greek-Catholic Bishopric Unirii Square

The Palace Of The Greek-Catholic Bishopric situated in Unirii Square, was realized in Eclectic style by Rimánoczy Kálmán Jr. on the site of the for-mer Baroque building that also served as an Episcopal residence. The construction lasted from 1903 until 1905. Framed by two lateral towers and dominated by the tower that connects the two wings, the building is a delicate Eclectic combination with mul-tiple Roman and Byzantine deco-rative elements.

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The Greek-Catholic Cathedral Iuliu Maniu Street

The Greek-Catholic Cathedral – somehow a contin-uation of the bishopric building in Unirii Square, was built be-tween 1800-1810, by an unknown architect and constructor, but in a well defined Classical Baroque style. The interior decoration, typical to the individualization of Romanian Greek-Catholics in the Catholic world, is of Byz-antine descent. The edifice falls under the 1836 fire and is rebuilt in great effort and expense un-til the year 1870. Also now they erect the Byzantine tower. A new fire affects the tower in 1907. It is then restored in 1910-1912, when they build the sumptuous Ba-roque “helmet” that we can still see today. Among others, the unperceivable differences in aspect as well as in rite determined the religious house to function – after the Greek-Catholic rite was made il-legal by the Communist regime

– as a highly ranked Orthodox church. Once it entered in the normality of the democratic re-gime, the church became again what it was ab initio, namely a Greek-Catholic cathedral.

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The Church of “Virgin Mary’s Falling Asleep” Unirii Square

The Church of “Virgin Mary’s Falling Asleep”, more frequently known as “The Moon Church”, is located just next to the Greek-Catholic cathedral, in the south-eastern corner of Unirii Square. They started to build this church in November 1784, when Tran-sylvania was moved by one of the strongest peasant movements ever. The architect who designed the building plan was Jacob Eder and the constructor was engineer Ioann Lins. The masonry was fin-ished in 1790, while on the 17th of November of the same year the first religious service was held. The church was sanctified much later – over 4 decades afterwards – in 1832, when the interior painting was already finished.

The church was built in a late Ba-roque style, with obvious Classical elements, but also with a strong vernacular, provincial stamp. The

inside respects the strict norms of space development given by the Byzantine style, strictly following the canons of the church. On the front of the iconostasis was, once, the portrait of Horea, one of the leaders of the 1784 revolt, being considered by many historians the only authentic reproduction of his face. Nowadays, it is replaced by a copy, as the original is to be found in the Orthodox Bishopric of Oradea. The nickname of “The Moon Church” comes from the mecha-nism that was installed on the church tower, the one that using a clock device has managed for such a long time to indicate exactly the phases of the moon, by a globe co-loured in black and gold. The fancy machinery was the work of clock-maker Georg Rueppe and was put in use in 1793.

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VIRGIN MARY’S FALLING ASLEEP

The Church of

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The Capucins’ Monastery and Church Cuza Vodă street

The Capucins’ Monastery and Church is located between General Traian Moşoiu and Cuza Vodă streets. This complex is a testimony of the Classicist style that dominated the taste of the Oradea people at a certain point in time. Initially a Baroque build-ing, after the construction of 1734-1742, the building burnt to the ground in the fire of 1836. The complex was rebuilt in Classicist style, very fashionable at the time, and was finished in 1838 by constructor Barthel Győrgy.The inside of the church is a simple one, the ship is modest in size and only partly painted, images only appear on the ceil-ing. The painted images, strongly dependant on the Eastern artistic influences, can be distinguished by a simple approach, with lay accents.

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The Orthodox Synagogue Mihai Viteazul street

The Orthodox Synagogue is located in the current Mihai Vite-azul street, in the middle of a still active Jewish community cen-ter. However, at the time when it started to be built, the Mosaic community of Oradea was one of the most important, from an eco-nomic point of view, in the city. As a result, for cultural and reli-gious traditional considerations, but mostly because of this eco-nomic strength, the building had to be emblematic.

It was built in 1890 by construc-tor Knapp Ferenc, who followed plans made by architect Bach Nándor. The style is Eclectic, with visible Moorish decorative elements, apparent even today. They remained a dominant of the building even after the latest interventions, in fact even now, when we elaborate this material, the building is undergoing a wide process of restoration of the fa-

cades, the roof and the inside. Currently, this is the only func-tional synagogue in Oradea, as the number of the Oradea Jews fell terribly during the Second World War, many of them being taken away, as well as during the Communist regime, when they started to emigrate to Israel or to Western states.

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The Ullmann Palace no.9, 1 Decembrie Square

The Ullmann Palace (no.9, 1 Decembrie Square) was built in the Viennese Secession style, in 1913, by the Gertsler, Megyeri, Szunyogh construction company according to architect Lőbl Fe-renc’s plans. The high ground floor is paved with green-bluish faience; the sober façade is deco-rated with stucco lockets and brick knobs. The specific feature of this building is the bas-relief presenting the Nubian lion and the seven-armed candlestick made of bronze-green stoneware.

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The Neolog Synagogue Independenţei street

The Neolog Synagogue is lo-cated opposite from 1 December square, on Independenţei street. Built after the division of the Jew-ish community of Oradea into Orthodox and Congress or Neo-logical Jews, it becomes an ar-chitectural reality of the Oradea landscape in 1878. The imposing Eclectic building was made af-ter the plans of Busch David, by Rimánoczi Kálmán senior. Just like in the case of the other syna-gogue, the external and interiour decorations are of Moorish inspi-ration. The essential differences between the two Mosaic religious houses are that the latter is much more monumental. Compared with the Orthodox one, the Neo-log synagogue distinguishes itself by being so massive, so imposing and last but not least, a favour-able location. Unfortunately, the building – although in a good state of conservation, is not func-tional. It can be entered for visits

only after official demands ad-dressed to the leadership of the Jewish community, just like in the case of the previous patrimo-nial objective.

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The Fortress of Oradea (39, Independenţei Square) was erect-ed at the end of the 11th century initially to defend a monastery with Virgin Saint Mary as pa-tron, monastery built – accord-ing to the legend- on an island on river Crişului Repede, near Peţa stream. In the beginning, the fortification was made of earth, strengthened with a palisade and with wooden towers.

After the Roman-Catholic Bish-opric of Oradea had been in-stalled within the Fortress, a ca-

The Fortress of Oradea no.39 Independenţei Square

thedral, served by a college of 24 priests, called Capitular, was built inside. In the beginning, the Fortress of Oradea had the role of a centre that polarized the habitations surrounding the area, having po-litical, military, juridical, admin-istrative and religious functions.At the Tatar-Mongolian invasion of 1241, the fortress was not in a good shape, thus permitting the besiegers –by using a stratagem based on their extreme mobil-ity- to conquer it and destroy it by burning it up, tragic event described by monk Ruggero di

Puglia in the poem Carmen mi-serabile.

After the Lyon Council from Feb-ruary 1245, thanks to the facili-ties granted to the newcomers in the region, an ample process of reconstruction began in Oradea. It was a massive process, at im-pressive scales, that continued in the following century, too. Thus, in 1342-1370, there was built a gothic cathedral of remarkable size, one of the largest in central-eastern Europe. An impressive Episcopal palace was built in the southern part of the fortress.

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In 1360-1370, the Marn and Gheor-ghe brothers from Cluj realized the bronze statues of the three canon-ized kings –Stephen I, Emerick, and Ladislaus I. In 1390, they re-turned and made the equestrian statue of King Ladislaus I, natural size, entirely gilded. However, the Turks took all the statues – in 1660 when they conquered the fortress - and melt them for cannons.

The Fortress of Oradea enjoyed the special attention of several Hungar-ian kings: Ladislaus I, Louis I the Great, Sigismund of Luxembourg, Matthias Corvinus, János Sza-polyai, of Transylvanian princes - Stephan Bathori, Cristofor Bathori, Gabriel Bethlen, Gheorghe Rákoczi I- who showed preoccupation in the reinforcement and development of the fortress, establishing here a sec-ond residence, with all the deserved glory.

No less than seven kings and queens were buried in the cathedral or in the cemetery - Ladislaus I, Andrew II, Stephen II, Ladislaus IV the Cu-man, Queen Beatrix, Queen Mary and the King-Emperor Sigismund of Luxemburg – as well as several bishops, among them Andrea Sco-lari and Sigismund Thurzo.On August 25, 1401, Pope Boni-facius IX conferred a privilege to

the cathedral within the fortress, bringing it to the same rank as San Marco church of Venice and Santa Maria Portiuncula of Assisi – allowing the catholic believers to come in pilgrimage, and increasing thus the fame and the incomes of the fortress and of the surround-ing localities. Besides the simple believers, kings started to come to visit the fortress and pay their re-spects at the cathedral. On March 31, 1412, on Easter, King Władysław II Jagiełło of Poland accompanied by King Sigismund of Luxemburg spent here more than two weeks.

In the 15th century, “the golden age” of the fortress, thanks to some bishops who were highly erudite scholars – Andrea Scolari, John Vitez of Zredna, Sigismund Thurzo, the Fortress of Oradea became an important centre of Humanism and Renaissance in Central and Eastern Europe. An impressive library, containing almost all the works of the European Humanists, and a “Literarum asylum”, a meet-ing and discussion place for the Italian and other Central and East-ern European scholar, were built. The illustrious physicist of Vienna University, Georg Peuerbach (1423 - 1461), built an astronomic obser-vatory in Oradea and, establishing the zero meridian here, he calculat-

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ed the sun and moon eclipses in his work “Tabulas Varadienses”. In the 16th century, Nicolaus Olahus, the great Romanian Humanist scholar, studied at the Capitular School that functioned in the fortress.From a religious point of view, be-sides the roles of residence of the Roman-Catholic Bishopric and pil-grimage, two important aspects are worth being mentioned. The first one is the Unitarian riot on June 22, 1565 that led to the abolition of the catholic institutions in 1557 by destroying the cathedral inside the fortress. The second one is the printing, at the printing press of the fortress, of the Hungarian edition of the Bible, known as the Bible of Oradea.

From a military point of view, the

bishopric of the fortress disposed of its own army made of 500 cav-alrymen and 500 hundred infantry-men, recruited mainly from the Ro-manian voivodes of Bihor (Gepiş, Remetea). Leading the army, the bishops took part and lost their lives at the Crusade of Varna (1444) and at the battle of Mohács (1526).sAfter the fall of the Hungar-ian feudal kingdom and its divi-sion between the Turks and the Habsburgs, Ferdinand of Habsburg and King János Szapolyai disputed the Oradea Fortress. The Peace of Oradea was concluded in the for-tress on February 24, 1538. It was the first international treaty that confirmed the complete separa-tion of Transylvania from Hungary. The conflict restarted after the fall of Buda under the Turks (August

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1540) and Szapolyai’s death and ended when the Fortress of Oradea was conquered by the army of the Principality of Transylvania on April 10, 1557.It was then that the Great Cap-taincy of Oradea was constituted. Its main mission was to defend the western border of the principality and the domain of the Fortress of Oradea by taking over the posses-sions of the bishopric and of the council, and abolishing the catholic institutions due to the victory of the Reform.

The role of the great captains of Oradea was significant both on lo-cal level and for the fact that some of them – Stephan Bathori (since 1575 also king of Poland), Cristofor Bathori, Stephan Bocskai, Gheo-rghe Rakoczi II–, later became

princes of Transylvania.

The regional political and military changes, generated by the fall of Buda (August 1540) and of Timiso-ara (1552) that became Turkish pashalic, imposed the construction of a new fortification in Oradea, adapted to the demands of the time. Thus, the princes of Transyl-vania hired Italian military archi-tects, the most skillful ones at this type of constructions, who built the new pentagonal fortress, with bas-tions at the corners and a defense water ditch, of late renascent na-ture, in two phases: in 1569-1598 the inner wall of the fortification and in 1618-1650 the castle of the fortress.During its history, the Fortress of Oradea had significant connections with the other Romanian countries.

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An important moment can be con-sidered the reign of Michael the Brave (1593-1601) when the army of the fortress (800 cavalrymen and 1,200 infantrymen) led by captain Stephan Bocskai took part at the anti-Ottoman campaign of 1595, at the battles of Târgovişte, Bucharest and Giurgiu. A troop of 1,500 cavalrymen, led by Aga Lec-ca, came to help the fortress that was besieged by the Turks.

The armies of the Ottoman Em-pire besieged the Fortress of Oradea in 1474, 1598, 1658 and 1660, when – after a siege of 46 days, with a garrison of 850 men withstanding the Turkish army of 45,000 soldiers – due to treason, the fortress surrendered on Au-gust 27. For the next 32 years, it was under Ottoman domination, and became the headquarters of the Oradea Pashalic.

Following a very long campaign (July 1691-June 1692), on June 5, 1692, Abdulatiff pasha, the last great governor of Oradea, and General Donath Heissler signed a truth by which the Ottoman garri-son surrendered and the Fortress of Oradea was under the Aus-trian domination. This moment marked the triumph of Christian-ity and the beginning of the Mod-ern Age for Oradea.

Beginning with 1692, the fortress was included in the Habsburgic military system, carrying different functions according to the politi-cal and military evolution of the new province of the empire. The new rulers gave the fortress a spe-cial significance as proved by the repairs and rearrangements car-ried out in 1692-1695, 1725, 1754-1755, 1775-1777 and 1883-1887.

By the decree of May 16, 1857, King Franz Joseph I annulled the military role of the fortress. Un-til 1918, the fortress served as an auxiliary space. Even after 1918, the fortress continued to be a mil-itary objective, used as such.

The restoration process – started in 1998 and intensified in the fol-lowing years – is meant to restore, as much as possible, the former beauty of the fortress and to turn it into an attraction point for the locals and for the visitors, so that the fortress can really become the symbol of Oradea.

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Bibliography

1. Istoria oraşului Oradea (coord. Liviu Bor-cea şi Gheorghe Gorun), Ed. Cogito, Oradea, 19952. Peter Zoltan, Trei secole de arhitectură orădeană, Ed. Muzeului Ţării Crişurilor, Oradea, 20033. Oradea (coord. Aurel Chiriac), Ed. Muzeului Ţării Crişurilor, Oradea, 20024. Liviu Borcea, Memoria caselor, Ed. Arca, 2003

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About Oradea - My City

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