The Baroque Palace

Sediul Consiliului Judeţean Timiş este situat în clădirea de pe bulevardul Revoluţiei 1989 nr. 17 din municipiul Timişoara. Clădirea a fost reşedinţa rezidentului regal răspunzător de administrarea ţinutului Timiş (judeţele Timiş-Torontal, Arad, Caraş-Severin şi Hunedoara), creat în anul 1938, apoi sediul prefecturii Timiş-Torontal. Clădirea a fost destinată prin proiect şi apoi executată pentru a funcţiona ca şcoală de menaj, în perioada anilor ’30, fiind finanţată de la bugetul de stat. Datorită crizei economice din anii 1929 -1933, care a avut influenţă asupra economiei României dar şi asupra părţii de vest a ţării, nu a putut fi terminată, a fost ridicată în roşu, acoperită şi a stat nefinisată până în anul 1938. Odată cu înfiinţarea ţinutului administrativ Timiş şi a numirii rezidentului regal în fruntea acestui ţinut, se punea problema găsirii unui sediu adecvat acestuia, astfel s-a ajuns la soluţia schimbării destinaţiei acestei clădiri, din şcoală în palat administrativ. Fiind însă o clădire cu destinaţie şcoală, au fost necesare mai multe modificări în toată structura clădirii. Reproiectarea clădirii, pentru a fi funcţională ca sediu administrativ, s-a făcut de renumitul profesor universitar de la Politehnica timişoreană, arhitectul Victor Vlad, în colaborare cu arhitectul Corneliu Liuba. Lucrările de reamenajare la clădire au început în anul 1938 şi s-au încheiat la începutul anilor ‘40. Aşa cum ni se înfăţişează astăzi, clădirea Palatului Administrativ este o construcţie monumentală în stil modern. În exterior dominante sunt însă elementele clasice, într-o realizare cu materiale moderne. Clădirea impune prin proporţii, volum şi elemente decorative. Coloanele clasice cu capitel corintic decorează faţada, la care fusul este finisat în terasit, restul fiind lucrat în piatră artificială. Din orice parte ai privi-o, ţi se arată maiestuoasă, reprezentativă, în care specificul naţional este pus în evidenţă fără ostentaţie într-o judicioasă compoziţie de volume simple, agrementate cu elemente plastice de origine locală. De-a lungul timpului, clădirea a suferit o serie de modificări interioare prin recompartimentarea spaţiilor şi redistribuirea funcţiunilor, menţinându-se profilul administrativ. În perioada anilor 1968-1989, clădirea a fost folosită şi de către Comitetul Judeţean Timiş al PCR şi UTC, Uniunea Judeţeană a Cooperativelor Agricole de Producţie şi Gărzile Patriotice. În prezent clădirea este folosită ca sediu pentru Consiliul Judeţean Timiş şi Instituţia Prefectului Judeţului Timiş, fiind în proprietatea publică a judeţului Timiş şi administrarea Consiliului Judeţean Timiş. Pentru a face faţă activităţilor administraţiei publice judeţene, cât şi în perspectivă pentru Regiunea de Vest, s-a hotărât extinderea actualei clădiri pe latura nordică a construcţiei existente, mărginită de străzile Leonte Filipescu şi Tulnicului şi Piaţa Eftimie Murgu. Noua clădire are o arie desfăşurată de 3167 mp., pe patru tronsoane de diferite niveluri, fiind inaugurată în anul 2010.

The Monument of the Lupa Capitolina is located in central Victory Square, on top of a Roman column, about 5 meters high. It is a replica of the Lupa Capitolina, also called Lupa Romana, the Etruscan bronze statue probably cast in the 5th century B.C., somewhere on the valley of the River Tiber, that depicts the two siblings, founders of Rome – Romulus and Remus, fed by a she-wolf. The original statue is kpt in the "Museo Nuovo" inside the Palazzo dei Conservatori in Roma. A copy is exhibited outdoors in Piazza Del Campidoglio. The statue found nowadays in Victory Square was presented to Timișoara in 1926 by the City of Rome, as a symbol of the Latin origin of the Romanian people. The inauguration of the monument took place on April 23, 1926, in the presence of 10,000 people; Dr. Samuil Șagovici, mayor of Timișoara, Vasile Goldiș, the Minister of Religious Affairs, Grigore Trancu-Iași, The Labour Minister, as well as delegates of Mussolini, the Italian head of state at that time, participated in the event. The reception was done by Codecca, the Italian Consul in Timișoara. Two such copies were also given to the towns of Cluj-Napoca and Bucharest. Text source: https://timisoara.eventya.eu/

The Palace of the Reformed Community is located in the vicinity of the Virgin Mary Square in Timişoara, at 1 Timotei Cipariu St.. The building houses the parsonage and the reformed church, and it was built in 1902 in Neo-Gothic style, based on the projects of Budapest architects Nagy Károly and Jánosházi László. The architecture of the building is a special one. It highlights the sharp-shaped roofs, similar to the medieval towers from the Gothic period. The organ of the Reformed Community Palace was manufactured in Lipót Wegenstein's workshop, and the pulpit is the work of Jakab Fischer. In front of the Reformed Community Palace, on December 15, 1989, the Romanian anti-communist revolution began, with the manifestation against the deportation of the Reformed pastor, László Tökes. Text and photo sources: http://www.timisoara-info.ro/; http://timisoara.eventya.eu/

The Water Palace is one of the most valuable buildings in Timișoara, located at the entrance to the Iosefin Neighbourhood, immediately after Traian Bridge. The Water Palace or the House of the House of the Timiș Bega Hydro-Improvement Company, as it was originally called, was built between 1900 and 1902 by Karl Hart, based on architect Baumhorn Lipót's plans, after Bega became navigable. The building was designed in the architectural style typical of the 1900s, and decorated with Neo-Baroque and Ionic elements. Since originally it had been a single-storey building, it was later raised by Artur Tunner, without, however, losing its architectural harmony. The heightened roof of the central part of the building and the double columns of the façade can be noted, both highlighting the pediments. The decorations are extremely rich, while one may distinguish representations of fish and other water-inspired figures, as well as anthropomorphic ones. Text and photo sources: http://www.radiotimisoara.ro/; http://timisoara.eventya.eu/

The Military Casino is located in Liberty Square, and is the most valuable military building, dating back to the eighteenth century. The construction works were completed in 1775, and in time the building was superimposed and completed with a large terrace. In a refined decor, the great festivity hall of the Military Casino was where the officers' balls used to take place, so famous at that time. This highlights the important role that the building once played in the social life of the young locals in those days. In 1924 the Rose Exhibition was organised here, when black and blue roses were introduced for the first time. In 1996, the building of the Military Casino started housing the Military Museum and Club. Text source: https://timisoara.eventya.eu/

The Clergy Houses are an ensemble of 4 houses, located at 8, 9, 10 and 11 Union Square. The houses date back to the second half of the eighteenth century and originally formed a single building, with a unitary façade, until after 1844. All the houses were originally executed in the Austrian Baroque style, and rebuilt after the 1849 siege in Classicist style, and later restored in 1980, based on the plans of architect Șerban Sturza. The house at no.8, known as the Szervinatz House, belonged in 1828 to Johann Szervinatz. In 1847, the house sheltered the tavern "La Trei Husari", and in 1852 it was turned into a vinegar factory. The house at number 9, known as the Nica Koszta House, belonged in 1828 to Nica Koszta, and later this is where the tavern "La Balotul din Ardeal" ("The Transylvanian Bale") worked. In 2009, the house was restored as part of the Romanian-German cooperation project „The Prudent Rehabilitation and Economic Revitalization of the Historic Neighbourhoods in Timişoara”, implemented by the Municipality of Timişoara and the German Society for Technical Cooperation (GTZ). The house at number 10 was known in 1828 as the "Clergy House". The one at number 11 is the Krautwaschl House, which in 1828 belonged to Franz Krautwaschl. In 1844 this is where the tavern "La Struţ" ("The Ostrich") functioned, the emblem of the tavern was represented by a red painted ostrich. In the mean time, the house became headquarters of bank subsidiaries, editorials, political parties. It was restored in 2009. Text and photo sources: http://www.timisoara-info.ro/; https://timisoara.eventya.eu/

The House of the Orthodox Community is located at 5 Union Square; it was built by the Orthodox community in 1828, on the site of an older house dating back to the second half of the eighteenth century. The building was used both by the Romanian and Serbian Orthodox believers. From the architectural stand point, the building was designed in Classicist style, with some Baroque influences. The entrance portal is flanked by double Doric semi-columns. The six openings from the ground floor, located left and right of the entrance portal, have round arches above, typical of the Classicist style. During the restoration work carried out in 1983, executed by architect Şerban Sturza, the house was added a gable roof in Austrian Baroque style. Over time, the house has several uses. Thus, in 1823, the Orthodox school functioned here, and later, in 1847, it became known as the "New Illyrian House", with a wine cellar and commercial spaces on the ground floor. In 1853, on these premises nine shops used to operate. After the separation of the Romanian Orthodox Church from the Serbian one, the building remained property of the latter. Currently, part of the building is leased to companies. Text and photo sources: http://www.timisoara-info.ro/; https://timisoara.eventya.eu/

The Ormós House is located on Episcop Augustin Pacha St. and serves as headquarters to the Library of the Romanian Academy - the Timișoara Branch. It is the former Welauer House, built in 1891, now bearing the name of Ormós Zsigmond, who purchased the building, modifying it and turning it into the museum of the History and Archaeology Society, of which he was a founding member. Ormós Zsigmond was a leading figure of the Timișoara cultural life, a collector and an art historian, who also served as Prefect of Timiș County. In this capacity, he launched a call for a grant, seeking to attract as many founding members of the museum as possible. The museum objects collected by Ormós Zsigmond, through acquisitions and donations, are exhibited in the History Museum of Banat in Timișoara. Ever since 1941, the Town Library has functioned in the Ormós House, and later, the Academy Library starting 1953. The building was designed in the Eclectic style of the German Renaissance and is part of the national cultural heritage. Over time, the bass reliefs disappeared, the statue of goddess Minerva being the only one which was preserved intact on the façade of the building. Text and photo sources: https://debanat.ro/; https://timisoara.eventya.eu/

The House with the Lions is located in Union Square, on the north side, being the first house to be built in this square, in Baroque style, dated 1758. Over time, the House with the Lions had several names, depending on its destination. Since 1840, the building was successively home to the "La Soarele de Aur" ("The Golden Sun") tavern, the "La Câinele Alb" ("The White Dog") grocery store and the "La Fluierul Mare" ("The Big Flute") shop. Early twentieth century, when the building belonged to the Weiss family, it was rebuilt in the Secession style, which is when the two life-size carved lions were added on the roof, thus dominating the façade of the house up to present day. The building is known as the "House with the Lions" or the "Weiss-Grünbaum Trade House". Text and photo sources: http://www.timisoara-info.ro/; https://timisoara.eventya.eu/