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Timișoara

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For other uses of "Timiş", see Timiş (disambiguation).
Timişoara
Coat of arms of Timişoara
Coat of arms
Location of Timişoara
Location of Timişoara
Country Romania
CountyTimiş County
StatusCounty Capital
Government
 • MayorGheorghe Ciuhandu (Christian-Democratic People's Party)
Area
 • City129.2 km2 (49.9 sq mi)
Population
 (2002)[1]
 • City317,660
 • Density2,457/km2 (6,360/sq mi)
 • Metro
400,000
 • Pop (2004)
307,265
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Websitehttp://www.primariatm.ro/

Timişoara (pronunciation in Romanian: [[Media:Timisoara.ogg|/ti.mi'ʃǒa.ra/]]; Hungarian: Temesvár, German: Temeschburg, Temeswar, or Temeschwar, Bulgarian: Тимишоара, Serbian: Темишвар, Temišvar, Banat Bulgarian: Timišvár, Turkish: Tamışvar-Tamişvar or Temeşvar) is a city in the Banat region of western Romania. With a population of 336,089 in 2006[2], it is the capital city of Timiş County.

With 336,089 inhabitants, Timişoara is one of the largest cities in Romania. It is a large economic as well as cultural center in Banat in the west of the country.

It is a multicultural city with influential minorities, primarily Hungarians, Germans, and Serbs, as well as Italians, Arabs, Bulgarians, Roma people and Greeks.

The city is also called "Little Vienna", because it belonged for a very long time to the Habsburg Empire and the entire city center consists of buildings built in the Kaiser era, which reminds one much of the old Vienna. Timişoara is an important university center with the emphasis on subjects like medicine, mechanics and electro-technology. An industrial city with extensive services, it was the first European city to be lit by electric street lamps in 1884. It was also the second European and the first city in what is now Romania with horse drawn trams in 1867. There are numerous claims that Gustave Eiffel, the creator of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, built one of Timişoara's footbridges over the Bega.

The old city consists of historic city quarters with several historic squares and proms. These are: Cetate (Belváros in Hungarian, Innere-Stadt in German), Iosefin (Józsefváros, Josephstadt), Elisabetin (Erzsébetváros, Elisabethstadt), Fabric (Gyárváros, Fabrikstadt). Numerous bars, clubs and restaurants have opened in the old center in the fine old baroque square.

Name

All of the variants of its name derive from the Timiş River, known in Roman Antiquity as river Tibisis or Tibiscus. The evolution of the river name from antiquity (with the phonetic change "b" → "m") can be explained by the transition of Latin into Old Romanian. Although the Bega passes through Timisoara, the city received its name from the Timiş river because at the time of the setting of the name, the Bega and Timiş river's paths were very much mixed up. It is frequently spelled in English simply as Timisoara (without the diacritical mark beneath the s which actually produces a "sh" sound as in "shape").

A street light description
File:Timisoara fountain.jpg
A fountain in the centre of Timişoara

History

Main article: History of Timişoara
Timişoara in a 1685 engraving by Wagner

In the Roman period, in the place where Timişoara is today, or in it's immediate proximity there was a military camp named Zambara or Zurobara .[3] During the time of the invasions of the nomad tribes from the Central-Asian plains, especially that of the Avars, on the site of the ruins of Zambara, a new settlement, called Beguey, was built.

In 1019 the locality of Dibiscos/ Bisiskos/ Tibiskos/ Tibiskon/ Timbisko/etc., presumed to be the future Timisoara , was mentioned for the first time in written documents of the Byzantine Emperor Basil II, although not all historians do agree with this identification.

In 1154, the Arabian geographer Sarif al Idrisi mentioned the city telling that "it is a nice city offering a lot of riches".

The first mention of the fort of Timişoara (Castrum Temesiensis) is found in the decree of King Andrew II of Hungary dating from 1212. Timişoara itself was first mentioned in official documents as a city in 1474. It was conquered by the Ottomans in 1552 and remained under their control until it was taken by the Habsburg army led by the Prince Eugene of Savoy in 1716.

The demographic conditions of the region changed dramatically during the 167 year of Ottoman rule. In 1582, the city of Temeswar, in spite of the bloody siege, still had a Hungarian majority (the chief judge was István Herczegh - Preyer, Johann N.: Monographie der konigliche n Freistadt Temesvar - 1853). Later, the largest ethnic group in the city were Muslim Turks, and other smaller groups included Serbs, Jews, and Gypsies. [4]

After the city was occupied by the Austrian Empire, the Turkish population fled. Of the remainder, we know of about 600-700 inhabitants out of which 446 were Serbs, 144 Jewish, and 35 Armenians. [5] The "Armenische Stadt" as a separate quarter existed until the great plague of 1738.

According to the 1720 data, the largest ethnic group in the city was Serb. Other smaller groups included Romanians and Jews; there were no Hungarians or Germans in the city at that time. [4] Later, many Germans settled in the city, and gradually they became the largest ethnic group.

In 1718, the first beer factory in Transylvania was built. The first tobacco mill in today's Romania was set up in Timişoara. Between 1728 and 1771 a canal Bega was built to unite the city with the Danube river. In 1849 Timişoara became the capital of the Austrian crownland of Voivodship of Serbia and Tamiš Banat as the result of the Spring of Nations revolution; the province was ethnically extremely diverse, as its population was made up of Romanians, Germans, Serbs, and Hungarians. The crownland was abolished in 1860 and passed to Hungarian rule in 1867 with the creation of the dual monarchy.

The city was also the first city in the Austro-Hungarian Empire to have public lighting using suet candles and lamps with oil and grease. Timişoara also became the first city in Europe to have electric public lighting on the 12th of November 1884, (four years after New York City). A tram hauled by horses also came into service around this period. Meanwhile, in 1869 Timişoara was also the first city in the Kingdom of Hungary to have an ambulance station

In 1910, the town had 72,555 inhabitants: 31,644 (43.6%) Germans, 28,552 (39.3%) Hungarians (most probably including the Hungarian speaking Jews) , 7,566 (10.4%) Romanians and 3,482 (4.8%) Serbs. [6]

After World War I, the town was occupied by Serbian troops in November 24, 1918. They withdrew from the city on July 26, 1919 and the Romanian army entered the city on August 3 after an ultimatum of the Romanian government. This situation was confirmed by the Treaty of Trianon.

After World War II, as a result of the city's development and of population movements from the Romanian villages of the surrounding region and from other regions of the country, Romanians became the majority in the city. At the same time, many ethnic Germans emigrated in Germany, also almost all of the Jews emigrated to Israel and to the West. Timişoara's population has more than tripled over the last 50 years (it was slightly more than 90,000 at 1930 census), while the percentage of Magyars (Hungarians) has decreased from 30% to 7.5%, the Germans' from 30% to 2% and the Jews from 8% to almost 0%.

On December 16, 1989 many citizens of the town came to support the Hungarian Calvinist pastor László Tőkés against the authorities and Securitate (secret police)'s decision to deport him. In these circumstances on 17th December a popular uprising started in Timişoara against the Communist regime of Nicolae Ceauşescu. This was the beginning of the Romanian Revolution of 1989, which put an end to the Communist regime a week later.

Demographics

Timişoara has a population of 336,089 (census 2006). The average annual population growth is -1,5%. 14,2% of the population are under 15 years of age, 4.0% are old over 75. The municipalities population dynamics and ethnic composition:

Census[7] Ethnic composition
Year Population Romanians Germans Hungarians Serbs Jews Roma Slovaks Bulgarians Ukrainians Others
1850 20,590 3,807 11,715 2,346 1,770 1,867 ? ? ? ? ?
1880 38,702 5,188 21,121 7,745 2,487 ? ? 416 ? 29 1,716
1890 45,948 5,594 24,973 11,100 2,363 ? ? 332 ? 27 1,559
1900 60,551 6,312 30,892 19,162 2,730 ? - 288 ? 13 1,154
1920 86,850 16,047 32,097 27,189 ? 8,307 - ? ? ? 3,210
1930 102,390 25,207 33,162 31,773 2,237 7,264 379 652 279 56 1,381
1941 125,052 46,466 37,611 24,891 ? ? ? ? ? ? 16,084
1956 142,257 75,855 24,326 29,968 3,065 6,700 122 575 280 56 1,310
1966 174,243 109,100 25,058 31,016 4,188 2,590 120 490 475 71 1,135
1977 269,353 191,742 28,429 36,724 6,776 1,629 1,109 404 942 299 1,299
1992 334,115 274,511 13,206 31,785 7,748 549 2,668 675 1,314 756 903
2002 317,660 270,487 7,142 25,131 6,271 367 3,114 570 1,218 762 5,506

Economy

Iulius Mall with its 210 shops is one of the largest shopping centres in Romania[8]

Timişoara has been a strong economic center since the 18th century when the Habsburg administration was installed. Due to the Austrian colonization, the ethnic and religious diversity and the innovation of laws, the economy began to develop. The technicians and craftsmen that settled in the city established guilds and helped develop the city’s economy.

During the Industrial Revolution most of the modern innovations were introduced. It was the first city with streets illuminated in the monarchy, and the first city of Europe illuminated by electric light. In this period the Bega river was channelled - Bega canal. It was the first navigable canal in the recent Romanian territory. In this way the city had contact with Europe, and even with the world through the Black Sea. This led to the evolution of commercialism. In the 19th century the railway system of the Hungarian Kingdom reached Timişoara. It is the first city in today’s Romania with international routes. In this way the city had all the needs for commercialism.

In recent years, Timişoara has enjoyed a significant economic boom as the number of foreign investments, especially in high-tech sectors, has risen constantly. It is frequently considered the second most prosperous city in Romania (following Bucharest) and there have been frequent debates on whether the so-called "Timişoara Model" could be applied to other cities. In an article in late 2005, French magazine L'Expansion called Timişoara Romania's economic showcase, and referred to the increased number of foreign investments as a "second revolution".

Apart from the several local investments, many substantial investments from the European Union take place in Timişoara, particularly from Germany and Italy, as well as from the USA. Continental has produced tires here for several years. The company Linde produces technical gases, and a part of the wiring moulds for BMW and Audi vehicles are produced by the company Draexelmaier. The US company Solectron maintains a large workplace in the west of the city for the production of mobile telephony and government inspection department devices. The American company Procter & Gamble manufactures washing and cleaning agents in Timişoara. The Swiss company Nestlé produces waffles here.

A city bus in Timişoara, running on route 33.

Transport

Timişoara public transport network consists of 11 tram lines, 9 trolleybus lines and 15 bus lines, and is operated by Regia Autonomă de Transport Timişoara (RATT) [1], an autonomous corporation of the City Hall. The city is served by Romania's second busiest airport, Traian Vuia International Airport, which is the hub of the Romania's second-largest airline, Carpatair. The city is connected to a series of major European and domestic destinations. Timişoara is a major railway centre and is connected to all other major Romanian cities, as well as local destinations, through the national Căile Ferate Române network.

Neighborhoods

  • Cetate
  • Freidorf
  • Zona Odobescu
  • Fratelia
  • Mehala I, II
  • Ronaţ
  • Fabric
  • Elisabetin
  • Iosefin
  • Calea Girocului
  • Circumvalaţiunii I, II, III, IV
  • Dacia
  • Matei Basarab
  • Mircea cel Batran
  • Bucovina
  • Soarelui
  • Tipografilor
  • Calea Şagului
  • Dâmboviţa
  • Complex
  • Steaua
  • Torontalului
  • Bucovina
  • Calea Aradului
  • Aradului vest
  • Calea Lipovei
  • Blaşcovici
  • Ion Ionescu de la Brad
  • Olimpia-Stadion
  • Complex studenţesc
  • Ciarda Roşie
  • Plopi
  • Ghiroda
  • Kuncz
  • Braytim
  • Lunei
  • Chişoda
  • Plăvăţ
  • Banat I
  • Modern

Main sights

Education

"Politehnica" University's main building, the "Lloyd Palace"

High Schools:

Colegiul Bănăţean, Grigore Moisil High School, C.D. Loga High School, Nikolaus Lenau High School, Bartók Béla High School, Ion Vidu High School, William Shakespeare High School and Carmen Silva High School are some of the leading high schools in Timişoara.

Universities:

Sport

Football:

Basketball:

Handball:

Sister cities

Famous natives

  • The Catholic Cathedral (built between 1736-1774)
    The Catholic Cathedral (built between 1736-1774)
  • The Bega Canal
    The Bega Canal
  • The Unirii Square
    The Unirii Square
  • The Orthodox Cathedral
    The Orthodox Cathedral
  • The Orthodox Cathedral (other view)
    The Orthodox Cathedral (other view)
  • The Victory Square(view at The Orthodox Church)
    The Victory Square(view at The Orthodox Church)
  • The City Hall
    The City Hall
  • The Prefect's Office
    The Prefect's Office
  • King Carol I Street
    King Carol I Street
  • The Victory Square
    The Victory Square
  • The Victory Square
    The Victory Square
  • The Baroque Palace
    The Baroque Palace
  • The Catholic Cathedral
    The Catholic Cathedral
  • The Unirii Square
    The Unirii Square
  • The Unirii Square (summer)
    The Unirii Square (summer)
  • The Catholic Cathedral (other view)
    The Catholic Cathedral (other view)
  • The Unirii Square and the Statue
    The Unirii Square and the Statue
  • The Serbian Church
    The Serbian Church
  • Pub in Unirii Square
    Pub in Unirii Square
  • Lenau School in Unirii Square
    Lenau School in Unirii Square
  • The BT Cafe
    The BT Cafe
  • The Libertatii Square
    The Libertatii Square
  • The Floral Clock
    The Floral Clock
  • The Park near the Floral Clock
    The Park near the Floral Clock
  • Catholic Church
    Catholic Church
  • The National Bank of Romania
    The National Bank of Romania
  • The National Bank of Romania (at night)
    The National Bank of Romania (at night)
  • Iulius Mall at Christmas
    Iulius Mall at Christmas
  • The Traian Square
    The Traian Square
  • The Millennium Cathedral
    The Millennium Cathedral
  • The Millennium Cathedral (other view)
    The Millennium Cathedral (other view)
  • The Roses Park
    The Roses Park
  • The Court Martial
    The Court Martial
  • Take Ionescu Street
    Take Ionescu Street
  • Cardinal Points
    Cardinal Points
  • Orthodox Church in Mehala
    Orthodox Church in Mehala
  • Dan Paltinisanu Stadium
    Dan Paltinisanu Stadium
  • The Orthodox Cathedral
    The Orthodox Cathedral
  • The Timisoara county Hospital
    The Timisoara county Hospital
  • Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy
    Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Timişoara.

References/Notes

  1. ^ National Institute of Statistics, Population of counties, municipalities and towns, July 1, 2004
  2. ^ Adetim - Timiş County data base
  3. ^ Urban wood and modern life- the example of Timisoara City by Gheorghe Florian Borlea, Radu Brad, and Oliver Merce - Forest Research & Management Institute- ICAS Timisoara, RO
  4. ^ a b Dr. Dušan J. Popović, Srbi u Vojvodini, knjige 1-3, Novi Sad, 1990
  5. ^ According to captain Graf Paolo Wallis - Neumann, Victor: Istoria evreilor din Banat. Buc. 1999
  6. ^ Atlas and Gazetteer of Historic Hungary 1914, Talma Kiadó
  7. ^ Ethnic items of Timiş County by E. Varga Template:Hu icon
  8. ^ IuliusMall Template:Ro icon

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