The Therapeutic Baths’ Casino of Vatra Dornei, also known as the Vatra Dornei Casino (''Cazinoul Bailor'' OR ''Cazinoul din Vatra Dornei''), is an abandoned
historic monument
A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, hist ...
located in
Suceava County
Suceava County () is a county ('' ro, județ'') of Romania. Most of its territory lies in the southern part of the historical region of Bukovina, while the remainder forms part of Western Moldavia proper.
The county seat is the historical town ...
,
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
in the town of
Vatra Dornei
Vatra Dornei (; german: Dorna-Watra; hu, Dornavátra) is a town in Suceava County, north-eastern Romania. It is situated in the historical region of Bukovina. Vatra Dornei is the fifth largest urban settlement in the county, with a population of ...
. It was built in 1898 by Austrian architect
Peter Paul Brang
Peter Paul Brang (1852–1925) was a Viennese architect who worked in what are today the Czech Republic and Slovenia, as well as in Bulgaria and Romania.
Some of his works include the City Baths in Liberec (1901–1902) and Ústí nad Labem (1905 ...
while the territory was part of the
Austro-Hungarian Empire
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
.
It is located on the
Dorna River.
It was initially constructed as an entertainment venue for tourists of Austria-Hungary who would flock to the nearby therapeutic baths. The baths offered mineral water treatments,
carbonic acid baths, and
mud wrap Mud wraps are spa treatments where the skin is covered in mud for a shorter or longer period. The mud causes sweating, and proponents claim that mud baths can slim and tone the body, hydrate or firm the skin, or relax and soothe the muscles. It is a ...
s for visitors while the nearby casino offered poker, craps, and roulette. The casino initially was designed to attract Viennese tourists looking for treatment. Local authorities hired traveling bands from Vienna and the structure itself was built as a sister casino to the current Grand Casino in
Baden bei Wien
Baden (German for " Baths"; Central Bavarian: ''Bodn''), unofficially distinguished from other Badens as Baden bei Wien (Baden near Vienna), is a spa town in Austria. It serves as the capital of Baden District in the state of Lower Austria. Loc ...
,
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
, mimicking its design. In its heyday, the Casino attracted tourists from all over Austria-Hungary, mainly from
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
,
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
, and
Budapest
Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...
, but also Italian and Jewish travelers.
The Casino opened its doors in 1898 and served personalities such as
Emperor Franz Joseph
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I (german: Franz Joseph Karl, hu, Ferenc József Károly, 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 2 December 1848 until his ...
and
Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Archduke Franz Ferdinand Carl Ludwig Joseph Maria of Austria, (18 December 1863 – 28 June 1914) was the heir presumptive to the throne of Austria-Hungary. His assassination in Sarajevo was the most immediate cause of World War I.
Fr ...
, but also other regional notables, such as
Lucian Blaga
Lucian Blaga (; 9 May 1895 – 6 May 1961) was a Romanian philosopher, poet, playwright, poetry translator and novelist. He was a commanding personality of the Romanian culture of the interbellum period.
Biography
Blaga was born on 9 May 1895 ...
,
Nicolae Iorga
Nicolae Iorga (; sometimes Neculai Iorga, Nicolas Jorga, Nicolai Jorga or Nicola Jorga, born Nicu N. Iorga;Iova, p. xxvii. 17 January 1871 – 27 November 1940) was a Romanian historian, politician, literary critic, memoirist, Albanologist, poet ...
,
Corneliu Zelea Codreanu
Corneliu Zelea Codreanu (; born Corneliu Codreanu, according to his birth certificate; 13 September 1899 – 30 November 1938) was a Romanian politician of the far right, the founder and charismatic leader of the Iron Guard or ''The Legion ...
,
Nichifor Crainic
Nichifor Crainic (; pseudonym of Ion Dobre ; 22 December 1889, Bulbucata, Giurgiu County – 20 August 1972, Mogoșoaia) was a Romanian writer, editor, philosopher, poet and theology, theologian famed for his traditionalist activities. Crai ...
,
Emil Bodnăraş,
Eugen Jebeleanu
Eugen Jebeleanu (; 24 April 1911 – 21 August 1991) was a Romanian poet, translator, journalist and scholar.
Biography
He was born in Câmpina, where he attended elementary school. After graduating from high school in Braşov at age 11 in 19 ...
,
Zaharia Stancu
Zaharia Stancu (; October 7, 1902 – December 5, 1974) was a Romanian prose writer, novelist, poet, and philosopher. He was also the director of the National Theatre Bucharest, the President of the Writers' Union of Romania, and a titular memb ...
, and
Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej
Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej (; 8 November 1901 – 19 March 1965) was a Romanian communist politician and electrician. He was the first Communist leader of Romania from 1947 to 1965, serving as first secretary of the Romanian Communist Party ( ...
. The casino also hosted Soviet generals on their way to Berlin in World War II.
Today, the casino is abandoned.
History
Financing, Inauguration, and Construction
Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor
Joseph II (German: Josef Benedikt Anton Michael Adam; English: ''Joseph Benedict Anthony Michael Adam''; 13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg lands from November 29, 1780 unt ...
, instituted a series of policies between 1765–1790 now known as
Josephinism
Josephinism was the collective domestic policies of Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor (1765–1790). During the ten years in which Joseph was the sole ruler of the Habsburg monarchy (1780–1790), he attempted to legislate a series of drastic reforms ...
, which acted to decentralize church institutions. In essence, this policy prohibited local churches from speaking directly to the
Curia
Curia (Latin plural curiae) in ancient Rome referred to one of the original groupings of the citizenry, eventually numbering 30, and later every Roman citizen was presumed to belong to one. While they originally likely had wider powers, they came ...
in Rome or other centralized bodies as with Orthodox churches. Practicing Jews of Bukovina were also targeted by the occupying Monarchs. The consequence of the policy was the bankruptcy and shuttering of over 800 monasteries and local churches and the forfeiture of their funds and vast properties to the government. It also resulted in the centralization of active church property. The newly acquired funds and properties were turned into public, secular church-fund bureaucracies (in German: Religionsfonds
[) resulting in the creation of 1,700 new welfare institutions and parishes.][Isidor Onciul, „Der griechischorientalische Religionsfonds”, în Die österreichisch-ungarische Monarchie in Wort und Bild, Bukowina, Wien, 1899, p. 154-174.]
After the annexation of Bukovina
Bukovinagerman: Bukowina or ; hu, Bukovina; pl, Bukowina; ro, Bucovina; uk, Буковина, ; see also other languages. is a historical region, variously described as part of either Central or Eastern Europe (or both).Klaus Peter BergerT ...
by the Habsburg monarch from the Principality of Moldavia
Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and former principality in Central ...
in 1775 (which later became part of the Austrian Empire in 1804 and Austria-Hungary in 1867), the monarch appointed Baron Erzenberg as governor over the new military administration of the region. At the time, churches and monasteries owned two-thirds of all wealth and land in Bukovina.
Under the June 19, 1783, imperial decree of Joseph II, the Baron was ordered to begin the centralization of church-owned lands and wealth. The local Eastern Orthodox
Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism.
Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or "canonical") ...
Eparchy of Bukovina, seated in Chernivtsi
Chernivtsi ( uk, Чернівці́}, ; ro, Cernăuți, ; see also other names) is a city in the historical region of Bukovina, which is now divided along the borders of Romania and Ukraine, including this city, which is situated on the upp ...
, was placed under spiritual jurisdiction of Metropolitanate of Karlovci
The Metropolitanate of Karlovci ( sr, Карловачка митрополија, Karlovačka mitropolija) was a metropolitanate of the Eastern Orthodox Church that existed in the Habsburg monarchy between 1708 and 1848. Between 1708 and 1713 ...
.
Translated from Romanian, the decree ordered, in part:
''fără amânare să se reducă numărul mănăstirilor, iar pământurile şi fondurile să treacă sub povăţuirea stăpânirii împărăteşti şi crăieştii Mării. Averea preoţilor care nu trăiesc în Bucovina să se confişte, iar din întreg fondul care se va forma pe această cale să se întreţină clerul ortodox şi să se creeze cel puţin o şcoală, fie la Cernăuţi, fie la Suceava, iar restul să se întrebuinţeze pentru scopuri folositoare''.[ ]
Without delay, by order there will be a reduction of the number of monasteries, and the lands and funds will pass under the wisdom and responsibility of the dominion of the Kingdom and in the care of the Monarch. The wealth of priests who do not live in Bucovina are hereby confiscated, and from the entire confiscated church-fund will support the Orthodox clergy but will also create at least one school, either in Chernivtsi or in Suceava, and the rest to remaining church-fund shall be allocated for useful purposes.
The order additionally required the confiscation of wealth from priests who lived outside of Bukovina to establish a school in the territory, either in Chernivtsi
Chernivtsi ( uk, Чернівці́}, ; ro, Cernăuți, ; see also other names) is a city in the historical region of Bukovina, which is now divided along the borders of Romania and Ukraine, including this city, which is situated on the upp ...
or in Suceava
Suceava () is the largest urban settlement and the seat town ( ro, oraș reședință de județ) of Suceava County, situated in the historical region of Bukovina, northeastern Romania, and at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central and Eastern E ...
. In 1786, the Church-Fund of Bukovina was created from the possessions of the Orthodox churches in the territory, and like similar funds, it was to be a secular institution whose wealth was to be used for public benefit and public reinvestment.
The communal land upon which the Casino resides was old church land managed by the local church-fund bureaucracy known as Fondul Bisericesc al Bucovinei (Church-Fund of Bukovina).[ A portion of confiscated church money, which was secularized, was used to fund the casino.
In 1805 after a scientific analysis and study of the natural and mineral springs in Vatra Dornei by chemist Hacquette de Nurnberg, Dr. Ignatius Plusch advocated authorities for the construction of public therapeutic baths in Poiana Negrii. In 1810, he proceeded to lobby in Vienna for the Vatra Dornei baths. The land on which the communal therapeutic baths were located was purchased by the secularized church-fund in 1870. For those with extreme illnesses, a 20-cabin property was erected where, later, ''Hotel Nr. 1'' would be built.
]
Inauguration and Construction
The casino's existence can be credited to then-mayor Vasile Diac of Vatra Dorna, who initiated and lobbied for the project but later committed suicide by shooting himself over allegations of fraud and theft of city funds. The mayor pitched the project to Emperor Franz Joseph, who approved the works. The casino was to be constructed near the therapeutic baths and built on communal forested land, confiscated from the church. The land required to be deforested. A portion of the money needed to build the casino was appropriated from the Church-fund of Bukovina, raised through fundraisers and community donations, to which Emperor Franz Joseph had also contributed. The remaining portion was borrowed from a bank in Vienna.
Construction of the building began in 1896 by Austrian architect Peter Paul Brang. The building was designed in an eclectic
Eclectic may refer to:
Music
* ''Eclectic'' (Eric Johnson and Mike Stern album), 2014
* ''Eclectic'' (Big Country album), 1996
* Eclectic Method, name of an audio-visual remix act
* Eclecticism in music, the conscious use of styles alien to th ...
style, with hints of German Renaissance Revival
Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range o ...
. In 1898, a partial inauguration took place. The official inauguration occurred July 10, 1899 and hosted Emperor Franz Joseph and Arch Duke Ferdinand.
The building opened to serve Viennese tourists, with local authorities using gambling taxes to repay the debt and finance local services. The casino comprised a theatre hall, a library, a restaurant, a confectionery, and public utility spaces. Three large Murano Crystal chandeliers adorned the ceilings, initially being lit by candlelight followed by electrification and lightbulbs. To accommodate the tourists, a train line opened nearby, and wealthy tourists were transported from the train station by coach to the therapeutic baths and to the casino complex.
Local urban myth has it that a secret tunnel was built under the casino to offer an escape route for winners of large sums as a way to avoid robbery and harassment.
The Casino in the 20th Century
After the Great Unification of Romania, where Romania gained possession, amongst other things, of Bukovina, the Austrians were required to pay War Reparations to Romania for World War I. As part of their payment, the Austrians handed over the Church-Fund of Bukovina. The land was reconstituted back to the Metropolis of Moldavia and Bukovina, with administrative rights changing hands several times between the Minister of Agriculture and the church leadership.
The Casino was then known as Central Pavilion of the Therapeutic Baths (Pavilionul Central al Băilor). Since 1936, a number of functional changes of the building have occurred. Due to the functional changes, the artistic imagery in the casino's performance hall was altered. In the back of the casino, a terrace overlooking the Spa Park was completed in 1937.
During World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the building was utilized by Nazi
Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...
armies for military purposes. On the morning of September 29, 1944, during the withdrawal of German military units from Vatra Dornei, the casino building, and especially the inner spaces, suffered significant damage. In the spring of 1945, a number of repairs were initiated.[
After the communists came to power in Romania, the casino property was ]nationalized
Nationalization (nationalisation in British English) is the process of transforming privately-owned assets into public assets by bringing them under the public ownership of a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to pri ...
and turned into a workers club, which combined propaganda, educational, and community center functions (similar to the Melnikov Clubs such as Rusakov Workers Club). Party meetings would be held in the club, local syndicate meetings, local communist committee functions, but also host the National Chess Championship of Communist Romania.
In the early part of 1986, extensive restoration and renovation work of the surrounding perimeter had started; the street from the Dorna River was transformed into a boulevard. According to the statements of Ioan Corneţchi, former mayor of Vatra Dornei between 1986–1989, Dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu
Nicolae Ceaușescu ( , ; – 25 December 1989) was a Romanian communist politician and dictator. He was the general secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 to 1989, and the second and last Communist leader of Romania. He was ...
approved the remake of the Casino in 1987. The work had to be completed within three years, and host the Ceaușescu's 1990 New Year Celebration, which never occurred due to the Romanian Revolution
The Romanian Revolution ( ro, Revoluția Română), also known as the Christmas Revolution ( ro, Revoluția de Crăciun), was a period of violent civil unrest in Romania during December 1989 as a part of the Revolutions of 1989 that occurred i ...
.[
After the country fell into economic paralysis due to the 1989 Revolution, the interior of the casino was pillaged. According to local records, after the first three months of the fall of communism, all chandeliers were stolen, copper tubs and plumbing was taken, the interior was stripped of metal, the ]Carrara marble
Carrara marble, Luna marble to the Romans, is a type of white or blue-grey marble popular for use in sculpture and building decor. It has been quarried since Roman times in the mountains just outside the city of Carrara in the province of Massa ...
work was taken, all decorative crystal glasses, windows, and kitchenware was taken. Work ceased on the Casino.
File:23rd August Spring at Vatra Baths.jpg, "August 23" Spring at the Therapeutic Bath Complex of Vatra Dornei
File:Cazinoul-Pavilionul.Central.Vatra.jpg, Central Pavilion of the Therapeutic Baths (Pavilionul Central al Băilor)
File:Vatra Dornei Bath Establishment.jpg, Vatra Dornei Baths- Train Line
File:Cazino-vatra-dornei-2.jpg, Vatra Dornei Casino
File:Interbellum Casino of Vatra Dornei (1937).png, Interbellum Casino of Vatra Dornei
Post-Communist Era
After 1990, the casino was in the care of the Dorna Turism SA society. Then, by Government decision, in 1995, the building was transferred to the Local Council of Vatra Dornei. The council managed to approve a project in 1998, with funds from the Ministry of Culture and Cults (Ministerul Culturii şi Cultelor ) for the rehabilitation of the building, and local authorities spent huge amounts for the foundation and substructure. In 1998, at the initiative of Mayor John Moraru, the city Council of Vatra Dornei decided to establish the "Vatra Dornei Casino" Foundation in order to find the necessary financial resources for restoration and consolidation of the Casino.
However, in January 2003, the Archdiocese of Suceava and Rădăuţilor, as the legal administrator and successor of the church-fund of Bucovina (Romanian Orthodox Church fund in Bucovina) created on June 19, 1783, claimed the casino building.
On October 14, 2004, Government Decision No. 437 restituted the Casino, the Infectious Diseases building, and a building at the base of Runc Hill, to the Archdiocese, following an investigation by the Special Commission for Restitution of Religious Property. Due to Property Restitution Laws in Romania, the Romanian Orthodox Church is one of the largest owners and administrators of historical heritage sites.
At the time the building was returned, local priest Mihai Valică of the local "Holy Trinity" Church in Vatra Dornei threatened state authorities with lawsuits for allowing the destruction of buildings.[
A contract was signed December 2017 to fund the rehabilitation of the Casino with European Funds and turn it into a Museum. It was signed in the presence of Director of Regional Development for North East Romania, Vasile Abu, and the Archbishop of Suceava and Rădăuţilor.]
References
{{Reflist
1898 establishments in Romania
Casinos in Romania
Historic monuments in Suceava County
Buildings and structures completed in 1898