The Victory Square (), known until 1990 as the Opera Square (), is the central square of
Timișoara
Timișoara (, , ; , also or ; ; ; see #Etymology, other names) is the capital city of Timiș County, Banat, and the main economic, social and cultural center in Western Romania. Located on the Bega (Tisza), Bega River, Timișoara is consider ...
. It is the place where Timișoara was proclaimed on 20 December 1989 the first city free of
communism
Communism () is a political sociology, sociopolitical, political philosophy, philosophical, and economic ideology, economic ideology within the history of socialism, socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a ...
in
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
. It was a main boulevard, transformed into a square after the closure of the southern side by the construction of the
Metropolitan Cathedral.
The opposite poles of the square consist of the Opera to the north and the Metropolitan Cathedral to the south. From the Opera to the Cathedral the promenade on the right is called ''Corso'', and the one on the left is called ''Surogat''.
Both have protected architectural ensembles of local historical importance.
The square hosts the buildings of some important institutions such as the
National Theater and Opera, the Orthodox Cathedral, Timiș, Capitol and Studio cinemas, the
Museum of Banat, several art galleries as well as many shops and sidewalk cafés. Some of the most important cultural events take place in Victory Square: JazzTM, Timfloralis, FEST-FDR, Opera and Operetta Festival, Easter and Christmas fairs, New Year's concerts, etc.
History
Victory Square was designed at the beginning of the 20th century when the walls of the
old fortress were being demolished, and the center of Timișoara was redesigned to allow the development of the city.
In 1870, in the hope that a decision of defortification would be obtained, a small circular square had been designed approximately on the land of today's square. Only after
Franz Joseph I
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I ( ; ; 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the ruler of the Grand title of the emperor of Austria, other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 1848 until his death ...
's decision to cancel Timișoara's status of fortress on 23 April 1892, architect Ludwig von Ybl drawn up a "general city development plan", which provided for the establishment of a wide boulevard, having approximately the size of the current square.
Subsequent projects did not essentially change the size of the square, but only the details. Until 1948, it was called King Ferdinand Boulevard, after which it was renamed 30 December Boulevard.
The demolition of the fortifications began in 1899.
On 29 August 1910, permission was issued to build the first building flanking the current square, Lloyd Palace.
The other buildings on the western side of the square were built at a rapid pace until 1913. Before
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, only the imposing Löffler Palace was built on the eastern side.
The boulevard aspect diminished in favor of the square aspect when the southern side was closed by the construction of the Cathedral.
Road and tram traffic continued through the square after this time. Only in 1988–1989, with the removal of tram rails, the square became completely pedestrianized.
The former
ring road
A ring road (also known as circular road, beltline, beltway, circumferential (high)way, loop or orbital) is a road or a series of connected roads encircling a town, city or country. The most common purpose of a ring road is to assist in reducin ...
, which surrounded the Cetate district and which passed in front of the Opera, was also closed.
Corso
''Corso'' is the name of the promenade that starts from the Opera to the Cathedral, on the right.
In the past, it was the walking place of the high society of Timișoara, well illuminated, with luxury restaurants and shops.
Opposite the Opera, on the right, is the old building of the Timișoara Hotel. Next to it, at the beginning of Republic Boulevard, is Weiss Palace. From here begins the promenade itself, with the Lloyd Palace which houses the rectorate of the
Polytechnic University and, on the ground floor, the famous Lloyd restaurant. In order follow Neuhausz Palace, Merbl Palace, Dauerbach Palace, Hilt–Vogel Palace and finally Széchenyi Palace.
Hotel Timisoara, Timișoara (2023) - IMG 03.jpg, The old building of the Timișoara Hotel
File:Palatul Weiss.jpg, Weiss Palace
File:Universitatea Politehnica Timisoara - Rectorat.jpg, Lloyd Palace
The Lloyd Palace () is a historic building in the Victory Square of Timișoara, Romania. Named after the historical Lloyd restaurant on its ground floor, it is now the seat of the Rectorate of the Politehnica University of Timișoara. History
Th ...
with Lloyd restaurant on the ground floor
File:Palatul Neuhausz 2.jpg, Neuhaus Palace
File:Timisoara centru - panoramio.jpg, Merbl Palace and the "fountain with fish"
File:Palatul Dauerbach.jpg, Dauerbach Palace
File:Palatul Hilt-Vogel.jpg, Hilt-Vogel Palace
File:Palatul Szechenyi 1.jpg, Széchényi Palace
Surogat
''Surogat'' is the opposite promenade, on the left side, and a direct continuation of Alba Iulia Street.
In the past, only young people and workers walked here. The students only had access with the permission of the school, and the soldiers had to prove that they were on leave in order to walk here.
The first building is the Löffler Palace, followed by the Palace of the Chamber of Commerce, next to which was built in 1938 the Scala cinema, later renamed Studio. At the end of the promenade are a series of apartment buildings built between 1961–1963. From one end to the other, there are numerous shops on the ground floor.
File:Piața Victoriei - panoramio (3).jpg, Löffler Palace
File:Timisoara, palatul Camerei de Comert.jpg, Palace of the Chamber of Commerce
File:Piața Victoriei - panoramio (4).jpg, Modernist
Modernism was an early 20th-century movement in literature, visual arts, and music that emphasized experimentation, abstraction, and Subjectivity and objectivity (philosophy), subjective experience. Philosophy, politics, architecture, and soc ...
blocks on ''Surogat''
Monuments
The "
she-wolf with cubs", supported by a five-meter-high pillar, is a replica of the
Capitoline Wolf
The Capitoline Wolf (Italian language, Italian: ''Lupa Capitolina'') is a bronze sculpture depicting a scene from the legend of the founding of Rome. The sculpture shows a She-wolf (Roman mythology), she-wolf suckling the mythical twin founders ...
, given to Timișoara in 1926 by
Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
.
The statue was brought down during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, after Romania turned against the
Axis
An axis (: axes) may refer to:
Mathematics
*A specific line (often a directed line) that plays an important role in some contexts. In particular:
** Coordinate axis of a coordinate system
*** ''x''-axis, ''y''-axis, ''z''-axis, common names ...
. Romanians in Timișoara decided to protest against
Fascist Italy
Fascist Italy () is a term which is used in historiography to describe the Kingdom of Italy between 1922 and 1943, when Benito Mussolini and the National Fascist Party controlled the country, transforming it into a totalitarian dictatorship. Th ...
led by
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 un ...
, who supported Hungary to obtain
Northern Transylvania
Northern Transylvania (, ) was the region of the Kingdom of Romania that during World War II, as a consequence of the August 1940 territorial agreement known as the Second Vienna Award, became part of the Kingdom of Hungary (1920-1946), Kingdom ...
. The local authorities later put the statue back in its place during a visit by
Nicolae Ceaușescu
Nicolae Ceaușescu ( ; ; – 25 December 1989) was a Romanian politician who was the second and last Communism, communist leader of Socialist Romania, Romania, serving as the general secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 u ...
.
Between the Capitoline Wolf and the Opera there is the "fountain with fish", an
artesian fountain built in 1957. Initially, its shape was a five-pointed star. Its name is due to the fish-shaped sculptures that decorate it.
At the end from the Cathedral, the Monument of the Crucifixion was erected in 1999. It is a stainless steel work by Romanian-English sculptor
Paul Neagu dedicated to the victims of the 1989 Revolution.
References
{{PlacesTimișoara
Squares in Timișoara
1910 establishments in Romania