Timisoara
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| Metropolitan Cathedral, Timişoara |
Timişoara (
German Temeswar or
Temeschburg,
Hungarian TemesvÃÂár,
Serbo-Croatian,
Slovene TemiÃÂÃÂvar, (named after the Timisel river, now known as Bega after the channel was built ) population 329,554 in
2000)
is a city in western
Romania, in the
Banat region,
Timiş county. An industrial city with extensive services, it was the first European city to be lit by electricity.
Timişoara is a multicultural city with influential minorities, mainly Germans, Hungarians, and Serbs, as well as Italians, Palestinians and Greeks. It was the birthplace of
Johnny Weissmuller (an Olympic swimmer, best known for his role as
Tarzan).
In December 1989 a popular uprising began in Timişoara against the Communist regime of Nicolae Ceauşescu.
The Hungarian Methodist pastor Laszlo Tokes was ordered to be deported by the secret police (the Securitate) and as a reaction his house was surrounded by members of his church. People supporting him, including people of Romanian origin, gathered at the central square (Opera Square). The army was ordered to fire at the people by the Communist administration.
A number of army officers refused to open fire and sided with the people. That was the beginning of the end for the Communist regime, which fell a week later.
History
- 1177 - First mention of the Castrensis de Thymes in a medieval document.
- 1241 - The town is partly destroyed by the Tatars.
- 1307 - Carol Robert de Anjou builts the stone fortress and makes the city the capital of his kingdom.
- 1396 - The town is the starting point for the Nicopole Crusade.
- 1552 - Timisoara is conquered by Turks.
- 1716 - Eugen de Savoya take the town from the Turks.
- 1722-1726 - First wave of German colonists (svabi) under emperor Carol II.
- 1763-1772 - Second wave under empress Maria Tereza.
- 1782-1786 - Third wave under emperor Iosif II.
- 1738-1739 - Epidemic of plague.
- 1762-1763 - Epidemic of plague.
- 1849 - Between April 26th and August 8th Timisoara is sieged by Hungarian revolutionary forces (the longest siege of the town)
- 1857 - Public street lighting with aerian gas.
- 1869 - First tram with horses (6,6 km).
- 1884 - Public street lighting with electricity.
- 1907 - The walls of the fortress are destroyed to allow for new construction.
- 1918 - November 15th, Serbian forces enter into the town. The Banat region was desired by both Serbia and Romania.
- 1918 - December 3rd, French colonial forces arrive to avoid any possible conflicts between Serbia and Romania.
- 1919 - July 28th, Romanian administration is installed. Banat is partitioned between Serbia (2/3) and Romania (1/3).
- 1919 - August 3rd, Romanian army enters Timisoara.
- 1920 - The theater is destroyed by a fire. It will be rebuild and opened in 1928.
- 1926 - The statue of "Lupoaica" ("She-wolf" - Remullus and Remus), a gift from Italian autorities and later the town symbol, is inaugurated in the center.
- 1930 - Timisoara has 91,866 inhabitants (census).
- 1944 - June 16-17th, the city is bombed for the first time, by Britain's RAF.
- 1944 - July 3rd, the city is bombed again, by the United States Air Force.
- 1944 - September 12, the Soviet Red Army enters.
- 1945 - The first profesional Romanian theatre group is established in Timisoara.
- 1946 - The Romanian Opera is established, and its first performance, in April 1947, is "Aida" by Giuseppe Verdi.
- 1953 - The State Magyar Theater (Teatrul Maghiar de Stat) is established (known since 1990 as Csiky Gergely theatre), as well as the State German Theater (Teatrul German de Stat)
- 1989 - 16 December, the Revolution against the communist regime of Nicolae Ceasescu begins in Timisoara. On 20 December Timisoara is declared the first Free Town. 1,104 people died and 3,352 were wounded.
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