Romania

Medieval history

Bucharest’s first documentary attestation dates from the 15th century (on 20th September 1459) and it is a document by which the Prince Vlad the Impaler confirmed a donation made to some small feudals. 
The establishment of princely residence in Bucharest was realised during the Prince Vlad the Impaler - Vlad Tepes - regning and it has a decisive role in the further development of the settlement.

In this manner, at the beginning of the 15th century there was recorded a double rising in the city surface. There lies new quarters populated by craftsman.

In the area called today “the Saint George” were localized in the past the ovens of ironsmiths, at the Unity Square (Pia]a Unirii) - Coltea Place (Zona Coltea) were localized the ovens of the potters and on the banks of the Dimbovita river, the tanners had established their residence. 
On the Northern side of the Princely Court had established the residence of the trade workers, the furriers, the tailors. The main commercial and trade point becomes “The Big Lane” (Ulita Mare), it being called today Lipscani street and its first documentary attestation dates from 5th June 1589.

From the beginning of the 15th century and until the end of Feudal Period, despite of the big natural desasters and the wars, the Bucharest city knew a continous economic and social development and it became one of the main industrialized city centers of the South - Eastern Europe.

Beginning with the 18th century there were established the first manufactures. In 1764, there was certified the first documentary attestation of a waxen manufacture. In 1766 was established “the Cloth Factory from Afumati” , and in 1767 was established the Paper Factory from Fundeni.
The census from 1811 had mentioned the fact that in Bucharest a number of 2981 people were been working in the field of trade and skillcrafts.
 

Modern History

The Popular Upreasing from 1821 represents the moment of the beginning of the Modern Period of the Bucharest City. At the beginning of 19th century, there can be distinguished a social-professional structure, as follows: craftsman, trade workers, civil servants (in the administrative field), clerks, landowners and sweenies.
In accordance with the statistic data of the census from 1807, in Bucharest were a number of 3523 small shops and later, in 1820, there were recorded more than 200 public buildings, a large number of public squares and gardens.

In 1830 was initiated the People’s Council (today the Local Public Administration) and, in this manner, the city was divided in five administrative areas (districts) and in 1846 was drew the first Urban Plan of the Bucharest City by the City Hall services.

By achievement of National Independence in the War of 1877, Bucharest became the Capital city of Romania and, by this moment, it knew a flourish economic and social development. In this context, the census from 1878 had mentioned the existence in the town of two cast iron foundries, two mechanical tools entreprises, 30 tanneries and 100 mills, from which a number of 12 was rallied by the power of steams energy.

In 1869 there was inaugurated the first railway on the route Bucharest - Giurgiu and in 1870 there brought into operation the railway between Bucharest - Ploiesti - Galati - Roman.
The first build railway station was in Bucharest - called Filaret (1869) and then was built the railway station Targoviste (1879) which after a time has been named Gara de Nord - North Railway Station. All long this period, Bucharest was also the most important commercial center of the country. The first institutions were established in the Capital city: The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (1858), the Bucharest Stocks Bourse (1881), the National Bank of Romania (1858). The end of the 19th century endows a development of the capitalist relationships and the settlement of a banking system by new banks appearance: Marmorosch Bank - Banca Marmorosch, General Bank of Romania - Banca Generala a României, Discount Bank - Banca de Scont, Romanian Bank - Banca Româneasca.

In the same period there were also realised many works in order to rectify and to deepen the riverbeds of Dâmbovita river and also there were realised works destineed to supply the Capital city by drinking water after filtration operations of Dâmbovita water. In 1882 was inaugurated the public lighting system and in 1892 was built the Electric Power Plant - Filaret (1908) - it made possible in 1894 the inauguration of the first electric tramline in the city.

The period between the two World Wars was the most flourish period of Bucharest, and also for whole country. After the Proclamation of Bucharest as the Capital of the National Romanian State, Bucharest has maintained its first position as the main industrial, commercial and financial centre of Romania. The process of industrial development was intensified in this period and Bucharest accounting in 1938 about 17% of the total number of the entreprises with the most important contribution in the economy of the country, covering all the fields from industrial area, from that period.

At this period, the State sector was represented by the followings entreprises: Grivita Entreprise (Intreprinderea Grivita), Pyrotechnic Entreprise of the Army (Pirotehnica Armatei), Communal Factory of Milk Supplying of Bucharest city (Societatea Comunala de alimentare cu lapte a Bucurestiului), The Slaughterhouse - Abatorul, The S.T.B. Smithy (Atelierul S.T.B.) and The Glass Entreprises (Fabricile de Gheata).

In 1921 was brought into operation the Baneasa Airport (Aeroportul Baneasa) and in 1931 was founded The Society for Airline Transport named “SARTA”, which in 1933 changed its name in “Romanian Airlines” - LARS (Liniile Aeriene Române) and they were in the State ownership. In 1933 was inaugurated the actual calling “Palace of Telephones” (Palatul Telefoanelor), the first automatical telephone communication plant being into operation by 1927. There were founded new banks, like: Crissoveloni Bank (Banca Crissoveloni - 1920), Italian Commercial Bank (Banca Comerciala Italiana) and Romanian - French Bank (Banca Româno - Franceza - 1921).

Following the Urban Plan adopted in February 1926, Bucharest city was divided upon administrative criteria, in a central area and in a peripherical area. The central area (by administrative point of view) has four districts, each of them having its own local council, the peripherical area representing the rest of the territory borders on edges of the fort. The communes which belong to this territory have received the statute of suburban communities. The general interests of the city and of the suburban communes were managed by the General Council, consisting of 36 elected counsellors, 24 nominated counsellors and down to 7 involved counsellors. 
The administration leadership was ensured by the General Mayor, elected by the Council.

Between 1918 - 1940, the Bucharest city had ten General Mayors, some of them playing a very important role, such as: Emil Costinescu, Anibal Teodorescu, Dem I. Dobrescu, Alex. Donescu.
The involvement of Romania in the Second World War, in 1941, means for Bucharest city a very hard period, the bombings of Allied troops had provoqued damages to many buildings, one of them being of historical value, and other being the industrial objectives.

Contemporary history

After the Second World War, the settlement of the “people’s power” creates the favourable conditions to appeareance of communist’s dictatorship which had maintained its power till December 1989. For about 50 years, the real democracy and free market economy were been vanished.
Many of applied methods, both in economic and social field, were borrowed from the ancient USSR, didn’t take into consideration the specific features of the country and of the Capital city, as well.
By nationalization process of the main industrial branches, the communist system had offered it the means necessary for the reconstruction and development of the city.

Nevertheless, in these last 50 years were built many new industrial plants, new blocks of flats, many social and cultural edificies. There were placed the “industrial giants” and thousands of blocks of flats type “matches box” .

In this period, a significant importance in the economy of the city have the fitting-construction industry, the number of workers, in this branch, growing up from 39,700 peoples in 1950 to more than 97,000 peoples in 1983.
Considering that until 1950, the main industrial branches developped in Bucharest were the light and food industry (57.9 %) and chemical industry (24.1%), the chemistry counting in 1982 about 55 % of total industrial structure. 
The annual average of industrial growth was enormous and it has required huge costs, ensuring in these conditions the leader position of the capital city, from the point of view of production.

Besides the nationalized entreprises from 1948 (Lemaitre became New Times Entreprise - Intreprinderea Timpuri Noi, Malaxa became 23 August Entreprise - Intreprinderea 23 August), there were founded new entreprises (Policolour Entreprise - “Policolor”, Autobuzul Entreprise - ”Autobuzul”, Danubiana Entreprise - “Danubiana”, CIL Pipera Entreprise - “CIL Pipera”). A very important role in the economic development of the city was played by the constructions.

The events from December 1989 brought major changes in the Capital city economy, both in structural aspect (decentralization process and ownership type) and of its dynamics.
In 1993, three years after the collapse of the communist’s dictatorship (in 1989), in Bucharest city was concentrated 12.7% of active population of the country, including 385 medium sized companies having about 1000 employées. The companies with more than 5000 employées representing at that moment only 1.8% from total number of personal.
Besides the great industrial platforms created before 1989, the number of blocks of flats grew up so, thus if between 1954 - 1964 were build 80,641 flats, this number was about 446,100 flats between 1965 - 1984. There were founded new residential districts, as follows: Titan - Balta Alba District (Titan - White Lake) with 90000 flats, Drumul Taberei District (The Camping Road) with 63,000 flats, Berceni District with 70,000 flats, Militari District with 40,000 flats. The blocks of flats were layed out by a bad finishment, offering minimal habitat conditions and without respect of any standards of comfort.

The census data from 1992 (three years after the communist’s dictatorship collapse) indicated that Bucharest city had a number of 10,994 blocks of flats with 760,751 flats and a total of 1803,635 rooms, that means a dwelling surface over 46.1 sq. millions meters (34.3 sq. meters per each flat).
Bucharest is the first political and administrative centre of the country, being the resident place of the Presidency, the Parliament, the Government, the headquarters of many political parties, cultural and educational institutions, financial and commercial institutions and banks.

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2006-12-03 11:33:36 created by admin