Romania

Timis County has always bound its history with the history of Banat, as the Banat itself has been always bound to the Romanian history. The land’s memory is testified by the presence of a great number of archaeological vestiges from times when the written documents had not yet appeared. From ancient times, the territory of Banat is included in the general lines of development of the southeast European civilisation, playing the role of a civilisation bridge between the Carpatian-Danube area and center-meridional Europe.
From a historical point if view, the life continuity in this region is certified from the oldest times, the Timis County being part of the Dacia state (century II B.C.) and then a part of the Roman Empire (centuries III - II B.C.). The historical region of Banat, Timis County being part of it, was confronted with an early feudalisation phenomenon, in the XI-th century here existing a Romanian principality led by Glad, with the capital town at Morisena (presently the Cenad locality). Two centuries later the existence of "Castrum Timissiensis" - Timisoara fortress is recorded.
In 1552, the Ottoman armies, led by Soliman Pasha conquered this region and so Banat remains, for 164 years, under Turkish government. In 1716, the Austrian Imperial Army frees Timisoara.
After the Austrian armies had conquered Timisoara, the Banat region became a domain of the Habsbourgic Crown, being massively colonised by German population, a fact that modified the region’s ethnic profile and gave a new dynamic to the economical development.
The XVIII-th century is a period of major changes, carried out through large constructing works resulting in the integration of Timis County in the Central Europe civilisation area.
The oldest buildings of the actual historical centre of Timisoara were built in the XVIII century, that’s why Timisoara is known as a “baroque” city. But the city is much older although, with the exception of the Huniade castle, neither the urban medieval structure, nor the constructions before 1716 can bee seen today.
In the XIX-th century, Timisoara became an important industrial centre, because of the Eastern part, where the Bega canal water was used in the industrial sector. In this period, technological innovations of the century had an important influence in the city’s life:

1857 - the city is connected to the European railway network;
1870-1880 - steel bridges are built to replace the old ones;
1881 – introducing telephony services
1884, 12 November-Timisoara is the first European city with electrical public lighting.
1895 - part of the streets asphalting;
1899 - the electrical tramway.

After the First World War, the Banat region joined the Romanian Kingdom (1918). Then a prosperous period followed, when the first colleges were created and the numbers of cultural institutions were increased. This positive evolution was brutally interrupted by the Second World War. In 1968, the Timis County as administrative entity was re-established, having the same structure and territory that it has today.
The contemporary history was “signed” in Timisoara on December 16, 1989. Because of the communist system's deprivations and oppressions, the revolution started in Timisoara spreading in the following days all over Romania. The protest of some faithful people of the reformat church against the evacuation of their pastor became a protest against the communist system. In the days to follow there were many street demonstrations in Timisoara stopped by the national army, which received the order to fire. There were 122 dead people registered. The demonstrations continued and in December 20th Timisoara proclaimed itself as an independent city. This is why Timisoara became a symbol of human courage and sacrifice, awarded with the title of "martyr city of Romania".

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2007-01-29 22:39:55 created by petre