Palatul Șstefania, Piața Romanilor nr. 1 – str. Ștefan cel Mare nr. 2
Ștefania Palace, the former "Town Hall", named after 1918 after the wife of Rudolf Totis, the owner of the building in the interwar period. It was built by the senior entrepreneur Josef Kremmer according to the plans of the architect László Székely in the years 1908-1909, in the style of the 1900s (Secession).
Ștefania Palace, the former ''Report House of the Municipality'' (Roman Square no. 1 - str. Ștefan cel Mare no. 2), named from 1918 after the wife name of Rudolf Totis, the owner of the building during the interwar period. It was built by the senior entrepreneur Josef Kremmer according to the plans of the architect Székely László in the years 1908-1909, in the style of the 1900s (Secession). The building was restored and attic according to the project of the architects' Hortensia Botescu and Mihai Botescau in the period 2000-2002.
The Roman Square was built on the land of the Esplanade, the plain "non aedificandi" on which it was forbidden to build until 1868. In that year the Esplanade around the fortress was reduced from 948 meters to 569 meters (300 meters).
After 1868, buildings were built on the east side of the current square, in 1876 the built pediment was completely closed. The Miksa Róna palacestands out: the Roman Square no. 2 - str. Ștefan cel Mare no. 4, architect Henrik Telkes, in the style of the 1900s, a building permit issued on September 26, 1911, completion of works in 1912.
An important factor in the development of Roman Square was the presence of the horse-drawn tram line, which connected the Fabric neighborhood with the Cetate neighborhood since 1869. The tram line crossed this square, the tram station being in the middle of the square.
On the southern side was built the "establishment" of electricity supply to the city. After 1890, the first three houses were built on the west side (towards the Cetate) of the Roman Square. On the north side is the place "To the Queen of England", the building where the painter Oskar Szuhanek lived, and the house of Dr. Samuel Kohn (bd. 3 August no. 31, designed by architect Albert Krausz, permission construction February 26, 1935).
Bibliography:
Mihai Opriș, Mihai Botescu, Arhitectura istorică din Timișoara, Editura Tempus, Timișoara, 2014
The Ștefania Palace and The Roman Square
Povești despre Timișoara de altădată cu Francisc Valkay
Between the two wars in Timişoara, as far as I can remember, especially in the 1920s and early 1930s, many Jewish families had governesses for their children. The wealthier and more demanding families would bring governesses from Austria or Germany. Fräulein, as we called her, stayed with us until the summer of 1927, in September we started school. She went to another family, but from time to time she came to visit us. The 1920s were calm years, the men's shop was doing well, they were able to buy the house near Totis Palace (where my father's shop was), the house on Ștefan cel Mare 4 Street. At that time, most merchants here in Fabric were Jews, with shops in the same Totis Palace: Schwartz boot shop, Krausz small items shop, Denes textile shop, Spierer perfumery and a Bank of Timişoara branch at the corner with Ştefan cel Mare (sediul era în Piaţa Sf. Gheorghe, proprietar Sigismund Szana).
My father used to go to the store at 8 o'clock in the morning, and my mother later. There were two other Jewish salesmen in the shop, who knew how to serve the customer in several languages (Romanian, Hungarian, German and a little Serbian). In the back was a tailor who came twice a week to fit the clothes for the customers when needed. The shop was closed for two hours at noon, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. dad and mom would come home and we'd have lunch - dad would take a short nap, mom a longer one. They would come back home at 7 o'clock in the evening.
he shopping for food was done by my mother almost every day (the market was then in Traian's Square). In the afternoon, she would also engage in other activities. I remember her taking part in the Zionist Women's Organization, but she was more active in the Fabric Community Women's Association. They were raising money for poor Jewish children, and helping the poor girls with their necessities when they got married.
My parents often went to the Apollo cinema, I think I saw all the silent movies, the music was provided by a pianist close to the screen. My brother and I used to go to some movies after dinner with my mother or later on, alone.
Annie Hammer, born Kincs, in 1920 in Timișoara - excerpt from Destine evreiești,, Getta Neumann, Hasefer Publishing House, Bucharest, 2014.
