St. George’s Square is one of the oldest squares of Timişoara. Until 1914 the square was dominated by the "Jesuit church" or "seminary church", which was dedicated to St. George.
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St. George’s Square is one of the oldest squares of Timişoara. Until 1914 the square was dominated by the "Jesuit church" or "seminary church", which was dedicated to St. George. The building of the Casa Bănățeană Society (Banca Szana) was built on this site, according to the project of the architect Ernest Theodor Foerk, with the building permit of October 10, 1914, modified after the First World War by the architect Josef Kremmer Junior, with a new building permit of 1 October 1921, in the style of the 1900s eclectic. On the west side of the square is the First House of Savings in Timișoara (Erste Temeswarer Sparkassa), built-in 1855 according to the plans of the architect Karl May in an eclectic historical style, remodeled between 1912-1913 according to the project of the architect László Székely. On the south side of the square, next to the blocks of flats built during the socialist period, is the house "La leu" (str. Enrico Caruso no. 3), next to the house and studio of the famous photographer József Kossak (str. General Praporgescu no. 2). On the north side of the square, there is the house called "La vulturul negru" (Florimund de Mercy street no. 2), in eclectic historical style, demolished and replaced by the Albina Bank building in modern interwar style, built according to the plans of the architect Silvestru Rafiroiu and architect Constantin Purcariu, with the building permit from 1939. In 1996, the equestrian statue of Saint George fighting the dragon was placed in the square, a commemorative sculpture for the events of December 1989, a bronze creation by the artist Silvia Radu, on a pedestal made by Ştefan Călărăşanu. In St. George’s Square, the first station for the horse-drawn tram was put into operation in July 1869, the end of the line for the tram that connected with the Fabric neighbourhood.
Bibliography:
- Mihai Opriș, Mihai Botescu - Historical Architecture in Timișoara, Tempus Publishing House, Timișoara, 2014
- Josef Geml, The old Timișoara in the last half of the century 1870-1920, Cosmopolitan Art Publishing House, Timișoara, 2016.
St. George's Square
Robert Șerban
the dragon looks like a pregnant puss
that swallowed a bat
and woke up with wings
the kids give him their sandwiches
and water in biodegradable cups
and those named
georgie geordie or george
pat him on the head
and would like to take him home
for good
June 2022
“On Mercy Street, named after the city manager following the conquest of Timișoara by Eugene of Savoy, there was the workshop of Mr. Holzner - shoemaker. Mr. Holzner, cripple from the hip and man of honour. About opposite his shop window, on the other side of the narrow street, through a door in the wall that may never have existed, I went inside the police headquarters as a witness; I was, say, ten years old. Down the street, around the corner, there was Mr. Martin, from Orșova - butcher. White tiles, pig halves, dripping blood. You crossed Savoy Street and, at the other corner, in the '50s, with my mother - striped pajamas. And so on, other streets up to Hector Street, whose history, which I have just found out, makes me laugh. Poor Hector, the kindest man, dragged along the wall, bearing a dog’s name. Grivei Street. St. George’s Square was jostling in front of the tram line with “Globul” bookstore at one end, and, at the other, on the side, with Tungsram bulbs, in red capital letters. I’ll stop here. There are also some other places. Pallas, Kütl Square, Domnița Hélène railway station.” (Livius Ciocârlie, The Sunken Bell, Cartea Românească, 1988, p. 173-174)
In Sfântu' Gheorghe square, where I lived, there were plenty of very famous shops. Near the corner, there was a very beautiful and elegant jewel, there were shoes, then there was Banca Szana and on the corner we had "Babcsány". "Babcsány" was a delicatessen shop. Formidable! I didn't really go there, because it was too expensive, but, for example, in the winter there was a boar or two kept outside, for sale; rabbits were hanging, so, basically, they had all the delicacies in the world. And there was also a very fine delicatessen shop, but not as expensive as "Babcsány", on that narrow street that leads from Sfântu’ Gheorghe Square to Libertăţii Square, where the Moravetz bookstore was. And near Moravetz there was a delicatessen shop that brought smoked fish and sardines and the first figs and the first tangerines…in winter, from Germany. And everything, in the old days, was related to the season! Now only Romania and Europe kept things still a little seasonal. But otherwise, nothing!
So there was a very interesting shop there. Moravetz was a very good bookstore too, which brought everything that appeared in German language, across Germany and Austria, English books. For example, from Pinguin Library, published cheaper in England, but excellent, I still have them, written, edited by me, in 32..
Mariana Sora (b. Klein, 1917) interviewed by Smaranda Vultur at Băile Herculane in 2001. Third Europe Archive, BCUT.
Then there were restaurants and "colonial and delicatessen" shops. It was a very good store, which I see that Mrs. Mariana Şora also remembers in her memoirs, I was startled with pleasure when I found it there, because I also remember it, especially in an olfactory key, because you would enter it and some extraordinary smells would envelope you. It was called "Babcsány" and it was right on the corner, on the ground floor of the building in Piaţa Sf. Gheorghe, where the "Orizont" newsroom is today. The last time I was in Timișoara, I saw that a new pharmacy was built there.
Radu Ciobanu (born 1935), interviewed by Simona Adam in 2002 in Deva. Third Europe Archive, BCUT.
( ...) And the war broke out. My father had just completed his military service in the artillery, at the Artillery School in Timisoara. My father was also mobilized and spent four years and four months under arms on all Austro-Hungarian fronts.
(What was his name?) Rudolf Klein. And this Rudolf Klein, when he graduated from the Commercial High School in Timişoara - it was a Trade School in Timişoara, of course with Hungarian and German as the teaching languages - he only spoke German with his mother. He became a clerk at the Bank of Timișoara, which belonged to one called Szana, a wealthy Jew - it was a private bank. Marmoroş Blank also had some shares there, so it was a solid bank. Young Klein, when he entered there had the post secured, according to the Austro-Hungarian laws, until he came back from the war.
Meanwhile, in 1916, before Romania entered the war, there were rumors of peace, rumors of an armistice. And he came on a vacation to Budapest. These "famous" Rudolf and Elsa, my parents, had already met in Timișoara and were kind of flirting with each other. And then he went to see her in Budapest. And, because there were rumors of peace, they got married. And so I was born, a year later, in 1917, in Budapest, my father being again, somewhere on the front.
My mother, my grandmother and I stayed in Budapest until the spring of 1919, when we returned to Timișoara and my father was able to resume his job at the bank. (When was the bank abolished?) The bank was abolished... as early as ‘40, because we’re talking about Jewish wealth. Szana died and the bank was taken over by Marmoroş Blank from Bucharest and, as Marmoroş Blank was a Jewish bank, it was dissolved and my father was left on the streets. Later, during the time of the communists, he was rehired at the National Bank - where he had been director of over three sections, now he was hired as a small clerk… and left with a miserable pension.
(...) When I was five years old, the first four-story house was built in Timișoara. It was the bank building and it was called Casa Banatului. And down there it said "The Bank of Timișoara". On the side, on the small street - our address was still Piaţa Sfântu' Gheorghe, number three - the gate was there. On the fourth floor, where the rooms were a little lower, as they are now, there were apartments for bank officials, which were not free, but they were a little cheaper. When I was five we moved out. (And where was the bank of Timişoara before?) ity Hall Square, that is Libertăţii, at one end there was the Town Hall, at the other end was the Market Square. And, near Comenduirea Pieţii, where all the officers lived, a little closer when facing Libertăţii Square - the last house on the square - where I used to go to my father's office to visit and also where I saw a telephone for the first time. There was a phone hanging on the wall and I wasn't tall enough to reach it, so my father would give it to me and I would shout: "Hello, hello!"
Later, when this new building was built and my father was the head of two or three sections, he had three telephones on the table and one would call, the other one would call, he was like a modern manager. That's why my dad never allowed us to have phones in the house.
In the Banat House, from the window of my room - one of the windows was kind of a porte-fenetre, like the French have - I could see over all the roofs starting from the Citadel to the Green Forest. And then, I don't know how old I was, ten, maybe twelve, because at thirteen I was no longer there - and I thought about the problems we have today. I said: look, the city stretches out, one more house, one more... and what will happen if people multiply too much and there will be no more fields and cities will start touching other cities... I loved these roofs, I loved the Green Forest which could be seen in the distance.
(...) And at Casa Banatului, in front of the bank's entrance, at one point an electric clock was put up, when we were still living upstairs, so in the 20s. An electric clock was put up and there was the rendez-vous place. There was the entrance to the Bank, and if you went towards the Post Office, towards Fabric, just above the corner, where the building continued, in this narrow street, there was the entrance gate into the house, with an elevator. And, before the gate, there was a small, narrow bookstore, which also had a lending bookstore. German and Hungarian. I used to read there a lot. My mother was a subscriber and got everything that appeared at the time, Erich Maria Remarque and Stefan Zweig and everything new, plus translations from Russian, Dostoevsky... Plus my Karl May that I read at nine, ten, eleven years old, with passion. All these books could be found there, in the German bookstore.
Mariana Sora (b. Klein, 1917) interviewed by Smaranda Vultur at Băile Herculane in 2001. Third Europe Archive, BCUT.
The stories of Timișoara
by Sara Postolachi, 8th grade
"Grigore Moisil" Theoretical High School Timișoara
In the heart of Timișoara, a majestic city steeped in history and steeped in long stories, lived Ana, a young writer. Ana was a special apparition in the urban landscape of her home town. With her bright, curly red hair waving in elegant waves around her delicate face and eyes as blue as the clear spring sky, Ana exuded a beauty and grace that was as beautiful as the spring sky. She was a gentle but charming presence, and her every gesture seemed to have an aura of mystery and inspiration. Ana lived in a small apartment in the heart of the old center of Timișoara. Her apartment was a corner of a fairytale, a world where reality and fiction intertwined in a magical dance. The walls were painted in a warm shade of cream, and the large windows let in soft sunlight every morning. The furniture was an eclectic mix of antique and modern pieces, and the soft carpet on the floor caressed her tired feet after a full day of writing.
In one corner of the room, a solid wooden desk stood out, covered with notebooks, papers and colored pens. Here the girl would spend hours, lost in the world of her imagination, writing and rewriting stories from the depths of her soul. Around the desk, shelves laden with books old and new, each with a story to tell, served as a source of inspiration and a guide on her creative journey.
An old map of Timișoara hung on a wall, adorned with annotations and signs that reminded Ana of the unexplored places of her native city. It was a constant source of inspiration for her, a reminder of the richness and cultural diversity that defined the city.
Every morning, Ana started her day with a cup of mint tea and a glimpse of the city coming to life before her. Listening to the classic sound of bells ringing in the distance and the sweet smell of freshly baked cookies in the nearby market, she felt inspired to continue her literary adventure.
But it wasn't just her home that inspired Ana. During her walks around the city, she was always discovering new places and meeting fascinating people who fueled her imagination and her passion for writing. On every street corner, in every café or bookstore, she found a new story to tell and a new character to discover.
Despite the fact that Ana was born and grew up in Timisoara, stories about faraway places and exotic characters were usually born under her creative pen. Whether it was about adventures in the United States of America, the exploration of distant history in Egypt or mysterious happenings in Japan, Ana traveled to imaginary worlds that were misunderstood by those around her. For her, writing was a way of escaping the mundane and exploring fascinating new horizons.
One day, while engrossed in writing a story full of twists and turns set in China, with a fearless princess in the lead role, Ana had a moment of revelation. Despite her passion for exotic adventures and imaginary worlds, she realized that nothing inspired and thrilled her more than her soul city, Timisoara. Amidst the tangle of her creative ideas, she felt a thin thread of longing creep in, suggesting that she could devote her talents to writing a story about the city that had opened her heart and mind alike. This moment of realization was like a spark that lit her path and confirmed that her true calling was to share the beauty and richness of Timișoara through her words. So with determination and inspiration in her heart, Ana grabbed her favorite notebook and pen and stepped out of her apartment, and with every step she took through the familiar streets, she felt the city speaking to her and sending her new ideas for a story. In the bright sunshine, she walked through beloved neighborhoods, observing every detail and listening to every sound that composed the orchestra of urban life. In a park, she paused on a bench in the shade of a tree, letting her thoughts fly free into the creative world of writing. Looking around, she noticed people walking, smiling and chatting as they savored the beauty of the place. These moments of contemplation and connection with her city fueled the flame of her passion for writing and strengthened her determination to bring Timisoara's beauty and story to light. Thus, with each page written, Ana has taken on the mission of bringing her beloved city to life through words, conveying to the world the magic and charm that only Timisoara can offer.
One of her favorite places was the Fabric neighborhood, with its narrow streets and imposing buildings that seemed to keep alive the memory of bygone times. Here, Ana would walk among the walls covered with colorful paintings, admiring the old architecture and feeling as if she had traveled back in time.
In addition to historic buildings, the girl also found inspiration in nature. In Botanical Park, a haven of peace and beauty amid the hustle and bustle of the city, she strolled through shady alleys and old trees, listening to the chirping of birds and smelling the sweet scent of colorful flowers.
But perhaps Ana's greatest source of inspiration were the people of the city. In every person she met, there was a story to tell and a whole universe to explore. Whether it was the old man she met every day at the café on the corner of the street who proudly told her about the old times, or the young artists exhibiting their work in the central square, Ana found in every smile and every glance a new source of inspiration.
As she progressed in writing her story about Timisoara, Ana felt how the city entered deeply into her soul and became part of her being. With every word she wrote, with every page she completed, she felt closer to her hometown and more eager to share its beauty and richness with the world. Ana felt herself discovering her own identity and vocation as a writer. In each story and in each character she created, she found herself and her personal history. The city that had seen her grow up and that was so dear to her now became her main source of inspiration and the main subject of her book.
And so, time passed, and Ana's book, "The Stories of Timișoara", took shape and was interwoven from the stories and events that she lived and discovered in her beloved city. Each character, each place and each event was a piece in the huge puzzle of her story, and Ana felt lucky to be able to witness each of them. Within the pages of the book, Ana managed to capture the charm and magic of the city, to bring to the forefront her own story and the places that were so familiar to her.
In the middle of the day, when the sun reaches its zenith and the shadows shorten on the cobblestone streets, Timișoara comes alive in a vibrant dance of colors and sounds. On its history-steeped boulevards, passers-by embrace each other with warm smiles and friendly greetings as stately buildings reveal their architectural secrets to the curious eyes of passers-by. The historic squares echo with mingled chatter and noises, and the tantalizing aroma of food tantalizes the hungry senses. Throughout the city, the Bega River flows peacefully, reflecting in its emerald green waters the shadows of old trees and the silhouettes of lovers strolling hand in hand along its banks. In the lesser-known neighborhoods, life pulses to a rhythm of its own, and the silent stories of the inhabitants interweave with the threads of history still alive in the old walls.
Timisoara is a city of contrasts and diversity, a place where every corner hides a story and every encounter can become the beginning of a new adventure. If you are curious and attentive, the city gradually reveals itself to you with each step you take in the labyrinth of its streets. And that's what Ana's book was about, the need to stop and take a closer look at the world around us. Whether it was the old flower seller in the central square, who wistfully told her about the old times, or the pianist in Victoriei Square, Ana discovered in every person and every place a story to tell and a lesson to learn.And that is only because she chose to look for the stories and beauty in the people and places around her.
As she wrote, Ana could not help but reflect on her own journey of rediscovering her beloved city. In each page, in each carefully chosen word, she felt herself connecting more and more with her roots and with the essence of what it meant to be a Timisoara native. She remembered her childhood spent in the city's sunny parks, the days spent at local museums and theaters, the long summer evenings spent on the banks of the Bega River.
And as the story unfolded, Ana began to realize that Timisoara was not just a city to her, but it was her home, the place where she felt in her true element and where she found inspiration and comfort. It was a place full of history and culture, but also of wonderful people and beautiful memories.
In the end, Ana's book, "The Stories of Timișoara", became more than just a story - it became a declaration of love for the city of her birth and for the places and people that kept the city alive and gave meaning to its existence.
