Since its inauguration on May 1, 1963, the stadium has undergone numerous modifications
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At present, with a capacity of over 32,000 seats, the "Dan Păltinișanu" stadium in Timișoara was the second largest stadium in Romania, being surpassed in size only by the National Arena in Bucharest.
Since its inauguration on May 1, 1963, the stadium has undergone numerous modifications, both in terms of its name (having been known by several names over time: "1 Mai", "Politehnica", "Silviu Bindea", "Dan Păltinișanu") and in terms of its appearance (the introduction of a modern nocturnal lighting system, an automatic irrigation system, the acquisition of an electronic scoreboard, etc).
Initially, the great Timisoara stadium could accommodate almost 40,000 spectators on benches with wooden seats, but after the stadium was modernized and seats were installed, its capacity decreased to 32,000 seats.
The "Dan Păltinișanu" stadium in Timișoara has traditionally been the home of the football team Politehnica Timișoara, and the current name of the sports facility has honored the memory of the famous footballer and captain of Politehnica since 1995, Dan Păltinișanu, who wore the white-violet colors for ten seasons.
Over time, the Timișoara stadium has hosted various sports competitions, concerts, or propagandistic events organized by the communist regime. Top European and world football teams such as Real Madrid, Juventus Turin, Celtic Glasgow, and Atletico Madrid have played on the stadium's lawn over time. The stadium has also been the host of the Romanian national football team on several occasions. In 1984, it hosted the concert of Yugoslav soloist Lepa Brena, being at the time one of the most impressive shows held in communist Timișoara.
The "Dan Păltinișanu" Stadium is part of the public domain of Timiș County, currently being managed by the Service Provision Directorate within the Timiș County Council.
In the near future, the demolition of the old Timișoara stadium is planned and its replacement with a new and modern stadium, which will benefit from all the facilities of a contemporary European arena.
Bibliography:
- https://dpstimis.ro/servicii/stadionul-dan-paltinisanu - site accessed on march 2023
- http://venusbnb.ro/informatii-utile/stadionul-dan-paltinisanu - site accessed on march 2023
- https://adevarul.ro/stiri-locale/timisoara/47-de-ani-de-istorie-pe-stadionul-dan-1356577.html - site accessed on march 2023
- "Red Flag", Year XIX, no. 5701, Timisoara, 3 May 1963.
Dan Paltinișanu Stadium and recreation area
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"Right after Peter left, I used to go swimming in the evenings. It was my secret "therapy", with which I defended myself against the fear with which I woke up every morning, of another day beginning, the difficulty of starting over, fatigue, the cold...
From the outside, no visible sign. Masks, choreography, the protective blanket of a conventional language, however, the more "correct" the days were, with all the expected mechanical gestures, the deeper the night was. The more numerous the surrounding world, the greater the loneliness.
Time had to be tricked. The "trick" that worked for me was swimming, with the control of movement up to the length of the arm. I used to go to Hall 2. One pool lap, another, and another, and another... until I was exhausted. The thought extended only to the end towards which I was striving: a basin and another. I arrived home exhausted. Sleep was slowly returning. I lost weight. In a way, it seemed like I had gotten younger. I applied swimming therapy until the rhythm of the new life settled in the uterus. For about five years. With the biennale, I exchanged swimming therapy for work.
Even today, the work is more practical. Unfortunately, I gave up swimming."
Excerpt from Renewed Days 17. Pages of (pseudo)correspondence. April 16 – June 19, 2019, manuscript volume by Sorina Jecza
