timisoara history

Timișoara has a fascinating history because it’s been at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe for centuries. Here’s a clear overview:

The area was settled as early as the Roman period (a fort called Castrum Timisiensis existed nearby).
The first official mention of Timișoara was in 1212, as a fortified town under the Hungarian Kingdom, this is the reason why many locals still speaks Hungarian also and there are a lot of small villages near Timisoara, with Hungarian names.

In 1552, the Ottomans conquered Timișoara, and it remained part of the Ottoman Empire for 164 years.
During this time, it was the capital of the Banat region under Ottoman administration.
The city developed a distinct oriental character, with mosques and bazaars, we still have a bazzar-like street named Brancoveanu.

In 1716, Prince Eugene of Savoy (you can see his house in Union Square) recaptured the city from the Ottomans.
Timișoara became part of the Habsburg Monarchy, then the Austrian Empire, later Austria-Hungary.
The city was modernized with fortress walls, baroque architecture, and a grid street plan.
It gained the nickname “Little Vienna” thanks to its architecture, theatres, cafés, and cultural life.
Milestone: In 1884, Timișoara became the first European city with electric street lighting (and the second in the world, after New York).

After World War I and the Treaty of Trianon (1920), Timișoara became part of Romania.
A multicultural city, it has always had significant Romanian, Hungarian, German, Serbian, and Jewish communities.

Timișoara is famous as the birthplace of the Romanian Revolution of December 1989, which led to the fall of dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu and the end of communist rule.
The first protests began here on 16 December 1989, quickly spreading across Romania.

Timișoara is known as a cosmopolitan university city, full of history, architecture, and a vibrant arts scene.
It was named European Capital of Culture 2023, highlighting its cultural diversity and creativity.