Timișoara is the capital city of
Timiș CountyTimiș , , Banat Bulgarian: ) is a county of western Romania, in the historical region Banat, with the county seat at Timișoara. It is the largest county in Romania in terms of land area....
, in western
RomaniaRomania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
. One of the largest Romanian cities, with an estimated population of 311,586 inhabitants (2010), and considered the informal capital city of the historical region of
BanatThe Banat is a geographical and historical region in Central Europe currently divided between three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania , the western part in northeastern Serbia , and a small...
, Timișoara is the main social, economic and cultural center in the western part of the country.
Geography
Timișoara lies at an altitude of 95 m on the southeast edge of the
BanatThe Banat is a geographical and historical region in Central Europe currently divided between three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania , the western part in northeastern Serbia , and a small...
plain, part of the great Panonia plain. The rich black soil and relatively low water table make this a fertile agricultural region.
Due to the hydrography projects undertaken in the 18th century, the city no longer lies on the
Timiș RiverThe Timiş or Tamiš is a 359 km long river originating from Țarcu Mountains , southern Carpathian Mountains, Caraş-Severin County, Romania. It flows through the Banat region and flows into the Danube near Pančevo, in northern Serbia....
, but on the Bega canal. This is a relatively active seismic area, and earthquakes up to 6 on the
Richter scaleThe expression Richter magnitude scale refers to a number of ways to assign a single number to quantify the energy contained in an earthquake....
have been recorded.
History
Timișoara was first mentioned as a place in either 1212 or 1266. The territory later to be known as Banat was conquered and annexed by the
Kingdom of HungaryThe Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
in 1030. Timișoara grew considerably during the reign of
Charles ICharles I , also known as Charles Robert , was the first King of Hungary and Croatia of the House of Anjou. He was also descended from the old Hungarian Árpád dynasty. His claim to the throne of Hungary was contested by several pretenders...
, who, upon his visit here in 1307, ordered the construction of a royal palace. Timișoara's importance also grew thanks to its strategic location, which facilitated control over the Banat plain.
John HunyadiJohn Hunyadi John Hunyadi (Hungarian: Hunyadi János , Medieval Latin: Ioannes Corvinus or Ioannes de Hunyad, Romanian: Iancu (Ioan) de Hunedoara, Croatian: Janko Hunjadi, Serbian: Сибињанин Јанко / Sibinjanin Janko, Slovak: Ján Huňady) John Hunyadi (Hungarian: Hunyadi János , Medieval Latin: ...
established a permanent military encampment here, and moved here together with his family. In 1552, Ahmed Pasha conquered the city with a 16,000
OttomanThe Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
s and transformed it into a capital city in the region. The local military commander, Stefan Losonczy, was captured and beheaded on July 27, 1552 after resisting the Ottoman invasion with just over 2,300 men.
Timișoara remained under Ottoman rule for nearly 160 years, controlled directly by the Sultan and enjoying a special status, similar to other cities in the region such as
BudapestBudapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
and
BelgradeBelgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
. During this period, Timișoara was home to a large
IslamIslam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic community and produced famous historical figures such as Osman Aga of Temesvar, until
Prince Eugene of SavoyPrince Eugene of Savoy , was one of the most successful military commanders in modern European history, rising to the highest offices of state at the Imperial court in Vienna. Born in Paris to aristocratic Italian parents, Eugene grew up around the French court of King Louis XIV...
conquered it in 1716. Subsequently, the city came under
AustrianThe Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
rule, and it remained so until the early 20th century except Ottoman occupation between 1788-1789 during Ottoman-Hapsburg war. During this time, Timișoara evolved from a strategic fortress to an economic and industrial center: numerous factories were built, electric illumination and public transport were introduced, and railroad connections were established. The city was defortified, and several major road arteries were built to connect the suburbs with the city center, paving the way for further expansion of the city limits.
It was the first mainland European city to be lit by electric street lamps in 1884. It was also the second European and the first city in what is now Romania with horse drawn trams in 1867.
Gustave EiffelAlexandre Gustave Eiffel was a French structural engineer from the École Centrale Paris, an architect, an entrepreneur and a specialist of metallic structures...
, the creator of the
Eiffel TowerThe Eiffel Tower is a puddle iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world...
in
ParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, drew the projects of one of Timișoara's
footbridgeA footbridge or pedestrian bridge is a bridge designed for pedestrians and in some cases cyclists, animal traffic and horse riders, rather than vehicular traffic. Footbridges complement the landscape and can be used decoratively to visually link two distinct areas or to signal a transaction...
s over the
BegaThe Bega is a 254 km long river in Romania and Serbia...
.
On October 31, 1918, local military and political elites establish the "Banat National Council", together with representatives of the region's main ethnic groups: Hungarians,
RomaniansThe Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
,
SerbsThe Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
and
GermansThe Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
. In the aftermath of World War I, the Banat region was divided between the
Kingdom of RomaniaThe Kingdom of Romania was the Romanian state based on a form of parliamentary monarchy between 13 March 1881 and 30 December 1947, specified by the first three Constitutions of Romania...
and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, and Timișoara came under Romanian administration after Serbian occupation between 1918-1919. In 1920, King
Ferdinand IFerdinand was the King of Romania from 10 October 1914 until his death.-Early life:Born in Sigmaringen in southwestern Germany, the Roman Catholic Prince Ferdinand Viktor Albert Meinrad of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, later simply of Hohenzollern, was a son of Leopold, Prince of...
awarded Timișoara the status of a University Center, and the interwar years saw continuous economic and cultural development. A number of anti-fascist and
anti-revisionistIn the Marxist–Leninist movement, anti-revisionism refers to a doctrine which upholds the line of theory and practice associated with Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin, and usually either Mao Zedong or Enver Hoxha as well...
demonstrations also took place during this time.
During World War II, Timișoara suffered damage from both
AlliedThe Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
and
AxisThe Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
bombing raids, especially during the second half of 1944. On August 23, 1944, Romania, which until then was a member of the Axis, declared war on
Nazi GermanyNazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
and joined the Allies. Surprised, the local
WehrmachtThe Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
garrison surrendered without a fight, and German and Hungarian troops attempted to take the city by force throughout September, without success.
After the war, the People's Republic of Romania was proclaimed, and Timișoara underwent Sovietization and later, systematization. The city's population tripled between 1948 and 1992. In December 1989, Timișoara witnessed a series of mass street protests by Romanians, Hungarians and Serbs, in what was to become the
Romanian Revolution of 1989The Romanian Revolution of 1989 was a series of riots and clashes in December 1989. These were part of the Revolutions of 1989 that occurred in several Warsaw Pact countries...
.
Demographics
| Historical population of Timișoara |
| Year |
Population |
%± |
| 1787 |
9,479 |
— |
| 1847 |
18,103 |
91% |
| 1869 |
32,725 |
80.7% |
| 1900 |
53,033 |
62% |
| 1912 census |
72,555 |
36.8% |
| 1930 census |
91,451 |
26% |
| 1948 census |
111,987 |
22.4% |
| 1956 census |
142,257 |
27% |
| 1966 census |
174,243 |
22.4% |
| 1977 census |
266,353 |
52.8% |
| 1992 census |
334,115 |
25.4% |
| 2002 census |
317,660 |
−4.9% |
| 2007 estimate |
307,347 |
−3.2% |
According to the last Romanian census, from 2002, there were 317,660 people living within the city of Timișoara, making it the fourth most populous city in Romania.
Of this population, 85.52% are ethnic
RomaniansThe Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
, while 7.64% are Hungarians, 2.25%
GermansEthnic Germans historically also ), also collectively referred to as the German diaspora, refers to people who are of German ethnicity. Many are not born in Europe or in the modern-day state of Germany or hold German citizenship...
, 1.98%
SerbsThe Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
, 0.96% ethnic Roma, 0.38%
BulgariansThe Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...
, 0.23%
UkrainiansUkrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
, 0.17%
SlovaksThe Slovaks, Slovak people, or Slovakians are a West Slavic people that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is closely related to the Czech language.Most Slovaks today live within the borders of the independent Slovakia...
, 0.11%
JewsThe Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
and 0.76% others.
As of 2010, Timișoara has an estimated population of 311,428. 14.2% of the population are under 15 years of age, 4.0% are over 75. The
Timișoara metropolitan areaThe Metropolitan Zone of Timişoara is an undergoing project for the creation of an administrative unit to integrate Timişoara with the nearby communes: Dumbrăviţa, Ghiroda, Moşniţa Nouă, Giroc, Sânmihaiu Român, Săcălaz, Sânandrei, Giarmata, Orţişoara, Remetea Mare, Şag and Parţa.According to...
has a population of 365,545.
The Ukrainian community is currently growing, partly due to the presence of
Ukrainian languageUkrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....
educational facilities. In recent years, local investment by Italian companies has spurred the creation of an Italian community, even leading to calls for an Italian Cultural Center.
Since 1990, Timișoara saw a slight population decline owing to
migrationHuman migration is physical movement by humans from one area to another, sometimes over long distances or in large groups. Historically this movement was nomadic, often causing significant conflict with the indigenous population and their displacement or cultural assimilation. Only a few nomadic...
and a drop in birthrates. Notably, the Hungarian and German communities experienced significant decline, with the latter being reduced by half between 1992 and 2002.
Economy
Timișoara has been an important economic center since the 18th century when the
HabsburgThe House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
administration was installed. Due to Austrian colonization, ethnic and religious diversity and innovative laws, the economy began to develop. The technicians and craftsmen that settled in the city established guilds and helped develop the city's economy. Notably, in 1717, Timișoara became host to the region's
firstTimişoreana is a brand of beer in Romania.- History :The first brewery of Timisoreana was built in 1718 to Timişoara. In 2001 it was bought by Ursus Breweries company, part of the international group SABMiller. On November 25, 2005 Timişoreana sponsored the city of Timişoara with 60,000 dollars for...
beerBeer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
factory.
During the
Industrial RevolutionThe Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
, numerous modern innovations were introduced. It was the first city in the monarchy with street illumination, and the first city on mainland Europe illuminated by electric light. The
BegaThe Bega is a 254 km long river in Romania and Serbia...
river was also channelled during this time. It was the first navigable canal on current Romanian territory. This way, Timișoara had contact with Europe, and even with the rest of the world through the Black Sea, leading to the local development of
commercialismCommercialism, in its original meaning, is the practices, methods, aims, and spirit of commerce or business. Today, however, it primarily refers to the tendency within open-market capitalism to turn everything into objects, images, and services sold for the purpose of generating profit...
.
In the 19th century, the railway system of the Hungarian Kingdom reached Temesvár. Timișoara was the first city in the country with international routes economic boom as the amount of foreign investment, especially in high-tech sectors, has risen. In terms of living standards, Timișoara ranks fourth nationwide. In an article in late 2005, French magazine
L'Expansion called Timișoara Romania's economic showcase, and referred to the increased number of foreign investments as a "second revolution".
Apart from domestic local investment, there has been significant foreign investment from the
European UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, particularly from Germany and Italy.
Continental AGContinental AG, internally often called Conti for short, is a worldwide leading German manufacturer of tires, brake systems, vehicle stability control systems, engine injection systems, tachographs and other parts for the automotive and transport industries. The company is based in Hanover, Germany...
has produced tires since opening a plant in 2000. The Linde Group produces technical gases, and a part of the wiring moulds for
BMWBayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
and
AudiAudi AG is a German automobile manufacturer, from supermini to crossover SUVs in various body styles and price ranges that are marketed under the Audi brand , positioned as the premium brand within the Volkswagen Group....
vehicles are produced by the company
Dräxlmaier GroupDräxlmaier Group based in Vilsbiburg, Germany, is an automotive corporation, one of the biggest in Germany.The company has 51 production sites in 20 countries on 4 different continents:-Germany:*Vilsbiburg *Achim*Böblingen*Bruchsal*Emden...
locally. Also, Swiss company FM Logistic, already present in
Timiș CountyTimiș , , Banat Bulgarian: ) is a county of western Romania, in the historical region Banat, with the county seat at Timișoara. It is the largest county in Romania in terms of land area....
for
NestléNestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...
, P&G and in Bucharest for
CoraCora may refer to:* Cora people, an indigenous ethnic group of Western Central Mexico** Cora languagePeople:* Cat Cora, an Iron Chef on Food Network's Iron Chef America* Tom Cora, American cellist...
,
L'OréalThe L'Oréal Group is the world's largest cosmetics and beauty company. With its registered office in Paris and head office in the Paris suburb of Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine, France, it has developed activities in the field of cosmetics...
, Sanofi Aventis and
Yves RocherYves Rocher is a worldwide cosmetics and beauty brand, founded in 1959 by the French entrepreneur Yves Rocher and based in La Gacilly. The company is present in 88 countries on five continents and employs 13,500 personnel, excluding more than 215,000 through additional indirect jobs.The Yves...
, and for companies like PROFI Rom Foods,
BIC-Places:* Le bic, Rimouski, Quebec, Canada** Bic National Park, Quebec nationa located near the village of Le bic. See List of Quebec national parks* Bîc River, Moldova* Bic, a village administered by Şimleu Silvaniei town, Sălaj County, Romania...
,
Kraft FoodsKraft Foods Inc. is an American confectionery, food and beverage conglomerate. It markets many brands in more than 170 countries. 12 of its brands annually earn more than $1 billion worldwide: Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell House, Milka, Nabisco, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Trident, Tang...
or SCA Packaging - offering them domestic transport services and international transport services for
BricostoreBricostore is a French hypermarket chain offering home improvement and do-it-yourself goods.-Bricostore in Europe:-Competitors:* Praktiker* Baumax* Mr. Bricolage* Hornbach* OBI* Leroy Merlin-External links:* * *...
,
ArcticThe Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
, Danone,
UnileverUnilever is a British-Dutch multinational corporation that owns many of the world's consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products....
or Contitech, the growth of FM Logistic in Romania and in Dudești through its 1st own warehouse in Romania (
Dudeștii NoiDudeştii Noi is a commune in Timiş County, Banat, Romania. It is composed of a single village, Dudeştii Noi, part of Becicherecu Mic Commune until 2004, when it was split off.-Geography:...
gives FM the opportunity).
NestléNestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...
produces waffles here.
The USA company
FlextronicsFlextronics International Ltd. is an electronics manufacturing services provider that offers services to original equipment manufacturers . It also provides supporting supply chain services, including packaging and transportation throughout the world, as well as design and after-sales...
maintains a workplace in the west of the city for the production of mobile telephony and government inspection department devices. In 2009, the company laid off 640 workers. The American company
Procter & GambleProcter & Gamble is a Fortune 500 American multinational corporation headquartered in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio and manufactures a wide range of consumer goods....
manufactures washing and cleaning agents in Timișoara.
Smithfield FoodsSmithfield Foods, Inc. is the world’s largest pork producer and processor. Headquartered in Smithfield, Virginia, it runs facilities in 26 U.S. states, including the world's largest meat-processing plant in Tar Heel, North Carolina, and has operations in Brazil, China, France, Mexico, Poland,...
- the world's largest pork processor and hog producer - has two subsidiaries in Timișoara and Timiș County: Smithfield Ferme and Smithfield Prod.
Like most of Romania, Timișoara experienced economic slowdown in 2009, due to the
global economic downturnThe late-2000s recession, sometimes referred to as the Great Recession or Lesser Depression or Long Recession, is a severe ongoing global economic problem that began in December 2007 and took a particularly sharp downward turn in September 2008. The Great Recession has affected the entire world...
.
Transport
Timișoara's public transport network consists of 10 tram lines, 8 trolleybus lines and 20 bus lines, of which 5 are metropolitan lines and 6 are express lines. It is operated by
Regia Autonomă de Transport Timișoara (RATT), an autonomous corporation of the City Hall. The city is served by Romania's third busiest airport,
Traian Vuia International AirportTimişoara "Traian Vuia" International is Romania's third largest airport in terms of air traffic, after Bucharest Henri Coandă and Bucharest Aurel Vlaicu Airport and the main air transportation hub for the western part of Romania. It is located in Timişoara, in the region of Banat, near the...
, which is the hub of the Romania's second-largest airline,
CarpatairCarpatair S.A. is the largest regional airline in Eastern Europe, based in Timişoara, Romania. It operates services to 34 destinations in Europe. It co-operates closely with Moldavian Airlines on fleet, maintenance and logistics...
. The city is connected to a series of major European and domestic destinations. Timișoara is a major railway centre and is connected to all other major Romanian cities, as well as local destinations, through the national
CFRCăile Ferate Române is the official designation of the state railway carrier of Romania. Romania has a railway network of of which are electrified and the total track length is . The network is significantly interconnected with other European railway networks, providing pan-European passenger...
network.
Cityscape
The tallest building, when completed in 2011, will be the
Tender Financial CenterTender Financial Center is a future class A office building in Timişoara. It will have 45 floors and a surface of 50,000 m2. At completion it will be the highest building in Romania and southeast Europe.-External links:*...
, at 180 meters tall. The tallest building currently is the
Fructus TowerFructus Tower is a future office and residential complex in Timişoara. The building will have 16 floors and a surface of 35,000 m. At completion it will be the tallest building in the city.2.-References:...
, at 65 meters. Another proposed building, the
Timișoara High TowerTimişoara High Tower is a future class A office building in Timişoara. It will have 33 floors and a surface of 65,000 m2. At completion it will be the highest building in Romania....
, when completed, will have a height of 138 meters, but it is not scheduled to open until 2012.
Climate
- Highest Recorded Temperature: 41 °C (106 °F)
- Lowest Recorded Temperature: -35.3 °C
- Snow stays on the grounds 50 days a year on average
- Warmest Month: July
- Coolest Month: January
- Highest Precipitation: June: 91.0 mm(3.189 in)
- Lowest Precipitation: February: 44.5 mm(1.437 in)
The climate which defines Timișoara city is the temperate continental moderate climate which characterizes the Southern-Eastern part of The
Pannonian BasinThe Pannonian Basin or Carpathian Basin is a large basin in East-Central Europe.The geomorphological term Pannonian Plain is more widely used for roughly the same region though with a somewhat different sense - meaning only the lowlands, the plain that remained when the Pliocene Pannonian Sea dried...
. The temperate continental climate has some submediteranean characteristics as well of the Adriatic climate.
Climatic general features consist of various and irregular weather conditions.
The dominating temperate air masses during spring and summer are of oceanic origin and come with great precipitations. Frequently, even during winter period, the Atlantic humid air masses bring rainy and snowy weather, rarely cold weather.
From September until February, frequent continental polar air masses coming from East invade the area. In spite of all that, the Banat climate is also influenced by the presence of cyclones and warm air masses which come from the Adriatic Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Their characteristic feature is that of complete snow thaw during the winter period and stifling heat during the summer period.
Neighborhoods
- Listed alphabetically
- Aradului vest
- Badea Cârțan
Badea Cârţan was a self-taught ethnic Romanian shepherd who fought for the independence of the Romanians of Transylvania , distributing Romanian-language books that he secretly brought from Romania to their villages...
- Banat I
- Blașcovici
- Braytim
- Bucovina
- Calea Aradului
- Calea Girocului
- Calea Lipovei
- Calea Șagului
- Cetate
Cetate may refer to several places in Romania:* Cetate, a commune in Bistriţa-Năsăud County* Cetate, a commune in Dolj County...
- Chișoda
- Ciarda Roșie
- Circumvalațiunii I, II, III, IV
- Complex studențesc
- Complex
- Crisan
Crişan is a commune in Tulcea County, Romania. It is composed of three villages: Caraorman, Crişan and Mila 23.At the 2002 census, 65.1% of inhabitants were Romanians, 24.6% Russians or Lipovans and 10.3% Ukrainians. 74.8% were Romanian Orthodox and 25% Lipovan Old-Rite Orthodox....
- Dacia
In ancient geography, especially in Roman sources, Dacia was the land inhabited by the Dacians or Getae as they were known by the Greeks—the branch of the Thracians north of the Haemus range...
- Dâmbovița
The word Dâmboviţa can refer to these places in Romania:* Dâmboviţa County* Dâmboviţa River* Dâmboviţa Center, an unfinished Romanian building in Bucharest, near Cotroceni...
- Elisabetin
- Fabric
- Fratelia
- Freidorf
Freidorf is a former village, since 1950 a district of the city of Timişoara, Romania. The famous swimmer Johnny Weissmuller, later famous for playing the role of Tarzan, was born there ; he emigrated to the United States as an infant, before the age of 1...
- Ghiroda
Ghiroda is a commune in Timiş County, western Romania.It is located near Timişoara, to the east. As a result of the development of the city, the commune shows characteristics of being a neighborhood of Timişoara....
- Ion Ionescu de la Brad
Ion Ionescu de la Brad , born Ion Isăcescu, was a Moldavian-born Romanian revolutionary, agronomist, statistician, scholar and writer....
- Iosefin
- Kuncz
- Lunei
- Matei Basarab
Matei Basarab was a Wallachian Voivode between 1632 and 1654.-Reign:Much of Matei's reign was spent fighting off incursions from Moldavia, which he successfully accomplished in 1637, 1639, and 1653 - see Battle of Finta...
- Mehala I, II
- Mircea cel Batran
- Modern
Modern is a neighborhood on the east side of Timişoara, Romania....
- Noua Timișoară
- Olimpia
- Sports teams :*Club Deportivo Olimpia, a football team from Honduras*Club Olimpia, a football team from Asunción, Paraguay*Olímpia Futebol Clube, a football team from Brazil*Olimpia Elbląg, a football team from Elbląg, Poland...
- Padurea Verde
- Plăvăț
- Plopi
Plopi may refer to several villages in Romania:* Plopi, a village in Măraşu Commune, Brăila County* Plopi, a village in Puieşti Commune, Buzău County* Plopi, a village in Valea Ierii Commune, Cluj County...
- Ronaț
- Soarelui
- Stadion
Stadion or stade , was an ancient running event, part of the Olympic Games and the other Panhellenic Games. It was one of the five major Pentathlon events. It was the premier event of the gymnikos agon...
- Tipografilor
- Torontalului
- Traian
- Zona Odobescu
Culture
The city center largely consists of buildings from the Austro-Hungarian era. The old city consists of several historic areas. These are: Cetate (Belváros in Hungarian, Innere Stadt in German), Iosefin (Józsefváros, Josephstadt), Elisabetin (Erzsébetváros, Elisabethstadt), Fabric (Gyárváros, Fabrikstadt). Numerous bars, clubs and restaurants have opened in the old
BaroqueThe Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
square (Unirii Square).
Landmarks include:
- Timișoara Orthodox Cathedral
The Timişoara Orthodox Cathedral is a Romanian Orthodox cathedral in Timişoara, Romania. It was built between 1937 and 1940. It is dedicated to the Three Holy Hierarchs, Saints Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, and John Chrysostom...
- St. George's Cathedral (The Dome)
The St. George's Cathedral, Timişoara or The Dome is located in Timişoara, Romania, at Piaţa Unirii, in the centre of town.-History:...
- Millennium Church
The Millennium Church is located in the Fabric quarter of Timişoara, Romania, near the main Traian square.The church was built in the Neo-Romanesque style by Lajos Ybl, the foundation-stone being placed in 1896. It was sanctified on 13th of October 1901 by Sándor Dessewffy.The main towers are 65m...
- Huniade Castle
The Huniade Castle is the oldest monument of Timişoara, built between 1443 and 1447 by John Hunyadi over the old royal castle dating from the 14th century ....
Performing arts
- Banatul Philharmonic of Timișoara
The Banatul Philharmonic is a musical institution in Timişoara, Romania. It comprises a symphony orchestra, professional chorus, and various chamber groups....
(Filarmonica Banatul Timoșoara)
- Romanian Opera House (Opera Romana Timișoara)
- National Theatre (Teatrul Național)
- German State Theatre (Teatrul German de Stat)
- Hungarian State Theatre (Teatrul Maghiar de Stat)
- Puppet Theatre (Teatrul pentru copii si tineret "Merlin")
- Festivalul Plai
Festivalul Plai is a music festival taking place annually in Timişoara, Romania. The festival is hosted by Muzeul Satului Bănăţean, an outdoors ethnographic museum...
, a world musicWorld music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
and jazzJazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
festival
Festivals and Conferences
- StudentFest, a festival of culture and arts created by the students
- ISWinT -- The International Students Week in Timișoara
- TEDxTimișoara, an independent conference organized under license from TED Conference
Education
Timișoara has four public universities and three private universities:
Public
- West University
The West University of Timişoara is a university located in Timişoara, Romania. Established in 1962, it is organized in 11 Faculties.-Organization:...
- Polytechnic University
The "Politehnica" University of Timişoara was founded on November 11, 1920. It is one of the largest technical universities in Central and Eastern Europe.The university has 10 faculties and several independent departments....
- "Victor Babeș" University of Medicine and Pharmacy
- Banat's University of Agricultural Sciences
Private
- Dimitrie Cantemir
Dimitrie Cantemir was twice Prince of Moldavia . He was also a prolific man of letters – philosopher, historian, composer, musicologist, linguist, ethnographer, and geographer....
University
- Tibiscus University
- Mihai Eminescu
Mihai Eminescu was a Romantic poet, novelist and journalist, often regarded as the most famous and influential Romanian poet. Eminescu was an active member of the Junimea literary society and he worked as an editor for the newspaper Timpul , the official newspaper of the Conservative Party...
University
Association football
- FC Politehnica Timișoara
Fotbal Club Politehnica Timişoara is a Romanian football club which was established in 1921 and is currently playing in Romania's second league, Liga II...
- CFR Timișoara
CFR Timişoara is a Romanian football team from Timişoara, Timiş County founded in 1919. It currently plays in the Liga V in the 2010-11 season....
Historic
- Chinezul Timișoara
Chinezul Timişoara was a football club, which played both in the Hungarian and the Romanian championship during its existence. It was based in Timişoara, Romania .-History:...
- 6 titlesLiga I, or in full, due to sponsorship reasons, Liga I Bergenbier, is the top division of the Romanian football league system. Before the 2006/2007 season, it was called Divizia A, but the name had to be changed following the discovery that someone else had registered the trademark "Divizia A"...
- Ripensia Timișoara
Ripensia Timişoara was a football team from the Romanian city of Timişoara. It was founded in 1928 by Dr. Cornel Lazăr and it lasted only twenty years before folding due to lack of funds in 1948....
- 4 titlesLiga I, or in full, due to sponsorship reasons, Liga I Bergenbier, is the top division of the Romanian football league system. Before the 2006/2007 season, it was called Divizia A, but the name had to be changed following the discovery that someone else had registered the trademark "Divizia A"...
- UM Timișoara
Tennis
- In Timisoara
Timișoara is the capital city of Timiș County, in western Romania. One of the largest Romanian cities, with an estimated population of 311,586 inhabitants , and considered the informal capital city of the historical region of Banat, Timișoara is the main social, economic and cultural center in the...
is have a ITF women's tennis tournament 2011 TM Open - Women's Single.
Twin towns — sister cities
Timișoara has 15 twin towns and sister cities, as listed below:
ShenzhenShenzhen is a major city in the south of Southern China's Guangdong Province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong. The area became China's first—and one of the most successful—Special Economic Zones...
, China MulhouseMulhouse |mill]] hamlet) is a city and commune in eastern France, close to the Swiss and German borders. With a population of 110,514 and 278,206 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2006, it is the largest city in the Haut-Rhin département, and the second largest in the Alsace region after...
, France Rueil-MalmaisonRueil-Malmaison is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, in the Hauts-de-Seine department of France. It is located 12.6 kilometers from the center of Paris.-Name:...
, France GeraGera, the third-largest city in the German state of Thuringia , lies in east Thuringia on the river Weiße Elster, approximately 60 kilometres to the south of the city of Leipzig and 80 kilometres to the east of Erfurt...
, Germany KarlsruheThe City of Karlsruhe is a city in the southwest of Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border.Karlsruhe was founded in 1715 as Karlsruhe Palace, when Germany was a series of principalities and city states...
, Germany Szeged' is the third largest city of Hungary, the largest city and regional centre of the Southern Great Plain and the county town of Csongrád county. The University of Szeged is one of the most distinguished universities in Hungary....
, Hungary FaenzaFaenza is an Italian city and comune, in the province of Ravenna, Emilia-Romagna, situated 50 km southeast of Bologna.Faenza is noted for its manufacture of majolica ware glazed earthenware pottery, known from the name of the town as "faience"....
, Italy |
PalermoPalermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
, Italy SassariSassari is an Italian city. It is the second-largest city of Sardinia in terms of population with about 130,000 inhabitants, or about 300,000 including the greater metropolitan area...
, Italy TrevisoTreviso is a city and comune in Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Treviso and the municipality has 82,854 inhabitants : some 3,000 live within the Venetian walls or in the historical and monumental center, some 80,000 live in the urban center proper, while the city...
, Italy CancúnCancún is a city of international tourism development certified by the UNWTO . Located on the northeast coast of Quintana Roo in southern Mexico, more than 1,700 km from Mexico City, the Project began operations in 1974 as Integrally Planned Center, a pioneer of FONATUR Cancún is a city of...
, Mexico Novi SadNovi Sad is the capital of the northern Serbian province of Vojvodina, and the administrative centre of the South Bačka District. The city is located in the southern part of Pannonian Plain on the Danube river....
, Serbia ZrenjaninZrenjanin is a city and municipality located in the eastern part of Serbian province of Vojvodina. It is the administrative centre of the Central Banat District of Serbia...
, Serbia NottinghamNottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
, United Kingdom TrujilloTrujillo, in northwestern Peru, is the capital of the La Libertad Region, and the third largest city in Peru. The urban area has 811,979 inhabitants and is an economic hub in northern Peru...
, Peru |
Natives
- Iolanda Balaș
Iolanda Balaş is a former Romanian athlete of Hungarian descent, Olympic champion and world record holder in high jump, who is considered one of the greatest high jumpers ever.-Early life:...
— athlete; two time Olympic champion in the women's high jumpThe high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....
- Mircea Baniciu
Mircea Baniciu is a Romanian musician. He plays with the bands Transsylvania Phoenix and Pasărea Colibri. While playing with Phoenix, he also earned a BA in architecture.Mircea Baniciu is now married and has two children.- Discography :...
— musician and composer, Transsylvania PhoenixTranssylvania Phoenix is a Romanian rock band formed in 1962 in Timişoara by guitarists Nicu Covaci and Kamocsa Béla. Guitarist Claudiu Rotaru, vocalist Florin "Moni" Bordeianu and drummer Ioan "Pilu" Ştefanovici completed the early lineup...
and Pasărea ColibriPasărea Colibri is a Romanian folk supergroup. Aside from typical Romanian folk instruments and acoustic and electric guitars, the band also made use of digital and analogue synthesisers and fretless bass guitar, a somewhat revolutionary approach among Romanian bands in the 90s.The band formed in...
- Ana Blandiana
Ana Blandiana is a Romanian poet, essayist, and political figure. She took her name after Blandiana, near Vinţu de Jos, Alba County, her mother's home village.-Literary career:...
— poet, essayist, and political figure
- Horia Colibășanu
Horia Colibăşanu is a Romanian mountain climber. He is the first Romanian to reach the summit of K2, Manaslu, Dhaulagiri and Annapurna...
— the first Romanian mountain climberMountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
to reach the summit of K2K2 is the second-highest mountain on Earth, after Mount Everest...
, ManasluManaslu , also known as Kutang) is the eighth highest mountain in the world, and is located in the Mansiri Himal, part of the Nepalese Himalayas, in the west-central part of Nepal. Its name, which means "Mountain of the Spirit", comes from the Sanskrit word Manasa, meaning "intellect" or "soul"...
, DhaulagiriDhaulagiri is Earth's seventh highest mountain at ; one of fourteen over eight thousand metres. Dhaulagiri was first climbed May 13, 1960 by a Swiss/Austrian expedition....
and AnnapurnaAnnapurna is a section of the Himalayas in north-central Nepal that includes Annapurna I, thirteen additional peaks over and 16 more over ....
- Cosmin Contra
Cosmin Marius Contra is a retired Romanian footballer who played mainly as a right defender.Offensive-minded, he could also appear as a midfielder, and played professionally in four countries , mainly in Spain, where he appeared for three clubs, mainly Getafe CF, which he helped consolidate in the...
— footballer, voted 2 times in 1999 and 2001 the best right defender in the UEFA Team of the YearThe UEFA Team of the Year is a football award given by UEFA through a poll on its . This award started in 2001 to allow users and visitors of the organization's website to choose their own eleven players and a coach based on their overall performances in European club football and international...
- Hanno Höfer
Hanno Höfer is a German-Romanian movie director, producer and musician.Between 1990 and 1992 he studied South-eastern European History in Berlin, and later between 1994–1998, Movies and Directing at the Academy for Theatre and Film in Bucharest...
— German-RomanianThe Germans of Romania or Rumäniendeutsche were 760,000 strong in 1930. They are not a single group; thus, to understand their language, culture, and history, one must view them as independent groups:...
movie director, producerA film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
and musician
- Ioan Holender
Ioan Holender is a Romanian born Austrian opera administrator.Holender was born in Timişoara, Romania. His family is of Jewish ancestry, and growing up, he spoke 3 languages. His father owned a factory in Timişoara, which was expropriated in 1948. Holender studied mechanical engineering at the...
—Romanian-born Austrian director of Vienna State OperaThe Vienna State Opera is an opera house – and opera company – with a history dating back to the mid-19th century. It is located in the centre of Vienna, Austria. It was originally called the Vienna Court Opera . In 1920, with the replacement of the Habsburg Monarchy by the First Austrian...
- Hugo Jan Huss
Hugo Jan Huss was an orchestra conductor and music director.He was born in Timişoara, Romania and died in La Crosse, Wisconsin. He studied at the Bucharest Conservatory of Music where he was the favorite student of Constantin Silvestri...
— orchestra conductor and music directorA music director may be the director of an orchestra, the director of music for a film, the director of music at a radio station, the head of the music department in a school, the co-ordinator of the musical ensembles in a university or college , the head bandmaster of a military band, the head...
- Francesco Illy
Francesco Illy – 1956, Trieste, Italy) was a Hungarian financial accountant, bookkeeper and inventor ofcoffee machinery.Illy was brought up in Temesvár where he studied economics...
— inventor of the first automatic coffee machine and founder of Illycaffè
- Ion Ivanovici
Ion Ivanovici was a Romanian military band leader and composer, best remembered today for his waltz Waves of the Danube....
— military bandA military band originally was a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind and percussion instruments. The conductor of a band commonly bears the title of Bandmaster or Director of Music...
leader and composer, best remembered today for his waltz "Waves of the Danube"Waves of the Danube" is a waltz composed by Iosif Ivanovici in 1880, and is one of the most famous Romanian tunes in the world. In the United States, it is frequently referred to as "The Anniversary Song", a title given by Al Jolson when he and Saul Chaplin released an adaptation of the song in...
"
- George Lusztig — Romanian American
A Romanian American is a citizen of the United States who has significant Romanian heritage. For the 2000 US Census, 367,310 Americans indicated Romanian as their first ancestry, while 462,526 persons declared to have Romanian ancestry...
mathematician and professor at the Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyThe Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
(MIT)
- Zoltán Meskó
Zoltán Meskó is a Romanian-born American football punter for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the fifth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan. A native of Romania , he emigrated with his family to the United...
— a Romanian-born American footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
punter for the New England PatriotsThe New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
- Dan Nicolae Potra
Dan Nicolae Potra is a retired Romanian artistic gymnast who was Romania's first male gymnast to win the European all around title . He is an Olympic bronze medalist with the team and a three time continental gold medalist.-References:...
— artistic gymnast; Romania's first male gymnast to win the European all around title (2002)
- Andrei Silard — engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
and author, correspondent member of the Romanian AcademyThe Romanian Academy is a cultural forum founded in Bucharest, Romania, in 1866. It covers the scientific, artistic and literary domains. The academy has 181 acting members who are elected for life....
- Cornel Trăilescu
Cornel Trăilescu is an Romanian opera composer and conductor.-Major works:*Puss in boots *Bălcescu *Love and Sacrifice -Sources:...
— operaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
composer and conductorConducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
- Dorin Tudoran
Dorin Tudoran is a Romanian poet, essayist, journalist, and dissident. A resident of the United States since 1985, he has authored more than fifteen books of poetry, essays, and interviews.-Early life:...
— poet, essayist, journalist, and dissidentA dissident, broadly defined, is a person who actively challenges an established doctrine, policy, or institution. When dissidents unite for a common cause they often effect a dissident movement....
- Andrei Ujica
Andrei Ujica is a Romanian screenwriter and director.- Life and works :Ujica studied literature in Timişoara, Bucharest and Heidelberg. He moved to Germany in 1981. In 1990 he began making films...
— screenwriterScreenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
and director
- Timotei Ursu — film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, television directorA television director directs the activities involved in making a television program and is part of a television crew.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or recorded to video tape or video server .In both types of productions, the...
, writer and journalist
- Johnny Weissmuller
Johnny Weissmuller was an Austro-Hungarian-born American swimmer and actor best known for playing Tarzan in movies. Weissmuller was one of the world's best swimmers in the 1920s, winning five Olympic gold medals and one bronze medal. He won fifty-two US National Championships and set sixty-seven...
— Romanian born American swimmer and actor of German descent, famous for winning 5 OlympicThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
gold medals for the United States and for portraying TarzanTarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
in films
- Sandra Romain
Sandra Romain is a Romanian pornographic actress. She became well known for her aggressive and domineering approach to sexuality in her films...
— Famous pornographic actress.
See also
- Timișoara metropolitan area
The Metropolitan Zone of Timişoara is an undergoing project for the creation of an administrative unit to integrate Timişoara with the nearby communes: Dumbrăviţa, Ghiroda, Moşniţa Nouă, Giroc, Sânmihaiu Român, Săcălaz, Sânandrei, Giarmata, Orţişoara, Remetea Mare, Şag and Parţa.According to...
- History of Timișoara
This article is about the History of Timişoara, the largest and most important city in the Romanian Banat. Timişoara is also known by the following names: Hungarian: Temesvár, German: Temeswar / Temeschwar / Temeschburg, Serbo-Croatian: Temišvar / Темишвар, Turkish: Tamışvar /...
External links