History of Timisoara
Encyclopedia
This article is about the History of Timişoara
, the largest and most important city in the Romania
n Banat
. Timişoara is also known by the following names: Hungarian
: Temesvár, German
: Temeswar / Temeschwar / Temeschburg, Serbo-Croatian
: Temišvar / Темишвар, Turkish
: Tamışvar / Temeşvar.
is located today has been inhabited since ancient times. The first identifiable civilization in this area were the Dacians who left traces of their past. From coin finds, it is known that the settlement was inhabited during the Roman
occupation of Dacia
. While no record of the settlement is known from those times, it is generally agreed that the site was inhabited through the Middle Ages
when the city was mentioned for the first time. Timişoara region was ruled by Ostrogoths, Huns
, Gepids, Avars
and Bulgars
during three senturies since 630 to 1018, before Hungarian
conquest in beginning of 10th century since collapse of Roman rule.
name Temesvár means "castle (vár) near the river Timiş
(Temes)." The city was probably fortified with wooden walls before this time. In 1241 the city was destroyed during the Mongol invasion of Hungary and Poland
, but the walls were rebuilt.
The Angevin
Hungarian king Charles I
visited the city in 1307 and built a stone fortress. Between 1305-1321 Visegrád
and Buda
were in hand of Csák Máté, one of the most powerful oligarch of that time, thus Charles was forced to move his court to Timişoara in 1315, which became the capital of the Kingdom of Hungary
for a short time. However, after Buda and Visegrád were recaptured in 1323, the decision was reversed. This short period of time brought development to the city which is mentioned in 1342 as "civitas".
By the middle of the 14th century, Timişoara was at the forefront of Western Christendom
's battle against the Muslim
Ottoman Turks
. French
and Hungarian crusaders met at the city before engaging in the Battle of Nicopolis
in 1396. Beginning in 1443, John Hunyadi
used Timişoara as a military stronghold against the Turks, having built a powerful fortress. The city was repeatedly sieged by the Ottomans in 1462, 1476, 1491, and 1522.
In 1514 the largest peasants' revolt in Hungarian history was defeated in a battle near Timisoara and its Sekler leader György Dózsa
was tortured and executed.
against the Kingdom of Hungary. Although the Hungarians suffered a devastating loss at the Battle of Mohács
in 1526, Timişoara was not conquered by the Ottomans until October 1551.
The city was transformed into the administrative centre of an Ottoman province, the Province of Temeşvar . The fortress was rebuilt and, along with Belgrade
, used as a major military base by the Ottomans. Because of its military orientation, the city itself developed slowly during the Ottoman administration. Timişoara had two fortified parts: the castle and the city, which was surrounded by wooden and stone walls. 200 guns were used to defend the city as well as water trenches around the walls. Approximately 1,200 houses, schools, hotels, and public baths were to be found inside the walls, while outside the walls around 1,500 other houses were present.
armies led by Prince Eugene of Savoy
on 12 October 1716. Eugene entered the city on 18 October and named one of his officers, Claudius Florimund Mercy, as governor of the city. Because the town had burned down during the siege, the city was completely rebuilt under Mercy's supervision. Timişoara was officially conceded to the Austria
n Habsburg Monarchy
by the Ottomans in the Treaty of Passarowitz
of 1718. Timişoara became the capital of the Banat of Temeswar
, a separate Habsburg province. The province was abolished in 1778.
Under Habsburg
rule, a new stone fortress was built around the city in 1723. Inside the walls houses, hospitals, schools, and churches were being raised, while outside the city factories were being opened. By the 1720 data, most of the inhabitants of the town were ethnic Serbs, and also some Romanians. Later, German
, Italian
, and Spanish
settlers were brought in to settle in the area. The marshland around the city was reclaimed, while the rivers Bega and Timiş became regulated. The city remained a military stronghold with a large garrison. This period was one of strong economic development and population increases. By 1781 Timişoara was one of the most important cities of the Habsburg Monarchy and as such it received a royal free city
warrant which would accelerate the development of the city even further. Because of the Habsburg administration, Timişoara was often referred to by the German
names Temeschburg, meaning "castle (Burg) on the Timiş" or Temeschwar, based on the Hungarian Temesvár. Temesvar was captured in 1788 and looted by Ottomans in 1789 during Austro-Turkish War (1787-1791)
.
, revolutionaries took over the Hungarian government. Because the Austrian commander of the city’s garrison decided to defend the Habsburg interests, the Hungarian army began an unsuccessful siege of Timişoara that lasted for 114 days. In the later stage of the revolution, the city was captured by the Serbian troops and for a short time was a capital of the Serbian Vojvodina
.
In 1853 telegraphy
was introduced in the city, and in 1857 Timişoara received gas street lighting. In 1857 a train line linking Timişoara with Szeged
was constructed, and in 1867 horse trams were introduced in the city. Timişoara became the first European city to have electric street lights in 1884, while the trams became electric in 1899. Timişoara was also the first city in the Kingdom of Hungary and later Romania to have an ambulance station.
After World War I
, following a short-lived Banat Republic
, and entry of the Serbian forces into the city, Timişoara was incorporated into the Kingdom of Romania
in 1919 together with most of the Banat region.
.
The Hungarian Calvinist pastor László Tőkés
was ordered to be deported by the Securitate
, or secret police, and as a reaction his house was surrounded by members of his church. People supporting him, including people of Romanian origin, gathered at the central square (Opera Square). The Communist administration ordered the army to fire at the congregation. However, a number of army officers refused to open fire and sided with the people. That was the beginning of the Romanian Revolution of 1989
, which ended the Communist regime a week later. Timişoara was declared the first Free Town on 20 December 1989, suffering 1,104 reported deaths and 3,352 wounded during the revolution.
Timişoara has 22,560 inhabitants.
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...
, the largest and most important city in the Romania
Romania
Romania 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...
n Banat
Banat
The 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...
. Timişoara is also known by the following names: Hungarian
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
: Temesvár, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
: Temeswar / Temeschwar / Temeschburg, Serbo-Croatian
Serbo-Croatian language
Serbo-Croatian or Serbo-Croat, less commonly Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian , is a South Slavic language with multiple standards and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro...
: Temišvar / Темишвар, Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
: Tamışvar / Temeşvar.
Antiquity
Archaeological discoveries prove that the area where TimişoaraTimisoara
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 located today has been inhabited since ancient times. The first identifiable civilization in this area were the Dacians who left traces of their past. From coin finds, it is known that the settlement was inhabited during the Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
occupation of Dacia
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...
. While no record of the settlement is known from those times, it is generally agreed that the site was inhabited through the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
when the city was mentioned for the first time. Timişoara region was ruled by Ostrogoths, Huns
Huns
The Huns were a group of nomadic people who, appearing from east of the Volga River, migrated into Europe c. AD 370 and established the vast Hunnic Empire there. Since de Guignes linked them with the Xiongnu, who had been northern neighbours of China 300 years prior to the emergence of the Huns,...
, Gepids, Avars
Eurasian Avars
The Eurasian Avars or Ancient Avars were a highly organized nomadic confederacy of mixed origins. They were ruled by a khagan, who was surrounded by a tight-knit entourage of nomad warriors, an organization characteristic of Turko-Mongol groups...
and Bulgars
First Bulgarian Empire
The First Bulgarian Empire was a medieval Bulgarian state founded in the north-eastern Balkans in c. 680 by the Bulgars, uniting with seven South Slavic tribes...
during three senturies since 630 to 1018, before Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
conquest in beginning of 10th century since collapse of Roman rule.
The Middle Ages
The first indication of the city's name is from a record in 1177 describing a "Castrensis de thymes" located in the area, based on the name of the river flowing around it; the HungarianHungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
name Temesvár means "castle (vár) near the river Timiş
Timis River
The 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....
(Temes)." The city was probably fortified with wooden walls before this time. In 1241 the city was destroyed during the Mongol invasion of Hungary and Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, but the walls were rebuilt.
The Angevin
Capetian House of Anjou
The Capetian House of Anjou, also known as the House of Anjou-Sicily and House of Anjou-Naples, was a royal house and cadet branch of the direct House of Capet. Founded by Charles I of Sicily, a son of Louis VIII of France, the Capetian king first ruled the Kingdom of Sicily during the 13th century...
Hungarian king Charles I
Charles I of Hungary
Charles 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...
visited the city in 1307 and built a stone fortress. Between 1305-1321 Visegrád
Visegrád
Visegrád is a small castle town in Pest County, Hungary.Situated north of Budapest on the right bank of the Danube in the Danube Bend, Visegrád has a population 1,654 as of 2001...
and Buda
Buda
For detailed information see: History of Buda CastleBuda is the western part of the Hungarian capital Budapest on the west bank of the Danube. The name Buda takes its name from the name of Bleda the Hun ruler, whose name is also Buda in Hungarian.Buda comprises about one-third of Budapest's...
were in hand of Csák Máté, one of the most powerful oligarch of that time, thus Charles was forced to move his court to Timişoara in 1315, which became the capital of the Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The 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...
for a short time. However, after Buda and Visegrád were recaptured in 1323, the decision was reversed. This short period of time brought development to the city which is mentioned in 1342 as "civitas".
By the middle of the 14th century, Timişoara was at the forefront of Western Christendom
Christendom
Christendom, or the Christian world, has several meanings. In a cultural sense it refers to the worldwide community of Christians, adherents of Christianity...
's battle against the Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
Ottoman Turks
Ottoman Turks
The Ottoman Turks were the Turkish-speaking population of the Ottoman Empire who formed the base of the state's military and ruling classes. Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks is scarce, but they take their Turkish name, Osmanlı , from the house of Osman I The Ottoman...
. French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Hungarian crusaders met at the city before engaging in the Battle of Nicopolis
Battle of Nicopolis
The Battle of Nicopolis took place on 25 September 1396 and resulted in the rout of an allied army of Hungarian, Wallachian, French, Burgundian, German and assorted troops at the hands of an Ottoman force, raising of the siege of the Danubian fortress of Nicopolis and leading to the end of the...
in 1396. Beginning in 1443, John Hunyadi
John Hunyadi
John 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: ...
used Timişoara as a military stronghold against the Turks, having built a powerful fortress. The city was repeatedly sieged by the Ottomans in 1462, 1476, 1491, and 1522.
In 1514 the largest peasants' revolt in Hungarian history was defeated in a battle near Timisoara and its Sekler leader György Dózsa
György Dózsa
György Dózsa was a Székely Hungarian man-at-arms from Transylvania, Kingdom of Hungary who led a peasants' revolt against the kingdom's landed nobility...
was tortured and executed.
Ottoman Rule
Because of Timişoara's strategic location, the Ottomans desired to capture the fortress during their campaignsOttoman wars in Europe
The wars of the Ottoman Empire in Europe are also sometimes referred to as the Ottoman Wars or as Turkish Wars, particularly in older, European texts.- Rise :...
against the Kingdom of Hungary. Although the Hungarians suffered a devastating loss at the Battle of Mohács
Battle of Mohács
The Battle of Mohács was fought on August 29, 1526 near Mohács, Hungary. In the battle, forces of the Kingdom of Hungary led by King Louis II of Hungary and Bohemia were defeated by forces of the Ottoman Empire led by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent....
in 1526, Timişoara was not conquered by the Ottomans until October 1551.
The city was transformed into the administrative centre of an Ottoman province, the Province of Temeşvar . The fortress was rebuilt and, along with Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade 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...
, used as a major military base by the Ottomans. Because of its military orientation, the city itself developed slowly during the Ottoman administration. Timişoara had two fortified parts: the castle and the city, which was surrounded by wooden and stone walls. 200 guns were used to defend the city as well as water trenches around the walls. Approximately 1,200 houses, schools, hotels, and public baths were to be found inside the walls, while outside the walls around 1,500 other houses were present.
The Habsburg Era
The Ottomans were evicted from the city by the Habsburg ImperialHoly Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
armies led by Prince Eugene of Savoy
Prince Eugene of Savoy
Prince 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...
on 12 October 1716. Eugene entered the city on 18 October and named one of his officers, Claudius Florimund Mercy, as governor of the city. Because the town had burned down during the siege, the city was completely rebuilt under Mercy's supervision. Timişoara was officially conceded to the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n Habsburg Monarchy
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
by the Ottomans in the Treaty of Passarowitz
Treaty of Passarowitz
The Treaty of Passarowitz or Treaty of Požarevac was the peace treaty signed in Požarevac , a town in Ottoman Empire , on 21 July 1718 between the Ottoman Empire on one side and the Habsburg Monarchy of Austria and the Republic of Venice on the other.During the years 1714-1718, the Ottomans had...
of 1718. Timişoara became the capital of the Banat of Temeswar
Banat of Temeswar
The Banat of Temeswar was a Habsburg province that existed between 1718 and 1778. It was located in the present day region of Banat, which was named after this province...
, a separate Habsburg province. The province was abolished in 1778.
Under Habsburg
Habsburg
The 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...
rule, a new stone fortress was built around the city in 1723. Inside the walls houses, hospitals, schools, and churches were being raised, while outside the city factories were being opened. By the 1720 data, most of the inhabitants of the town were ethnic Serbs, and also some Romanians. Later, German
Danube Swabians
The Danube Swabians is a collective term for the German-speaking population who lived in the former Kingdom of Hungary, especially alongside the Danube River valley. Because of different developments within the territory settled, the Danube Swabians cannot be seen as a unified people...
, Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
, and Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
settlers were brought in to settle in the area. The marshland around the city was reclaimed, while the rivers Bega and Timiş became regulated. The city remained a military stronghold with a large garrison. This period was one of strong economic development and population increases. By 1781 Timişoara was one of the most important cities of the Habsburg Monarchy and as such it received a royal free city
Royal free city
Royal free city or free royal city was the official term for the most important cities in the Kingdom of Hungary from the 15th century until the early 20th century...
warrant which would accelerate the development of the city even further. Because of the Habsburg administration, Timişoara was often referred to by the German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
names Temeschburg, meaning "castle (Burg) on the Timiş" or Temeschwar, based on the Hungarian Temesvár. Temesvar was captured in 1788 and looted by Ottomans in 1789 during Austro-Turkish War (1787-1791)
Austro-Turkish War (1787-1791)
The Austro-Turkish War of 1787 was an inconclusive struggle between the Austrian and Ottoman Empires. It took place concomitantly with the Russo-Turkish War of 1787-1792.-History:...
.
The 1848/1849 Revolution
During the Revolutions of 1848Revolutions of 1848
The European Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Spring of Nations, Springtime of the Peoples or the Year of Revolution, were a series of political upheavals throughout Europe in 1848. It was the first Europe-wide collapse of traditional authority, but within a year reactionary...
, revolutionaries took over the Hungarian government. Because the Austrian commander of the city’s garrison decided to defend the Habsburg interests, the Hungarian army began an unsuccessful siege of Timişoara that lasted for 114 days. In the later stage of the revolution, the city was captured by the Serbian troops and for a short time was a capital of the Serbian Vojvodina
Serbian Vojvodina
The Serbian Vojvodina was a Serbian autonomous region within the Austrian Empire...
.
Modernization of Timişoara
The development of the city continued after the attempted 1848/1849 revolution. In 1849, Timişoara became the capital of the new Habsburg province named Vojvodina of Serbia and Tamiš Banat. The province was abolished in 1860.In 1853 telegraphy
Telegraphy
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages via some form of signalling technology. Telegraphy requires messages to be converted to a code which is known to both sender and receiver...
was introduced in the city, and in 1857 Timişoara received gas street lighting. In 1857 a train line linking Timişoara with Szeged
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....
was constructed, and in 1867 horse trams were introduced in the city. Timişoara became the first European city to have electric street lights in 1884, while the trams became electric in 1899. Timişoara was also the first city in the Kingdom of Hungary and later Romania to have an ambulance station.
After World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, following a short-lived Banat Republic
Banat Republic
The Banat Republic was a short-lived state proclaimed in Timişoara on November 1, 1918, the day after the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Recognized only by Hungary, the republic was invaded by the army of neighboring Serbia on November 15...
, and entry of the Serbian forces into the city, Timişoara was incorporated into the Kingdom of Romania
Kingdom of Romania
The 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...
in 1919 together with most of the Banat region.
The Romanian Revolution of 1989
In December 1989 a popular uprising began in Timişoara against the Communist regime of Nicolae CeauşescuNicolae Ceausescu
Nicolae Ceaușescu was a Romanian Communist politician. He was General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 to 1989, and as such was the country's second and last Communist leader...
.
The Hungarian Calvinist pastor László Tőkés
László Tokés
László Tőkés is a Romanian politician of Hungarian ethnicity, currently serving as a Member of the European Parliament and Vice President of the European Parliament ....
was ordered to be deported by the Securitate
Securitate
The Securitate was the secret police agency of Communist Romania. Previously, the Romanian secret police was called Siguranţa Statului. Founded on August 30, 1948, with help from the Soviet NKVD, the Securitate was abolished in December 1989, shortly after President Nicolae Ceaușescu was...
, or secret police, and as a reaction his house was surrounded by members of his church. People supporting him, including people of Romanian origin, gathered at the central square (Opera Square). The Communist administration ordered the army to fire at the congregation. However, a number of army officers refused to open fire and sided with the people. That was the beginning of the Romanian Revolution of 1989
Romanian Revolution of 1989
The 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...
, which ended the Communist regime a week later. Timişoara was declared the first Free Town on 20 December 1989, suffering 1,104 reported deaths and 3,352 wounded during the revolution.
Timetable of Timişoara history
- 1019 - TimişoaraTimisoaraTimișoara 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...
(as Dibiscos/Bisiskos/Tibiskos/Tibiskon/Timbisko/etc.) is mentioned for the first time in written documents by Byzantine Emperor Basil IIBasil IIBasil II , known in his time as Basil the Porphyrogenitus and Basil the Young to distinguish him from his ancestor Basil I the Macedonian, was a Byzantine emperor from the Macedonian dynasty who reigned from 10 January 976 to 15 December 1025.The first part of his long reign was dominated...
(not all historians agree with this identification). - 1154 - The Arab geographer Sarif al IdrisiIdrisiIdrisi may refer to:*Muhammad al-Idrisi, a 12th century explorer, geographer and writer*Idris I of Libya, a 20th century Libyan king*IDRISI, a GIS computer program*İdrisqışlaq, Azerbaijan*The former ruling family of the Emirate of Asir...
, in his work "The book of pleasures", is describing precisely the road from Cavorz (i.e. Karlowitz/Sremski Karlovci) to Timişoara, passing through Cnez (i.e. Satchinez/Knez); he declare that Timişoara is "a pleasant city ... offering great richness". - 1177 - First mention of the Castrensis de Thymes in a medieval document.
- 1212 - The fort of Timişoara (Castrum Temesiensis) is mentioned in the decree of King Andrew II of HungaryAndrew II of HungaryAndrew II the Jerosolimitan was King of Hungary and Croatia . He was the younger son of King Béla III of Hungary, who invested him with the government of the Principality of Halych...
- 1241 - The town is partly destroyed by the TatarsTatarsTatars are a Turkic speaking ethnic group , numbering roughly 7 million.The majority of Tatars live in the Russian Federation, with a population of around 5.5 million, about 2 million of which in the republic of Tatarstan.Significant minority populations are found in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan,...
. - 1307 - Charles I of HungaryCharles I of HungaryCharles 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...
builds the stone fortress and makes the city the capital of his kingdom. - 1323 - King Charles I of HungaryCharles I of HungaryCharles 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...
attends the holy service in Saint GeorgeSaint GeorgeSaint George was, according to tradition, a Roman soldier from Syria Palaestina and a priest in the Guard of Diocletian, who is venerated as a Christian martyr. In hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Catholic , Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and the Oriental Orthodox...
's church [Sfântu Gheorghe]. This church still exists today in Timişoara. - 1342 - Timişoara was mentioned for the first time with the title of "civitas" (cityCityA city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
). - 1370 - The first handicraftsmen's guildGuildA guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade. The earliest types of guild were formed as confraternities of workers. They were organized in a manner something between a trade union, a cartel, and a secret society...
is documented in Timişoara. - 1396 - The town is the starting point for the Nicopolis crusadeBattle of NicopolisThe Battle of Nicopolis took place on 25 September 1396 and resulted in the rout of an allied army of Hungarian, Wallachian, French, Burgundian, German and assorted troops at the hands of an Ottoman force, raising of the siege of the Danubian fortress of Nicopolis and leading to the end of the...
. - 1478–1494 - Pavel Chinezul becomes county head of TimişTimis 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....
and Captain of Timişoara. - 1497 - Pelbart of Timişoara, the only author of incunabula in RomaniaRomaniaRomania 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...
, publishes his works in BaselBaselBasel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
and later in Hagenau. - 1514 - Fortress Timişoara is attacked by rebel peasant troops led by George Dozsa (Dózsa György in Hungarian, Gheorghe Doja in Romanian). The revolt was put down and George Dozsa executed in a cruel and unmerciful way (along with others 40,000–60,000 rebel peasants) in Timişoara. Today, on the place of the martyrdom, of the hot throne, there is the statue of Saint Mary, manufactured by architect László Szekély and sculptor György Kiss. According to the legend, during George Dozsa's surplice, the JesuitSociety of JesusThe Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
monkMonkA monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
s saw in the ear the image of Holy Mary. The first statue was raised here in 1865. The actual monument was raised in 1906. - 1549 - Opening of the ProtestantProtestantismProtestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
School in Timişoara founded and led by István Kiss of SzegedSzeged' 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....
. - 1552 - Timişoara is conquered by the Ottoman EmpireOttoman EmpireThe Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
and becomes capital of the Eyalet of Temeşvar. - 1596 - Sigismund BáthorySigismund BáthorySigismund Báthory was Prince of Transylvania.-Biography:Hailing from the Báthory family's Somlyó branch, he was the son of Christopher Báthory, Voivod of Transylvania, and nephew of Stephen Báthory, King of Poland...
of TransylvaniaTransylvaniaTransylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
and Michael the Brave of WallachiaWallachiaWallachia or Walachia is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians...
fail to capture Timişoara after a 40-day siege. - 1660 - The Ottoman historianHistorianA historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
, geographerGeographerA geographer is a scholar whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society.Although geographers are historically known as people who make maps, map making is actually the field of study of cartography, a subset of geography...
and globetrotter Evliya CelebiEvliya ÇelebiEvliya Çelebi was an Ottoman traveler who journeyed through the territory of the Ottoman Empire and neighboring lands over a period of forty years.- Life :...
(B 1611, D March 1682) visits Timişoara. According to him (in Seyahatname/The book of travels), the locality had more than 36,000 inhabitants (living in 10 suburbs—1500 houses—around the fortress) and the fortress's garrison numbered 10,000 soldiers. In the fortress existed 1200 houses, more than 400 shops, 4 public baths, 3 restaurants and confectioneries, 7 schools. - 1688 - The East Banat is conquered by the Habsburg MonarchyHabsburg MonarchyThe Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
's general Veterani (born in VeniceVeniceVenice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
). - 1688 - The Turkish garrison of Timişoara rises against the Ottoman authorities.
- 1696 - The imperialHoly Roman EmpireThe Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
troops led by Frederick Augustus I besiege Timişoara unsuccessfully. - 1716 - Prince Eugene of SavoyPrince 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...
takes the town from the Turks. - 1722–1726 - First wave of German colonists (Danube SwabiansDanube SwabiansThe Danube Swabians is a collective term for the German-speaking population who lived in the former Kingdom of Hungary, especially alongside the Danube River valley. Because of different developments within the territory settled, the Danube Swabians cannot be seen as a unified people...
) under Emperor Charles VICharles VI, Holy Roman EmperorCharles VI was the penultimate Habsburg sovereign of the Habsburg Empire. He succeeded his elder brother, Joseph I, as Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia , Hungary and Croatia , Archduke of Austria, etc., in 1711...
. - 1728/1771/1783 - Digging and regularization of the Bega channel. The Bega was transformed into a navigable fluvial channel (115 km) which connected the BanatBanatThe 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...
with other European riverways. The first attempt to regulate the Bega and TimişTimis 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....
rivers were made under the Ottoman occupation by A. Cornaro when some work was done in the Budint-Chizatau zone. The first steps were made between 1728–1732 under Count Florimund MercyFlorimund MercyCount Claudius Florimund de Mercy was an Imperial field marshal, born at Longwy in Lorraine, now in France.Mercy entered the Austrian army as a volunteer in 1682. He won his commission at the great Battle of Vienna in the following year; and during seven years of campaigning in Hungary rose to the...
's leadership. - 1728 - A tobaccoTobaccoTobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
mill is set up in Timişoara. The factory is still functioning. - 1753 - The first mention of the organized theatreTheatreTheatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
of Timişoara. A GermanGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
group of actors performed theatre plays in the town between May–November. Timişoara is the third town in the Empire, after ViennaViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and BudapestBudapestBudapest 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...
with a permanent theatre season. - 1760 - Timişoara is the first town in the Empire where the public lighting using suet candles and lamps with oil and grease is introduced.
- 1763–1772 - Second wave of German colonization under Empress Maria Theresa of AustriaMaria Theresa of AustriaMaria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina was the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last of the House of Habsburg. She was the sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Mantua, Milan, Lodomeria and Galicia, the Austrian Netherlands and Parma...
. - 1782–1786 - Third wave under Emperor Joseph IIJoseph II, Holy Roman EmperorJoseph II was Holy Roman Emperor from 1765 to 1790 and ruler of the Habsburg lands from 1780 to 1790. He was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Francis I...
. - 1738–1739 - Epidemic of plague.
- 1762–1763 - Epidemic of plague.
- 1771 - The first printing house/owner Mathäus Heimerl in Fabric quarter.
- 1781 - 21 December: Joseph IIJoseph II, Holy Roman EmperorJoseph II was Holy Roman Emperor from 1765 to 1790 and ruler of the Habsburg lands from 1780 to 1790. He was the eldest son of Empress Maria Theresa and her husband, Francis I...
's decree regarding the privilege of imperial free city Timişoara. - 1788 - Ottomans captured Temeşvar during Austro-Turkish War (1787–1791).
- 1789 - Ottomans looted it during retreat.
- 1796 - The Magic Flute was performed in Timişoara five years after its premiere in ViennaViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. - 1815 - Printer Joseph Klapka – the future mayor – sets up in Timişoara the first borrowing libraryLibraryIn a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
in a HungarianHungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
town. - 1819 - Joseph Klapka becomes mayor of Timişoara.
- 1823 - November 3: In his letter addressed from Timişoara to his father in Târgu-MureşTârgu-MuresTârgu Mureș is the seat of Mureș County in the north-central part of Romania. As of January 1, 2009 the city had a population of 145,151 inhabitants, making it the 16th most-populated city in Romania.-Names and etymology:...
, mathematician János BolyaiJános BolyaiJános Bolyai was a Hungarian mathematician, known for his work in non-Euclidean geometry.Bolyai was born in the Transylvanian town of Kolozsvár , then part of the Habsburg Empire , the son of Zsuzsanna Benkő and the well-known mathematician Farkas Bolyai.-Life:By the age of 13, he had mastered...
mentions that he discovered the principles of the Non-Euclidean geometryNon-Euclidean geometryNon-Euclidean geometry is the term used to refer to two specific geometries which are, loosely speaking, obtained by negating the Euclidean parallel postulate, namely hyperbolic and elliptic geometry. This is one term which, for historical reasons, has a meaning in mathematics which is much...
. - 1846 - Composer and pianist Franz LisztFranz LisztFranz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
halts in Timişoara and performs three concerts in the Theater's hall. - 1847 - Johann Strauss IIJohann Strauss IIJohann Strauss II , also known as Johann Baptist Strauss or Johann Strauss, Jr., the Younger, or the Son , was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed over 500 waltzes, polkas, quadrilles, and other types of dance music, as well as several operettas...
, the "Waltz King", performs in Timişoara with his orchestra.
Timişoara has 22,560 inhabitants.
- 1849 - Between April 26 and August 8, Timişoara is sieged by Hungarian revolutionary forces (the longest siege of the town).
- 1852 - Timişoara is linked with ViennaViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
through the telegraph electric line. This is the first line in the territory of present-day RomaniaRomaniaRomania 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...
. - 1855 - February 9: Giuseppe VerdiGiuseppe VerdiGiuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was an Italian Romantic composer, mainly of opera. He was one of the most influential composers of the 19th century...
's "La TraviataLa traviataLa traviata is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on La dame aux Camélias , a play adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas, fils. The title La traviata means literally The Fallen Woman, or perhaps more figuratively, The Woman...
" opening night in Timişoara. - 1857 - Public street lighting with aerial gas.
- 1857 - Inauguration of the first railroad in the Banat's plain: SzegedSzeged' 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....
–KikindaKikindaKikinda is a town and a municipality located in Serbia, in the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is the administrative centre of the North Banat District. The town has 42,000 inhabitants, while the municipality has approximately 67,000 inhabitants.The modern city was founded in 18th century...
–JimboliaJimboliaJimbolia is a town in Timiş county, Romania. In 2004, it had a population of 11,605.-History:The earliest record of a community in this location is a place identified as Chumbul in a papal tax record in 1333. This place came under Turkish administration in 1552. As a result of the Treaty of...
–Timişoara, 112 km. To travel from Timişoara to BudapestBudapestBudapest 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...
took 26h and from Timişoara to ViennaViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
36h. The first railroads station is opened in Timişoara. - 1866 - Alexander John CuzaAlexander John CuzaAlexander John Cuza was a Moldavian-born Romanian politician who ruled as the first Domnitor of the United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia between 1859 and 1866.-Early life:...
, Prince of MoldaviaMoldaviaMoldavia is a geographic and historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester river...
and Wallachia stops in Timişoara on his way into exile. He stays at the "Trompetistul" road house. - 1869 - First tram with horses (6.6 km).
- 1870 - The first metallic bridge, the BemJózef BemJózef Zachariasz Bem was a Polish general, an Ottoman Pasha and a national hero of Poland and Hungary, and a figure intertwined with other European nationalisms...
bridge, is built on Bega Channel. At this time there were 71 bridges only in Timişoara, on Bega river. Today 13 bridges exist in Timişoara. - 1879 - Start of the works on the town's telephoneTelephoneThe telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
network (first 52 subscribers) in Timişoara. The network was built as a private enterprise by Ignatiu Leyritz. - 1879 - September 15: Recital of Johannes BrahmsJohannes BrahmsJohannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist, and one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene...
and Joseph JoachimJoseph JoachimJoseph Joachim was a Hungarian violinist, conductor, composer and teacher. A close collaborator of Johannes Brahms, he is widely regarded as one of the most significant violinists of the 19th century.-Origins:...
in Timişoara. - 1883 - June 5: The Orient ExpressOrient ExpressThe Orient Express is the name of a long-distance passenger train service originally operated by the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits. It ran from 1883 to 2009 and is not to be confused with the Venice-Simplon Orient Express train service, which continues to run.The route and rolling stock...
Train is launched, passing through Banat: SzegedSzeged' 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....
–KikindaKikindaKikinda is a town and a municipality located in Serbia, in the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is the administrative centre of the North Banat District. The town has 42,000 inhabitants, while the municipality has approximately 67,000 inhabitants.The modern city was founded in 18th century...
–JimboliaJimboliaJimbolia is a town in Timiş county, Romania. In 2004, it had a population of 11,605.-History:The earliest record of a community in this location is a place identified as Chumbul in a papal tax record in 1333. This place came under Turkish administration in 1552. As a result of the Treaty of...
–Timişoara–CaransebeşCaransebesCaransebeş is a city in Caraş-Severin County, part of the Banat region in southwestern Romania. It is located at the confluence of the river Timiş with the river Sebeş, the latter coming from the Ţarcu Mountains. To the west, it is in direct contact with the Banat hills...
–OrşovaOrsovaOrșova is a port city on the Danube river in southwestern Romania's Mehedinți County. It is one of four localities in the county located in the Banat historical region. It is situated just above the Iron Gates, on the spot where the Cerna River meets the Danube.- History :The first documented...
. - 1884 - (12 November) First city in Europe to have public street electric lighting.
- 1886 - Set up of the "AmbulanceAmbulanceAn ambulance is a vehicle for transportation of sick or injured people to, from or between places of treatment for an illness or injury, and in some instances will also provide out of hospital medical care to the patient...
" service of Timişoara. This is the first ambulance station in HungaryHungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
and today RomaniaRomaniaRomania 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...
. - 1891 - The first permanent museumMuseumA museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
is opened in Timişoara. - 1899 - June 25: The first football/soccer mach in today Romania was held in Timişoara between the schoolboys of the Piarist High-school led by Carol Müller, gymnastic professor.
- 1907 - The walls of the fortress are destroyed to allow for new construction.
- 1918 - November 15: Serbian forces enter into the town. The BanatBanatThe 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...
region was desired by both Serbia and Romania. - 1918 - December 3: French colonial forces arrive to avoid any possible conflicts between Serbia and Romania.
- 1919 - July 28: Romanian administration is installed. BanatBanatThe 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...
is partitioned between Romania (2/3) and Serbia (1/3). - 1919 - August 3: Romanian army enters Timişoara.
- 1920 - The theater is destroyed by a fire. It will be rebuilt and opened in 1928.
- 1920 - Set up and opening of the Polytechnic School of Timişoara.
- 1921 - George Enescu's first concerts in Timişoara.
- 1921-1927 - The soccer team "Chinezul" from Timişoara is the champion of RomaniaRomaniaRomania 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...
in 6 consecutive editions of the championship. - 1926 - The statue of "Lupoaica" ("She-wolf" - Romulus and Remus), a gift from Italian authorities and later the town symbol, is inaugurated in the center.
- 1928 - The first professional soccer club from Romania - "RipensiaRipensia TimisoaraRipensia 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....
" - is founded in Timişoara. - 1930 - Timişoara has 91,866 inhabitants (census), was the seventh biggest city in Romania (26% Romanians, 30% Hungarians, 30% Germans, 8% Jewish).
- 1932–1938 - The soccer team "Ripensia" from TimişoaraTimisoaraTimișoara 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 for the 5th time the champion of RomaniaRomaniaRomania 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...
. - 1944 - June 16–17th: the city is bombed for the first time, by Britain's RAF.
- 1944 - July 3: the city is bombed again, by the United States Air ForceUnited States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
. - 1944 - September 12: the Soviet Red Army enters.
- 1945 - The first professional Romanian theatre group is established in Timişoara.
- 1946 - The Romanian Opera is established, and its first performance, in April 1947, is "Aida" by Giuseppe Verdi.
- 1953 - The State Magyar Theater (Teatrul Maghiar de Stat) is established (known since 1990 as Csiky Gergely theatre), as well as the State German Theater (Teatrul German de Stat)
- 1955 - The first radio show broadcast by Radio Timişoara.
- 1961 - Mecipt 1, the first Romanian alphanumeric computerComputerA computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
was made in Timişoara. - 1986 - The Botanic ParkParkA park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
is opened in Timişoara. The ZooZooA zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
is opened in the same year. - 1989 - 16 December: The Revolution against the communist regime of Nicolae CeauşescuNicolae CeausescuNicolae Ceaușescu was a Romanian Communist politician. He was General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 to 1989, and as such was the country's second and last Communist leader...
begins in Timişoara. On 20 December, Timişoara is declared the first Free Town. 1,104 people died and 3,352 were wounded. - 1992 - Democratic elections. Viorel Oancea becomes the mayor of Timişoara.