This article is about the history of Bucharest, the capital of Romania.

Ancient times

The territory of Bucharest and Ilfov county was inhabited in ancient times by the Getae (or Dacians), an Indo-European people.

Small Dacian settlements were found in various places around Bucharest, such Herăstrău , Radu Vodă , Dămăroaia , Lacul Tei , Pantelimon and Popeşti-Leordeni . We know that these populations had commercial links with the Romans, judging by the jewels and coins of Roman orgin found in Giuleşti and Lacul Tei .

Bucharest was never under the Roman rule, and it is assumed that the local population was Romanized after the retreat of the Roman Empire from this region. Slavs founded several settlements in the Bucharest region, whose names still remain today, such as Snagov, Glina and Chiajna . The Slavic population was already assimilated by the Romanians before the end of the Dark Ages.

Middle Ages

The legend says that Bucharest was founded by a shepherd named Bucur , another variant, more likely, is that it was established by Mircea cel Bătrân in the 14th century after a victory won over the Turks (bucurie means joy in Romanian, for this reason Bucharest is often called "The City of Joy.").

Like most ancient cities of Romania, its foundation has also been ascribed to the first Walachian prince, the half-mythical Radu Negru (1290-1314). More modern historians declare that it was originally a fortress, erected on the site of some Daco-Roman settlements, then it was used to command the approaches to Târgovişte, formerly the capital of Walachia.

Bucharest is first mentioned under its present name as a residence in 1459 of the Walachian prince Vlad Ţepeş (Vlad the Impaler). It soon became the summer residence of the court. In 1595 it was burned by the Turks; but, after its restoration, continued to grow in size and prosperity, until, in 1698, Prince Constantin Brâncoveanu chose it for his capital and of the united provinces of Walachia and Moldavia from February 1859 (renamed Romania in December 1861 while still nominally subject to the Ottoman Empire).

Modern history

During the 18th century the possession of Bucharest was frequently disputed by the Turks, Austrians and Russians. In 1812 it gave its name to the treaty by which Bessarabia and a third of Moldavia were ceded to Russia. In the war of 1828 it was occupied by the Russians, who made it over to the prince of Walachia in the following year.

On 23 March 1847 a fire consumed about 2,000 buildings of Bucharest (about a third of the city) .

A rebellion against Prince Bibescu in 1848 brought both Turkish and Russian interference, and the city was again held by Russian troops in 1853-1854. On their departure an Austrian garrison took possession and remained till March 1857. In 1858 the international congress for the organization of the Danubian principalities was held in the city; and when, in 1861, the union of Walachia and Moldavia was proclaimed, Bucharest became the Romanian capital. Alexander John Cuza, the first ruler of the united provinces, was driven from his throne by an insurrection in Bucharest in 1866.

In the second half of the 19th century, the population of the city increased dramatically. The extravagant architecture and cosmopolitan high culture of this period won Bucharest the nickname of The Paris of the East (or Little Paris, "Micul Paris"), with Calea Victoriei as its Champs Elysées or Fifth Avenue, but the social divide between rich and poor was described at the time by Ferdinand Lassalle as "a savage hotchpotch."

20th century

On December 6 1916 the city was occupied by the German forces, the capital being moved to Iaşi, but it was liberated in November 1918, becoming the capital of the new united Kingdom of Romania.

Bucharest suffered heavy loses during WWII due to the English and American bombardments. On November 8 1945, the king's day, the communists suppressed pro-monarchist rallies.

During Nicolae Ceauşescu's leadership, most of the historical part of the city, including old churches, was destroyed, to be replaced with the grandomanic socialist buildings of the Centru Civic, notably the Palace of the Parliament. Some historic districts remain, but many argue whether Bucharest is really the Paris of the East today.

In 1977, a strong 7.4 on the Richter-scale earthquake claimed 1,500 lives and destroyed many old buildings.

Mass protests began in Timişoara in December 1989 and continued in Bucharest, leading to the overthrow of Ceauşescu's communist regime.

Unhappy with the results of the revolution, mass protests supported by the students' leagues continued in 1990 (the Golaniad) and were violently stopped by the miners of Valea Jiului (the Mineriad). Several other Mineriads followed, the results of which included a government change.

After the year 2000, due to the advent of Romania's economic boom, the city has modernized and many historical areas have been restored to their former glory.

Treaties signed in Bucharest

1. Treaty of May 28, 1812, at the end of the Russo-Turkish War. Romania loses Bessarabia.
2. Treaty of March 3, 1886 , at the end of the war between Serbia and Bulgaria.
3. Treaty of August 10, 1913, at the end of the Second Balkan War.
4. Treaty of August 4, 1916 , the treaty of alliance between Romania and Entente (France, England, Russia and Italy).
5. Treaty of May 6, 1918, the treaty between Romania and the Central Powers, which was never ratified.

Population history

• 1789: 30,030 inhabitants; 6.000 houses
• 1831: 60,587 inhabitants; 10.000 houses
• 1859: 122,000
• 1900: 282,000
• 1918: 383,000
• 1930: 639,000
• 1966: 1,452,000
• 2000: 2,300,000

Timeline

• 1459 - Bucharest is mentioned for the first time in a document during the rule of Vlad Ţepeş
• 1595 - burned by the Turks
• 1678 - first book printed in Bucharest: "The Key to Knowledge", by Ioanidie Galitowski
• 1692 - first Wallachian Academy is opened, at the Saint Sava Monastery
• 1698 - capital moved to Bucharest
• 1704 - first hospital of Bucharest is opened, at the Colţei Monastery
• 1789 - Austrian troops occupy and stay in Bucharest for two years
• 1808 - Manuc's Inn is built
• 1813 - Caragea's plague
• 1821 - Tudor Vladimirescu's Revolution rules Bucharest for 56 days, Ottomans sack Bucharest
• 1829 - Russian Army occupation
• 1834 - The National Library founded
• 1844 - first fire brigade set up in Bucharest
• 1847 - a great fire destroys large part of the commercial center of the city (2000 houses)
• 1848 - 1848 Revolution in Bucharest; Bucharest is occupied by the Turkish troops.
• 1852 - National Theatre built
• 1853-1856 - Succesive occupations of the Russians, Ottomans and Austrians
• 1854 - Cişmigiu garden opened
• 1857 - Bucharest is the first city in the world to use petrol lamps for public lighting
• 1859 - the capital of the unified Romania
• 1860 - the Gheorghe Lazăr and Matei Basarab high schools founded
• 1864 - the Buchrest University founded, built on the place of the Saint Sava Monastery.
• 1869 - Filaret , the first train station of Bucharest was built
• 1871 - first tram line, between Gara de Nord and Obor
• 1872 - Gara de Nord opened
• 1882 - electricity introduced to the Royal Palace and the National Theatre
• 1885 - the Botanical Garden is opened in Cotroceni
• 1888 - Romanian Atheneum opened
• 1893 - Cotroceni Palace opened
• 1916 - German occupation; capital moved to Iaşi
• 1935 - Arcul de Triumf built
• 1936 - Herăstrău park (1.87 km²) opened
• 1937 - the construction of the Royal Palace (now the Art Museum) finished
• 1918 - Bucharest liberated; capital moved back
• 1957 - Casa Scânteii built
• 1960 - Sala Palatului opened
• 1961 - Globus Circus opened
• 1970 - Intercontinental hotel becomes the tallest building of Bucharest
• 1977 - 1977 Bucharest Earthquake kills 1,500 people
• 1989 - Romanian Revolution of 1989

See also

• History of Romania
• Wallachia
• Muntenia