Arad

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Arad in County Arad

Arad is the capital city of Arad County, in western Romania, in the Crişana region.  Arad is a modern-built city, and contains many handsome private and public buildings, including a cathedral.

With an area of 46.18 km˛ and a 2002 population of about 170,000, Arad is typical of the border cities along the Hungarian frontier, such as Oradea to the north, and Timişoara to the south.

It is situated on the right bank of the river Mureş, and consists of the inner city and five suburbs. 

The wider municipality of Arad is home to 183,939 inhabitants, the ethnic breakdown of the city showing 82% Romanian, 13% Hungarian, 2% Rroma, 1,3% German, and others.

It is the seat of a Romanian Orthodox bishop, and features a Romanian Orthodox theological seminary, two training schools for teachers (a Romanian one and a Hungarian one), and a music conservatory.

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Some Great Arad Sights

The Fortified Town of Arad is one of the Transylvanian fortresses built in the Vauban star-shaped style, in the second half of the 18th century.

It was used as a prison for the rebels led by Horia, Cloşca and Crişan

Administrative Palace, built in 1872-1874, renaissance architecture

"Ioan Slavici" Classical Theatre, built in 1874, neoclassical architecture, architect Antoniu Czigler

Neuman Palace, built in 1891, eclecticism

Judiciary Palace, built in 1892, eclecticism

Cenad Palace, built in 1894, eclecticism and neoclassical architecture

National Bank Palace, built in 1906, neoclassical architecture

Bohuş Palace built in 1910, Vienna Secession. For the first time in Arad, it was used reinforced concrete.

Szantay Palace, built in 1911, Vienna Secession

Cultural Palace, built in 1913, neoclassical, gothic, renaissance architecture and corinthian capitals

Cloşca Street, Vienna Secession

Historical buildings

The House with Cannon Balls, built in 1800. Its name derives from the fights between 1848-1849. Seventeen cannon balls are incorporated in its walls.

The High Teacher Training School (Clădirea Preparandiei) , the first school for Romanian-language teachers from Transylvania, 1812

The House with the Padlock, built in 1815

The Old Theatre (Hirschl), built by Jacob Hirschl in 1817, the oldest stone theatre of Romania

Water Tower, built in 1896, medieval dungeon architectural style

The Old Custom House, built in 1907, used as a customs point for goods entering the Arad markets          Monuments

The Statue of St. John of Nepomuk, raised in 1729, baroque sculpture

The monument of the Holy Trinity, raised in 1746 to commemorate the plague that swept the town in 1738-1740

The walkway of Arad's famous personalities - Alexandru D. Xenopol, George Coşbuc, Petre Pipoş, Ioan Russu Şirianu, Gheoghe Popa of Teiuş, Mircea V. Stănescu

Reconciliation Park

The Statue of Liberty, raised in 1890 by György Zala in the memory of the heroes of the Hungarian revolutionary army

The Arch of Triumph, raised in 2004 by Ioan Bolborea in memory of the heroes of the 1848 - 1849 Romanian Revolution

Martyrs' Cross, raised in 1936, in memory of the priests martyred between November 1918 and spring 1919

The Bust of Vasile Goldiş (1862 – 1934) - The coryphaeus of Romania

The Bust of Moise Nicoară (1784 – 1861)

 Religious tourism

The "St. Peter and Paul" Serbian Church, raised in 1698-1702, early Baroque architecture

"St. Simon" Monastery , raised in 1762, Baroque architecture

The "Birth of Saint John the Baptist" Cathedral (Romanian Orthodox), raised in 1862-1865, Baroque architecture, architect Antoniu Czigler. The mural painter, Anastase Damian, started his work in 1957 and finished it one year later

"St. Anthony of Padua" Cathedral (Roman Catholic). The Order of Minorite Monks raised this cathedral in 1904, in arenaissance architecture style

The Red Church (Evangelical-Lutheran), built in 1906, Neo-gothic architecture

The Neolog Synagogue, built in 1834, Greek, Tuscan architectural style

 Museums and Exhibitions

Arad Museum Complex

History Department

Natural Sciences Department

Art Department

Vasile Goldiş Memorial Museum

Doina and Baruţu Arghezi Art Collection

Delta Gallery, with three major events of Arad artistic life: The International Biennial Drawing Saloon, The Biennial Small Sculpture Saloon, The Annual Art Saloon.

Alfa Gallery, Clio Gallery, Water Tower Gallery, Takács Gallery and Carola's Gallery

Expo Arad, The Exhibition Centre of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of the County of Arad.

Pleasure Tourism

Neptun Swimming Place, one of the most beautiful places of amusement of this kind in Romania

The Mureş Embankment

The Grove

The Ceala Forest with Moltăreţ Lake and Mureş Isle

The Vladimirescu Forest

Ghioroc Lake

Miniş - Măderat Vineyard, situated at about 30 kilometers east of Arad

Early Arad History

Arad was mentioned in documents for the first time in the 11th century. The Mongol invasion of the Kingdom of Hungary in 1241 showed that defensive fortifications were needed and in the second half of the 13th century stone fortresses at Soimos, Siria and Dezna were built.

The Ottoman Empire conquered the region from Hungary in 1551 and kept it until the Peace of Karlowitz of 1699. After 1699, the city was ruled by the Habsburg Monarchy. According to 1720 data, the population of the city was composed of 177 Romanian families, 162 Serbian and 35 Hungarian.

The new fortress, built between 1763 and 1783, although small, was formidable, and played a great role in the Hungarian struggle for independence in 1849, and the city possesses a museum containing relics of this war of independence.

Bravely defended by the Austrian general Berger until the end of July 1849, the fortress of Arad was then captured by the Hungarian rebels, who made it their headquarters during the latter part of the insurrection.

It was from Arad that Lajos Kossuth issued his famous proclamation (August 11, 1849), and it was here that he handed over the supreme military and civil power to Artúr Görgey. The fortress was recaptured shortly after the surrender of Görgey to the Russians at Şiria, and is now used as an ammunition depot.

Here there were executed 13 rebel generals on 6 October 1849, by order of the Austrian general Haynau. These men are known collectively as the 13 Martyrs of Arad, and since then Arad is considered the "Hungarian Golgotha". One of the public squares contains a martyrs' monument, erected in their memory. It consists of a colossal figure of Hungary, with four allegorical groups, and medallions of the executed generals.

Arad enjoyed a great economic development. In 1834 it was declared a "free royal town" by Emperor Francis I of Austria.

Aradu Nou ("New Arad"), situated on the opposite bank of the Mureş, is a suburb of Arad, to which it is connected by a bridge. It was founded during the Turkish wars of the 17th century. The works erected by the Turks for the capture of the fortress of Arad formed the nucleus of the new settlement.

In 1910 the town had 63166 inhabitants: 46085 (73%) Hungarians, 10279 (16,2%) Romanians, 4365 (7%) Germans.

Romanian Arad

1918 - Arad becomes the headquarters of The Romanian National Central Council and a non-official capital of Transylvania

13-15 May - Iuliu Maniu speaks on the decision of separation from Hungary and the union of Transylvania with Romania

1937 – Arad was the most important economic centre in Transylvania and occupied the 4th position in Romania

1989 – Arad was the second town in Romania to rise against communism

1990 - The foundation of the University of the West Vasile Goldiş

1991 – The foundation of the Aurel Vlaicu University

1999 - The Arad Industrial Zone was inaugurated. 

2007 - Arad added to the Rest Romania website.