Introduction
The first historical mention of an urban settlement named Arad/Orod dates from the 11th century CE, but the area has been inhabited for much longer – proven by the remaining traces of Dacian fortresses in the region, built to defend against the Romans (around 6th century BCE), as well as other vestiges dating all the way to the 5th millennium BCE.
The region has always held strategic importance, due to its location in the Mureș River Valley and the proximity to commercial and military routes; however, this has also made it a target (for example, during the Mongol or Ottoman invasions). In 1551, Arad was occupied by the Ottomans, being liberated and re-conquered several times over the next 150 years, which slowed the city’s development.
In the decades following the Karlowitz Treaty (signed in 1699), Arad gained strategic importance, being considered essential to defending the border of the Habsburg Empire against the Ottomans. As part of the border guard, numerous Serbians were relocated to the city (the oldest surviving building in the city dates from this period – the Serbian Church, finalised in 1702). At the beginning of the 18th century, a community of German settlers was established in the southern part of the city, known as „New Arad”. Arad developed as a multicultural city, home to Romanian, as well as Hungarian, Serbian, German and Jewish communities.
Between 1763 and 1783, a new Vauban-style fortress was built on the Mureș River bank, to consolidate the city’s defences. A landmark moment was also the establishment of Preparandia, the first Romanian pedagogical school, founded in 1812 through the efforts of Dimitrie Țichindeal. Just as well, the first permanent theatre in Romania was established by Jacob Hirschl in 1817 (nowadays known as the “Old Theatre”).
In 1834, Arad was awarded the title of “free royal city”, recognised among the most important urban settlements and being granted a series of privileges, which sparked a period of accelerated growth. This period marks the establishment of several factories, as well as economic and cultural institutions. Between 1848 and 1849, the city played a role in the Hungarian struggle for gaining independence, as the revolution found many supporters in Arad. After the revolution was defeated, the Austrians executed near the city the 13 rebel generals, who later became known as “The 13 Martyrs of Arad”.
Following this period of turmoil, commercial activities resumed; the first steam-powered trains left from Arad in 1858, connecting the city to other economic hubs in the region and promoting its further development. In 1865, the Orthodox Cathedral was inaugurated, while 1874 marked the opening of the institution known today as the “Classical Theatre”. The city’s longest-serving mayor is to this day Salacz Gyula, who remained at the forefront of the city’s development efforts for 26 years, beginning in 1875. Over the next decades, the city flourished as an industrial, commercial and cultural centre, and many of Arad’s most recognisable architectural gems date from this period, most of them designed in the Art Nouveau/Secession style by architects such as Szántay Lajos, Tabaković Milan Emil, Steiner József.
In 1873, horse-drawn tramways were introduced; to follow, a modern water supply network was assembled, ending in the inauguration of the Water Tower in 1896. In 1906, the “Green Arrow” train was inaugurated, connecting Arad with the surrounding area; five years later, it became the first electrified train in Eastern Europe. In 1913, the Palace of Culture was finalised, intended as a home to the city’s philharmonic, library and museum. During the next decades, the city consolidated its role as an important regional hub.
Arad held a prominent role in the movement to unite all the Romanian provinces, through Vasile Goldiș, Ștefan Cicio Pop, Ioan Suciu, and other important proponents. For a brief time in 1918, Arad served as a “political capital” and the headquarters of The Romanian National Central Council, which summoned the Great National Assembly at Alba-Iulia, where the union of Transylvania with Romania was declared on the 1st of December 1918. 70 years later, in December 1989, Arad was the second city in Romania to rise against the communist regime, strongly supporting the protests sparked in Timișoara.
These days, the city of Arad upholds its multicultural heritage, as well as its industrial, commercial and cultural traditions. Just as well, the proximity to the Mureș River and the Mureș Floodplain Natural Park brings nature close to the urban environment. One of the most important Arad contemporary architects, Milos Cristea, used to describe Arad as “the gift of the Mureș”.
