Timeline / 1860 to 1880 / ROMANIA / ALL THEMES
Date
Country
Theme
1860
Romania
Fine And Applied Arts
7 November: on the initiative of painter Gheorghe Panaitescu-Bardasare, a School
of Fine Arts and an art gallery are founded in Ia#i.
1863
Romania
Music, Literature, Dance And Fashion
The literary society Junimea, which had an important role in promoting Romanian
literature, is founded in Ia#i. In 1867 it begins publishing a periodical in which the
works of Romanian writers appear and also translations from worldwide literature.
1863
Romania
Reforms And Social Changes
December: the National Gathering of the United Principalities adopts the law
through which the land owned by monasteries (more than a quarter of Romania’s
surface) becomes property of the state.
1864
Romania
Economy And Trade
27 October: foundation of the Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
1864
Romania
Political Context
14 May: coup d’état of Alexandru Ioan Cuza, who dissolves parliament and
proposes a new constitutional project, which is voted the same month and ratified
by the Ottoman Empire and the guaranteeing Powers in June 1864. The Statute
Expanding the Paris Convention assigned greater power to the prince and the
government.
1864
Romania
Cities And Urban Spaces
Date
Country
Theme
19 August: establishment of Bucharest’s city hall. Bucharest had been the United
Principalities’ capital since 1861.
1864
Romania
Cities And Urban Spaces
14 April: the Commune Law is adopted by which cities and towns become urban
communes, led by a mayor and a council. All urban communes must have a fire
department and a hospital.
1864
Romania
Great Inventions Of The 19th Century
4 August: establishment of the General Directorate of the Post and the Telegraph
in the United Principalities.
1864
Romania
Fine And Applied Arts
Dimitrie Bolintineanu, the Minister of Religion and Public Instruction, organises in
Bucharest an exhibition displaying works of contemporary Romanian artists, the
most important of the time being painters Theodor Aman, Gheorghe Tattarescu
and Carol Popp de Szathmari.
1864
Romania
Fine And Applied Arts
14 November: a School of Fine Arts (which today is the National University of Art)
is founded in Bucharest by painters Gheorghe Tattarescu and Theodor Aman.
1864
Romania
Reforms And Social Changes
26 August: Alexandru Ioan Cuza promulgates the first Romanian land reform,
which transforms peasants into owners of the land on which they had been working
on the estates of the aristocracy. Peasants are also freed from the duties they had
to perform for the nobility.
Date
Country
Theme
1864
Romania
Reforms And Social Changes
December: the law of public instruction establishes free, compulsory primary
education.
1865
Romania
Fine And Applied Arts
The first showing of the “Living Artists Exhibition” (for painters and sculptors),
organised by painter Theodor Aman, takes place in Ia#i. The annual organisation
of such an exhibition is established by a decree issued in December 1864.
1866
Romania
Political Context
14–20 April: plebiscite leading to German Prince Carol de HohenzollernSigmaringen being elected ruler of the United Principalities and recognised by the
Ottoman Empire in October. On 13 July a new constitution is adopted, based on
the Belgian one from 1835.
1866
Romania
Political Context
February: because of his authoritative regime, Cuza is forced to abdicate by a
coalition of conservative and liberal-radical politicians.
1867
Romania
Economy And Trade
4 May: proclamation of the law for the introduction of a new monetary system and
for the issuing of national coins; 1870 is the year when the first Romanian coins are
minted in Romania having previously been minted abroad.
1867
Romania
Rediscovering The Past
Date
Country
Theme
The Pietroasa Treasure is displayed at the International Exposition in Paris.
1867
Romania
Political Context
The centre of present-day Transylvania is integrated into the Hungarian kingdom
after the creation of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. Partium and Banat had
already been included in Hungary.
1867
Romania
International Exhibitions
At the International Exposition held in Paris, the United Principalities of Wallachia
and Moldavia have their own pavilions.
1867
Romania
International Exhibitions
On the occasion of the International Exposition of Paris a book with information
about Romania’s agriculture, commerce, industry and resources is published in
Paris by a commission coordinated by Alexandru Odobescu.
1868
Romania
Music, Literature, Dance And Fashion
29 April: the Romanian Philharmonic Society is founded by conductor Eduard
Wachmann with the aim of organising a permanent symphony orchestra. The
inaugural concert takes place in the same year on 15 December.
1869
Romania
Great Inventions Of The 19th Century
Date
Country
Theme
Timi#oara is the first city in Romania to use horse-drawn trams for public
transportation. In Bucharest they are introduced in 1871.
1869
Romania
Great Inventions Of The 19th Century
Installation of the first public telephone line in Romania (in Bucharest between the
Minister of Internal Affairs and the Central Post Office).
1871
Romania
Rediscovering The Past
Alexandru Odobescu sends an archaeological questionnaire to teachers all over
the country, who have to return information about archaeological discoveries or
vestiges of antique monuments existing in the areas where they live or work.
1873
Romania
International Exhibitions
Two Romanians are members of the international jury of the Vienna International
Exposition: agronomist and economist P.S. Aurelian and doctor Carol Davila.
1873
Romania
Travelling
The first tourism organisation from Romania, called the Alpine Association of
Transylvania, is founded in Bra#ov.
1874
Romania
Reforms And Social Changes
Date
Country
Theme
Issue of the first sanitation law in the United Principalities. The sanitation system is
organised hierarchically and a Superior Medical Council, with a consultative role, is
created.
1874
Romania
Rediscovering The Past
18 April: decree for the founding of the Commission of Public Monuments to record
the public monuments on Romanian territory and to ensure their conservation.
1876
Romania
Fine And Applied Arts
19 February: birth of the great Romanian sculptor Constantin Brâncu#i, author
of sculptures such as Mademoiselle Pogany, The Kiss, Bird in Space, and The
Endless Column. His works are today exhibited in museums in France, the USA
and Romania.
1876
Romania
Reforms And Social Changes
Foundation of the Romanian Red Cross.
1879
Romania
Music, Literature, Dance And Fashion
18–20 January: the National Theatre of Bucharest premieres the comedy A Stormy
Night by Ion Luca Caragiale, the greatest Romanian playwright. It is Caragiale’s
first staged play and is a great public success.
1880
Romania
Rediscovering The Past
Grigore Tocilescu’s book Dacia before the Romans is awarded the grand prize of
the Academic Society, for the best work on the history of Dacia before the Roman
conquest.
Date
Country
Theme
1880
Romania
Economy And Trade
29 April: promulgation of the law for the founding of the National Bank of Romania.