Revista Haemus nr. 30-32 - Libraria pentru toti

The first Romanian higher education institution was opened in Bucharest in
1694 (the Saint Sava Academy), and in 1864 the University was
established; today there are 21 higher education institutes with nearly
100,000 students in the capital. Based in Bucharest are the Patriarchate of
the Romanian Orthodox Church (f. 1952), the Romanian Academy (f.
1867), two national libraries, 40 museums, 230 churches (several of the
city's churches, Eastern Orthodox in style, date from the 18th century) , an
Opera House, an Operetta Theatre, two symphony orchestras, another 20
theatres. The Parliament Palace, which was built on dictator Ceausescu's
orders between 1984-1989, is the second largest building in the world with
its 265,000 sq.m. after the Pentagon in Washington (which has an area of
604,000 sq.m.). It is important to visit the Village Museum (1936), in which
specimens of traditional village architecture have been gathered from all
parts of the country. Bucharest also has many parks and open spaces and
stadiums for sporting events.
The town was first mentioned in a document in 1495 as residence of the
ruler of Wallachia, Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler, known also as Dracula).
But settlement has an older history, going back to the 14th century. The
founding of Bucharest is traditionally ascribed to a peasant named Bucur,
but no record of the city exists prior to the late Middle Ages. Attacks by
Tatars and Turks restricted its growth before the 17th century. Between the
17th - 19th (begining with 1698) centuries it was the capital of Wallachia
and in 1862 it became the capital of Romania. The population increased in
number from 122,000 (1859) to 639,000 (1930) to 1,452,000 (1966). The
town held a dominant position in the national context similarly to the
position held by Budapest in Hungary, Vienna in Austria or Paris in France.
Heavy fighting near the Palace Square during the revolution that ousted the
Ceausescu regime in December 1989 caused damage to prominent
landmarks, including the Royal Palace.
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