Avram Iancu Square – one of the most important squares in Cluj-Napoca

Avram Iancu Square is one of the largest and most important squares in Cluj-Napoca. Beside its historical value, also worth mentioning is its sheer beauty. The first attestation of the square dates from the mid-1700s, when officer Trencseni Ferenc surrounded the current surface of the “Lucian Blaga” National Theatre (situated opposite the square) with boards, for the purpose of training his officers. The area came to include the land underneath the square and received the name of Trencin Citadel. It maintained this function until the end of the 18th century. During the 19th century, the citadel housed the city’s wood and coal storages as well as various wood and animal markets.

At a certain time, there existed a plan to turn the citadel into the central square, but in the end, the commercial activities of the city were moved to Stephen the Great Square as it was closer to the railway. After this decision was made, the citadel acquired a purely ornamental function.

Over the years, the square has had many different names. After being called the Trencin Citadel, it received the name Bocskai Square in 1906. Istvan Bocskai was a Transylvanian nobleman of Slovakian origin, who led the anti-Habsburg revolt in Upper (Slovakia).

After 1923, it was named Cuza Voda Square, next, Adolf Hitler Square – during World War II - , then Malinovski Square – in the communist era – then Victory Square. In 1993, its name was changed to Avram Iancu Square and has remained as such until the present.

Its current appellation honours the memory of the national hero who had a key role in the 1848 Revolution. Avram Iancu was sensitive to the sufferings of the Romanian peasants, oppressed by the Hungarian rule, and militated for the political rights of his compatriots. The 1848 Romanian Revolution began after Kossuth Lajos won a few victories against the Habsburgs and in an attempt to find allies, got Avram Iancu to support him. But when the latter realised that his alleged ally intended to unite Transylvania with Hungary without granting political rights to Romanians, he got ready to wage war against him. His and his men’s heroism was legendary and expedited the suppression of the Hungarian revolution by Austrian forces. However, he did not manage to secure the recognition of the Romanian nation.    

Sources:

"Adevărul despre Avram Iancu şi revoluţia românească din Transilvania de la 1848", Adevărul, July 29th 2013, Available at: adevarul.ro/cultura/istorie/adevarul-despre-avram-iancu-revolutia-romaneasca-transilvania-1848-1_51f60ee1c7b855ff5681ea16/index.html

"Piaţa Avram Iancu", Cluj Life, October 16th 2012, Available at: http://www.clujlife.com/2012/10/16/piata-avram-iancu/

"Piaţa Avram Iancu", Ministerul dezvoltării regionale şi turismului, 2011, Available at: visitcluj.ro/atractii-turistice/monumente-arhitectonice/108-piata-avram-iancu.html

"Revoluţia de la 1848 în Transilvania", Enciclopedia României, Available at: enciclopediaromaniei.ro/wiki/Revolu%C5%A3ia_de_la_1848_%C3%AEn_Transilvania

Ciorca, I. and Horvath, L., eds. (2011) Aşezăminte istorice de patrimoniu din Cluj-Napoca, Cluj-Napoca: Direcţia judeţeană pentru cultură şi patrimoniu national Cluj. Parlog, N., "Avram Iancu – Povestea vulrurului rănit", June 12th 2009, Available at: http://www.descopera.ro/descopera-istoria-romanilor/5151789-avram-iancu-povestea-vulturului-ranit