Timişoara – Phasen der Neuzeitlichen Stadtentwicklung im 18. und 19. Jahrhundert
Periods of Modern Urban Development in the 18th and 19th Century

Summary/Abstract: The urban development of Timişoara has been significantly shaped by the Austrian and Austro-Hungarian rule in the 18th and 19th century. The invasion of Habsburg troops under Eugene of Savoy in Timişoara in 1716 marks the beginning of the modern era and of the related big civilization projects in the region: the transformation of the fortified city and the genesis of the cultural landscape of Banat. After the removal of the last medieval traces, Timişoara had been completely redesigned and rebuilt in the ideal form of a modern fortress. The centralized planning, in particular the way of administrating and subdividing the land, as well as serial types and standards for the design and construction in the building industry provoked a remarkable unity of shapes, structures and functions. In 1781, Timişoara became an independent town in the Hungarian Kingdom. The Austrian influence on the modernization process in the urban environment decreased step by step in the next decades, when the Habsburg administration was replaced by municipal administrative structures. Hence, the city itself could benefit from economical growth, which was based on an early initiated industrialization process. By the end of the 19th century, Timişoara had become one of the leading industrial cities in South-eastern Europe. The urban development of Timişoara gives an example of the changing role of large cities in modern history and of the release of a modern urban culture. During two centuries, Timişoara developed from a military fortress situated in a wild swampland into an economic and industrial centre. Whereas the glamour of the Austrian Empire faded away, basic structures which have partially ruled the way of life up to now were set up.

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