Târgu Mureș: The Hungarian Aesthetic

Current Mures County Council 

Inside the Palace of Culture

During our drive from Sibiu to Cluj Napoca, I really enjoyed passing through Târgu Mureș where we got our introduction to the Hungarian Aesthetic. I loved looking at the intricate roof tiles on the buildings and the interior of the Hungarian Palace of Culture was incredible. Though the level of design is slightly overpowering for my own taste, it was interesting to see something so traditional. It was also fascinating to really begin to understand the significance that majority cultures play in Romania. Even in Sibiu, Germans were an extreme minority and the election of a German mayor seemed to be more a result of his character and not necessarily his heritage. In Târgu Mureș, however, to see that the Hungarian influence was so strong that they merited a cultural palace in the center square really solidified the preponderance of minorities in Romania. 

Inside the Palace of Culture

The Palace of Culture was constructed in the early 1900s due to Budapest's desire to establish culture centers throughout Transylvania. Because Târgu Mureș was one of the larger cities in the area, it was also established that a building in which cultural events could take place, such as dance, opera and plays was a necessary investment for maintaining Hungarian heritage. As noted above, the exterior is richly decorated with various colors, patterns and mosaic that was typical of the Hungarian style of the period. The inside is decorated in a neo-Hungarian fashion that was typical of the international noveau movement. 

One of many stain glass windows

The most exquisite part of the palace was the stained glass window display. What I clearly remember is being stunned by the delicate, elaborate designs.  I was, and still am, very curious about what techniques were used and how long it took to complete them. I only wish that I remembered more of the stories behind them. I remember thinking about how sad the stories were and wondering if it was tied to something in Hungarian history. I was disappointed to find how challenging it was to find any additional research on the stories. 

The story of Târgu Mureș itself is quite fascinating. It was founded at the the center point of three geographic, economic and ethnic areas: the Transyvanian Field, the Mures Valley, and the Nirjului Valley. This brought Hungarians, Romanians and Germans together in the same place. In 1616, the town earned the Hungarian name Marosvasarhely, or market place on the river, and has touted it ever since alongside the Romanian name Târgu Mureș. The change in demographic is also fascinating as it shifted from an extremely Hungarian dominated population with almost 85% majority in 1850 to now a minority of 42.9% in the 2011 census. The Romanian population has increased from 6.0% in 1850 to a slight majority of 52% in 2011. For me, it was the first time I had been a place that was so comfortably and truly biethnic, in that both groups were not only currently living there, but originally from the region. I wonder how they know which language to speak when they enter the shop and if its common for Romanian children to grow up speaking Hungarian in that area.