Timeline / 1860 to 1900 / ROMANIA 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 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. 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. 1864 Romania Cities And Urban Spaces 19 August: establishment of Bucharest’s city hall. Bucharest had been the United Principalities’ capital since 1861. 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 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 Reforms And Social Changes December: the law of public instruction establishes free, compulsory primary education. 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 Date Country Theme on the estates of the aristocracy. Peasants are also freed from the duties they had to perform for the nobility. 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 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. 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 Hohenzollern- Sigmaringen 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 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. Date Country Theme 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. 1867 Romania International Exhibitions At the International Exposition held in Paris, the United Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia have their own pavilions. 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 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 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. 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. 1875 - 1893 Romania Political Context Creation of the first Romanian political parties: the Liberal Party (1875), the Conservative Party (1880), the Radical-Democratic Party (1888), and the Social- Democratic Party of Romanian Labourers (1893). 1876 Romania Reforms And Social Changes Foundation of the Romanian Red Cross. 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. 1877 - 1882 Romania Fine And Applied Arts Ion Georgescu, considered to be the first Romanian modern sculptor, studies in Paris, where he exhibits his first works. 1877 - 1881 Romania Political Context After Parliament declares Romania’s independence (May 1877), Romania participates alongside Russia in the Russian-Ottoman war. The Congress of Berlin (1878) recognises the independence of Romania, which receives the greater part of Dobruja, but cedes the south of Bessarabia to Russia. In March 1881 Romania is proclaimed a kingdom. Prince Carol and his wife Elizabeth are crowned as King and Queen of Romania in May in Bucharest. 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. 1880 Romania Economy And Trade 29 April: promulgation of the law for the founding of the National Bank of Romania. 1882 Romania Rediscovering The Past Date Country Theme Grigore Tocilescu begins to research the remains of the Roman town Tropaeum Traiani (modern Adamclisi in Dobruja). 1882 - 1888 Romania Cities And Urban Spaces Swiss engineers Carl Culmann and Arnold Burkly-Ziegler are contracted to develop a water supply network for Bucharest. 1882 Romania Cities And Urban Spaces In Bucharest the first electric generators are installed and used to illuminate some important buildings of the city (the Royal Palace, the Cotroceni Palace, the National Theatre), Victory Avenue and Ci#migiu Park. 1883 Romania Music, Literature, Dance And Fashion 6 June: the death of Romanian composer Ciprian Porumbescu, at the age of only 29. One of the melodies he composed will be adopted for Albania’s national anthem in 1912. 1883 (18 October) - 1883 (30 Romania Political Context October) 30 October: by signing a treaty with Austro-Hungary, to which Germany adheres the same day and Italy in 1888, Romania becomes part of the Triple Alliance. 1884 Romania Cities And Urban Spaces 12 October: Timi#oara is the first European city where electric street lighting is introduced not only on some streets, but also across the entire city. An electric plant is built and 731 incandescent lamps with coal filament installed, covering an area of 10 km2. 1884 Romania Great Inventions Of The 19th Century The inauguration of the first railway line (Buz#u–M#r##e#ti) designed and built by Romanian engineers. 1885 Romania Music, Literature, Dance And Fashion 8 May: The renowned Romanian soprano Hariclea Darclée makes her debut at the Paris Opéra, as Marguerite in Charles Gounod’s Faust.