The Viennese Gate, Cluj-Napocia, Transylvania, Romania, April 2018

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HughieD

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1. The History
Research has turned up that this was the “Viennese Gate” of Cluj's fort. It was part of a fortress built by an Austrian incursion into Cluj in 1687, resulting in The Treaty of Blaj. The Habsburgs compelled the Transylvanian city to receive troops and upon occupation, the troops ascertained that the medieval fortifications were outdated and that they lacked proper accommodation. Hence the construction of the new fort began in 1715 and ended around the year 1735, built by the Italian military engineer Giovanni Morando Visconti (1652-1717). The Vauban fortress was situated at an altitude of 405 meters, and displayed classical features such as slanting walls, strongholds, trenches and a redoubt. The elevations of the ground around it protected the administrative buildings and the armoury. The entrance to the fortress from the city centre was through the Water Gate (Wasser Thor).

The fort could also be accessed through this Viennese Gate (Wiener Thor), which was the main entrance back in the day. The fortress was used as a prison for 200 years and many people were incarcerated and killed here. One of them was the Saxon preacher Stephan Ludwig Roth, executed on May 11th 1849. Roth was an important figure of the 1848 Romanian Revolution. He was a humanist, a historian and a teacher who supported the idea that Romanian should become the official language in Transylvania.

Today only part of the old fortress still stands: four buildings (including this gate), parts of the walls and the redoubt, which has become the Tower of Parachute Jumpers. The components that used to be located on the Southern side were taken down when The Belvedere Hotel was built in the '70s. In 1995, an iron cross was placed here in the memory of those who were imprisoned and killed in the former prison.

The fort as it used to look back in the day:

42021770901_9150fce2eb_b.jpgThe_Old_Fortress_-_Vechea_Cetatuie by HughieDW, on Flickr

2. The Explore
This wasn’t my original destination. That was the “Depozitul De Film” on the outskirts of Cluj-Napocia. Having walked 3km in the 25-degrees C plus heat of the city I arrived at the site. It was one of the few places my pre-trip research had turn up (there doesn’t appear to be a very big urbex scene in Romania, it must be said).

Unfortunately, some family had taken up residence in the nearby semi-derelict house on the compound and an old man proceeded to hassle me so, with my Romanian not being that hot, I decided to cut my losses. Even when I took the pictures below from the pavement he was hassling me. Quite what his problem was I don’t know. Shame as this place looked quite unique. More info HERE
Cel mai frumos haos cinematografic: Depozitul de filme p?r?site din Cluj « Stiri din cinema, filme noi

Anyhow, all was not lost. Came across this old gatehouse on the way back. It looked very, very old and can be found on next to the Hotel Belvedere on Fortress Hill overlooking Cluj from the north.

3. The Pictures

A quick few externals of the Depozitul De Filme:

27101753487_b5dba95c44_b.jpgimg6941 by HughieDW, on Flickr

41251943944_8d115cde32_b.jpgimg6940 by HughieDW, on Flickr

41926076092_94070706a0_b.jpgimg6942 by HughieDW, on Flickr

And then onto the Viennese gate of the fort:

41970514261_984b349cf8_b.jpgimg6948 by HughieDW, on Flickr

41926079952_bc1c335687_b.jpgimg6943 by HughieDW, on Flickr

41251961804_a10277509d_b.jpgimg6949 by HughieDW, on Flickr

The upper floor appears to have been a nursery at some point in time:

41926081472_37b3cc5f04_b.jpgimg6944 by HughieDW, on Flickr

41071143055_4b2edc6f75_b.jpgimg6955 by HughieDW, on Flickr

41926082822_d2282afc8b_b.jpgimg6945 by HughieDW, on Flickr

41926083982_b698e0e773_b.jpgimg6947 by HughieDW, on Flickr

41251964394_981472ac58_b.jpgimg6950 by HughieDW, on Flickr

41251967694_ff5466351c_b.jpgimg6951 by HughieDW, on Flickr

41251969264_8e17fbe68f_b.jpgimg6952 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Onto the lower level:

41970521241_83899ca6e4_b.jpgimg6953 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Nearby monument:

41071145185_e56ce15a62_b.jpgimg6961 by HughieDW, on
 

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