Botosani
Encyclopedia
Botoșani (population: 119,132) is the capital city of Botoșani County
, in northern Moldavia
, Romania
. Today, it is best known as the birthplace of many celebrated Romanians, including Mihai Eminescu
and Nicolae Iorga
.
family called Botaș, whose name can be found in old records from the time of Prince Stephen the Great
(late 15th century) as one of the most important families of Moldavia, records which trace it back to the 11th century.
, which records a devastating invasion of the Tatars
on November 28, 1493. The city was initially a market town
, being placed at the juncture of several commercial roads; in the 16th century, it already had "the biggest and the oldest fair
of Moldavia".
Large communities of Jewish
and Armenian
traders were present in this city starting with the 17th century. Jews constituted the majority of population throughout the 19th century.
Mihai Eminescu
, Romania's national poet, was born in Botoșani (and spent his childhood in Ipotești
), as was the famous Romanian historian Nicolae Iorga
. Contemporary poet Maria Baciu
also hails from Botoșani.
It is also the location of A.T. Laurian National College, one of Romania's oldest (founded 1859) and most prestigious pre-university educational institutions.
According to the last census, from 2002, there were 115,070 people living within the city of Botoşani, making it the 20th largest city in Romania. The ethnic makeup is as follows:
A series of historic churches built by the Lords of Moldavia :
Botoşani boasts many other constructions of special architectural value, among them: the Antipa House, from the end of the 19th century; the Bolfosu House, from the beginning of the 19th century; the Silion House, dating from 1900; and the City Hall, built at the end of the 18th century in an eclectic style with German influences.
(SCV), located 30.5 km (19 mi) west of the city centre.
with: Brest
, Belarus
Laval
, Canada
Botosani County
Botoșani is a county of Romania, in Moldavia, with the capital city at Botoșani.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 452,834 and the population density was 91/km2.*Romanians – – the highest percentage of Romanians in Romania...
, in northern Moldavia
Moldavia
Moldavia is a geographic and historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester river...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
. Today, it is best known as the birthplace of many celebrated Romanians, including Mihai Eminescu
Mihai Eminescu
Mihai Eminescu was a Romantic poet, novelist and journalist, often regarded as the most famous and influential Romanian poet. Eminescu was an active member of the Junimea literary society and he worked as an editor for the newspaper Timpul , the official newspaper of the Conservative Party...
and Nicolae Iorga
Nicolae Iorga
Nicolae Iorga was a Romanian historian, politician, literary critic, memoirist, poet and playwright. Co-founder of the Democratic Nationalist Party , he served as a member of Parliament, President of the Deputies' Assembly and Senate, cabinet minister and briefly as Prime Minister...
.
Origin of the name
The name of the city probably has its origin in the name of a boyarBoyar
A boyar, or bolyar , was a member of the highest rank of the feudal Moscovian, Kievan Rus'ian, Bulgarian, Wallachian, and Moldavian aristocracies, second only to the ruling princes , from the 10th century through the 17th century....
family called Botaș, whose name can be found in old records from the time of Prince Stephen the Great
Stephen III of Moldavia
Stephen III of Moldavia was Prince of Moldavia between 1457 and 1504 and the most prominent representative of the House of Mușat.During his reign, he strengthened Moldavia and maintained its independence against the ambitions of Hungary, Poland, and the...
(late 15th century) as one of the most important families of Moldavia, records which trace it back to the 11th century.
History
The oldest item (to be dated precisely) found in the area is an Armenian tombstone dated 1350. The first mention of Botoșani in writing is the Chronicles of Moldavia by Grigore UrecheGrigore Ureche
Grigore Ureche was a Moldavian chronicler who wrote on Moldavian history in his Letopiseţul Ţării Moldovei , covering the period from 1359 to 1594....
, which records a devastating invasion of the Tatars
Nogais
The Nogai people are a Turkic ethnic group in Southern Russia: northern Dagestan and Stavropol Krai, as well as in Karachay-Cherkessia and the Astrakhan Oblast; undefined number live in Chechnya...
on November 28, 1493. The city was initially a market town
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
, being placed at the juncture of several commercial roads; in the 16th century, it already had "the biggest and the oldest fair
Fair
A fair or fayre is a gathering of people to display or trade produce or other goods, to parade or display animals and often to enjoy associated carnival or funfair entertainment. It is normally of the essence of a fair that it is temporary; some last only an afternoon while others may ten weeks. ...
of Moldavia".
Large communities of Jewish
History of the Jews in Romania
The history of Jews in Romania concerns the Jews of Romania and of Romanian origins, from their first mention on what is nowadays Romanian territory....
and Armenian
Armenians in Romania
Armenians have been present in what is now Romania and Moldova for over a millennium, and have been an important presence as traders since the 14th century...
traders were present in this city starting with the 17th century. Jews constituted the majority of population throughout the 19th century.
Mihai Eminescu
Mihai Eminescu
Mihai Eminescu was a Romantic poet, novelist and journalist, often regarded as the most famous and influential Romanian poet. Eminescu was an active member of the Junimea literary society and he worked as an editor for the newspaper Timpul , the official newspaper of the Conservative Party...
, Romania's national poet, was born in Botoșani (and spent his childhood in Ipotești
Ipotesti
Ipoteşti may refer to several places in Romania:* Ipoteşti, a commune in Olt County* Ipoteşti, a commune in Suceava County* Ipoteşti, a village in Mihai Eminescu Commune, Botoşani County...
), as was the famous Romanian historian Nicolae Iorga
Nicolae Iorga
Nicolae Iorga was a Romanian historian, politician, literary critic, memoirist, poet and playwright. Co-founder of the Democratic Nationalist Party , he served as a member of Parliament, President of the Deputies' Assembly and Senate, cabinet minister and briefly as Prime Minister...
. Contemporary poet Maria Baciu
Maria Baciu
Maria Baciu is a Romanian poetess, professor, and literary critic. She also writes novels, for adults as well as children. In 2006, she received the 2005 award from the Writers' Union of Romania for children's literature...
also hails from Botoșani.
It is also the location of A.T. Laurian National College, one of Romania's oldest (founded 1859) and most prestigious pre-university educational institutions.
Demographics
| Historical population of Botoșani | |||||||||||||
| Year | Population | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 32,193 | ||||||||||||
| 1912 census | 32,574 | ||||||||||||
| 1930 census | 32,355 | ||||||||||||
| 1948 census | 29,145 | ||||||||||||
| 1956 census | 29,569 | ||||||||||||
| 1966 census | 35,220 | ||||||||||||
| 1977 census | 63,182 | ||||||||||||
| 1992 census | 126,145 | ||||||||||||
| 2002 census | 115,070 | ||||||||||||
| 2009 estimate | 116,110 | ||||||||||||
According to the last census, from 2002, there were 115,070 people living within the city of Botoşani, making it the 20th largest city in Romania. The ethnic makeup is as follows:
- RomaniansRomaniansThe Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
: 98.1% - Roma: 1%
- LipovansLipovansLipovans or Lippovans are the Old Believers, mostly of Russian ethnic origin, who settled in the Moldavian Principality, in Dobruja and Eastern Muntenia...
: 0.6% - JewsJewsThe Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
: 0.06% - Other: 0.24%
Culture
Boasting a rich cultural life, the town of Botoşani has long produced major personalities in the sciences and culture. Botoşani natives like Mihai Eminescu, Nicolae Iorga, Georgeta Damian and Octav Onicescu have become major figures in diverse disciplines, and many have distinct claims to relevance not just within Romania, but on a worldwide level.Cultural institutions
- Ceomac Cantemir House (historic monument dating from 1800), today the headquarters of the "Ştefan Luchian" foundation (http://www.luchian.edituratim.ro);
- "Nicolae Iorga" Memorial House, situated in one of the houses where great historian Nicolae Iorga passed his childhood. Two sections of the house hold a photodocumentary exposition and an exhibition of Iorga's first editions. Another section holds a regularly updated library of history. The Iorga family's salon boasts an interior dating from the final decades of the 19th century;
- "Octav Onicescu" Memorial Museum, realized in October 1995, houses the furniture that once belonged to mathematician and philosopher Octav Onicescu, in addition to his manuscripts, writings, diplomas, the books from his personal library, family photos, and decorations, offering an intimate portrait of a Romanian polymath;
- County Museum (Ethnographic section), housed in a fine example of late-18th-century architecture that once served as the house of Manolache Iorga, grandfather of the great historian Nicolae Iorga. Open to the public since 1989, the museum displays the most important elements of the area's rural culture; artifacts of the principal occupations (farming, animal husbandry, hunting, fishing, and beekeeping), traditional crafts (spinning, embroidery, furriery, pottery), traditional costumes, and other customs and traditions specific to the Botoşani region.
- County Museum (Historical and Archaeological section), housed in a historic monument dating from 1913, presents in its 17 rooms the story of Botoşani's evolution from prehistory to the present. Exhibits include the first dawning of civilization in the region, the paleolithic era, the neolithic era (with Cucuteni ceramics), and the Bronze and Iron Ages. More notable displays include weapons of sharpened stone and bone, decorated pottery, anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figurines, seals belonging to the lords of Moldavia, and historic jewelry. The museum also includes artifacts from the oldest human habitation found in southeastern Europe, discovered in Ripiceni and partially reconstructed at the museum.
- "Ştefan Luchian" Art Galleries, the fine-arts section of the County Museum, pays tribute to Botoşani's rich artistic heritage, including the paintings of Ştefan LuchianStefan LuchianȘtefan Luchian or Lukian was a Romanian painter, famous for his landscapes and still life works.-Early life:He was born in Ștefănești, a village of Botoșani County, as the son of Major Dumitru Luchian and of Elena Chiriacescu. The Luchian family moved to Bucharest in 1873 and his mother desired...
, Octav BăncilăOctav BancilaOctav Băncilă was a Romanian realist painter and left-wing activist. He was the brother of Sofia Nădejde, a feminist journalist, and the brother-in-law of Ion Nădejde .-Biography:...
, and many contemporary artists; the works of many renowned illustrators, foremost among them Ligia Macovei, the most celebrated illustrator of the poems of Eminescu; the sculptures of Iulia Onila and Dan Covătaru; and the tapestries of Cela Neamţu, Aspazia Burduja, and Ileana Balotă;
- "Mihai Eminescu" State Theatre; the building was opened in 1914, partially destroyed by the bombings of 1944, and restored in 1958 and again in the 1990s. The theatre hosts a team of actors whose remarkable evolution was crowned by their winning of the Grand Prize at the International Theatre Festival in 2001 at Piatra NeamţPiatra NeamtPiatra Neamț , , ; is the capital city of Neamţ County, in the historical region of Moldavia, eastern Romania. Because of its privileged location in the Eastern Carpathian mountains, it is considered one of the most picturesque cities in Romania...
. The Grand Hall of the theatre also hosts numerous other cultural activities, of which the most notable are the concerts of the Botoşani State Philharmonic.
- "Vasilache" Puppet Theatre; home to a troupe of puppeteers appreciated not only in Romania but also abroad, as evidenced by their win at the International Puppet Festival in Silistra, June 2001. Every two years the theatre organizes the International Gala of Puppet Theatre, which brings to Botoşani the most prestigious names in puppet theatre, from Romania and abroad;
- Botoşani State Philharmonic, who generally perform in a 19th-century neoclassical building known as Vila Ventura, are renowned all over the county, its artists often finding themselves invited on a permanent basis to participate in concerts throughout Romania and abroad. The Philharmonic is the principal organizer of the series of tributes to George EnescuGeorge EnescuGeorge Enescu was a Romanian composer, violinist, pianist, conductor and teacher.-Biography:Enescu was born in the village of Liveni , Dorohoi County at the time, today Botoşani County. He showed musical talent from early in his childhood. A child prodigy, Enescu created his first musical...
, tributes which benefit each year from the presence of the great personalities of Romanian art and culture;
- "Rapsozii Botoşanilor" Ensemble, a long-standing folkloric orchestra with a history stretching back for decades, presents a multitude of folkloric songs from Moldavia and the rest of Romania under the direction of its renowned leader, Maestro Ioan Cobâlă. The ensemble has long been associated with the greatest names in Moldavian folklore, such as Sofia VicoveancaSofia VicoveancaSofia Micu , known by her stage name of Sofia Vicoveanca, is a renowned Romanian singer of popular music music from the Bucovina region.-Musical career:...
, Laura Lavric, and Daniela Condurache, and continues to nurture the next generation of folkloric talent. The artists of the ensemble are recognized nationally and internationally by virtue of their television appearances and their winning of numerous prizes;
- "Mihai Eminescu" County Library, housed in a building known as the "Casa Moscovici," a late-19th-century structure that combines French and German architectural elements in a unique synthesis. The library contains a collection of around 380,000 volumes;
- The Old Centre is the oldest part of the city from an architectural standpoint, bringing together a large number of commercial buildings dating from the 17th and 18th centuries.
A series of historic churches built by the Lords of Moldavia :
- Uspenia Church - founded by Elena Rareş, wife of the lord Petru RareşPetru RaresPeter IV Rareș was twice voievod of Moldavia: 20 January 1527 to 18 September 1538 and 19 February 1541 to 3 September 1546. He was an illegitimate child born to Ștefan cel Mare...
, in 1552; the site of the christening of Mihai Eminescu. - "Sfântu Gheorghe" Church - founded by Elena Rareş in 1551.
- "Sfântu Nicolae" Church (Popăuţi) - founded by Lord Ştefan cel Mare in 1496; the interior decorations date from the 15th century. The monastery itself is surrounded by walls, giving it the appearance of a small citadel.
Botoşani boasts many other constructions of special architectural value, among them: the Antipa House, from the end of the 19th century; the Bolfosu House, from the beginning of the 19th century; the Silion House, dating from 1900; and the City Hall, built at the end of the 18th century in an eclectic style with German influences.
- Botosánka is a dance of the CsángóCsángóThe Csango people are a Hungarian ethnographic group of Roman Catholic faith living mostly in the Romanian region of Moldavia, especially in the Bacău County...
s. - State Jewish Theater (Romania)State Jewish Theater (Romania)Teatrul Evreiesc de Stat in Bucharest, Romania is a theater specializing in Jewish-related plays. Its contemporary repertoire includes plays by Jewish authors, plays on Jewish topics, and plays in Yiddish...
Air
Botoşani is served by the Suceava "Ştefan cel Mare" AirportSuceava Airport
Suceava "Ştefan cel Mare" Airport is an airport located in northeastern Romania, east of the municipality of Suceava, west of the municipality of Botoşani and close to the town of Salcea. It serves both Suceava and Botoşani counties. The airport has six parking stands.-History:Ştefan cel Mare...
(SCV), located 30.5 km (19 mi) west of the city centre.
Twin towns — Sister cities
Botoşani is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with: Brest
Brest, Belarus
Brest , formerly also Brest-on-the-Bug and Brest-Litovsk , is a city in Belarus at the border with Poland opposite the city of Terespol, where the Bug River and Mukhavets rivers meet...
, Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
Laval
Laval, Quebec
Laval is a Canadian city and a region in southwestern Quebec. It is the largest suburb of Montreal, the third largest municipality in the province of Quebec, and the 14th largest city in Canada with a population of 368,709 in 2006...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Natives
- Grigore AntipaGrigore AntipaGrigore Antipa was a Romanian Darwinist biologist who studied the fauna of the Danube Delta and the Black Sea. Between 1892 and 1944 he was the director of the Bucharest Natural History Museum, which now bears his name....
- Octav BăncilăOctav BancilaOctav Băncilă was a Romanian realist painter and left-wing activist. He was the brother of Sofia Nădejde, a feminist journalist, and the brother-in-law of Ion Nădejde .-Biography:...
- Israil BercoviciIsrail BercoviciIsrail Bercovici was a Jewish Romanian dramaturg, playwright, director, biographer, and memoirist, who served the State Jewish Theater of Romania between 1955 to 1982; he also wrote Yiddish-language poetry.-Biography:...
- Demostene Botez
- Pascal CoviciPascal CoviciPascal Avram "Pat" Covici was a Romanian Jewish-American book publisher and editor.- Early life :Pascal Avram Covici, known to his friends as "Pat," was born November 4, 1885 in Botoşani, Romania. He was the son of vintner Wolf Covici and Schfra Barish...
- Georgeta DamianGeorgeta DamianGeorgeta Damian-Andrunache is a female rower from Romania and winner of five Olympic gold medals. She is married to Valeriu Andrunache....
- Mihai EminescuMihai EminescuMihai Eminescu was a Romantic poet, novelist and journalist, often regarded as the most famous and influential Romanian poet. Eminescu was an active member of the Junimea literary society and he worked as an editor for the newspaper Timpul , the official newspaper of the Conservative Party...
- Reuven FeuersteinReuven FeuersteinReuven Feuerstein is an Israeli clinical, developmental, cognitive psychologist, renowned for his theory of intelligence which states “it is not ‘fixed’, but rather modifiable”. This idea in general is that intelligence can be modified through mediated interventions...
- Luminiţa GheorghiuLuminita GheorghiuLuminiţa Gheorghiu is an actress at Teatrul Bulandra in Bucharest, Romania one of the most respected theater actresses in East Central Europe. She has also appeared in a number of films, mostly in Romanian, but also in French....
- Nicolae IorgaNicolae IorgaNicolae Iorga was a Romanian historian, politician, literary critic, memoirist, poet and playwright. Co-founder of the Democratic Nationalist Party , he served as a member of Parliament, President of the Deputies' Assembly and Senate, cabinet minister and briefly as Prime Minister...
- Isidore IsouIsidore IsouIsidore Isou , born Ioan-Isidor Goldstein, was a Romanian-born French poet, film critic and visual artist...
- Octav OnicescuOctav OnicescuOctav Onicescu was a Romanian mathematician, member of the Romanian Academy, and founder of the Romanian school of probability theory and statistics.-Biography:...
- Ion Sân-GiorgiuIon Sân-GiorgiuIon Sân-Giorgiu was a Romanian modernist poet, dramatist, essayist, literary and art critic, also known as a journalist, academic, and fascist politician. He was notably the author of works on the Sturm und Drang phenomenon and the influence of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe...
- Henric Sanielevici
- Simion Sanielevici
- Adolf Josef StorferAdolf Josef StorferAdolf Josef Storfer was an educated lawyer turned journalist and publisher. He belonged to Freud's group of friends in Vienna, Austria and fled to Australia via Shanghai at the last minute in 1938....
- Alexandru GraurAlexandru GraurAlexandru Graur was a Romanian linguist.Born into a Jewish family in Botoşani, Graur graduated from the Faculty of Letters of the University of Bucharest and the École Pratique des Hautes Études in Paris . He obtained a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the Sorbonne...
- Dan LunguDan LunguDan Lungu is a Romanian novelist, short story writer, poet and dramatist, also known as a literary theorist and sociologist. The recipient of critical acclaim for his short story volume Cheta la flegmă and his...
- Dan LupuDan LupuDan Lupu is a Romanian actor. Born in Botoşani, he graduated the I.L. Caragiale National University of Theatrical Arts and Cinematography from Bucharest, Romania-Film:...