THE ROMANIAN POST-SOCIALIST CITY: (RE)CONSTRUCTING THE URBAN HISTORY IN THE CASE OF ALBA IULIA

1945 is commonly perceived as a rupture within the central-eastern European setting when the rise of the communist regimes marked the political, economic, and socio-cultural aspects with major effects on the built environment. Concerning the specific case of Romania, the 1977 dissolution of the Department for Historical Monuments appears stressed as the real rupture, especially concerning the historical centres’ demolitions that occurred within the larger “systematization”, urban densification, and modernization processes. Since the urban trauma was so vividly perceived during the last decades of the communist regime, the 1989 political shift brought another change and, simultaneously, hope for the preservationists who used this moment to bring back the patrimonial issue on the official agenda. Furthermore, the typology of the urban renewal process that occurred in post-socialist Romania is illustrated through the case study of Alba Iulia citadel, which was directed towards the rewriting of the national narrative through the historical reconstruction of the built environment. While there was a focus in strengthening of the pre-socialist historical icons through a complete negation of the 1945 - 1989 inherited built environment, some aspects of the planning and urban renewal appear in continuity with the socialist years as they were based on the “cancellation” of the “previous historic entity”. This chapter is based on extensive archival research conducted at the national, regional, and local levels, examining the various actors and political systems involved in urban planning and preservation practices in Romania throughout the 20th century. Additionally, repeated site visits and a thorough analysis of recent intervention projects have contributed to shaping a comprehensive understanding of Romania's post-socialist urban transformation.