From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Văcăreşti, Bucharest
Văcăreşti, Bucharest
Văcăreşti is a neighbourhood in south-eastern Bucharest, Almost all the Jews emigrated to the newly-created
located near Dâmboviţa River and the Văcăreşti Lake. state of Israel after World War II. Văcăreşti was one of
Nearby neighbourhoods include Vitan, Olteniţei and the quarters that was completely torn down by Ceauşes-
Berceni. Originally a village, it was included in Bucharest cu and nowadays few traces of the old quarters remain.
as it expanded. Its name is related to the Wallachian aris-
tocratic family of the ’Văcăreşti’, with an etymology lead-
ing back to the Romanian văcar, "cow-herder" and the
Văcăreşti Lake
suffix -eşti. In the 1980s, Ceauşescu wanted to build a large amuse-
ment park (3 km²), demolishing a large part of the houses
in the area and making place for a lake with a concrete
The Monastery and quarter bottom. However, it was never completed and it still re-
Main article: History of Bucharest mains barren as of 2009.
The Văcăreşti Monastery, built by Nicholas Mavro- In 2002, 1.83 km² of the terrain were given for 49
cordatos in 1716, was located on the Văcăreşti hill, nowa- years to a company owned by Australian citizen Tony
days near Piaţa Sudului, but it was demolished in 1984 Mikhael that wanted to invest €650 million and build
during the regime of Nicolae Ceauşescu, to make room some residential areas as well as a golf course, a hippo-
for a Palace of Justice that was never built. It was the drome, a hotel and some clubs. The terrain itself is es-
largest 18th century monastery in Southeastern Europe timated to worth about €500 million, as the land costs
and it had a church in the style of Curtea de Argeş Cathe- in the area around €300/m². Săptămâna Financiară argued
dral. It was designed to be also used as a fortress, being that the concession of the terrain was illegal and that the
seized by the Russian army, under commander Nicholas Romanian state only gets around €0.28/m².
Repnin, in May 1771 (in the context of the Russo-Turkish
War and Pârvu Cantacuzino’s rebellion).
Part of the buildings of monastery were used as
Further reading
prison. Inmates that were incarcerated at Văcăreşti Pri- • Gheorghe Leahu. Demolarea Mânăstirii Văcăreşti
son include Richard Wurmbrand, Tudor Arghezi, Ioan ("Demolition of the Văcăreşti Monastery"), (1997)
Slavici, as well as Corneliu Zelea Codreanu and other Bucureşti, Arta Grafică
members of the Iron Guard. The nearby hill was home to • Anania, Lidia; Luminea, Cecilia; Melinte, Livia;
Arghezi’s long-time residence, the house he nicknamed Prosan, Ana-Nina; Stoica, Lucia; and Ionescu-Ghinea,
Mărţişor (nowadays a museum). Neculai, Bisericile osândite de Ceauşescu. Bucureşti
1977–1989 (1995). Editura Anastasia, Bucharest, ISBN
9739714544. In Romanian. Title means "Churches
Jewish history doomed by Ceauşescu". p. 171–186 is about the
Main article: History of the Jews in Romania Văcăreşti Monastery, including extensive
In the 19th century, many Jewish immigrants settled in photographs and architectural drawings.
Văcăreşti, most of them coming from Imperial Russia.
Văcăreşti and Dudeşti were the areas where the poorest
Jews settled. On 21 January 1941, the fascist Iron Guard
References
started its coup against Ion Antonescu, with whom they • "Proiectul Văcăreşti, dezgropat în 2005", Evenimentul
had shared government power since September (see Le- Zilei, 13 January 2005
gionnaires’ Rebellion and Bucharest Pogrom). The Iron Guard • "Obuz pesedist în tunul alianţei - Afacerea
legionnaires killed 125 Jews, including in Văcăreşti and Văcăreşti", Săptămâna Financiară, no. 48, 13 February
Dudeşti. On 24 January 1941 Ion Antonescu suppressed 2006 p. 1, 5
the rebellion and the Iron Guard was banned and the Coordinates: 44°24′0.22″N 26°7′53.94″E / 44.4000611°N
members arrested. 26.13165°E / 44.4000611; 26.13165
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C4%83c%C4%83re%C5%9Fti,_Bucharest"
Categories: Districts of Bucharest, Jewish Romanian history
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Văcăreşti, Bucharest
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