The Burgher’s House and the project of the Centre for information and promotion of cultural heritage
The Burgher’s House on 33, Calea Șerban Vodă, Bucharest is getting ready to become our new physical office, a place where you can get in touch with the team of the National Centre for Information and Promotion of Cultural Heritage.
We think of it as of an open space, within arm’s reach of you, of the local community and of all the citizens who wish to discover what may be the oldest household of Bucharest, always a welcoming site for tourists who love history and culture.
We wish the house to serve as a place where you can explore new ideas and handy information, or make contact with new partners for your well-doing projects for heritage. We are waiting for you to knock at our door!
The building, one of the oldest houses of the city, protected as a historical monument of national importance (Class A), brings back the memories of the city of Bucharest, as it was at the end of the XVIIIth century – a blend between a certain Balkan easiness and the ebullience of a capital city on the verge of stepping into the modern era. The 200 years old walls, the configuration of the yard, the details and the historical strata of the house make this place a special one, where we hope you will find your inspiration, just in the same way we find in it a boost for our motivation.
We start with a series of events organized in partnership and, according to the sanitary situation of the next months, a program of activities, sketched with the input from both specialists and enthusiasts of the field.
The Story of the Burgher’s House
The street where the Burgher’s House is situated was named, back in the day, „Podul Beilicului”, from the Turkish word „bey”, which was the title given to high officials of the Ottoman Empire. The name should remind us of the importance of the road in its heyday, as this was the way by which the rulers of Wallachia, appointed in Istanbul, would enter the town heading to the Court.
The name itself, The Burgher’s House, points out to an owner who belonged to the class of petite bourgeoisie, just as most of those who dwelt in the suburbs of Bucharest: mobile and enterprising townsmen. The details of the House – which you can well see in the images, but even better on the spot – speak for themselves of an age of important changes, including those concerning the citizen’s living standards and ambitions. The notable difference between the façade and rest of the house is but one of the effects of the transformations that the city, along with its inhabitants’ tastes, were going through at that time. The façade was modified several times, even pushed back for about 2 meters, shrinking the house, in order to allow the enlargement and modernization of the street. While the façade was adjusted to the neoclassical line given by the more recent buildings around, the rest of the house, with a structure very similar to the houses of countrymen, with a small veranda and wooden arches of Balkan influence, remained unchanged since 1790.
Throughout the 20th century, the house served several purposes, from tapestries workshop to office of a public institution, and went under several stages of restoration.
The second decade of the 21st century brought it a new life, as a meeting, inspiration and exploration space for cultural heritage, through the initiative of several associations and groups of artists, architects or enthusiasts for history and culture, which organised different events here.
Starting with the year 2021, the house, with its new status as the headquarters of the National Centre for Information and Promotion of Cultural Heritage, has become a meeting point for all those interested in the cultural value of our surroundings, a space in which one can discover, learn, take action and develop initiatives.
We shall not disclose more! We are waiting for you at the Townsman’s House, str. Șerban Vodă 33, sector 4, Bucharest, so that you can take you time to discover the history of this spot and the heritage… in future tense.
Apar:
https://www.libertatea.ro/stiri/cea-mai-veche-casa-din-bucuresti-deschisa-publicului-1981250
https://evz.ro/strabunica-locuintelor-din-bucuresti-povestea-casei-de-228-de-an.html