Intelectuals’ Bridge, a phantom from the past

Jun 6, 2018

Intellectuals’ Bridge is one of the most beautiful bridges and pedestrian movement in Romania. The bridge has a wonderful view in flow direction of Crisul Repede, the city hall, the Church of St. Ladislaus and St. Ladislaus Bridge, the history of these buildings is reflected in the clear and sometimes troubled waters of Crisul Repede.

Intellectuals’ Bridge designation was received in the early 1990s, when intellectuals of those times, passing over the bridge daily to reach the local newsrooms known at that time. The intellectuals headed to newsrooms like the Daily Crisana, oldest newspaper in Oradea, for editorial weekly Gazeta de Vest and the editors Familia, which is a cultural institution founded by Joseph Vulcan in Budapest in 1865, with the purpose of spreading Romanian culture in Transylvania and preserving the language and national consciousness.

But the bridge has a history of over 150 years, and the story of this bridge begins around 1850, when Intellectuals Bridge was a wooden bridge, which at both ends had a cottage and people who wanted to cross the river had to pay with change.
In 1910 the wooden bridge was replaced by a metal bridge, but in early 1974 after several floods it was badly damaged. Then it was decided the building of the bridge that exists today.

Following the 1974 flood damaged iron construction, made expertise and experts have decided that it is more useful to construct a new bridge than to invest in restoring the old. That’s the way the bridge loved by intellectuals was built.
From the old bridge it was preserved only metal railing, being an element reminiscent of the old construction. But few know that another element of the old bridge is still visible in the river, that being the pillar that supported the old bridge.

This beautiful bridge in Oradea with a history of over 150 years, is located in a quiet, green area of the city and gives travelers the opportunity to admire the cityscapes particular, can admire old buildings full of history and the beautiful Crisul Repede, the old river showing the wonderful mirrored image of the city.

Source: www.oradeainimagini.ro