Articles (84)

Polizu Maternity Hospital, baby-friendly hospital. The history of one of the oldest obstetrics-gynecology units in Bucharest

In a crowded and ever-moving city such as Bucharest, there are places where life begins every day, discreetly, yet with a profound emotional charge. One such place is Polizu Maternity Hospital, a medical institution with tradition, respected both for its history and for the essential role it plays in the Romanian healthcare system. Part of the Nati...

The 1977 earthquake and Bucharest today – what collapsed and what lessons remain unlearned

On March 4, 1977, at 9:22 PM, Romania was struck by the strongest earthquake of the 20th century. Measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale, with its epicenter in the Vrancea region, the quake lasted about 55 seconds. In Bucharest, the consequences were catastrophic: 1,424 people lost their lives, more than 7,000 were injured, and dozens of buildings coll...

The Story of Dr. Alexandru Obregia, the Brilliant Psychiatrist Who Treated and Cured Thousands of Mentally “Alienated” Romanians

Alexandru Obregia was born on July 20, 1860, in Iași, and became one of Romania’s most important psychiatrists. From the start, Obregia showed a strong inclination toward studying the human psyche and understanding mental illnesses. The Early Life and Education of Alexandru ObregiaHe was a student of the renowned Professor Dr. Alexandru Suțu and f...

“Cold Drunkennesses” and the Forbidden Pleasures in Interwar Bucharest: Morphine, Cocaine and Ether Were the Stars of the Parties

In the years between the two world wars, Bucharest was living through one of the most spectacular transformations in its history. The capital of Greater Romania had become a city of contrasts: elegant boulevards, cafés frequented by artists and politicians, influential cultural magazines, lavish balls and an intense nightlife. Little Paris had earn...

Filantropia Maternity Hospital in Bucharest, 212 years of history. The story of the oldest obstetrics and gynecology clinic in Romania

The history of Filantropia Hospital begins in 1811 and is closely connected to the name of Dr. Constantin Caracas. Originally a Macedonian Romanian and a graduate of the University of Vienna, Dr. Caracas returned to Bucharest, where he started practicing medicine alongside his father, Dr. Dimitrie Caracas. Thanks to the experience acquired abroad a...

Bucharest's Population. The city that gained a million people in a century and lost them in a few decades

A look at Bucharest's population, from medieval trading post to 21st-century capitalSomewhere in the second half of the 15th century, Bucharest appears in documents as a modest waystation and market town in Wallachia. Nobody at the time could have imagined that this settlement on the banks of the Dâmbovița river would, a few centuries later, hold w...

The Great Constantin Tănase, the Poor Boy Who Put Bucharest on the Map of Romanian Theater. He Put Cardboard in His Shoes and Ran Across the City for a Pretzel

Constantin Tănase was born on July 5, 1880, in Vaslui, in a modest home, the son of Ion and Elena Tănase. His father worked as a lab assistant at Ortenski Pharmacy, the only one in town, while his mother took care of the household and the education of their son. From an early age, his life was marked by scarcity: food was often insufficient, and th...

Bucur Maternity Hospital, a brief history. Few Romanians know it was built from the donation of industrialist Dumitru Mociorniță

Few residents of Bucharest know today that Bucur Maternity Hospital, one of the essential medical institutions in the southern part of the Capital, has its origins in an exceptional act of generosity. The building that houses the maternity hospital was built with funds donated by the industrialist Dumitru Mociorniță, a name that, although no longer...

Societatea Salvarea, Dr. Nicolae Minovici’s Project, and the Story of the First Ambulance in Bucharest

Nicolae Minovici is one of the most important names in the history of medicine in Romania, especially in Bucharest. An exceptional doctor, skilled in pedagogy and passionate about art, he laid the foundations for two essential institutions for public health: the first Emergency Hospital in the country and the first ambulance service, called Societa...

The lesson of history: who was Horia Hulubei – fighter pilot, war hero, and father of Romanian nuclear physics

The father of Romanian nuclear physics, Horia Hulubei, lived a tumultuous life marked by both brilliance and hardship. His story combines the courage of a fighter pilot, the resilience of a war hero, and the intellect of a visionary scientist. He fought in World War I, secretly collaborated with the Allies during World War II to help Romania change...