The influences of the ethnic minorities are felt all the way in Bucharest. The city has always been under the assault of migratory waves, foreigners who have settled over these lands over time and they have made their mark in the development of today’s metropolis.
Italians, Turks, Jews, Frenchmen, Armenians, Germans, Poles, all brought with them certain habits which they passed on to the natives. Over time, these habits were fully embraced by the city’s inhabitants and became regular thing. The influences of ethnic minorities are not only specific to Bucharest, they are felt throughout the country.
Statistical data indicate that, in the interwar period, 10% of the population of Bucharest was part of the Jewish community. The Jews came to our country many centuries ago. In Bucharest, they made their presence felt, starting with the sixteenth century, when they gather around the city. Many of them came from Moldavia and were looking for new areas where they could live by trade or the crafts they owned.
Through its work, the Jewish community has shouldered the development of the city. However, the Second World War led to a new wave of migration. Many ethnic Jews left Romania to move to Israel. But as a result of this community there is much evidence of its existence on these lands. The most obvious example is the State Jewish Theater, which has a tradition of 143 years. The same category also includes the synagogues in Bucharest that were placed on Jewish hearths.
Even if during the communist period the traces of the Jewish community in Bucharest were pretty much erased, a closer analysis can be observed, especially in the houses in the Old Center, that combination between the living space upstairs and the family store on the ground floor of the building . Also specific to the community are those wrought iron balconies that have been preserved in some heritage houses.
The Italian church in the city center
Even in the middle of Nicolae Bălcescu Boulevard there is a historical monument building. We are talking about the Italian Church. Have you ever wondered why there is such a place of worship in Bucharest? The answer is simple: at the level of the Romanian capital, a strong Italian community has lived over time. The Italian church was erected more than a hundred years ago, even with the support of this community, who wished to be able to express their faith in a place linked to roots. The church was built according to the model of places of worship in northern Italy.
The ethnic Italians were very involved in the life of Bucharest. They contributed to the city’s economy and its development. In the nineteenth century the most visible community of foreigners from our country, especially in the area of Muntenia.
Today, when there is a lot of talk about the departure of Romanians in search of better paid jobs abroad, we should remember that the migration phenomenon has always existed. The peoples of the world have been moving constantly when on one side, on the other. The same thing happened a long time ago, when the Italians came to Romania in search of jobs.
Once arrived in the country, the Italians put their mark on the life here. Not only churches were erected. There were also schools, for example, the Italian School in Bucharest built at the expense of Luigi Cazzavillan (ed. note: a famous Romanian journalist of Italian origin, who was very involved in the education in Bucharest).
And other ethnic minorities have influenced the life of the Romanian capital. Turks, Greeks, Armenians belong to this category.
The Turks, for example, have left us a rich cuisine. The famous moussaka cooked by our grandmothers and our mothers has its roots in Turkish cuisine. And in economic terms, there are certain influences kept from ancient times. An example is the kiosks we meet in different areas and in which products from a wide range are marketed. The sources indicate that Turkish merchants brought with them this type of trade.
The existence of these communities on the territory of Bucharest is proof of the fact that the city has always been a city of diversity, an open city that has always embraced progress.
