Tutuianu Marinica-Daniel

The Lipscani area


The Lipscani area is a lively part of old Bucharest which polarized various trades between the 15th-18th centuries. The Lipsca is apparently the Romanian transcription of the name of Leipzig. and Lipscani was the name of the merchants who sold goods imported from Leipzig. The Lipscani is a famous street in the historic downtown of Bucuresti only a few meters far from the Kilometer number 0 of Romanian Capital .After the earthquake in 1977, the historic area of Lipscani was often threatened with demolition; when they started to build the so-called Civic Centre on Ceausescu's order, in its close vicinity, Lipscani entered an age of decay and oblivion. It was partially restored after 1990, especially in the Banks area, but most of the old houses and narrow sloping streets still wait for some Prince Charming investor who may return to them their formerly life and glamour.
Even before the official foundation of Bucharest (September 20, 1459), the Lipscani area represented the heart of the city. Once the political and economic power concentrated in the area of the Princely Court, around 1600, a lot of guilds and shops came into being, and that is why the area would be populated with goldsmiths, hatters, shoemakers, tanners, furriers, saddlemakers, grocers a.o. Many streets in the area still bear the names of those tradesmen and craftsmen. Along with the Romanians, there were communities of Greek, Bulgarian, Serbian, Armenian, Jewish, Albanian and Austrian merchants. This mixture of nationalities is relevant for the flourishing trade relationships established in old Bucharest, to the benefit of both shopkeepers and custo