Farkas utcai színház, First Hungarian theater in Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Farkas utcai szinhaz was a stone building in Cluj-Napoca that combined neoclassical and baroque elements, visible in the ornamental details across its facade. Inside, the main performance hall could accommodate around 800 spectators.
Construction began in September 1803 under architect Antal Alföldi and his assistant Antal Schütz, with the building opening on March 12, 1821. The theater remained active until 1906, when performances relocated to a new building at Hunyadi Square.
The theater served as a major venue for Hungarian dramatic works, showcasing plays by authors such as Gergely Csiky, Mór Jókai, and William Shakespeare. These performances shaped the city's cultural life and reflected the importance of theater to the Hungarian community.
The original building was demolished between 1934 and 1935 and replaced with a different structure, so nothing of the original remains standing. A commemorative plaque installed in 2012 now marks the location where the theater once stood, now occupied by the Academic College building.
This was the first theater space dedicated to Hungarian performance in Cluj-Napoca, marking a turning point in the city's artistic development. The installation of a memorial plaque in 2012 shows how the city preserves the memory of this lost landmark.
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