joi, 29 august 2013

Assan's Mill - part of Romanian Historical and Industrial Heritage

     Today we won't focus on life and nature, but we will talk about the historical and cultural heritage, which in turn requires also conservation. And I thought that the best example of this is Assan's Mill in Bucharest, Romania -  an important cultural objective, which  is currently derelict .

      
We all wonder why no one has taken any action in this regard all these years, why such an  important historical monument is not restored ? Assan's Mill represents our past, so our history ...

       
An year ago, I decided to make a visit to this heritage building. I knew it only from pictures ... a magnificent building, so beautiful... But it was unbelievable what I found there: a derelict building, with collapsed walls, a bunch of bricks and iron.

       
To learn more about the cultural importance of this objective is to briefly recount its history.

       
Assan's Mill was built in 1853 by merchant George Assan. Today it is a monument of national importance and is part of our cultural and industrial heritage. This mill is the first steam mill in Romania and is located in Bucharest, Obor area. It is said that the steam engine, which weighed about 8,000 pounds, traveled eight weeks, being commissioned by the particular merchant in Vienna. In the early twentieth century, the business has expanded, Assan family's factories were offering a wide range of oils and varnishes .

      
Unfortunately, in 1948, Assan's Mill was nationalized by the Communists, and its owner killed . The mill has lost its fame, becoming only a left place, but full of history.

      
Nowadays it is in an advanced stage of degradation, mainly due to two fires that took place here: in May 2008 and June 2012, but also due to a roof that collapsed in January 2012, because of the construction materials' thiefs that affected the resistance structure. Currently, Assan's Mill is only a roof for homeless people.
 




 
Ruins of Assan's Mill, June 2012
Foto: Gabriela Iftode
 
Gabriela Iftode
     29/08/13
 
Source:
    
 
 

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