GC2ZGK0 Aarkhitekton 2: Athénée Palace (Traditional Cache) in Romania created by The Brudders

This cache has been archived.

kekemes: I have no plans to check if it's still there, archiving

GC2ZGK0 ▼

A cache by The Brudders Message this owner

Hidden : 7/5/2011

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Size: Size: other (other)

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Geocache Description:

[EN]
The Athénée Palace hotel in Bucharest, Romania, now a Hilton, may have been Europe's most notorious den of spies in the years leading up to World War II, and only slightly less so during the Cold War.

It was designed by the French architect Théophile Bradeau, built 1912–1914, and modernized 1935–1937 by Duiliu Marcu, was the first building in Bucharest to use reinforced concrete construction; damaged by bombing during World War II, it was remodeled after being taken over by the Communist government in 1948, and again damaged in the Romanian Revolution of 1989 (some of whose worst violence occurred in the square immediately in front of the hotel).

New York Times foreign correspondent C. L. Sulzberger wrote in his memoir A Long Row of Candles that as World War II was approaching, he settled into the Athénée Palace "to enjoy my wait for war... This was a comfortable establishment with excellent service... a corrupt staff always seeking to change a customer's money at black-market rates, and continual competition by ladies of easy or nonexistent virtue to share the warmth of a client's bed". "Countess" R. G. Waldeck wrote of the hotel in the same era, "Here was the heart of Bucharest, topographically, artistically, intellectually, politically — and, if you like, morally".

Admire this slice of historical architecture and use the photographic time machine to experience the old times of Bucharest.

[RO]
Hotelul bucurestean Athénée Palace, in prezent detinut de Hilton, a reprezentat cel mai faimos ascunzis pentru spioni din intreaga Europa in anii premergatori celui de-al doilea Razboi Mondial, dar si in timpul razboiului Rece.

A fost conceput de catre arhitectul francez Théophile Bradeau, construit intre anii 1912-1914 si modernizat intre 1935 si 1937 de catre Duiliu Marcu, fiind prima cladire din Bucuresti construita cu beton-armat; distrus de bombardamente in timpul razboiului, hotelul a fost reconditionat dupa ce a intrat in posesia guvernului comunist de la Bucuresti in 1948, si apoi din nou avariat in timpul Revolutiei din 1989 (ale carei scene de violenta extrema s-au derulat chiar in piata in care este amplasat hotelul).

Corespondentul New York Times de la acea vreme, C. L. Sulzberger scria in memoriile sale intitulate A Long Row of Candles ca in timp ce conflictul dintre partile combatante devenise iminent s-a cazat la Athénée Palace "pentru a astepta razboiul... Hotelul era un loc confortabil cu un serviciu excelent... cu personal corupt intr-o permanenta goana castiguri marunte si cu o competitie perpetua intre damele de moravuri usoare sau inexistente in cautarea lor a unui pat cald de client". De asemenea, "Contesa" R. G. Waldeck scria cam in aceeasi perioada despre hotel denumindu-l "inima Bucurestiului, in sens topografic, artistic, intelectual, politic dar si moral".

Admirati aceasta bucatica de arhitectura istorica si folositi fotografia pe post de masina a timpului ca o proiectie in vechiul Bucuresti.