What events brought about changes in the practice of thermalism? Despite the prosperity and rise of the respective resorts, about which we have written in previous articles, the first stage of the 20th century was also marked by certain events that generated periods of stagnation or degradation, the most notable being the First World War and the Great Financial Crisis of 1929.
The Baile GovoraMany buildings were destroyed or caught fire. A significant proportion of the accommodation buildings were used to shelter wounded people or refugees from the frontline, and water installations were badly damaged due to poor winter maintenance. In spite of all these unpleasant events, the city of Val Valcea has been recovering, with investments and projects stretching over a period of about 3 years. Therefore, after this phase of recovery, the resort went through a new upswing. New water wells, private villas, hotels and bridges over the Hînța stream were built1.
The well-known form of exotic tourism, where the elite vacationed outside their homeland, ended with this economic crisis, when they began to turn to resorts closer to home. The decline of the English city of Bath began at the same time. In those years, spa-The English seaside was run by amateurs and people were more interested in the recreational activities than the medical benefits, which is why the competition from seaside resorts was becoming increasingly tight. In later years, medical treatments were taken out of the National Health (in England) scheme, which caused many resorts to close. In Romania, a kind of patriotism was cultivated where people were encouraged to choose Romanian resorts over those abroad in the West. Otherwise, this was perceived by other members of the elite as a lack of social responsibility2.
It is known that the owners of the Hotel Ștefănescu, located at the end of Tudor Vladimirescu Street, lost this building because of the extremely high debts to the "Albina" Bank. Later on, this hotel was taken over by the National Bank in 1934, to accommodate employees of the banking system and the Ministry of Finance3.
The two events, which had repercussions on a global scale, generated similar stories and situations in many traditional resorts both in Romania and abroad. Many of them recovered in the inter-war period, but still managed to remain attractive destinations for many Europeans. Despite this, the Second World War changed the tradition of spa resorts much more profoundly, generating notable differences between Eastern and Western Europe.
AUTHOR
arh. Ica PAPARI
SOURSE:
1 - DANES N., 2012, "Băile Govora resort - history, evolution" in Enciclopedia of Valcea County, vol II Urban Localities; Fortuna Publishing House, Râmnicu Valcea; http://www.istorielocala.ro/index.php/biblioteca-judeteana-antim-ivireanul-valcea/item/1638-stațiunea-băile-govora-istoric,-evoluţie.html ;
2 - ȘTEFĂNĂNUȚ A., 2010, "Thermal and spa resorts in Romania at the end of the 19th century - beginning of the 20th century: new spaces of socialization" in ACUM3, Ed. Universitara Ion Mincu, Bucharest, pp. 134-141;
3 - ECATERINESCU D.I., GEICULESCU R.G., 2012, "Villa Ștefănescu and the cinema in Băile-Govora, Valcea County (Short history)" in Buridava - studies and materials X, Ramnicu Valcea, pp. 267-273
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