R.P.F.- A century old buiding

The evolution of inter-human relations led, year by year, to an accelerated growth in the field of ideas and information exchange realized through correspondence sent by the Post. This important institution had a fundamental role in all the countries, including Romania. Through its activity, the Romanian Post had a decisive contribution to the determination and consolidation of the modern state. In the year 1858, when the famous Romanian postage stamps "Auroch Head" have been put into circulation, symbol of imposing national sovereignty, continuing with the decision to abolish in the year 1969 the functioning of the foreign postal offices on the Romanian territory, the affiliation to the Universal Postal Union in the year 1874, the participation of the postal - telegraphic corps to all the wars waged by Romania, are grand contributions and sacrifices brought by the Romanian Post to the creation of the modern history of this country. The development of the institution made necessary the need to find a building for the central headquarters in Bucharest. In a first phase, the Central Post was installed in a building situated on the Posta Veche Street (Old Post Street, behind the Romanian Athenaeum, today N. Golescu Street), after which it was moved in the Barcanescu Lane (today Doamnei Street). The headquarters of the Central Post from the Barcanescu Lane was installed in the big house of the noble Barcanescu. This headquarters had a large yard, which supported numerous small buildings that served as warehouses and shelter for carts which brought correspondence from the railway station and from the post boxes distributed throughout the rest of the city. It is interesting the fact that back then the distribution of telegrams and letters was done through "horse back postmen" and that postal clerks worked hard, as they do today, to assure for this service a better organization, to satisfy the demands of the public. From the cart pulled by one pony and from the distribution rider for letters and telegrams, up to the tools used by the post of today is surely an imposing leap.

Around the year 1904, the house of the noble Barcanescu was demolished, in its place being built the imposing Palace of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, inaugurated in the year 1911 after the plans of the architect St. Burcus, today the headquarters of the National Library. For its ever increasing needs, and also for the high prestige enjoyed by the Romanian Post, the decision to build a headquarters to match was taken.

The General Manager of the posts and telegraph Mihail Sutu, with the address n 17.027 from the 27/07.1880, submits to the minister of internal affairs, the general G. Manu (the post in those times belonged to the Ministry of Internal Affairs), the request to build a new headquarter.

The minister of internal affairs issues the following resolution:

-"To issue a law prospect for the building of a palace, which will be presented to the legislative Corps in the following session.

- The place on which will be built will be the same, with expropriations up to the boulevard and the Academiei street.

- The Postal Direction will issue a program with the necessary rooms and will hold a contest for the creation of the plans." As for the expropriation of the buildings around the old headquarters were necessary almost one million ROL this idea was given up, being approved in a meeting of the Council of Ministers on the 5th of May 1890 the issue of a law prospect for the opening of a credit line for 3.000.000 gold ROL, for the building of a palace of post and telegraph on a site which will be chosen later. This place was chosen on the old site of the Constantin-Voda Inn, on Victoriei Lane. Constantin Brancoveanu Prince between the years-1692 - 1694 built this inn. After the earthquakes and fires that ravaged in Bucharest in the 19th century, this inn became a menace for the lives of its citizens.

On the 7th of June 1860, the minister of internal affairs requested from City Hall to name a committee to examine the Constantin-Voda Inn. In this committee took part the architects: Schlater, Tabai, Benes, Cusnovschi and Alex. Orascu, under the presidency of Petrache Poenaru, which decided to demolish the building.

This explains why in the year 1861 was announced that on the spot were the beautiful houses of the Balaceanu family once stood, demolished out of revenge by Constantin Brancoveanu, to make an inn on their land, will be opened a national agricultural exposition of the United Romanian Princely States.

After the name of the demolished inn, the empty place was named Constantin-Voda Plaza, and around 1870 wooden or linen barracks were built and a "comedy and entertainment" fair was installed. In one of these barracks a popular theater named "Alcazar" was installed, theater in which gave representations Grigore Manolescu, Aristita Romanescu, Mihail Mateescu, Hagiescu, I.L. Caragiale and others. In the year 1873 on this spot the Suhr circus is installed. On the 25th of March 1875, on the initiative of prince Dimitrie (Mitica) Ghica, the "Equestrian Society" gives a philanthropic representation.

The law for the building of the Postal Palace was voted by the Chamber and Senate on the 20th and 22nd of May 1892 and was sanctioned on the 29th of May with the following content:

"Art. I - It is authorized by the Minister of Internal Affairs the building in Bucharest of a headquarter for the telegraph - postal services, on a place decided by the Council of Ministers.

Art. II - Is opened at the disposal o the Minister of Internal Affairs a credit line of 3.000.000 gold ROL, covered through a bond issue or any other means considered fit by the government.

Art. III - This credit shall serve for payment for the land, construction of the site, as well as for supervision of the construction site."

In the meeting on the 26th of July 1892, the Council of Ministers decided that the Postal Palace is to be built on the site called Constantin-Voda Plaza, situated between the Carol Street, Stavropoleos and Victoriei Lane, and for the issue of the program and the construction project is named an architect, which together with a person with knowledge of the postal and telegraphic service will visit similar buildings abroad and will complete the necessary program and project, after the demands of the postal administration. On the basis of this decision the minister of internal affairs decides to send abroad the manager of posts, Ernest Sturza, accompanied by the architect Al. Savulescu, who visit for this purpose the post buildings in Vienna, Munich, Zurich, Geneva, Paris, Brussels, Turin, Milan, Venice and Budapest chosing as model the building of the Geneva Post.

After Ernest Sturza, the management of the Post is assured by Dumitru Cezianu (17th of October 1892 - 16th of October 1895). During its managerial term, Cezianu took a great interest in the works of the building of the Postal Palace. The plans created by the architect Al. Savulescu were subject to approval by the Superior technical council from the country, after being approved by the Paris architect professors Gianin and Geradet.

On the basis of the established plans, a public auction was published for the concession of the building for the 22nd of January 1893, but as some modifications appeared, thew auction was postponed for the 24th of January 1894.

At this last auction, the construction was granted to "the Romanian Company for Constructions and Public Works", represented by its manager, Effingam Grant.

The construction, due to the efforts of the manager Cezianu, started immediately, so that on the 20th of October, at 11 o'clock in the morning, its Royal Highness King Carol, accompanied by its work ordinance, came at the construction site, where he was met by Lascar Catargiu, Prime-minister and minister of internal affairs, with all ministers, president D. Ghica, president of the construction company, manager Cezianu with the high personnel of the Post and Telegraph Administration, the Capital Police prefect. A holy service was held immediately, and at the end manager Cezianu gives the following speech:

"Sire,
I am happy to have the occasion to bring to you the gratifying thanks of the postal-telegraph corps for the decision to honor this event with the presence of Your Majesty.
The building of this palace, to which Your Majesty lays the first stone, was deemed necessary by the development of the postal-telegraphic service.
This building shall cover an area of 8000 sq.m and will cost over 3.000.000 gold ROL, decorating the Capital with a monument that will be considered one of the premier postal palaces of Europe.
Sire,
The postal service, as we understand it today, is still of recent date; truly, until 1846 it was only done for the state, and from this date is organized a service for private mail, but fulfilled by private entrepreneurs.
In 1873, when the first statistics was established by mister George Lahovari, former manager of the post and telegraphs, postal correspondence numbered 2.000.000 letters and in 1893 it rose to 25.000.000; this gives us the measure of the cultural development that took place in Romania in this interval; the values send by the messenger services of the post went over 300 million, in 1873, to one billion in 1893.
The progress made is great, but we still have a lot of work to reach our target.
Our postal-telegraphic corps, who presents so much proof of hard work, labors and patience will meet, I am convinced, the expectance of this mission.
With this occasion, Sire, permit me to offer on behalf of the general direction of post and telegraphs an atlas containing the maps of telegraphs and posts for each county.

                                     Long live Sire!
                                     Long live Her Majesty the Queen!
                                     Long live Romania!"

To this His Majesty King Carol gives the following answer:
"Raising this grand palace for the post and telegraph proves one
more time how great is the progress made by Romania in all public branches.
Only 30 years passed since the international post, which is an exclusive right of the state, was still in the hands of the neighboring powers and the organizing
of this important service, granted to a foreign mission. Today the post and telegraph, run by ourselves, has proven to be a top administration and took part with pride at all international congress, which have regulated in a wonderful mode relations with the entire world.
Therefore, with great satisfaction, I place the foundation of this palace, wishing that it will soon be completed, to assure an administration which has seen such a development a headquarter worthy of its importance ".

After this, His Majesty the King and official personnel sign the founding act, which together with a series of Romanian coins still in circulation are placed in the corner of the building next to Saint Dumitru church and Carol Street.

Champagne was served, and Prime-minister Lascar Catargiu wished His Majesty long life and joy, so that he can assist more solemn events of this nature, for the good and prosperity of the country.

After the withdrawal of Constantin Chiru from the function of general manager of posts and telegraph, is named in this function retired Lieutenant-colonel Mihai Ghica (27th of April 1889 - 14th of February 1901). Among the first works which preoccupied manager Ghica, immediately after his ascent as head of the administration, was to job of finishing the construction of the Postal Palace and making the necessary installation so that the central Academy and the central postal, telegraphic and telephony office, to move as soon as possible in the new building.

For this purpose, manager Ghica obtains on the 3rd of May 1899, an extraordinary credit for 209.227 ROL and 50 bani for installing electric lights and elevators, and through the law on the 2nd of July, of the same year, the opening of another credit for 1.191.227 ROL, to perform the preparation works, light installations, for the apparatus, instruments, machines, materials and works necessary for the special installations for the telegraph, telephone and post as well as for manufacturing the necessary furniture.

With the amounts obtained and with the effort made manager Ghica manages to move in October 1899 in the new palace, the technical and accountant division, in April 1900 the other divisions and services of the central Administration, and in the year 1901, the central telegraphic and telephone office.

After the death of the manager Ghica, by public subscription among superior clerks of the central Administration, are realized a bust of the managers Cezianu and Ghica, worked by the sculptor Romanelii placed in February 1906 in the Postal Palace, on both sides of the main stairway which led to the central Administration.

At the same time this imposing edifice housed the Postal Museum, hosted on the 2nd floor of the building in the wing which gives on the 13th of December Street.

This museum housed the complete collections of the postage stamps issued in Romania, old postal history documents, seals and stamps used over the time, paintings and photos of the most important personalities from the institutions' history, models representing the changing stations of horses from postal runs, old mail boxes as well as a huge specialized library. All these treasures, belonging to the national cultural patrimony disappeared with the decision to change the postal destination, in the building being installed, in the year 1972, the Romanian History National Museum.

In the year 1958, the Postal Palace hosted in its imposing central hall the International philatelic exposition dedicated to the celebration of the Centenary of the Romanian postage stamps and the State Post.

With this occasion on Victoriei Lane were run old post carts pulled by horses, led by traditional postal workers. The great public had the happy occasion to admire in philatelic collections presented numerous postage stamps and stamped letters with the famous Auroch Head.

In the year 2001, at the express direction of Mister Gabriel Mateescu, general manager of the Romanian Post, has been issued into circulation an issue of 2 postage stamps dedicated to the anniversary of the Centenary of the Postal Palace in Bucharest.

This recognition of the contribution of the forerunners in promoting the role and importance of the Romanian Posts obligates the responsible factors to contribute in the year 2008 at the anniversary of 150 years from the issue of the first Romanian postage stamps, organizing in Romania the first world philatelic exposition, our country being, next to Albania, the only country in Europe not to host such an event.

Unfortunately, Government Decision nr. 31/1st of February 2002, regarding the ordinance for postal services, brings many ambiguities in chapter IX, article 36, regarding the content and the administration mode of the Stamps Conservatory, proving that the authors of these regulations have not taken account of the provisions of Law nr. 182/27th of October 2000 regarding the protection of the movable national patrimony.

The anniversary of the Centenary of the Postal Palace in a wonderful occasion to recognize the important role the Romanian Post and the telegraphic-postal personnel had in the development of the Romanian society over the time.