Galatz

At the beginning of the 20^th century there were numerous public baths in Galaţi, organised according to the pattern of Turkish baths: The Russian Bath, The Aurora Bath, The Northern Bath, The Modern Bath, The Popular Bath[1]. The importance of such an institution was presented by a Canadian author who resided for a long time in Galaţi in early 20^th century: “To-day is bath–day, and no one can mistake it! The bath–house (or rather one of them, for they are numerous) is not far from Strada Carol. Processions of schoolboys are passing all day (the priests’ school being the longest of them) in that direction, each boy carrying his clean linen in a bundle. Our soldiers go also and meet their fellow–orderlies there, and all return with shining, rosy faces. They are vapour–baths, and of several grades – the really “classy” bath costing forty cents. As a rule, Roumanians do not consider bathing in water as really cleansing; even those who have modern zinc bath-tubs in their houses go regularly once a week to the vapour–baths. B., travelled though he is, tells me he never has the sensa­tion of thorough cleanliness except after the Turkish bath to which he was accustomed since childhood”[2].

During the summer season, people could bathe in the Danube in specially established places. The organisation of such baths was leased by the municipality to private contractors, and in 1887 the entrepreneur of the baths from the Danube bank provided a modern framework for recreation by establishing a basin with water for swimming, whose functioning was also authorised by the captain of the harbour[3].

[1] Prefectura Poliţiei Galaţi, Indicatorul oraşului Galaţi cuprinzând adresele tuturor autorităţilor civile şi militare, ale caselor mari comerciale şi ale tuturor instituţiilor etc. (Galaţi: s.e, s.a), 94.

[2] Ethel Greening Pantazzi, Roumania in Light and Shadow (London: T. Fisher Unwin, 1921), 55.

[3] Elena Ingrid Bahamat, “Timp liber şi mondenitate în Galaţii sfârşitului de secol XIX şi începutului de secol XX”, Danubius, 27 (2009), 110.

References

Websites:

Archival sources:

Serviciul Judeţean Galaţi al Arhivelor Naţionale (The National Archives, Galaţi Branch), Primăria oraşului Galaţi (The Municipality of Galaţi), files starting with 1831.

Bibliography:

Bahamat, Elena Ingrid, “Timp liber şi mondenitate în Galaţii sfârşitului de secol XIX şi începutului de secol XX” [Leisure Time and Trendiness at Galaţi at the End of the 19^th and in Early 20^th Centuries], Danubius, 27 (2009), 97–125.

Pacu, Moise N., Cartea Judeţului Covurlui. Note geografice, istorice şi în deosebi statistice [The Book of Covurlui County. Geographical, Historical and Mainly Statistical Notes] (Bucharest: Stabilimentul Grafic I. V. Socecu, 1891).

Pantazzi, Ethel Greening, Roumania in Light and Shadow (London: T. Fisher Unwin, 1921).

Păltănea, Paul, Istoria oraşului Galaţi de la origini până la 1918 [The History of Galaţi from Its Beginnings to 1918], second edition, edited by Eugen Drăgoi (Galaţi: Editura Partener, 2008).

Prefectura Poliţiei Galaţi, Indicatorul oraşului Galaţi cuprinzând adresele tuturor autorităţilor civile şi militare, ale caselor mari comerciale şi ale tuturor instituţiilor etc. [The Indicator of the City of Galaţi Containing the Addresses of All Civil and Military Authorities, of the Large Commercial Houses and of All Institutions] (Galaţi: s.e, s.a).