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National Post

Volunteers battling to save Romania's cultural treasures

Baile Herculane, Romania — Graffiti covers the crumbling walls of the main thermal baths in one of Europe's oldest spa towns. Article content But after decades of neglect, a group of young architects is working to restore the picturesque Romanian resort that once attracted emperors. Article content 'Someone once said that if you drink water from the spring from Herculane, you never leave,' said 31-year-old architect Oana Chirila. Article content Article content Article content Her group's restoration efforts here are just one of several recent civil society initiatives launched to protect some of Romania's historic monuments. Article content An estimated 800 of them are in an advanced state of decay or in danger of crumbling altogether. Some of those are already considered to represent a danger to the public. Article content The neglect is the result of Romania's chaotic transition from Communism to democracy, which was marked by opaque privatizations, often resulting in interminable legal battles and investigations by anti-corruption prosecutors. Article content Imperial history Article content Built in 1886, the Neptune Imperial Baths attracted illustrious clients in its heyday, with its warm sulphur treatments. Article content They included Austria's Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife Elisabeth, popularly known as Sisi. Franz Joseph described the town as Europe's 'most beautiful spa resort'. Article content Now the baths are closed, their interior walls covered in graffiti, rubble on the floor and rain leaking in. Article content Despite the decay, tourists still frequently stop to marvel at and photograph the long, rusty facade, some trying to peek inside through the broken windows. Article content For the moment, Chirila and her team of volunteers are confined to doing conservation work on the baths' outer structure. Article content They could not restore the building until legal disputes between the authorities and the private owners are solved, she explained, adding: 'There's always this fear that it might collapse.' Article content Article content 'Most of the historical monuments are in their current state –- meaning constant decay –- because they are legally blocked,' preventing any use of public or European funds for their restoration. Article content For the moment then, along one side of the riverbank, people take dips in three basins with sulphur water — dubbed 'little bathtubs' by Chirila.