The Military Casino, one of the oldest buildings of Timișoara, is situated on the west side of , no. 7. Its construction began in 1744 and was completed in 1775. The building eventually became a casino, although it did not start as one. At present it is ranked as a historical monument with the LMI Code TM-II –m-A-06143.
History
After the Austrians, led by Prince Eugene of Savoy, captured the Timișoara Fortress in 1716, the Turkish fortress was completely destroyed. Almost immediately the rebuilding of the fortress began according to Austrian standards. The surface to be surrounded by walls was enlarged, while the inner, ruined Turkish buildings were demolished. A plan of the fortress with perpendicular streets was drawn up. It had two squares that became Union Square and Liberty Square. Several buildings were built in Parade Square : and some buildings with military designation. In 1744 the construction of a house for military commander Count Soro was begun in the north-western corner. In 1746–1747 the Mosque of the Silahdar was in the southern part of the house, on the site of the present façade of the casino. The Mosque was later pulled down. In 1754 the house was expanded to the south on the surface of the former Mosque. Construction was finished in 1758. In 1775 the building was completed. Initially the building had one floor. In 1910 others storeys were added. A hall with stained-glass windows and a terrace above were built to replace the summer terrace. In this building Otto Roth proclaimed the Banat Republic on 31 October 1918, but Aurel Cosma requested the Romanian officers to leave the casino. They went to the Kronprinz Hotel where they established the National Romanian Military Council. In the period when the casino was administrated by Iuliu Illithy it was named "Grand Establisement Illithy". From 1921 it was named "The Military-Civil Casino 'Prince Carol'". After World War II it was known as "The Military Casino". At present the building is known as the Military Club. In 2002 two 75 mm Reșița Model 1943 anti-tank cannons were placed in front of the terrace, but they were removed after the square was redecorated in 2015.
Architecture
The style of the building is Late Baroque. The double edged pilasters are in the Corinthian order with decorative elements on the façade. A Rococo element is the rounded corner in the northeast of the building. Since balls used to be an important part of the social life in towns at that time, the casino would house the officers’ balls in the Ball Room on the first floor.
