page_title: Vatra Dornei Casino
section_title: The Casino in the 20th Century
hierarchical_section_title: Vatra Dornei Casino / History / The Casino in the 20th Century
caption_attribution_description: English: Vatra Casino Postcard (1935)
context_page_description: The Therapeutic Baths’ Casino of Vatra Dornei, also known as the Vatra Dornei Casino, is an abandoned historic monument located in Suceava County, Romania in the town of Vatra Dornei. It was built in 1898 by Austrian architect Peter Paul Brang while the territory was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It is located on the Dorna River.
  It was initially constructed as an entertainment venue for tourists of Austria-Hungary whom would flock to the nearby therapeutic baths. The baths offered mineral water treatments, carbonic acid baths, and mud wraps for visitors while the nearby casino offered poker, craps, and roulette. The casino initially was designed to attract Viennese tourists looking for treatment. Local authorities hired traveling bands from Vienna and the structure itself was built as a sister casino to the current Grand Casino in Baden bei Wien, Austria, mimicking its design. In its heyday, the Casino attracted tourists from all over Austria-Hungary, mainly from Vienna, Berlin, and Budapest, but also Italian and Jewish travelers.
context_section_description: After the Great Unification of Romania, where Romania gained possession, amongst other things, of Bukovina, the Austrians were required to pay War Reparations to Romania for World War I.  As part of their payment, the Austrians handed over the Church-Fund of Bukovina.  The land was reconstituted back to the Metropolis of Moldavia and Bukovina, with administrative rights changing hands several times between the Minister of Agriculture and the church leadership.
  The Casino was then known as Central Pavilion of the Therapeutic Baths (Pavilionul Central al Băilor).  Since 1936, a number of functional changes of the building have occurred. Due to the functional changes, the artistic imagery in the casino's performance hall was altered.  In the back of the casino, a terrace overlooking the Spa Park was completed in 1937.
  During World War II, the building was utilized by Nazi armies for military purposes. On the morning of September 29, 1944, during the withdrawal of German military units from Vatra Dornei, the casino building, and especially the inner spaces, suffered significant damage. In the spring of 1945, a number of repairs were initiated.
  After the communists came to power in Romania, the casino property was nationalized and turned into a workers club, which combined propaganda, educational, and community center functions (similar to the Melnikov Clubs such as Rusakov Workers Club).  Party meetings would be held in the club, local syndicate meetings, local communist committee functions, but also host the National Chess Championship of Communist Romania.
  In the early part of 1986, extensive restoration and renovation work of the surrounding perimeter had started; the street from the Dorna River was transformed into a boulevard. According to the statements of Ioan Corneţchi, former mayor of Vatra Dornei between 1986–1989, Dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu approved the remake of the Casino in 1987.  The work had to be completed within three years, and host the Ceaușescu's 1990 New Year Celebration, which never occurred due to the Romanian Revolution.
  After the country fell into economic paralysis due to the 1989 Revolution, the interior of the casino was pillaged.  According to local records, after the first three months of the fall of communism, all chandeliers were stolen, copper tubs and plumbing was taken, the interior was stripped of metal, the Carrara marblework was taken, all decorative crystal glasses, windows, and kitchenware was taken.  Work ceased on the Casino.
caption: 1935 Picture Postcard of Vatra Dornei Casino
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