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Cluj-Napoca

Mayor

Emil Boc

Biography

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The ancient capital of Dacia Porolissensis, Cluj-Napoca was recorded for the first time by Greek geographer Claudius Ptolemy (AD 85 - 165) two thousand of years ago. It was elevated to municipality during the reign of the Emperor Hadrian under the name of Municipium Aelium Hadrianum Napoca and later to colony, around AD 180 underMarcus Aureliusor under Commodus.

The Colony Aurelia Napoca had institutions, a local senate, magistrates, a people’s assembly, in other words, the status of any other city in the Roman Empire. The first documentary record of the city goes back to 1173 and refers to the settlement as Clus (in Latin “surrounded by hills”). Other names it had were Kolozsvar (in Hungarian) and Klausenburg (in German). Klausenburg was one of the seven medieval Saxon cities in Transylvania. Its first Romanian name was Clus, often written Klus, and in 1974 it was changed to Cluj-Napoca. The ideal geographic position of the city, situated at the crossroads that linked East, Central and South Europe, determined its specific features, that is, ethnocultural pluralism and material development.

Although the city underwent a strong decline because of the barbarian invasions following the Aurelian withdrawal in 271, in the Middle Ages it had a flourishing civilization and accumulated economic, artistic and cultural values which led to its being assigned a super-status, that of a “treasure-city”, which was not a common practice among the cities at that time. In 1316 King Charles of Anjou granted it a series of privileges which conferred upon the city the status of royal city (free city); among those privileges the most important were the right to have its own administration, the right to judge, free trade, the right to built churches and cemeteries etc. In 1405 King Sigismund of Luxembourg granted it new privileges, including the right to extend its fortifications.

During the dualist Austro-Hungarian period Cluj experienced a significant urban growth, benefiting greatly from western influences, despite the fact that the political effects of the regime were negative. The Romanian people’s attempt to achieve national affirmation reached its climax during the Revolution of 1848 when the Memorandum was drafted and became reality once Transylvania and Romania were unified.

Source: itfrromania.wordpress.com

Romania / Cluj-Napoca / Digital transformation / Mobility

Cluj-Napoca opens public transport data with a real-time bus tracking

The move is part of the local digitalization strategy, offering an open data platform to be used by anyone who has an idea of how to make public transport better

Apr 06, 2023 16:13

Denis Balgaranov

Bulgaria / France / Germany / Italy / Netherlands / Romania / Cluj-Napoca / Digital transformation / Growing City

Digital transformation - the urban-rural divide: download the fifth EUDIGIT e-book

It is also the last one from the successful EU-funded project

Mar 08, 2023 13:38

Aseniya Dimitrova

France / Poland / Romania / Cluj-Napoca / Grenoble / Green City

Local governments take the lead in fight to achieve a climate-neutral, clean and healthy Europe

Cluj-Napoca, Gdynia and Grenoble – three, out of over a hundred, cities that are showing their commitment through the Green City Accord movement

Feb 16, 2023 15:19

Schuyler Cowan

Romania / Cluj-Napoca / Digital transformation / Interviews / Politics and Reforms

Online public services as efficient as TikTok: Cluj-Napoca’s Digital Transformation

A talk with Nicolae Urs, one of the key figures behind the city's new data platforms and online services strategy

Feb 16, 2023 13:51

Denis Balgaranov

Romania / Cluj-Napoca / Politics and Reforms

Cluj-Napoca: Lessons on dealing with the brain drain, Part II

A talk with Calin Hintea, Professor at Babes Bolyai University, about exporting the city's anti-brain drain policy and the key role of mayors

Jan 09, 2023 16:16

Denis Balgaranov

Romania / Cluj-Napoca / Politics and Reforms

Cluj-Napoca: Lessons on dealing with brain drain, Part I

A talk with Calin Hintea, Professor at the Babes Bolyai University and one very important piece of the city’s anti-brain drain development strategy

Jan 04, 2023 14:56

Denis Balgaranov

Romania / Cluj-Napoca / Digital transformation / Growing City

EUDIGIT in Cluj-Napoca: Bridging the digital gap between urban and rural communities

The sixth European Digital Citizens seminar brought together the best practices from Varna, Hamburg, Genoa, Marseille, Cluj-Napoca and Rotterdam on how to tackle the digital divide present in the countryside

Dec 08, 2022 10:07

Denis Balgaranov

Bulgaria / France / Germany / Italy / Netherlands / Romania / Cluj-Napoca / Digital transformation

Tackling the Digital Divide Between Urban and Rural Areas: join us at the sixth EUDIGIT webinar!

Nov 23, 2022 14:05

Aseniya Dimitrova

Romania / Cluj-Napoca / Digital transformation / Welfare and Health

Cluj-Napoca partners in development of unique child car seat app

It helps parents choose the right seat for their kid and ensure a safe journey

Jul 27, 2022 13:06

Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov

Romania / Cluj-Napoca / Mobility

Recycle 15 plastic containers for a free bus ticket in Cluj-Napoca

Recycle-to-ride scheme lets people save the environment in more than one way

Jul 26, 2022 16:26

Denis Balgaranov

Romania / Cluj-Napoca / Smart City

Nooka Space - World’s first network of proximity offices wins Startup World Cup Romania

The company is designing the world's first network of terrestrial, mobile offices suitable for digital nomads, freelancers and entrepreneurs

Jun 23, 2022 13:54

Bulgaria / France / Portugal / Romania / Amiens / Braga / Cluj-Napoca / Politics and Reforms / Social City

The Network of European Youth Capitals was born in Cluj-Napoca

It already existed informally in a way, but the signatures of the mayors of Braga, Varna and the host city gave it a formal dimension

Jun 17, 2022 13:39

Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov

Romania / Cluj-Napoca / Innovation and Research

Innowave Summit 2022 with a key role in building a new European Innovation Agenda

The event in Cluj-Napoca gathered thousands of visitors

Jun 13, 2022 16:46

Bulgaria / France / Germany / Italy / Netherlands / Romania / Cluj-Napoca / Digital transformation / Social City

Citizens with a disability: digital divide and opportunities. The 4th EUDIGIT e-book is out.

Get inspired by examples from leading European cities and discover innovative ways to make persons with disabilities part of the digital transformation

Jun 09, 2022 11:27

Aseniya Dimitrova

Romania / Bucharest / Cluj-Napoca / Constanta / Timișoara / Mobility

Romania's ‘Sun Trains’ will link big cities to the Black Sea

The initiative is meant to boost domestic tourism while offering travellers a cheaper way to reach the seaside in the wake of surging gas prices

Jun 07, 2022 14:31

Denis Balgaranov

Romania / Cluj-Napoca / Economy and Finance / Innovation and Research

Innowave Summit will host the first EVER Startup World Cup Regional Event in Romania

If you own a startup, now is the time to register for the competition

Apr 29, 2022 10:32

Romania / Cluj-Napoca / Innovation and Research

Southeastern European Cities teach togetherness to restart the innovation economy

A summit on innovation, the first of its kind in the region

Apr 26, 2022 10:52

Romania / Cluj-Napoca / Politics and Reforms / Social City

Suceava sends sixth aid convoy to Ukraine: more Romanian cities decide to step up

Cluj-Napoca will also become a twin city to Chernivtsi in Ukraine and start sending humanitarian packages

Apr 14, 2022 15:34

Denis Balgaranov

Romania / Cluj-Napoca / Development / Education and Sport

Cluj-Napoca University gets 35-million-euro injection from the European Investment Bank

The university offers a unique programme combining computer sciences as with life sciences, intersecting information technology and physical wellbeing

Mar 25, 2022 17:14

Denis Balgaranov