Patrimony drama: The case of the Assan Mill in Bucharest

Newsroom 06/04/2016 | 18:38

Assan Mill (Moara lui Assan)

Owner*: the site is divided and unguarded, one part being in conservation (Solaris Company), and the other in liquidation (Graul Company), while the legal inheritors of the mill are still in litigation for the place.

Address: Halmeu Street (former Silozului), no. 25 and Irimicului Street, no. 24

Date built*: The mill was built by Gheorghe Assan (1821-1866) and Ioan Martinovici (1820-1882) on a field bought by Gheorghe Assan from Epitropia Ghica, the property expanded by acquiring land from nearby residents.

History of the mill*: Founded in 1853, Assan Mill is the first steam grain mill in Bucharest which was a reference moment for the Romanian industry development because of the technical instrumentation at the time of the construction and the technical and architectural quality of the stage construction buildings. The mill was a family business which, after Assan’s death, remained to his wife and then to their two children, who developed the factory. By 1895, nine other steam mills were available there. Soon after, in 1903, the mill was electrically equipped and the business was flourishing. Years later, in 1946, Assan mill had over 400 employees and had the latest technologies.

Romania-insider.com portal writes that the Assan mill originally included ​5.41 hectares, but it shrunk to 4.7 hectares as communist era blocks were built in the area. By that time, the property had already been nationalized – that happened in 1948. The same year, Basile Assan, then the sole owner of the Mill, was arrested, tortured and committed suicide while in Police custody. The Assan Mill compound served for production during the communist period, as a bread factory ‘Spicul’ and as the oil factory “13 December”.

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Current situation*: The main silo built in 1903 is kept with the original structure and decorations in brick and several other buildings dating from 1894-1950, in various states of degradation (from advanced degradation to ruin.) In the past years, a rushed semi-demolition, two fires and a roof collapse has transformed the property into what can be seen now. The second fire, from June 2012, burned for 28 hours, Mediafax newswire notes – and the fire was set intentionally, as the official reports have revealed.

Unfortunately, the building has been listed as a class A monument on the Historic Monument List since 2004, but it is located outside Bucharest’s protected area, which makes the situation difficult. Moreover, the surface of the mill has 47,000 sqm, and the land’s value is estimated to be EUR 1,000 / sqm. From the original buildings and settings, less than 20% has survived through the years.

*information provided by Partnership for bringing Value to the Industrial Built Heritage in Romania

Oana Vasiliu

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