Casa Manu-Auschnitt

Whispers of fortunes lost and empires built echo around Casa Manu-Auschnitt. This grand house stands as a testament to Bucharest’s vibrant past. Casa Manu-Auschnitt was built in 1915. It was a symbol of wealth and power for magistrate Ioan Manu and his wife, Elisabeta Cantacuzino. The renowned architect Grigore Cerchez designed the house. He modeled it after the elegant Biron Palace in Paris, now home to the Rodin Museum. Imagine the lavish parties hosted within these walls. The clinking of champagne glasses, the rustle of silk gowns, and the murmur of influential voices filled the air. But fortune can be fickle. Ioan Manu lost much of his wealth in the crash of the Marmorosch Blank Bank. He was forced to sell Casa Manu-Auschnitt in 1932. The buyer was industrialist Max Auschnitt. The house then entered a new chapter of its story. In 1948, the communist regime nationalized Casa Manu-Auschnitt. It became the residence of Prime Minister Petru Groza. After Groza’s death in 1958, the house served as a guesthouse for diplomatic visitors. Later, it housed the Argentinian embassy. After the Romanian Revolution of 1989, Casa Manu-Auschnitt was returned to the Auschnitt family’s heirs. They later sold it to businessman Gigi Becali. A meticulous restoration in 2006 breathed new life into the grand old house. Today, Casa Manu-Auschnitt stands proudly on Aviatorilor Boulevard. It reminds us of Bucharest’s ever-changing history.