Museum THE HISTORY MUSEUM IN TURDA

In the historical center, near the Reformed church with a tower and pulled back from the street front, one can find one of the most representative medieval civilian constructions from Turda, that still preserves Gothic and Renaissance elements. The Salt Chamber House or the Princely House of old hosts today the History Museum, with a rich and valuable cultural patrimony.

The austere building, with an upper floor, built during the 15th century and extended during the rule of Sigismund Báthory, prince of Transylvania, was used as princely residence during the Diet meetings, but also preserved its original function of Salt Chamber House. Placed under the administration of the Royal Treasury, the Salt Chamber in Turda was the most important such chamber from Transylvania (the others were located in Dej, Sic, Cojocna, and Ocna Sibiului). The salt mines around the city covered the best part of the salt requirements of the Medieval Kingdom of Hungary.

Museum visitors have the opportunity to discover life in a 5.000-year old prehistoric village and the daily life of the Roman soldiers stationed in the fort of the Fifth Macedonica Legion. In the room dedicated to the Migration Period one can admire the jewelry set of a Germanic princess of the 5th century A.D. The items on display, dated between the 9th and the 18th century, illustrate deeds and events that took place between the dawn of the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period. Beside monetary hoards and weapons, one can admire extremely diverse tools and artifacts, products of the guilds of Turda, i.e. those of the tanners, potters, coopers, carpenters, masons, butchers, tailors, boot-makers, smiths etc.

The painting created by Körösfoi-Kriesch Aladár testifies to the declaration of the freedom of conscience and of religious tolerance in the Diet of Turda between January 6th and 13th 1568.