University Square, Bucharest

Thought to define the axes north–south and east–west of the city after 1880, "the great crossroad" (Romanian: marea intersecție, French: la grande croisée) follows the Haussmannian scenario of urban modernization – in the spirit of the Parisian influence of those times.

This intersection has never evolved as a monumental square, but emerged as most important road junction of the capital at the geometric center of the city.

[2] The Bucharest boulevards of those times hosted tram lines, and in the center of the intersection was placed the monument dedicated to Ion Brătianu, the square then bearing his name.

Between 1968 and 1970 the Hotel InterContinental (architects Dinu Hariton, Gheorghe Nădrag, Ion Moscu and Romeo Belea) was built, and the new National Theatre was constructed between 1964 and 1973 in the style of that period, the halls being equipped with top stage installations.

The demonstrations ended violently when miners from the Jiu Valley were called in by president Ion Iliescu to restore order in Bucharest (see: Mineriad).