Chernivtsi: "Little Vienna" in Western Ukraine

Chernivtsi is a city in Western Ukraine with a large architectural and cultural heritage from the times of the Habsburg Empire. Back then known by its German name Czernowitz, the city began to flourish in the late 18th century. The German language became the lingua franca due to the influence of the Habsburgs and the large Jewish population. Chernivtsi was the capital of Bukovina - a region covering parts of present southwestern Ukraine and northeastern Romania. Literary figures including the late 19th-century novelist, travel writer and journalist Karl Emil Franzos published their works about the city and the region in German.

The architectural heritage of the city is very well preserved. Most of the buildings in the city center originate from the late 19th and early 20th century, when the Austro-Hungarian Empire built beautiful houses that resembled the architectural styles of contemporary buildings in Vienna - mainly Art Nouveau style.

Chernivtsi also became a center of both Romanian and Ukrainian national movements. It became part of Romania after 1918. The large mainly German and Yiddish-speaking Jewish population of the city perished during W W II. From 1945 to 1991, Chernivtsi was part of the Ukrainian SSR within the Soviet Union. During that time, the architectural heritage suffered greatly from decay and neglect. In 1991, Chernivtsi became part of present Ukraine.

In recent years, many of the once dilapidated buildings in the city center have been restored. Today, Chernivtsi is a colorful city with a rich architectural and cultural heritage.

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Canon in D Major by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/....
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