Battle of Kronstadt/Brassó/Brasov, Oct. 8, 1916

German postcard illustrating street fights in Kronstadt (Brasov, Brassó), on Oct. 8, 1916.
I am wondering what has actually happened in that city on that particular day?

Gen. Dénes


[from eBay]

This post has been edited by Dénes on April 03, 2006 06:09 pm

The Battle of Brasov, 7-8 October 1916. The painting might depict whether the attack of the 51 Honved Division against the Romanian 61 infantry regiment, in the early morning of 8 October, or the attack of the Morgen Group (the First German Reserve Corps) during the evening of the same day. After fierce street-fighting, Romanian 2nd Army lost control over Brasov.

It seems to me that the troops charging frontally wear Austrian uniforms, but some of those involved in close-combat (attacking from the flank?) wear German equipment (spike helmets)…

Could it be the same location as the street depicted in the postcard posted by Denes?




Source: http://www.deutsche-schutzgebiete.de/kuk_ungarn.htm

I doubt it, as the Black Church appears to be much closer and in different position.

The depicted street should be at the left side of the church (I can't remember the street's current name).

Gen. Dénes

I think it's a view from the one-way street that goes to the Black Church (Muresenilor Street).

I'd say it's rather the view from the intersection of what is today Str. Poarta Schei and Str. Hans Benkne (sp?).
http://www.harta-turistica.ro/map.php?ID=9&lang=eng

Gen. Dénes

P.S. Perhaps Horia can identify the precise location...

This post has been edited by Dénes on April 06, 2006 02:39 am

I doubt the image in the postcard "was taken" along Str. Hans Benkne. According to the map you posted, Str. Hans Benkne ends in the nave of the church while the postcard depicts a street passing by the apse. It could be Str. Roth on your map (although the orientation of the structures does not seem to match). Or maybe the postcard is only an image created by the imagination of the artist with the Black Church as a visual reference. As you said, Horia can tell one way or the other.

Yes, it is the same location.Denes! the picture you post I think is in fact a painting and on the left side are missing some bildings and the church is closser.There is no street to wiew the church from that angle.So I think the image is a little unnatural and the present of church is just to punctuate that is about Brasov-Kronstadt

The building you see on the left in the postcards (The Sun Palace) was built in 1901 so whoever drew the first battle scene visited Brasov some long time ago (if he really did). Plus, the perspective over the Black Church is so wrong...

I don't think this scene actually happened. The only confrontation was in northen Brasov, known as "The massacre from Bartolomeu" (8 October 1916). Pictures here:

http://www.kieselbach.hu/cgi-bin/kieselbac...ID=1&SHOWPICS=T

The Austro-Hungarian troops slaughtered the Romanian ones, left without ammunition:
"After the Battle of Brassó".

In "View of Brassó from the Hill Cenk" image, the location of the massacre is at the left of the upper yellow stain.

Kiritescu mentions this Bartolomeu event in his book ("transeea mortii"). According to him a Romanian company did not receive (or obey) the withdrawal order. I don't remember exactly why they did not fall back. The whole company was destroyed in a surprise attack from the back. According to Kiritescu's interpretation of war rules they should have been asked to surrender.

During the night, the unit from their left flank withdrew without announcing their fellows at the railway station. This allowed the enemy to take position and install a machine gun with good view over the Romanian trenches. Then, the unit was decimated.