December 1st Park (Parcul 1 Decembrie) is a large urban park in the center of Oradea, Bihor County.
In the first half of the 20th century, the park’s location was a large square called Big Market (Piaţa Mare) which functioned as a marketplace for vegetables, fruit, cattle, and other products. In the 1950s the square was turned into a park called August 23rd Park, which was renamed to December 1st Park in 1990.
The park is a large green space with a rectangular shape. Its main ally runs from Vasile Alecsandri Street, a pedestrian street that connects the park with Union Square, to the House Of Culture And Syndicates in the eastern part of the park. The park also has a children’s playground and two fountains.
In the middle of the park stands the Statue of the Unknown Hero (Statuia Eroului Necunoscut), which commemorates the Romanian heroes who died during World War II. The monument was erected in 1959 and is the work of Iulia Onita. The following inscription can be seen on its front side: “The glory of the Romanian soldiers who fought heroically against fascism, for the liberation of the homeland, for the freedom and independence of the Romanian people.”
On the streets surrounding the park, you can see several historic buildings, including the Ullman Palace to the south, the Füchsl Palace to the northwest, and the Faculty of Medicine on the northern side. To the east of the park stands the newly constructed Resurrection Cathedral.
