BAILE NEPTUN
(the Neptun Baths), the monumental building and its tiny indoor pool
that served as our "wet" training facility during the winter months
in the 50s and early 60s. In 1963, the pool underwent a major
remodeling effort, but that wasn't enough to retain the swim team.
In 1965, all winter workouts were moved to *ILSA's
heated outdoor pool, thus marking the end of Neptun as a training
facility for Timisoara's swimmers.
The monumental building that houses
the pool is located on the Fabric District side of the Decebal
Bridge, just outside of Timisoara's central Cetate District and
directly opposite of the Parcul Poporului (People's Park).
The edifice was built
in 1913-1914 by the architect and original owner László Székely,
who, during his tenure as the city's Chief Architect, designed many
other monumental buildings, such as the Piarist Lyceum, the Neuhauss
and Weisz Palaces in the center of the city, and the Abattoir.
During the early days,
the Neptun building was known as both the Székely House and the
Hungaria Baths.
The ILSA initials
stand for Industria Linii, Societate Anonima, the nationally-known
textile factory founded in Timisoara in the early 1920's.
Known as "Gyapjúipar" and "Wollindustrie" to Hungarian and German
speakers, ILSA was one of the city's largest employers, with a
reputation for caring for the well-being of its workers. Read
more about this group
here.
Images courtesy of ILSA
"Industria Linii, Societate Anonima"
- Gabe Bohm.
