There are not many who know why the building located on Bălcescu Blvd. no. 18 (formerly I. C Brătianu) which, today, houses the headquarters of the Metropolitan Center for Education and Culture, it is called “Dalles”. Therefore, we consider it appropriate to remember the following:
There are not many records of the Dalles family. It is known with certainty that it was a wealthy family of Romanians of Greek origin. Ioan I. Dalles, together with his wife Elena Dalles, had countless properties located in the commercial ford most sought after by merchants of Bucharest (Lipscani, Gabroveni, Şelari, etc.), properties rented in full or in part. Unfortunately, the wing of death descends like a curse on this happy and fulfilled family. In 1873, the first child of the Dalles family, George, died, only 2 years old. In 1886, Ioan G. Dalles dies – the father; in 1892 – their daughter, Dora, dies, aged only 17 years, and in 1914, the last son of the family, Ioan I. Dalles, dies, aged 35. Elena Dalles remains single and will continue her charitable and philanthropic acts.
On May 16, 1918, shortly before her death, Elena Dalles bequeathed a part of the Dalles family fortune to the Romanian Academy, in order to establish a cultural foundation to bear the name of her son, Ioan I. Dalles, in his memory.
The Romanian Academy, in the next 2 years, after carrying out the expropriations and demolishing the buildings that remained after the expropriation, respects Elena Dalles’ testamentary wish and builds a beautiful building, with special rooms for exhibitions of painting, sculpture, architecture, fabrics and national stitches, etc. , for exams, music auditions and for courses at the Popular University of Bucharest.
Here, in the following, is a part of this testament which represents a great act of culture: “I leave and bequeath to the Romanian Academy, the houses with all their place, that is, the entire building in Bucharest, Str. I. C. Brătianu no. 12, as well as the houses with their entire place, i.e. the entire building in Bucharest, Str. Eugen Stătescu (formerly Gloria) no. 4 with the following distinction (…) after all the constructions that would remain after the expropriations are demolished, a beautiful and spacious building will be built in the middle of the remaining land, according to the plan that the Academy will decide, but in such a way that it can have the necessary rooms for artistic exhibitions of all kinds: painting, sculpture, architecture, national fabrics and sewing, etc.; then for music and declamation exams and auditions; and finally for the courses or conferences of the Association of the Popular University of Bucharest, as well as other institutions that would be established with the aim of forming the characters of Romanian citizens through their spiritual cultivation and education.”
On September 1, 1921, Elena Dalles dies and the will is opened.
In the period 1929-1932, the Romanian Academy collects the price of the expropriated land and executes the testamentary dispositions. The architect of the building was named Horia Teodoru, and the contract was awarded to Engineer Emil Prager. The works are executed under the supervision of G. Balş, who makes a detailed report in the general session of the Romanian Academy on May 15, 1932.
On May 29, 1932, the “Ioan I. Dalles” Foundation was officially opened. The inauguration of the “Ioan I. Dalles” Foundation was a memorable cultural event attended by the I.P.S.S Patriarch of Romania, Dr. Miron Cristea, the Mayor of the capital Dem Dobrescu, the members of the Romanian Academy with their families, government representatives and a large audience guest.
Here are some of the personalities who held conferences in the Dalles Hall between 1932-1946: Nicolae Iorga, Octavian Goga, Ion Bianu, Gheorghe Ţiţeica, Gala Galaction, Ion Simionescu, Virgil Madgearu, Constantin Rădulescu – Motru, Tudor Arghezi, Gheorghe Petraşcu, George Oprescu, G. Călinescu, Dimitrie Gusti, I. Scriban, Alexandru Lepădatu, Andrei Popovici – Bâsnaşanu, Tudor Vianu, Remus Răduleţ, Petru Comarnescu, Ion Frunzeti, Radu Vulpe and others.
Great musicians such as: George Enescu (26 concerts), Dinu Lipati, Constantin Silvestri, M. Jora, Ionel Perlea, Ion Voicu, Petru Ştefănescu – Goangă, Ion Fotino, Evanţia Costinescu, Constantin Stănescu, Virginia Zeani and others gave concerts here; artists organized exhibitions: Nicolae Grigorescu, Ştefan Luchian, Ion Andreescu, Iosif Iser, Cezar Verona, M. Eleutheriade, etc.
After the Second World War, in 1948, the real estate and movable assets of the “Ioan I. Dalles” Foundation were transferred to the administration and use of the Ministry of Arts and Information by decision no. 1486 of November 8 of the Council of Ministers.
In 1962, the “People’s University of the City of Bucharest” was established, which, from a financial point of view, is supported by the Local Council of Trade Unions, and from a cultural point of view, by the State Committee for Culture and Art.
Also in 1962, Academician Tudor Vianu was appointed rector of the Popular University of Bucharest.
The State Committee for Culture and Art will guide and control the activity of the Popular University of Bucharest through the Council for the Spread of Cultural-Scientific Knowledge. It will take the necessary measures so that the Popular University of Bucharest will soon become a methodological guidance center for the Popular Universities in the country, and through the Provision no. 780 of September 24, 1963, the Dalles Hall together with the annexes (with the exception of the exhibition hall and the basement, located in Bucharest, Bd. Nicolae Bălcescu, no. 18) are transferred from the administration of the Art Museum of the People’s Republic to the administration of the Central Lectureship of the Committee of State for Culture and Art.
Within the University, thematic conferences were held with: Remus Răduleţ, D.D Roşca, Mihai Ralea, Radu Tudoran, Liviu Ciulei, Tudor Bugnariu, Victor Eftimiu, Grigore Moisil, Alexandru Balaci, Petre Comarnescu, Ion Frunzetti, Edgar Papu, Ion Zamfirescu, Dumitru Almaş, Radu Vulpe, D.I. Suchianu, Barbu Brezeanu, Ion Bugnariu, Edmond Nicolau, etc. The university functioned as a form of popular education with the goal of forming a cultural consciousness in which values and mentalities reflect the continuity of Romanian spirituality integrated into the European model of civilization.
In 1964, after the death of T. Vianu, he was appointed rector of the Popular University of Bucharest, Mr. Acad. Remus Rădulet, and later the late Acad. Radu Voinea.
Since 1977, the Popular University of Bucharest was called the Cultural-Scientific University and was the most important cultural and adult education institution in the entire country.
After the fall of the communist regime, the institution was initially named Universitatea Liberă Bucharest (1990-1991), then returned to the traditional title of Universitatea Populară Bucharest, subordinating to the Bucharest City Hall. In order to comply with the testamentary wish left by Mrs. Elena Dalles, starting in 1995, by the Decree of the Mayor General, the Bucharest Popular University will change its title to “Ioan I. Dalles” Popular University.
In the meeting of the Romanian Academy on July 30, 2009, the Presidium of the Romanian Academy, at the proposal of the academician Radu P. Voinea, rector of the Popular University “Ioan I. Dalles”, unanimously approved the granting of the aegis of the Romanian Academy, the Popular University “Ioan I. Dalles”, and by this fact we want to underline the fact that the Dalles institution, the Romanian Academy and the Bucharest City Hall have honored the observance of Elena Dalles’ will, offering the Bucharest public cultural events of a high cultural and educational standard.
By Decision no. 551/24.10.2019 the reorganization of the “Ioan I. Dalles” Popular University as an institution of local interest of the Municipality of Bucharest, a body providing public services with the change of name to the “Ioan I. Dalles” Metropolitan Education and Culture Center, still respecting the testamentary provisions of Elena Dalles and preserving the name of her son, John I. Dalles, as an act of moral and cultural restitution.
Today, the Metropolitan Center for Education and Culture “Ioan I. Dalles” is an exceptional institution in the Bucharest cultural landscape and its object of activity is education seen from various aspects: from the organization of vocational or professional courses and foreign languages, to conferences of general knowledge. Located in the heart of Bucharest, at kilometer 0, the “Ioan I. Dalles” Metropolitan Center for Education and Culture offers those interested a rich palette of cultural, artistic, educational activities, etc., such as:
- Organizing and conducting training courses consisting of: vocational (professional) courses and foreign language courses in order to acquire knowledge, skills and abilities for training, improvement and/or professional conversion, in order to actively integrate into the labor market;
- Organization of conferences and general culture courses;
- Thematic courses/ foreign language courses/ courses for children
- Organization of theater shows and concerts for adults and children, supporting the promotion of the independent sector as well as young talents;
- Organizing, promoting and conducting cultural events such as: shows, concerts, public conferences, book launches, debates, festivals, fairs, seminars, temporary or permanent art exhibitions, workshops, etc.;
- Functioning as a host institution for performances / concerts or other artistic / cultural / educational events
- Organizing any other actions compatible with its object of activity.
At the same time, CMEC DALLES, being a permanent education institution, also aims to:
- Strengthening democratic values and the sense of community by organizing social responsibility campaigns;
- Supporting personal development throughout life (LIFE LONG LEARNING);
- Provision of cultural-educational services;
- Designing and carrying out leisure activities aimed at both young generations and seniors.
The “Ioan I. Dalles” Metropolitan Center for Education and Culture has several lecture halls, a foyer and two performance halls, renovated and modernized:
- Sala Dalles, has a capacity of 344 seats, located in Bd. Nicolae Bălcescu, no. 18, sector 1, Bucharest;
- Hall I. C. Brătianu, with a capacity of approximately 180 seats, located in Biserica Amzei street no. 5-7, sector 1, Bucharest.
