Franz Josef Pioneers Barracks, Alba Iulia

The Pioneer Barracks was built between 1897-1898 on the site of a former monastery located on the entire eastern side of the barrier that delineated the Alba Carolina fortress and was named after the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph. The four sides of the barrage led to the formation of a large inner courtyard.

During the First World War the building was used as an Austro-Hungarian military deposit, but in the autumn of 1918 it was one of the first and most important military units in Alba Iulia fortress taken over by Romanian soldiers.

It becomes the headquarters of the Alba Iulia Legion, whose excellent organization has validated the election of the city as the venue for the National Assembly to decide the Union of Transylvania with Romania.

After 1918, the ensemble of buildings remains eminently military under the name of Carol I Barracks and becomes the place where the first Romanian pioneer units are installed. Currently the building is owned by the Ministry of National Defense.