Bathing life and marketing in Transylvania during the dualism era

Abstract

This article is a synthesis of previous historical works on the history of Transylvanian baths, and an analysis of the marketing tools of the period. Starting from the situation of Transylvanian baths in the preceding 17th and 18th centuries, we examine in detail the place and role of Transylvanian baths in the 19th century in Hungary. The aim of our article is to show that the Transylvanian baths, although somewhat lagging behind the Monarchy, and especially the other European baths, adopted the main elements of bathing culture relatively quickly and well. Three main groups of marketing tools are identified: prestige visits, the impact of scientific and other studies, and advertising, advertisements and postcards. The concluding part of our article outlines the transformations of the 20th century and with them the demise of the typical bathing life of the period.