University of Bucharest to reinstall historic eagle and griffin sculptures on its façade in 2026

The University of Bucharest will re‑mount a bronze ensemble consisting of an eagle and two griffins on the fronton of its historic palace on 8 August 2026. The original sculptural group, created by Karl Storck between 1862 and 1869 under architect Alexandru Orăscu, was destroyed in the 1944 bombings. The new casting, made by sculptor Alexandru Siminic with collaborators Teodor and Ștefan Siminic, weighs about 1.6 tonnes (the eagle about one tonne, each griffin roughly 300 kg) and is valued at roughly 2 million lei. The installation marks the first phase of a multi‑year project to fully restore the original neoclassical fronton, which will continue for the next two years. The restoration aims to recover the building’s architectural identity and commemorate the university’s cultural heritage.