The Secession (or Szecesszió in Hungarian) landmarks of Târgu Mureș (Marosvásárhely in Hungarian) reflect one of the most dynamic phases of urban development in early twentieth-century Transylvania. During the mayoral term of Dr György Bernády, from 1902 to 1912, the city went through an extensive modernisation shaped by both an ambitious urban policy and the work of a new generation of well-trained architects, builders and craftsmen. The roots of this transformation can already be traced in the 1890s, when local architecture began to move beyond historicism, opening in new stylistic directions. The development of vocational education and the city's ties to the Royal Joseph University (nowadays Budapest University of Technology) supported the spread of Secession ideas.

About 150 Secession-style buildings are known today in Târgu Mureș, each illustrating the period's social and economic momentum. The most important ensemble of the era is the City Hall, built between 1906 and 1908, and the Palace of Culture, built between 1911 and 1913. Designed by Marcell Komor and Dezső Jakab, they combine the folk-inspired ornamentation of the Hungarian Secession with the architectural language of a modern city. The Palace of Culture is also one of the leading Gesamtkunstwerk (or total artwork) creations of its time, where architecture, painting, stained glass, mosaic art and sculpture follow a unified aesthetic concept. This large-scale urban programme included several other public buildings and institutions, many of which still define the city's character.

Residential architecture in the period also shows a taste for formal decorative experimentation. Apartment houses and villas built for the emerging urban middle class have preserved much of their original layout in several parts of the city. Their structure, craftsmanship and ornamentation form a balanced whole that aligns with contemporary European trends. Through these developments, Târgu Mureș became one of the most significant provincial centres of early twentieth-century Hungarian architecture. The collaboration between talented designers and skilled local artisans shaped a distinctive urban landscape, both modern and rooted in local traditions. The surviving buildings continue to reflect the city's creative spirit and its particular contribution to Central European Secession.