Feldioara
Feldioara | |
|---|---|
 Evangelic fortified church in Rotbav | |
 Coat of arms | |
 Location within the county | |
  Feldioara Location in Romania | |
| Coordinates: 45°49′0″N 25°35′30″E / 45.81667°N 25.59167°E / 45.81667; 25.59167 | |
| Country | Romania |
| County | Brașov |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2024) | Sorin Taus[1] (PNL) |
| Area | 75.97 km2 (29.33 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 389 m (1,276 ft) |
| Population (2021-12-01)[2] | 6,311 |
| • Density | 83/km2 (220/sq mi) |
| Time zone | EET/EEST (UTC+2/+3) |
| Postal code | 507065 |
| Area code | (+40) 0268 |
| Vehicle reg. | BV |
| Website | primaria-feldioara.ro |
Feldioara (German: Marienburg, [maˈʁiːənbʊʁk] ⓘ; Hungarian: Földvár or Barcaföldvár) is a commune in Brașov County, Transylvania, Romania, about 15 km (9.3 mi) north of the city of Brașov. It is composed of three villages: Colonia Reconstrucția (Bohntelep), Feldioara, and Rotbav (Rothbach; Szászveresmart).
Geography
The commune is located in the east-central part of the county, in the northern reaches of the Burzenland. It is situated on the left bank of the Olt River, which mostly follows the border with Covasna County. The rivers Bârsa and Homorod discharge into the Olt near Feldioara.
The commune is crossed by national road DN13, which links Brașov with Sighișoara and Târgu Mureș. Road DN13E branches off in Feldioara, passes through Sfântu Gheorghe (26 km (16 mi) to the east) and Covasna, and ends in Întorsura Buzăului. The train stations in Feldioara and Rotbav serve the CFR Main Line 300, which connects Bucharest with the Hungarian border near Oradea.
Name
Feldioara has a medieval fortress long believed to have been built by the Teutonic Knights. However, more recent studies show that the Fortress in Feldioara was actually constructed by the local community.[citation needed] The name of the village comes from the Hungarian word földvár, which means "the clay fortress". The ruins of the fortress can still be seen today. The German name Marienburg means "fortress of the Virgin Mary".
History
The castra of Feldioara was a fort in the Roman province of Dacia and part of the Limes Alutanus defensive system.
Between 1211 and 1225, Feldioara was the Teutonic Knights’ quarter, which will later become a peasant stronghold.[3] A 1439 document states that the civilians of Feldioara built this fortress “with great financial and physical expenses” in order to protect their families and possessions.[citation needed] The fortress withstood the Turkish invasion of 1421, but it was severely damaged by a second invasion in 1432. It took until 1457 to restore it.[citation needed]
During the battles of 1612, the armies led by Prince Gabriel Báthori conquered the fortress, and in September the Brașovian armies had Feldioara under siege for three days. On September 16, 1612, a battle was fought between the Hungarians, led by Báthori, and the Brașovians, led by mayor Michael Weiss. The Brașovians lost the fight, and Weiss was killed on the battlefield.[4]
The fortress – long out use for its original purpose – was used as a granary until 1838, when a major earthquake damaged it. After this event, even the fortress guardian left the building. Since then the fortress has lain in ruins.
Demographics
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 6,435 | — |
| 2011 | 6,154 | −4.4% |
| 2021 | 6,311 | +2.6% |
| Source: Census data | ||
At the 2011 census, Feldioara had 6,154 inhabitants; of those, 88.8% were Romanians, 6.9% Hungarians, and 3.5% Roma. At the 2021 census, the commune had a population of 6,311, of which 84.3% were Romanians, 3.6% Hungarians, and 3.23% Roma.[5]
Natives
- Edith Soterius von Sachsenheim (1887–1970), painter
See also
- List of fortified churches in Transylvania
- Villages with fortified churches in Transylvania
- List of castles in Romania
- Rotbav Archaeological Site
- Dacian fortress of Feldioara
References
- ^ "Results of the 2020 local elections". Central Electoral Bureau. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
- ^ "Populaţia rezidentă după grupa de vârstă, pe județe și municipii, orașe, comune, la 1 decembrie 2021" (XLS). National Institute of Statistics.
- ^ Ol' man river: geo-archaeological aspects of rivers and river plains, Morgan de Dapper et al, Ghent, Belgium: Academia Press in cooperation with Ghent University, Dept. of Archaeology and Ancient History of Europe, 2009, ISBN 978-90-382-1404-7, ISBN 90-382-1404-9
- ^ "Kronstadts Übergabe kam nicht in Frage" (in German). October 19, 2012. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
- ^ "Populația rezidentă după grupa de vârstă, pe județe și municipii, orașe, comune, la 1 decembrie 2021" (in Romanian). INSSE. May 31, 2023.
External links
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Feldioara fortress
-
Feldioara fortified church
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Rotbav fortified church
