Zimandköz

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Zimandköz (Romanian: Zimandcuz) is a village formed in 1853 on the Zimand puszta (or praedium, depopulated area) by about 92 Hungarian Roman-Catholic families of free farmers who were ousted from the western part of Arad County, Bánkút puszta, by their landlord. The farmers were probably poor Magyarized Slovaks or Hungarians from the Heves and Hont counties situated in northern Hungary. They settled near the Zimand Ujfalu (today Zimandu Nou) village that was formed in 1852.

This situation was caused by the fact that the Bánkút puszta settlement was populated in 1843 for the purpose of growing tobacco, as rented land to settled farmers. Previously, in 1823, there were only 12 inhabitants found there. The contract between Samuel Wodianer, renowened banker and landlord, the son of Philip Wodianer, and the tenants (settlers) expired in 1846. Since the business was not profitable enough, Samuel Wodianer intended to oust the 171 families from their houses and remove them from Bánkút puszta. The settlers filed a complaint with the king but the situation remained unresolved. As things went on, after the end of the 1848 revolution, the imperial administration took steps to settle this situation in a more rapid and brutal manner, between 1850 and 1852. On 9 March 1852 about 150 soldiers and a few police officers forcefully surrounded the village, confiscating animals and farmer belongings for subsequent selling, brutally destroying 72 houses and its inhabitants. After this armed intervention, only six families were left in the village, the rest being given travel papers and ousted. This led to the dissolution of the Bánkút puszta which again became, for a while, a praedium. In 1855 there were only 36 inhabitants left from this community.^[1]

Settlement name: 1863 Bánkut-Zimánd; 1873 Zimánd-Bánkut; 1920 Zimandul vechiu; today Zimandcuz.

Administration: Between 1863-1910 in Arad county, Aradi jaras, Kurtics commune. In 1920 in judeṭul (district) Arad, plasa Arad. In 1930, 1941 belongs to judeṭul Arad, plasa Sfânta-Ana. In 1956 belongs to Regiunea (region) Timişoara, raionul Arad. In 1966 belongs to Regiunea Banat, comuna Zimandu Nou. Since 1977 belongs to judeṭul Arad, comuna Zimandu Nou.

At the 1910 Hungarian census, the village had 1,043 inhabitants, motly Hungarian. The 1992 Romanian census counted 1,202 inhabitants (61% Hungarians, the remaining Romanians, Romany and others).

Zimand was first mentioned in documents in 1743, although the place name appears since 1315.