Sfântu Gheorghe

Sfântu Gheorghe
Sepsiszentgyörgy
County capital

Fortified church

Flag

Coat of arms
Sfântu Gheorghe

Location of Sfântu Gheorghe

Coordinates: 45°51′49″N 25°47′15″E / 45.86361°N 25.78750°E / 45.86361; 25.78750Coordinates: 45°51′49″N 25°47′15″E / 45.86361°N 25.78750°E / 45.86361; 25.78750
Country  Romania
County Covasna County
Status County capital
Government
  Mayor Árpád Antal (from Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania)
Population (2011)
  Total 54,312
Ethnicity[1]
  Hungarians 76.91%
  Romanians 21.95%
  Gypsies 0.77%
Language
  Hungarian 76.58%
  Romanian 23.08%
  Gypsy 0.04%
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
  Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Website http://www.sfantugheorgheinfo.ro/

Sfântu Gheorghe (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈsfɨntu ˈɡe̯orɡe]; Hungarian: Sepsiszentgyörgy or Szentgyörgy, Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈʃɛpʃisɛnɟørɟ]; Yiddish: סנט דשזארדזש) is the capital city of Covasna County, Romania. Located in the central part of the country and in the historical region of Transylvania, it lies on the Olt River in a valley between the Baraolt Mountains and Bodoc Mountains. The city administers two villages, Chilieni (Kilyén) and Coşeni (Szotyor).

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1912 8,665    
1930 10,818+24.8%
1948 14,224+31.5%
1956 17,638+24.0%
1966 20,768+17.7%
1977 40,804+96.5%
1992 68,359+67.5%
2002 61,512−10.0%
2011 54,312−11.7%
Source: Census data

The majority of the city's inhabitants are Hungarians. In the census of 2011, 41,770 (77%) of the city's 54,312 inhabitants classed themselves as ethnic Hungarians, 11,921 (22%) as Romanians, 420 (0.8%) as Roma, and 201 as "others."

History

Sfântu Gheorghe is one of the oldest cities in Transylvania, the settlement first having been documented in 1332. The city takes it name from Saint George, the patron of the local church. Historically it was also known in German as Sankt Georgen. The "sepsi" prefix (sebesisepsi, meaning "of Sebes") refers to the area which the ancestors of the local Székely population had inhabited before settling to the area of the town. The previous area of their settlement was around the town of "Sebes" (now: Sebeş) which later became populated mainly by Transylvanian Saxons.

While part of the Kingdom of Hungary, the city was the economic and administrative center of the Hungarian county of Háromszék, which spanned the present-day Covasna County and parts of Braşov County. In the second half of the 19th century, Sepsiszentgyörgy witnessed the development of light industry, namely a textile and a cigarette factory was built. It became part of the Kingdom of Romania following the Treaty of Trianon in 1920, after the end of World War I. After the Second Vienna Award in 1940 the city came under Hungarian control for four years. Near the end of that period, the Sfântu Gheorghe ghetto briefly existed in the city. At the end of the Second World War the Paris Peace Treaties reaffirmed the city and the entirety of Transylvania as a Romanian territory. Between 1952-1960 it was the southernmost town of the Magyar Autonomous Region, and between 1960-1968 was part of the Braşov Region, abolished in 1968 when Romania was reorganised based on counties rather than regions.

Sfântu Gheorghe is one of the centres for the Székely people in the region known to them as Székelyföld in Hungarian - which means "Székely Land", and is home to the Székely National Museum. The city hosts two market fairs each year.

Sights

Economy

The predominant industry in the city is the textile industry. The city holds underutilized production capabilities such as a downsized automobile transmission parts and gearboxes factory (IMASA SA) and a tobacco factory (TIGARETE SA). At the time of its closing SA was the last place where they produced iconic Romanian cigarette brands such as "Carpati", "Snagov" or "Marasesti".

Services sector contains growing areas such as IT services with ROMARG SRL the leading domain registrar and web hosting provider in Romania having its headquarters here.[2]

Sports

The city has a women basketball team called LMK Sepsi BC (official name: C.S.S. Liceul Mikes Kelemen BC Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe, formerly C.S.S. Liceul Mikes Kelemen Sfântu Gheorghe)

The main building of the Mikó High School

The city also has a futsal team which plays in the Romanian First Division. The name of the team is Futsal Club Sfântu Gheorghe (Sepsiszentgyörgyi Futsal Club).

Culture

The Hungarian artist Jenő Gyárfás was born there and was a lifelong resident. His former studio is now an art gallery and exhibition hall.[3]

Education

References

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