Cugir
Encyclopedia
Cugir is a town in Alba county, the central settlement of the Breadfield
, in Romania
. About 45 kilometers south-west of Alba-Iulia, the capital of the county, and 300 meters above sea level
at the base of the Surianu Mountains. It has a population of 25.950.
there was a total population of 25,977 people living in this commune. Of this population, 96.84% are ethnic Romanians, 1.38% are ethnic Hungarians and 1.30% ethnic Rroma.
, Kingdom of Hungary
and Kingdom of Romania
.
Numerous archeological discoveries prove that life in the region flourished as early as the Bronze Age
, around the 10th century BC, Cugir being part of the territory known as "The Iron Gates of Transylvania
", a region famous for its natural iron resources. In 88-44 BC, king Burebista
, the most powerful of the kings of Thrace
, according to the historian Acronion, establishes the new capital in the area, at Sarmizegetusa Regia (located in the Surianu Mountains west of Cugir). In this period of time the settlement of Cugir(villa Kunentum) is known as an important center for metal extracting and processing with its famous workshops producing tools, weapons and coins.
In the mid 18th century the Habsburg Empire authorities established the "Frontier Police" in Transylvania. They tried to recruit also Romanians from the southern Transylvania between Baraolt
and Orăştie
but the locals put up a fierce resistance against the enrollment. The population revolted due to a policy of forced removal and deportation used to convince the peoples to join in and a bloody massacre took place in the place known today as the old market of the town. Severe clashes occurred again in the area when the authorities decided to "brake" the neighboring villages Şibot and Vinerea to establish the 4th company. Finally, after severe conflicts and pressure, in 1764, 6 regiments were established and in 1768 another battalion was formed so that the frontier police in Transylvania was of approx. 17000 soldiers.
After the lost of Silesia
, the authorities and the Austrian business begun to invest more and more founds in the mining and manufacturing industry in Transylvania. In 1764 Empress Maria Theresa of Austria
begins to allow long-term loans without interest to concessionaires that pledge to exploit the mines and the state and concessionaire manufactories used free workers brought from Styria, Carinthia, Tyrol
, Upper Hungary
or Dalmatia
, but the local men, the peasants represented the main work force. Due to the industrialisation, a great number of Romanian villages and their grounds, pastures, agricultural land and forest, were seized. At the end of the 18th century factories for metal processing were founded in Cugir and Sibişel
, just after 15 years after the suppression of the Revolt of Horea, Cloşca and Crişan
so that to exploit the mineral resources but also to insufflate obedience towards the Empire. According to documents, the "Iron and Steel factory" was established in Cugir in the year 1799, one of the first siderurgy factories in Transylvania and since then the history of the town revolves around it.
After the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, it became part of the Kingdom of Hungary
within Austria-Hungary
up until the end of World War I
. From that time, it has been part of Romania
, which was acknowledged internationally by the Treaty of Trianon
in 1920.
Thereafter the factory became owned by the Romanian state and during World War II
its production was seized by the Nazi Germany
for war purposes. Since 1946 the factory oriented its production towards military components and house appliances especially washing machines. Also it became the top Romanian producer of sewing machines for industrial and private purposes.
Breadfield
The Breadfield is a region in southwest Transylvania , between Orăştie and Sebeş in the Transylvanian Saxon land, near the Mureş River. The central settlement is Cugir ....
, in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
. About 45 kilometers south-west of Alba-Iulia, the capital of the county, and 300 meters above sea level
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
at the base of the Surianu Mountains. It has a population of 25.950.
Administration
Cugir, a town since 1968, administers seven villages: Bocşitura (Potschitur), Bucuru (Bukur), Călene (Kalleney), Feţeni (Fetzeberg), Goaşele (Eisenhammer), Mugeşti (Kudschirstallen) and Vinerea (Wolfsdorf).Demographics
According to the census from 2002Demographics of Romania
This article is about the demographic features of the population of Romania, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population....
there was a total population of 25,977 people living in this commune. Of this population, 96.84% are ethnic Romanians, 1.38% are ethnic Hungarians and 1.30% ethnic Rroma.
Name
Throughout the history the name of the town is mentioned in many documents under different names in different languages, therefore the old settlement "villa Kunentum" becomes in 1493 villa Kudzyr, in 1566 Kwczyr, in 1599 - Kuchir, in 1656 - Kuchjir, in 1673 - Kucsir, in 1733 - Kuser, in 1750 - Kudsier, 1760-1762 - Kudzser, in 1805 Kudsir and in 1850 - Kusir.History
It has a complex political history with periods of Principality of Transylvania, periods of Habsburg MonarchyHabsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
, Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
and Kingdom of Romania
Kingdom of Romania
The Kingdom of Romania was the Romanian state based on a form of parliamentary monarchy between 13 March 1881 and 30 December 1947, specified by the first three Constitutions of Romania...
.
Numerous archeological discoveries prove that life in the region flourished as early as the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
, around the 10th century BC, Cugir being part of the territory known as "The Iron Gates of Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
", a region famous for its natural iron resources. In 88-44 BC, king Burebista
Burebista
Burebista was a king of the Getae and Dacians, who unified for the first time their tribes and ruled them between 82 BC and 44 BC. He led plunder and conquest raids across Central and Southeastern Europe, subjugating most of the neighbouring tribes...
, the most powerful of the kings of Thrace
Thrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
, according to the historian Acronion, establishes the new capital in the area, at Sarmizegetusa Regia (located in the Surianu Mountains west of Cugir). In this period of time the settlement of Cugir(villa Kunentum) is known as an important center for metal extracting and processing with its famous workshops producing tools, weapons and coins.
In the mid 18th century the Habsburg Empire authorities established the "Frontier Police" in Transylvania. They tried to recruit also Romanians from the southern Transylvania between Baraolt
Baraolt
Baraolt is a town and administrative district in Covasna County, Romania. It lies in the Székely Land, an ethno-cultural region in eastern Transylvania. The town was mentioned for the first time as a settlement in 1224...
and Orăştie
Orastie
Orăștie is a city in Hunedoara County, south-western Transylvania, Romania.-History:7th–9th century – on the site of an old swamp , which today is the old center of town, it was a human settlement whose traces have been scattered into the X-th century by the construction of the first...
but the locals put up a fierce resistance against the enrollment. The population revolted due to a policy of forced removal and deportation used to convince the peoples to join in and a bloody massacre took place in the place known today as the old market of the town. Severe clashes occurred again in the area when the authorities decided to "brake" the neighboring villages Şibot and Vinerea to establish the 4th company. Finally, after severe conflicts and pressure, in 1764, 6 regiments were established and in 1768 another battalion was formed so that the frontier police in Transylvania was of approx. 17000 soldiers.
After the lost of Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
, the authorities and the Austrian business begun to invest more and more founds in the mining and manufacturing industry in Transylvania. In 1764 Empress Maria Theresa of Austria
Maria Theresa of Austria
Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina was the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last of the House of Habsburg. She was the sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Mantua, Milan, Lodomeria and Galicia, the Austrian Netherlands and Parma...
begins to allow long-term loans without interest to concessionaires that pledge to exploit the mines and the state and concessionaire manufactories used free workers brought from Styria, Carinthia, Tyrol
Tyrol (state)
Tyrol is a state or Bundesland, located in the west of Austria. It comprises the Austrian part of the historical region of Tyrol.The state is split into two parts–called North Tyrol and East Tyrol–by a -wide strip of land where the state of Salzburg borders directly on the Italian province of...
, Upper Hungary
Upper Hungary
Upper Hungary is the usual English translation for the area that was historically the northern part of the Kingdom of Hungary, now mostly present-day Slovakia...
or Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
, but the local men, the peasants represented the main work force. Due to the industrialisation, a great number of Romanian villages and their grounds, pastures, agricultural land and forest, were seized. At the end of the 18th century factories for metal processing were founded in Cugir and Sibişel
Sibisel
Sibişel may refer to several entities in Romania:* Sibişel, a village in Beriu Commune, Hunedoara County* Sibişel, a village in Râu de Mori Commune, Hunedoara County* Sibişel River * Sibişel River * Sibişel River...
, just after 15 years after the suppression of the Revolt of Horea, Cloşca and Crişan
Revolt of Horea, Closca and Crisan
The Revolt of Horea, Cloșca and Crișan began in Zarand County, Transylvania, but it soon spread all throughout the Apuseni Mountains...
so that to exploit the mineral resources but also to insufflate obedience towards the Empire. According to documents, the "Iron and Steel factory" was established in Cugir in the year 1799, one of the first siderurgy factories in Transylvania and since then the history of the town revolves around it.
After the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, it became part of the Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
within Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
up until the end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. From that time, it has been part of Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, which was acknowledged internationally by the Treaty of Trianon
Treaty of Trianon
The Treaty of Trianon was the peace agreement signed in 1920, at the end of World War I, between the Allies of World War I and Hungary . The treaty greatly redefined and reduced Hungary's borders. From its borders before World War I, it lost 72% of its territory, which was reduced from to...
in 1920.
Thereafter the factory became owned by the Romanian state and during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
its production was seized by the Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
for war purposes. Since 1946 the factory oriented its production towards military components and house appliances especially washing machines. Also it became the top Romanian producer of sewing machines for industrial and private purposes.