Deva, Romania
Encyclopedia
Deva (ˈdeva; Hungarian
: Déva, Hungarian pronunciation: ’ d; German: Diemrich, Schlossberg, Denburg; Latin: Sargetia) is a city in Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania
, on the left bank of the Mureș River
. It is the capital of Hunedoara County
.
. Others assert that the name is probably of Slavic
origin where Deva or Devín means "girl" or "maiden". A similar case exist in Slovak
for the Devín Castle
, located at the confluence of the Danube
and Morava
, on former town of Devín
(now a suburb of Bratislava
). It is also considered that the name comes from the ancient Dacian word dava, meaning "fortress" (as in Pelendava, Piroboridava, or Zargidava). Other theories trace the name to a Roman Legion
, the Legio II Augusta
, transferred to Deva from Castrum Deva, now Chester
(Deva Victrix
) in Britain.
On medieval maps Deva appears as: Dewan (first mention), Deva, or later Diemrich.
, King of Hungary
and Duke
of Transilvania, mentioned "the royal castle of Deva" in a privilege-grant for the Count
Chyl of Kelling
. Under Voivod John Hunyadi
, Deva became an important military and administrative centre. Partially destroyed by the Ottoman Turks
in 1550, it was afterward rebuilt and the fortress extended. In 1621 Prince Gabriel Bethlen
transformed and extended the Magna Curia Palace (also known as the Bethlen Castle) in Renaissance
style.
at 187 m above sea level. The city administers four villages: Archia, Bârcea Mică, Cristur and Sântuhalm.
and Cluj-Napoca
have opened branches in the city. Deva is also the home of Romania's national women gymnastics training centre.
because of its rare floral species and the presence of the horned adder
. Perched on the top of the hill are the ruins of the Citadel
built in the 13th century.
, France Cherbourg-Octeville
, France Szigetvar
, Hungary Yancheng
, China
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
: Déva, Hungarian pronunciation: ’ d; German: Diemrich, Schlossberg, Denburg; Latin: Sargetia) is a city in Romania, in the historical region 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...
, on the left bank of the Mureș River
Mures River
The Mureș is an approximately 761 km long river in Eastern Europe. It originates in the Hășmașu Mare Range in the Eastern Carpathian Mountains, Romania, and joins the Tisza river at Szeged in southeastern Hungary....
. It is the capital of Hunedoara County
Hunedoara County
Hunedoara is a county of Romania, in Transylvania, with its capital city at Deva.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 485,712 and the population density was 69/km².*Romanians - 92%*Hungarians - 5%*Romas - 2%*Germans under 1%....
.
Name
Its name was first recorded in 1269 as castrum Dewa. The origin of the name gave rise to controversy. Some thought that the name is of old Turkic origin from the name GyeücsaGéza of Hungary
Géza , Grand Prince of the Hungarians .Géza was the son of Taksony of Hungary, Grand Prince of the Hungarians and his Pecheneg or Bulgar wife. Géza's marriage with Sarolt, the daughter of Gyula of Transylvania, was arranged by his father.After his father's death , Géza followed him as Grand Prince...
. Others assert that the name is probably of Slavic
Slavic languages
The Slavic languages , a group of closely related languages of the Slavic peoples and a subgroup of Indo-European languages, have speakers in most of Eastern Europe, in much of the Balkans, in parts of Central Europe, and in the northern part of Asia.-Branches:Scholars traditionally divide Slavic...
origin where Deva or Devín means "girl" or "maiden". A similar case exist in Slovak
Slovak language
Slovak , is an Indo-European language that belongs to the West Slavic languages .Slovak is the official language of Slovakia, where it is spoken by 5 million people...
for the Devín Castle
Devín Castle
Devín Castle is a castle in Devín, which is a borough of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia....
, located at the confluence of the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
and Morava
Morava
Morava is a Slavic river name. It may refer to:Rivers:* Great Morava in central Serbia** South Morava , tributary of the Great Morava** West Morava , tributary of the Great Morava...
, on former town of Devín
Devín
Devín originally a separate town at the confluence of the Danube and Morava rivers, is now a suburb of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. It is an important archaeological site, famous for the ruins of Devín Castle...
(now a suburb of Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
). It is also considered that the name comes from the ancient Dacian word dava, meaning "fortress" (as in Pelendava, Piroboridava, or Zargidava). Other theories trace the name to a Roman Legion
Roman legion
A Roman legion normally indicates the basic ancient Roman army unit recruited specifically from Roman citizens. The organization of legions varied greatly over time but they were typically composed of perhaps 5,000 soldiers, divided into maniples and later into "cohorts"...
, the Legio II Augusta
Legio II Augusta
Legio secunda Augusta , was a Roman legion, levied by Gaius Vibius Pansa Caetronianus in 43 BC, and still operative in Britannia in the 4th century...
, transferred to Deva from Castrum Deva, now Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
(Deva Victrix
Deva Victrix
Deva Victrix, or simply Deva, was a legionary fortress and town in the Roman province of Britannia. The settlement evolved into Chester, the county town of Cheshire, England...
) in Britain.
On medieval maps Deva appears as: Dewan (first mention), Deva, or later Diemrich.
History
Documentary evidence of the city's existence first appeared in 1269 when Stephen VStephen V of Hungary
Stephen V , was King of Hungary from 1270 to 1272.-Early years:...
, King of Hungary
King of Hungary
The King of Hungary was the head of state of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1000 to 1918.The style of title "Apostolic King" was confirmed by Pope Clement XIII in 1758 and used afterwards by all the Kings of Hungary, so after this date the kings are referred to as "Apostolic King of...
and Duke
Voivodeship
Voivodship is a term denoting the position of, or more commonly the area administered by, a voivod. Voivodeships have existed since medieval times in Poland, Romania, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Russia and Serbia....
of Transilvania, mentioned "the royal castle of Deva" in a privilege-grant for the Count
Comitatus (Kingdom of Hungary)
A county is the name of a type of administrative units in the Kingdom of Hungary and in Hungary from the 10th century until the present day....
Chyl of Kelling
Câlnic, Gorj
Câlnic is a commune in Gorj County, Romania. It is composed of nine villages: Câlnic, Câlnicu de Sus, Didileşti, Găleşoaia, Hodoreasca, Pieptani, Pinoasa, Stejerei and Vâlceaua....
. Under Voivod John Hunyadi
John Hunyadi
John Hunyadi John Hunyadi (Hungarian: Hunyadi János , Medieval Latin: Ioannes Corvinus or Ioannes de Hunyad, Romanian: Iancu (Ioan) de Hunedoara, Croatian: Janko Hunjadi, Serbian: Сибињанин Јанко / Sibinjanin Janko, Slovak: Ján Huňady) John Hunyadi (Hungarian: Hunyadi János , Medieval Latin: ...
, Deva became an important military and administrative centre. Partially destroyed by the Ottoman Turks
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
in 1550, it was afterward rebuilt and the fortress extended. In 1621 Prince Gabriel Bethlen
Gabriel Bethlen
Gabriel Bethlen was a prince of Transylvania , duke of Opole and leader of an anti-Habsburg insurrection in the Habsburg Royal Hungary. His last armed intervention in 1626 was part of the Thirty Years' War...
transformed and extended the Magna Curia Palace (also known as the Bethlen Castle) in Renaissance
Renaissance architecture
Renaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance...
style.
Geography
Deva is situated in the central part of Hunedoara County, on the left bank of the middle course of the Mureș RiverMureș River
The Mureș is an approximately 761 km long river in Eastern Europe. It originates in the Hășmașu Mare Range in the Eastern Carpathian Mountains, Romania, and joins the Tisza river at Szeged in southeastern Hungary....
at 187 m above sea level. The city administers four villages: Archia, Bârcea Mică, Cristur and Sântuhalm.
Demographics
According to the last census, from 2002, there were 69,257 people living within the city of Deva, making it the 37th largest city in Romania. The ethnic makeup is as follows:- RomaniansRomaniansThe Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
: 89.21% - Hungarians: 8.62%
- Roma: 1.26%
- Other: 0.91%
Economy
Automotive, commerce, construction materials and power industries are important to Deva's economy.Education
A private University of Ecology and Tourism was established in the city in 1990, and the academic centres of TimişoaraTimisoara
Timișoara is the capital city of Timiș County, in western Romania. One of the largest Romanian cities, with an estimated population of 311,586 inhabitants , and considered the informal capital city of the historical region of Banat, Timișoara is the main social, economic and cultural center in the...
and Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca , commonly known as Cluj, is the fourth most populous city in Romania and the seat of Cluj County in the northwestern part of the country. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest , Budapest and Belgrade...
have opened branches in the city. Deva is also the home of Romania's national women gymnastics training centre.
Notable people
Deva is the birtplace of:- François BrédaFrançois BrédaFrançois Bréda , essayist, poet, literary critic, literary historian, translator, theatrologist.- Biography :On his mother's side he is grandson of writer, settlement historian, professor Lajos Lévai from Odorheiu Secuiesc. Her mother is educationalist Enikő Zsuzsanna Lévai...
- María CordaMaría CordaMaría Corda was a Hungarian actress and a star of the silent film era in Germany and Austria....
- Matthias DévayMatthias DévayMátyás Biró, also known as Matthias Dévay , was a Protestant Reformer who has been called the "Luther of Hungary."Dévay was born in Deva, Hunyad County, Transylvania in the late 15th century or early 16th century...
(1547), Protestant Reformer, referred to as the "LutherMartin LutherMartin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
of HungaryKingdom of HungaryThe 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...
" - Bogdan MaraBogdan MaraIon Bogdan Mara is a Romanian footballer who is playing for Greek club Skoda Xanthi.-Inter Sibiu:Mara made his first steps in professional football in Sibiu, at Inter, where he played for two years...
- Dora PavelDora PavelDora Pavel is a Romanian novelist, short-story writer, poet, and journalist.-Biography:Born as Dora Voicu to Viorica Pop and Eugen Voicu, both teachers, Dora Pavel graduated from the Decebal College in Deva , and the Faculty of Letters of the Babeş-Bolyai University in Cluj .She graduated Decebal...
- Daniela SilivaşDaniela SilivasViorica Daniela Silivaş-Harper , best known as Daniela Silivaş, is a Romanian gymnast who is most famous for winning six medals in women's artistic gymnastics at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea...
, medalist in Gymnastics at the 1988 Olympics1988 Summer OlympicsThe 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
Climate
Tourism
Deva is dominated by the Citadel Hill, a protected nature reserveNature reserve
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...
because of its rare floral species and the presence of the horned adder
Vipera ammodytes
Vipera ammodytes is a venomous viper species found in southern Europe through to the Balkans and parts of the Middle East. It is reputed to be the most dangerous of the European vipers due to its large size, long fangs and high venom toxicity...
. Perched on the top of the hill are the ruins of the Citadel
Cetatea Deva
The Fortress of Deva, in , is located in the city of Deva, Hunedoara County, Romania, on top of a volcanic hill.-Position:The Fortress is located on a top of a volcanic hill, one of the last branches of Poiana Ruscă Mountains. From the foot of the hill Deva city spreads out, beginning with Magna...
built in the 13th century.
Twinned cities
ArrasArras
Arras is the capital of the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. The historic centre of the Artois region, its local speech is characterized as a Picard dialect...
, France Cherbourg-Octeville
Cherbourg-Octeville
-Main sights:* La Glacerie has a race track.* The Cité de la Mer is a large museum devoted to scientific and historical aspects of maritime subjects.* Cherbourg Basilica* Jardin botanique de la Roche Fauconnière, a private botanical garden.* Le Trident theatre...
, France Szigetvar
Szigetvár
-History:The town's fortress was the setting of the Battle of Szigetvár in 1566. It was a sanjak centre at first in Budin Province , later in Kanije Province .There was already a bum in the marshland back in the Celtic and Roman times...
, Hungary Yancheng
Yancheng
Yancheng is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China. The city with the largest jurisdiction area in Jiangsu, Yancheng borders Lianyungang to the north, Huai'an to the west, Yangzhou and Taizhou to the southwest, Nantong to the south, and looks out to...
, China