Husi
Encyclopedia
Huși is a city in Vaslui County
, Romania
, former capital of the disbanded Fălciu County
in the historical region of Moldavia
, Romanian Orthodox
episcopal see
, and home of some of the best vineyard
s of Romania. The city is located on a branch of the Iaşi
-Galaţi
railway, nine miles west of the Prut River and the frontier with the Republic of Moldova. In 2000, the city's population was 33,320, more than double the 1900 population of 15,404.
s, from whom its name would have been derived; this has been disputed by renowned scholars such as Nicolae Iorga
and the bishop Melchisedec, who argued that the name of the city is older, originating with the boyar
Hus (whose name is also rendered as Husul or Husea), who owned land in the area.
The first document mentioning the city is a letter of December 17, 1487, sent by the Prince of Moldavia, Stephen III the Great
, to the influential Saxon
traders of Braşov
; the text indicates that the letter had been sent from Huși. Soon after, Huși became one of the favorite places of residence of Stephen III, a fact which led to a noted rise in economical and political status for the following period.
Princes who succeeded Stephen—such as Bogdan III cel Orb
, Petru Rareș
, Iliaș
, Alexandru Lăpușneanu
, and Ioan Vodă cel Cumplit
—also chose Huși as one of their favorite residences (taking in view both its wines and the strategic location which allowed an efficient overseeing of several anti-Ottoman
campaigns).
In 1598, during the reign of Ieremia Movilă
, Huși was established as an episcopal see of the Eastern Orthodox Church
, although the Huși cathedral
had in fact been built by Stephen III (1491) as the church of his palace there. After 1598, the bishops became the owners of the city and its lands, and were thus the main agents behind the city's development.
In 1711, Huși was the place of signing for the Treaty of the Pruth
that ended the Russo-Turkish War
.
after World War II
. The current president of the Jewish community is Iosif Leibovici.
The Jews of Huşi have had an important role in the economic development of the city, especially in the 18th and 19th centuries, at a time when the city was considered one of the most important in Moldavia.
The first synagogue
(Beth-Hanidras, the Great Synagogue) was built in the 18th century. In 1943 there were five synagogues (Beth-Hanidras, Ceauşul Mare, Blănari, Croitorilor, Postelnici). Only one synagogue serves the Jewish community nowadays. The first Jewish cemetery was founded in 1680, on Călăraşi Street. The second cemetery was opened in 1880, and it is still in use.
the Hussite
citizens were converted to Catholic faith; nevertheless, in the 17th century the majority of the town were Hungarian-Saxon Catholics. As archbishop Bandinus wrote in 1648 "the inhabitants here are Hungarian, and Rumanians, Hungarians are in the majority. They share the leading positions between them: if in one year the judge is Hungarian, next year a Rumanian will be the judge, so the leaders are changed alternately. The Hussites until now sang in Hungarian at holy masses and liturgies, what was a bad practice in that time. We arranged this in order to satisfy the need of the people, that the holy liturgies will be performed in Latin, and before and after the mass the hymns should be sung in Hungarian, to satisfy the devotion of the people. Two years ago, a village on the river Prut had twelve Hungarian houses, but because of many difficulties The Hungarian people immigrated to the Tatar land, to the town called Csoborcsok, and others to Husi so the region remained abandoned. Catholics are 682, in number they have a Seculi priest called Michael Rabczony." After the 19th Century assamilation reached the Catholic population of Husi. In 1898 Lahovari wrote that the Hungarians number 1838 out of total 12600 however they only speak Romanian language. In 1930 the town had 3983 Catholic but only 324 Hungarian citizens. The result of assimilation that today only 9 Hungarians (out of 5826 Roman Catholics) live in Huşi.
Vaslui County
Vaslui is a county of Romania, in the historical region Moldavia, with the seat at Vaslui.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 455,049 and the population density was 86/km².*Romanians - over 98%*Romas, other-Geography:...
, 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...
, former capital of the disbanded Fălciu County
Falciu County
Fălciu was a territorial entity in Moldavia , then a county in Romania between 1859 and 1950. Its capital was the town of Huşi. Another important town was Fălciu.- History :...
in the historical region of Moldavia
Moldavia
Moldavia is a geographic and historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester river...
, Romanian Orthodox
Romanian Orthodox Church
The Romanian Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church. It is in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox churches, and is ranked seventh in order of precedence. The Primate of the church has the title of Patriarch...
episcopal see
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
, and home of some of the best vineyard
Vineyard
A vineyard is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice...
s of Romania. The city is located on a branch of the Iaşi
Iasi
Iași is the second most populous city and a municipality in Romania. Located in the historical Moldavia region, Iași has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Romanian social, cultural, academic and artistic life...
-Galaţi
Galati
Galați is a city and municipality in Romania, the capital of Galați County. Located in the historical region of Moldavia, in the close vicinity of Brăila, Galați is the largest port and sea port on the Danube River and the second largest Romanian port....
railway, nine miles west of the Prut River and the frontier with the Republic of Moldova. In 2000, the city's population was 33,320, more than double the 1900 population of 15,404.
History
One theory states that Huși was founded in the 15th century by a colony of HussiteHussite
The Hussites were a Christian movement following the teachings of Czech reformer Jan Hus , who became one of the forerunners of the Protestant Reformation...
s, from whom its name would have been derived; this has been disputed by renowned scholars such as Nicolae Iorga
Nicolae Iorga
Nicolae Iorga was a Romanian historian, politician, literary critic, memoirist, poet and playwright. Co-founder of the Democratic Nationalist Party , he served as a member of Parliament, President of the Deputies' Assembly and Senate, cabinet minister and briefly as Prime Minister...
and the bishop Melchisedec, who argued that the name of the city is older, originating with the boyar
Boyar
A boyar, or bolyar , was a member of the highest rank of the feudal Moscovian, Kievan Rus'ian, Bulgarian, Wallachian, and Moldavian aristocracies, second only to the ruling princes , from the 10th century through the 17th century....
Hus (whose name is also rendered as Husul or Husea), who owned land in the area.
The first document mentioning the city is a letter of December 17, 1487, sent by the Prince of Moldavia, Stephen III the Great
Stephen III of Moldavia
Stephen III of Moldavia was Prince of Moldavia between 1457 and 1504 and the most prominent representative of the House of Mușat.During his reign, he strengthened Moldavia and maintained its independence against the ambitions of Hungary, Poland, and the...
, to the influential Saxon
Transylvanian Saxons
The Transylvanian Saxons are a people of German ethnicity who settled in Transylvania from the 12th century onwards.The colonization of Transylvania by Germans was begun by King Géza II of Hungary . For decades, the main task of the German settlers was to defend the southeastern border of the...
traders of Braşov
Brasov
Brașov is a city in Romania and the capital of Brașov County.According to the last Romanian census, from 2002, there were 284,596 people living within the city of Brașov, making it the 8th most populated city in Romania....
; the text indicates that the letter had been sent from Huși. Soon after, Huși became one of the favorite places of residence of Stephen III, a fact which led to a noted rise in economical and political status for the following period.
Princes who succeeded Stephen—such as Bogdan III cel Orb
Bogdan III cel Orb
Bogdan III the One-Eyed or Bogdan III the Blind Voivode of Moldavia from July 2, 1504 to 1517.-Family:He was born in Huşi as the son of Voivode Ştefan cel Mare and his wife Maria Voichiţa...
, Petru Rareș
Petru Rares
Peter IV Rareș was twice voievod of Moldavia: 20 January 1527 to 18 September 1538 and 19 February 1541 to 3 September 1546. He was an illegitimate child born to Ștefan cel Mare...
, Iliaș
Ilias of Moldavia
Iliaş or Ilie I was Prince of Moldavia twice: in January 1432–October 1433 and with his brother Stephen II in August 1435–May 1443....
, Alexandru Lăpușneanu
Alexandru Lapusneanu
Alexandru Lăpuşneanu was Prince of Moldavia between September 1552 and 18 November 1561 and then between October 1564 and 5 May 1568....
, and Ioan Vodă cel Cumplit
Ioan Voda cel Cumplit
John III the Terrible , also John III the Brave or John III the Armenian was Voivode of Moldavia between February 1572 and June 1574....
—also chose Huși as one of their favorite residences (taking in view both its wines and the strategic location which allowed an efficient overseeing of several anti-Ottoman
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...
campaigns).
In 1598, during the reign of Ieremia Movilă
Ieremia Movila
Ieremia Movilă was a Hospodar of Moldavia between August 1595 and May 1600, and again between September 1600 and July 10, 1606.-Rule:...
, Huși was established as an episcopal see of the Eastern Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
, although the Huși cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
had in fact been built by Stephen III (1491) as the church of his palace there. After 1598, the bishops became the owners of the city and its lands, and were thus the main agents behind the city's development.
Treaty of the Pruth
The Treaty of the Pruth was signed on the banks of the river Pruth between the Ottoman Empire and the Tsardom of Russia on 21 July 1711, ending the Russo-Turkish War of 1710–1711...
that ended the Russo-Turkish War
Russo-Turkish War, 1710-1711
The war between Russia and the Ottoman Empire erupted after the Russians had defeated Sweden in the Battle of Poltava. With help from the Austrian and French diplomats, the wounded Charles XII of Sweden escaped from the battlefield to the court of the Ottoman Sultan Ahmed III, whom he persuaded to...
.
Jewish history of Huși
According to local tradition, the first Jewish immigrants would have come to Huşi some time after 1484 (documents mention "five families, among them Frisof, Stofler and Gronic"); in 1747 there were about 1,042 Jews in city; cca. 2,500 in 1859; 3,587 in 1897; 2,514 in 1930; 2,100 in 1942; 2,000 in 1992. In 2005, Huşi was home to only 25 Jews (0–15 years old: 1 person; 16–35 years old: 3 persons; 36–60 years old: 6 persons; over 60 years old: 10 persons), the result of successive waves of aliyahAliyah
Aliyah is the immigration of Jews to the Land of Israel . It is a basic tenet of Zionist ideology. The opposite action, emigration from Israel, is referred to as yerida . The return to the Holy Land has been a Jewish aspiration since the Babylonian exile...
after 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...
. The current president of the Jewish community is Iosif Leibovici.
The Jews of Huşi have had an important role in the economic development of the city, especially in the 18th and 19th centuries, at a time when the city was considered one of the most important in Moldavia.
The first synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
(Beth-Hanidras, the Great Synagogue) was built in the 18th century. In 1943 there were five synagogues (Beth-Hanidras, Ceauşul Mare, Blănari, Croitorilor, Postelnici). Only one synagogue serves the Jewish community nowadays. The first Jewish cemetery was founded in 1680, on Călăraşi Street. The second cemetery was opened in 1880, and it is still in use.
Hungarian history of Huşi
According to some historians Huşi was established by hussite refugees from the Hungarian Kingdom in the 15th century. The town itself has a significant role in Hungarian history because the first Hungarian Bible translation was written in Huşi. Its copies can be found in the Vienna-codex and Apor-codex. During the Counter-ReformationCounter-Reformation
The Counter-Reformation was the period of Catholic revival beginning with the Council of Trent and ending at the close of the Thirty Years' War, 1648 as a response to the Protestant Reformation.The Counter-Reformation was a comprehensive effort, composed of four major elements:#Ecclesiastical or...
the Hussite
Hussite
The Hussites were a Christian movement following the teachings of Czech reformer Jan Hus , who became one of the forerunners of the Protestant Reformation...
citizens were converted to Catholic faith; nevertheless, in the 17th century the majority of the town were Hungarian-Saxon Catholics. As archbishop Bandinus wrote in 1648 "the inhabitants here are Hungarian, and Rumanians, Hungarians are in the majority. They share the leading positions between them: if in one year the judge is Hungarian, next year a Rumanian will be the judge, so the leaders are changed alternately. The Hussites until now sang in Hungarian at holy masses and liturgies, what was a bad practice in that time. We arranged this in order to satisfy the need of the people, that the holy liturgies will be performed in Latin, and before and after the mass the hymns should be sung in Hungarian, to satisfy the devotion of the people. Two years ago, a village on the river Prut had twelve Hungarian houses, but because of many difficulties The Hungarian people immigrated to the Tatar land, to the town called Csoborcsok, and others to Husi so the region remained abandoned. Catholics are 682, in number they have a Seculi priest called Michael Rabczony." After the 19th Century assamilation reached the Catholic population of Husi. In 1898 Lahovari wrote that the Hungarians number 1838 out of total 12600 however they only speak Romanian language. In 1930 the town had 3983 Catholic but only 324 Hungarian citizens. The result of assimilation that today only 9 Hungarians (out of 5826 Roman Catholics) live in Huşi.
Natives
- Dr. David Almogen
- Beris Alter
- Sender Argentar
- Dr. Carp Azril
- Naftali Bercovici
- Moisa Brochman
- Corneliu Zelea CodreanuCorneliu Zelea CodreanuCorneliu Zelea Codreanu was a Romanian politician of the far right, the founder and charismatic leader of the Iron Guard or The Legion of the Archangel Michael , an ultra-nationalist and violently antisemitic organization active throughout most of the interwar period...
- Octavian Cotescu
- Ştefan DimitrescuStefan DimitrescuŞtefan Dimitrescu was a Romanian Post-impressionist painter and draftsman.-Biography:Born in Huşi into a modest family, he completed his primary and secondary studies in his hometown...
- David Fabian
- Bearl Frishof
- Alexandru GiugaruAlexandru GiugaruAlexandru Giugaru was a Romanian stage and film actor.Born in Huși, Fălciu , Romania, Giugaru began his stage career in 1916 after graduating from school in Cuza Voda and studying at the Conservatory of Dramatic Arts in Bucharest, Romania...
- Anton HolbanAnton HolbanAnton Holban was a Romanian novelist. He was the nephew of Eugen Lovinescu.The son of Gheorghe Holban and Antoaneta Lovinescu, he was a writer, French teacher and theoretician of the novel...
- Nicolae MalaxaNicolae Malaxa-Biography:Born in a family of Greek origins in Huşi, Malaxa studied engineering in Iaşi and Karlsruhe...
- Nachim Osias
- Marcu Raiter
- Mihai Ralea
- Zaharia Schrotter
- Rabbi Levy Isac Segall
- Calman-Carol Steimberg
- Dr. Oscar Sternberg
- Gen. Gheorghe TelemanGheorghe TelemanGheorghe Teleman was a Romanian general, born in Huşi.He took part in the Smârdan attack during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878, and was decorated for bravery. He served as representative of Huşi in the Romanian Senate and Chamber of Deputies, mayor of the city, as well as prefect of Fălciu...
- Itzhac Zeligzon
- Alexandru Ioan Cuza
- Dimitrie CantemirDimitrie CantemirDimitrie Cantemir was twice Prince of Moldavia . He was also a prolific man of letters – philosopher, historian, composer, musicologist, linguist, ethnographer, and geographer....