Medias
Encyclopedia
Mediaș (ˈmedi.aʃ; ; ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect: Medwesch) is the second largest city in Sibiu County
, Transylvania
, Romania
.
, at 39 km from Sighișoara
and 41 km from Blaj
. The health resort Bazna
, officially recognized for the first time in 1302, is 18 km from Mediaș. The health resort offers mineral water springs, rich in salts, mineral mud and a special type of salt, called "Bazna salt". The distance between Mediaș and the county's residence Sibiu
is 55 km.
The city administers one village, Ighișu Nou (Eibesdorf; Szászivánfalva; Szászivánfalva).
The first signs of human communities in the area are thought to be from the middle Neolithic period.
In the 13th century, the kings of Hungary
invited Germany settlers known as Transylvanian Saxons
to the area, who settled in the valley of the Târnava Mare River.
The ethnic composition was:
center after Sibiu
in the county.
In the 14th-19th centuries, various manufacturers and professionals were members of associations based on their trades called "bresle" (guild
s), the first two unions were the ones formed by tailors and cloth makers, in 1457. In 1698, Mediaş already had 33 unions.
In the 19th century, unions started to merge and build factories. The first factory, called "Karres", was established in 1881 and produced various leather products. In 1888, a factory that manufactured cloth and various textiles was built, followed in 1985 by a factory called "Salconserv" that produced salami and cans. The company used to produce the famous brand of salami called "salam de Sibiu", for the company "Theil & Co. A.G. Salami und Selchwarenfabrik", located in Sibiu.
In 1921, Mediaş started to manufacture windows. The factory is now called Geromed and extended its products with blackboards, mirrors, windscreens and stained glass. In the same year, a factory now called Emailul started to produce enameled
pots, mugs and dishes.
The "Vitrometan" factory was built in 1922 and produces various glass products, including porcelain, light bulbs and mirrors. "Relee S.A" manufactures automobile components, switches, wall sockets, relays and electric motors.
Mediaş is known best for its role in production of methane gas. The area where Mediaş is located is the site of the largest natural gas field
in Romania. The headquarters of Romgaz
- the national gas exploitation enterprise - and of Transgaz - the natural gas carrier - are in Mediaş.
; School no.9 Hermann Oberth
(German school) and School no. 10 Bathory Istvan (Hungarian school)), we mention the following high-schools:
Stephan Ludwig Roth
High-School,
National Gas High-School,
Axente Sever High-School,
Automecania High-School
M.I.U. High-School.
Tv Stations
Radio Stations
s.
One of the most impressive symbols of the town is the Tower of the Buglers, which is about 70 meters tall. Its construction started in the 13th century. In the 15th century it was raised to 5 tiers. The St. Margaret Church was finished at about the same time. Later, 3 more tiers were added in only 2 months. The roof consists of colored vitrified tiles, and 4 turrets were built. The tower had a guard, who would sound his bugle whenever an enemy approached. Therefore the tower has this name. The tower has in its South-Western corner (between the clocks) a small wooden man who rings a bell, thus announcing in advance when the clock will ring on the hour. The heavy pressure of the tower on the sandy soil is the reason why the tower is slightly tilted to the North. Between 1927 and 1930, and later in 1972, the tower was consolidated. The tilt of the tip compared with the base is 2.32 m.
The city lies in the middle of the area which was inhabited by Transylvanian Saxons
and in an area of 20 km around it there are dozens of fortified churches, two of them UNESCO
World heritage sites.
s novel Dracula
quite in the beginning: "The wine was Golden Mediasch, which produces a queer sting on the tongue, which is, however, not disagreeable" (Jonathan Harker 's
diary, May 5, on his way to the castle of the count).
with: Sopron Joure Głogów Mineral Wells
Sibiu County
Sibiu is a county of Romania, in the historical region Transylvania, with the capital city Sibiu.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 421,724 and the population density was 78/km²....
, 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...
, 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...
.
Geographic location
Mediaș is located in the middle basin of Târnava Mare RiverTârnava Mare River
The Târnava Mare River is a river in Romania. Its source is in the Eastern Carpathian Mountains, near the sources of the Mureş and Olt in Harghita County. It flows through the Romanian counties of Harghita, Mureş, Sibiu, and Alba. The cities of Odorheiu Secuiesc, Sighişoara, and Mediaş lie on the...
, at 39 km from Sighișoara
Sighisoara
Sighişoara is a city and municipality on the Târnava Mare River in Mureş County, Romania. Located in the historic region Transylvania, Sighişoara has a population of 27,706 ....
and 41 km from Blaj
Blaj
Blaj is a city in Alba County, Transylvania, Romania. It has a population of 20,758 inhabitants.The landmark of the city is the fact that it was the principal religious and cultural center of the Romanian Greek-Catholic Church in Transylvania....
. The health resort Bazna
Bazna
Bazna is a commune located in Sibiu County, Romania. It is composed of three villages: Bazna, Boian and Velţ...
, officially recognized for the first time in 1302, is 18 km from Mediaș. The health resort offers mineral water springs, rich in salts, mineral mud and a special type of salt, called "Bazna salt". The distance between Mediaș and the county's residence Sibiu
Sibiu
Sibiu is a city in Transylvania, Romania with a population of 154,548. Located some 282 km north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Cibin River, a tributary of the river Olt...
is 55 km.
The city administers one village, Ighișu Nou (Eibesdorf; Szászivánfalva; Szászivánfalva).
History
In the 13th century, the kings of Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
invited Germany settlers known as Transylvanian Saxons
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...
to the area, who settled in the valley of the Târnava Mare River.
- According to the tradition, the town was founded in 1146, being so one of the oldest cities in Transilvania.
- 1200: here would have lived around 100 inhabitants.
- 1267: the first document that mentions the city is dated 3 June 1267.
- 1283: another reference appears in a document: Mediaș is listed as "villa Medgyes".
- 1318: the Hungarian king Charles Robert of Anjou offers the complete rights for the Sibiu region to the people living in Mediaș, Şeica and BiertanBiertanBiertan is a commune in central Romania, in the north of the Sibiu County, 80 km north of Sibiu and 15 km east of Mediaş. Biertan is one of the most important Saxon villages with fortified churches in Transylvania, having been on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1993...
. - 1359: Mediaș is called for the first time a city ("civitas"). The first seal of Mediaș was used in 1448.
- 1414: The St. Margaret church was the first church built in Mediaș. The first document that notes the presence of a hospital in the city is dated 1487.
- 1448: during his preparations for the campaign against the TurksOttoman EmpireThe Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, John HunyadiJohn HunyadiJohn 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: ...
passed through Mediaș. - 1490-1534: The city is fortified by the people living in Mediaș and Șeica, after a document signed in 1477 by the king Matthias CorvinusMatthias Corvinus of HungaryMatthias Corvinus , also called the Just in folk tales, was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1458, at the age of 14 until his death...
's office. - 1517: it gets the right to organise annual fairs.
- 1557: The population of Mediaş was hit by leprosyLeprosyLeprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...
. The plague has also devastated the population of Mediaş several times in history, in 1586, 1601–1604, 1633, 1646, 1653, 1656–1658, 1660–1661 and 1717-1718. - 1562: 34 guilds are registered.
- 1586: the first mentioning of a school in Mediaş ("Schola civitatis").
- 1611: it is plundered by the soldiers of Gabriel Báthory.
- 1705: besieged for the last time in its history
- 1771-1781: the Johann Sifft typography started its activity.
- 1826: the first Romanian church in Mediaş was raised, with great effort and dedication from the Greek-CatholicRomanian Church United with Rome, Greek-CatholicThe Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic is an Eastern Catholic Church which is in full union with the Roman Catholic Church. It is ranked as a Major Archiepiscopal Church and uses the Byzantine liturgical rite in the Romanian language....
bishop Ioan Bob. In the same period, Ioan BobIoan BobIoan Bob, was Bishop of Făgăraş and Primate of the Romanian Greek Catholic Church from 1783 to his death in 1830.- Life :Ioan Bob was born from a noble Romanian family in October or November 1739 in Orman, near Iclod in Kolozs County, now Romania. He attended the secondary schools by the Jesuits...
established the first Romanian school in the city. - 1863: public lighting of streets in Mediaş was established.
- 1871: the agricultural school was founded and the G. A. Reisenberger typography started its activity.
- 1872: the first train station was built. The current train station was built between 1963 and 1965.
Population
In 1910 Mediaş had 8,626 inhabitants, 82 years later 64,481. According to the last census in 2002, in Mediaş there were 55,153 people living.The ethnic composition was:
- 45,417 RomaniansRomaniansThe Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
(82.34 %) - 6,530 Hungarians (11.83 %)
- 1,959 Romas (3.55 %)
- 1,137 Germans (2.06 %)
- 114 other
Economy
Mediaş is the second industrialIndustry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
center after Sibiu
Sibiu
Sibiu is a city in Transylvania, Romania with a population of 154,548. Located some 282 km north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Cibin River, a tributary of the river Olt...
in the county.
In the 14th-19th centuries, various manufacturers and professionals were members of associations based on their trades called "bresle" (guild
Guild
A guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade. The earliest types of guild were formed as confraternities of workers. They were organized in a manner something between a trade union, a cartel, and a secret society...
s), the first two unions were the ones formed by tailors and cloth makers, in 1457. In 1698, Mediaş already had 33 unions.
In the 19th century, unions started to merge and build factories. The first factory, called "Karres", was established in 1881 and produced various leather products. In 1888, a factory that manufactured cloth and various textiles was built, followed in 1985 by a factory called "Salconserv" that produced salami and cans. The company used to produce the famous brand of salami called "salam de Sibiu", for the company "Theil & Co. A.G. Salami und Selchwarenfabrik", located in Sibiu.
In 1921, Mediaş started to manufacture windows. The factory is now called Geromed and extended its products with blackboards, mirrors, windscreens and stained glass. In the same year, a factory now called Emailul started to produce enameled
Vitreous enamel
Vitreous enamel, also porcelain enamel in U.S. English, is a material made by fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing, usually between 750 and 850 °C...
pots, mugs and dishes.
The "Vitrometan" factory was built in 1922 and produces various glass products, including porcelain, light bulbs and mirrors. "Relee S.A" manufactures automobile components, switches, wall sockets, relays and electric motors.
Mediaş is known best for its role in production of methane gas. The area where Mediaş is located is the site of the largest natural gas field
Natural gas field
Oil and natural gas are produced by the same geological process according fossil fuel suggestion: anaerobic decay of organic matter deep under the Earth's surface. As a consequence, oil and natural gas are often found together...
in Romania. The headquarters of Romgaz
Romgaz
Societatea Națională de Gaze Naturale Romgaz SA Mediaș or simply Romgaz is the largest natural gas producer in Romania and one of the largest in Eastern Europe. The company is responsible for producing around 40% of the total natural gas consumption in Romania...
- the national gas exploitation enterprise - and of Transgaz - the natural gas carrier - are in Mediaş.
Education
Next to almost 20 kindergartens and 10 schools (they are numbered, and three of them have names- School no.1- Mihai EminescuMihai Eminescu
Mihai Eminescu was a Romantic poet, novelist and journalist, often regarded as the most famous and influential Romanian poet. Eminescu was an active member of the Junimea literary society and he worked as an editor for the newspaper Timpul , the official newspaper of the Conservative Party...
; School no.9 Hermann Oberth
Hermann Oberth
Hermann Julius Oberth was an Austro-Hungarian-born German physicist and engineer. He is considered one of the founding fathers of rocketry and astronautics.- Early life :...
(German school) and School no. 10 Bathory Istvan (Hungarian school)), we mention the following high-schools:
Stephan Ludwig Roth
Stephan Ludwig Roth
Stephan Ludwig Roth was a Transylvanian Saxon intellectual, pedagogue and Lutheran pastor....
High-School,
National Gas High-School,
Axente Sever High-School,
Automecania High-School
M.I.U. High-School.
Media
Newspapers- Monitorul de Mediaş
- Medieşeanul
- Ziarul de Mediaş
Tv Stations
- Nova TvNova TVNova TV is a Croatian commercial television network launched in November 2000. It was the first commercial television network with national concession in this country and since 2004 it is fully owned by the Central European Media Enterprises.- Overview :...
Radio Stations
- Radio Mediaş 88,1 FM
- Radio Ring 90,2 FM
Tourism
Mediaş has one of the best preserved historical centers in Romania and also some well preserved medieval fortificationFortification
Fortifications are military constructions and buildings designed for defence in warfare and military bases. Humans have constructed defensive works for many thousands of years, in a variety of increasingly complex designs...
s.
One of the most impressive symbols of the town is the Tower of the Buglers, which is about 70 meters tall. Its construction started in the 13th century. In the 15th century it was raised to 5 tiers. The St. Margaret Church was finished at about the same time. Later, 3 more tiers were added in only 2 months. The roof consists of colored vitrified tiles, and 4 turrets were built. The tower had a guard, who would sound his bugle whenever an enemy approached. Therefore the tower has this name. The tower has in its South-Western corner (between the clocks) a small wooden man who rings a bell, thus announcing in advance when the clock will ring on the hour. The heavy pressure of the tower on the sandy soil is the reason why the tower is slightly tilted to the North. Between 1927 and 1930, and later in 1972, the tower was consolidated. The tilt of the tip compared with the base is 2.32 m.
The city lies in the middle of the area which was inhabited by Transylvanian Saxons
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...
and in an area of 20 km around it there are dozens of fortified churches, two of them UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World heritage sites.
Wine
The grapes (and wine leaves) that are visible in the city's coat of arms refer to the (once well-known) wine from Mediaş. For example, the wine is mentioned in Bram StokerBram Stoker
Abraham "Bram" Stoker was an Irish novelist and short story writer, best known today for his 1897 Gothic novel Dracula...
s novel Dracula
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
quite in the beginning: "The wine was Golden Mediasch, which produces a queer sting on the tongue, which is, however, not disagreeable" (Jonathan Harker 's
Jonathan Harker
Jonathan Harker is one of the main protagonists in the 1897 horror novel Dracula by Bram Stoker. His journey to Transylvania and encounter with Count Dracula and the Brides of Dracula at Castle Dracula constitutes the dramatic opening scenes in the novel and most of the film adaptations.-In the...
diary, May 5, on his way to the castle of the count).
Sports
- Football: Gaz Metan Mediaş - playing in the Liga ILiga ILiga I, or in full, due to sponsorship reasons, Liga I Bergenbier, is the top division of the Romanian football league system. Before the 2006/2007 season, it was called Divizia A, but the name had to be changed following the discovery that someone else had registered the trademark "Divizia A"...
- Basketball: Gaz Metan MediaşCS Gaz Metan Mediaş (basketball)CS Gaz Metan Mediaş is a Romanian professional basketball club, based in Mediaş, Romania. The club competes in the Romanian Basketball Division A. The team promoted for the first time in Division A in 2004. The best place since then has been 2nd, in 2010....
- playing in the Division ARomanian Basketball Division AThe Divizia A is the top-tier professional basketball league of Romania. There are 16 teams in Men's Division A.The regular season begins in October and is played over a normal round-robin home-and-away basis. The first 8 clubs qualify for the play-offs. The play-offs are played using the knock-out...
Famous people
- Stephan Ludwig RothStephan Ludwig RothStephan Ludwig Roth was a Transylvanian Saxon intellectual, pedagogue and Lutheran pastor....
- Christian SchesausChristian SchesausChristian Schesaus was a Transylvanian Saxon humanist, poet, Lutheran pastor and a resident of Mediaş.He studied in Braşov and, from 1556 to 1558, at the University of Wittenberg....
- Hermann OberthHermann OberthHermann Julius Oberth was an Austro-Hungarian-born German physicist and engineer. He is considered one of the founding fathers of rocketry and astronautics.- Early life :...
- Rudolf Brandsch
- Doris Eisenburger
- Otto Folberth
- Michael WeißMichael Weiß (politician)Michael Weiß was a Transylvanian Saxonpolitician and historian...
- Elena Carstea
- Octavian Fodor
Twin towns — Sister cities
Mediaş is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with: Sopron Joure Głogów Mineral Wells