Sibiu
Encyclopedia
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
. Nowadays the capital of Sibiu County
, between 1692 and 1791 Sibiu was the capital of the Principality of Transylvania.
Sibiu is one of the most important cultural centres of Romania and, in tandem with Luxembourg
, it was designated a European Capital of Culture
for the year 2007. Formerly the centre of the Transylvanian Saxons
, the old city of Sibiu was ranked as "Europe's 8th most idyllic place to live" by Forbes
.
The city administers the ski resort Păltiniş
.
, 12 km from the Cibin Mountains, and about 15 km from the Lotrului Mountains, which border the depression in its southwestern section. The northern and eastern limits of Sibiu are formed by the Târnavelor Plateau, which descends to the Cibin Valley through Guşteriţei Hill.
The Cibin river as well as some smaller streams runs through Sibiu. The geographical position of Sibiu makes it one of the most important transportation hubs in Romania with important roads and railway lines passing through it.
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Sibiu's climate is temperate
-continental
with average temperatures of 8 to 9°C. The multi-annual average of rainfall is 662 l/mp, and there are about 120 days of hard frost annually.
Two main industrial areas are located within the city limits:
The Southern part, including the ASTRA National Museum Complex
and the zoo, also falls within the city limits.
in Transylvania, the prepositure having its headquarters in Sibiu, named Cibinium at that time. It was probably built near a Roman
settlement, one that would be known during the early Middle Ages as Caedonia.
,_17th_century_engraving.jpg)
In the 14th century, it was already an important trade center. In 1376, the craftsmen were divided in 19 guild
s. Sibiu became the most important ethnic German city among the seven cities that gave Transylvania its German name Siebenbürgen (literally seven cities), and it was home to the Universitas Saxorum, the assembly of Germans in Transylvania.
Common opinion in the 17th century ascribed Sibiu the quality of being the easternmost city to be part of the European sphere; it was also the eastern terminus of postal routes.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the city became the second and later the first most important center of Transylvanian Romanian ethnics
. The first Romanian-owned bank had its headquarters here (The Albina Bank), as did the ASTRA (Transylvanian Association for Romanian Literature and Romanian's People Culture). After the Romanian Orthodox Church was granted status in the Habsburg Empire from the 1860s onwards, Sibiu became the Metropolitan seat
, and the city is still regarded as the third most important center of the Romanian Orthodox Church
. Between the Hungarian Revolution of 1848
and 1867 (the year of the Ausgleich
), Sibiu was the meeting-place of the Transylvanian Diet
, which had taken its most representative form after the Empire agreed to extend voting rights in the region.
After World War I
, when Austria-Hungary
was dissolved, Sibiu became part of Romania; the majority of its population was still ethnic German (until 1941) and counted a large Romanian community, as well as a small Hungarian one. Starting from the 1950s and until after 1990, most of the city's ethnic Germans emigrated to Germany
. Among the roughly 2,000 who have remained is Klaus Johannis
, who is mayor of Sibiu City.
The city features in the famous novel "The Reader
" (Der Vorleser) by German law professor and judge Bernhard Schlink
, upon which an Oscar-winning film was based.
The mayor of Sibiu is Klaus Johannis
, the president of the Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania
(FDGR/DFDR). He was elected in 2000, being the first German mayor of a city in Romania since World War II
. Johannis was overwhelmingly reelected in 2004 (with 88.7% of votes) and 2008 (with 83.3% of the votes cast) and his party gained an absolute majority in the city council. The German Forum also won the elections for mayor in the second and third most important towns in Sibiu county, Mediaş
and Cisnădie
, as well as one third (11 out of 33) of the seats in the county council.
This may seem surprising, as Germans make up less than 2% of Sibiu's population and less than 3% of the county population.
'). Other local industries are machine components, textiles, agro-industry, and electrical components (Siemens
).
One of the main concerns for the city is attracting new investors to locate their businesses in Sibiu, and an industrial park
has been recently completed. The city also contains Romania's largest stock exchange outside Bucharest
, the Sibiu Stock Exchange
.
Sibiu has one of the most modern international airports
in Romania, with direct connections to Germany
, Austria
, England
and Spain
as well as to other Romanian cities.
Direct flights from Sibiu:
The Romanian Motorway A1 will link the city with Piteşti
and the Romanian western border, near Arad
. Funding for the project is assured and work is projected to be complete by 2014. Sibiu' s ring road as part of A1 Highway was completed on December 1st 2010.
Sibiu is also an important hub for the international bus links with the biggest passenger transporter in Romania, Atlassib, based here. Transport companies are also providing coach connections from Sibiu to a large number of locations in Romania.
The city is served by three rail stations: the Main Station, the Little Station (Gara Micǎ) and Sibiu Turnişor. It has an important diesel-powered locomotives depot and a freight terminal.
Numerous InterCity trains (nicknamed Blue Arrows) connect Sibiu to other major cities in Romania: Cluj-Napoca, Braşov, Craiova, Timişoara and Bucharest.
Much of the city's aspect is due to its position, easily defensible, but allowing horizontal development. The old city of Sibiu lies on the right bank of the Cibin River, on a hill situated at about 200 m from the river. It consists of two distinct entities: the Upper Town and the Lower Town. Traditionally, the Upper Town was the wealthier part and commercial outlet, while the Lower Town served as the manufacturing area.
Most of the exterior fortifications were lost to industrial development and modern urban planning in the late 19th century; only four towers still exist. A building associated with newer urbanism of the period is the Independenţa Highschool.
This area has the oldest church in the city, dating back to 1292.
activities, the area contains most points of interest in Sibiu.
Brukenthal Palace, one of the most important Baroque
monuments in Romania, lies on the north-western corner of the square. It was erected between 1777 and 1787 as the main residence for the Governor of Transylvania Samuel von Brukenthal
. It houses the main part of the National Brukenthal Museum, opened in 1817. Next to the palace is the Blue House, an 18th century Baroque house bearing the old coat of arms of Sibiu on its façade.
On the north side is the Jesuit Church, along with its dependencies, the former residence of the Jesuits in Sibiu. Also on the north side, at the beginning of the 20th century an Art Nouveau
building was constructed on the west part, now it houses the mayor's office.
Next to the Jesuit Church on the north side is the Council Tower, one of the city's symbols. This former fortification tower from the 14th century has been successively rebuilt over the years. The building nearby used to be the City Council's meetingplace; beneath it lies an access way between the Grand Square and the Lesser Square.
On the south and east sides are two- or three-storey houses, having tall attics with small windows known as the city's eyes. Most of these houses are dated 15th to 19th centuries, and most of them are Baroque in style.
The square is connected to the other two squares and to other streets by small, narrow passages. The main access from the Lower City is through Ocnei Street, which divides the square in two. The street passes under the Liar's Bridge - the first bridge in Romania to have been cast in iron (1859).
To the right of the bridge is another symbol of the city, The House of the Arts, an arched building formerly belonging to the Butchers' Guild. On the left side of the bridge is the Luxemburg House, a Baroque four-storey building, former seat of the Goldsmiths' Guild.
in its center. It is the place where the earliest fortifications have been built. The buildings around this square are mainly Gothic
. On the west side lies the Brukenthal Highschool, in place of a former 14th century school.
In the 16th century more modern elements were added to the fortifications, mainly leaf-shaped bastion
s. Two of these survived to this day, as the Haller Bastion (all the way down Coposu Boulevard) and "Soldisch Bastion".
The Radu Stanca National Theatre is one of the leading Romanian theatres. With origins dating back to 1787, it attracts some of the best-known Romanian directors, such as Tompa Gábor and Silviu Purcărete. It has both a Romanian-language and a German-language section, and presents an average of five shows a week.
The Gong Theatre is specialised in puppetry, mime and non-conventional shows for children and teenagers. It also presents shows in both Romanian and German.
The State Philharmonic of Sibiu presents weekly classical music concerts, and educational concerts for children and teenagers. The concerts take place in the newly restored Thalia Hall, a concert and theatre hall dating from 1787, situated along the old city fortifications. Weekly organ
concerts are organised at the Evangelical Cathedral during summers, and thematic concerts are presented by the Faculty of Theology choir at the Orthodox Cathedral.
The "Festivalul International de Teatru de la Sibiu
" is an annual festival of performing arts.
Sibiu's museums are organised around two entities: the Brukenthal National Museum
and the ASTRA National Museum Complex
. The Brukenthal Museum consists of an Art Gallery and an Old Books Library located inside the Brukenthal Palace, a History Museum located in the old town hall building, a Pharmacy Museum located in one of the first apothecary
shops in Europe, dating from the 16th century, a Natural History Museum and a Museum of Arms and Hunting Trophies.
The ASTRA National Museum Complex
focuses on ethnography
, and consists of a Traditional Folk Civilisation Museum, a 96-hectare
open-air museum located on a forest south of Sibiu, a Universal Ethnography Museum, a Museum of Transylvanian Civilisation and a Museum of Saxon Ethnography and Folk Art. Also planned is a Museum of the Culture and Civilisation of the Romany People.
There is a Steam Locomotives Museum
close to the railway station, sheltering around 40 locomotives
, two of which are functional.
.
The Artmania Festival
is held every Summer since 2006 and as of 2008 the Rockin' Transilvania Festival is also held in Sibiu.
The oldest Jazz Festival in Romania is organized here, as well as the "Carl Filtsch" festival for young classical piano players, the "Astra Film" documentary film festival, the Transylvania calling Festival a Multi Cultural 6 day Open Air Music festival! 26–31 July 2007, a medieval arts festival and many more smaller cultural events.
for 2007, owed greatly to the excellent collaboration with Luxembourg
, but also to what many regard as a miraculous social rebirth taking place in the city during the last years. The Cultural Capital status was expected to bring about an abrupt increase in quantity and quality of cultural events in 2007.
is the city's transport system and operates one tram
way line to Răşinari
, and 22 bus lines.
About 2000 taxis, all of which must be yellow, operate in Sibiu.
In 2007, Sibiu was the European Capital of Culture
(together with Luxembourg
). This was the most important cultural event that has ever happened in the city, and a great number of tourists came, both domestic and foreign.
The city of Sibiu and its surroundings are one of the most visited areas in Romania. It holds one of the best preserved historical sites in the country, many of its medieval fortifications having been kept in excellent state. Its old center has begun the process for becoming a UNESCO
World Heritage Site
in 2004. Sibiu and its surrounding area have many significant museums, with 12 institutions housing art collections, paintings, and exhibits in decorative arts, archeology, anthropology, history, industrial archeology and history of technology and natural sciences.
The city also lies close to the Făgăraş Mountains
- a very popular trekking destination, close to the Păltiniş
resort - a popular winter holiday destination, and it is at the heart of the former Saxon communities in Transylvania renowned for its fortified churches.
The Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu
was founded in 1990, with five faculties: Engineering and Sciences; Letters; History and Law; Medicine; Food and Textile Processing Technology. Nowadays, it has many departments.
Sibiu also houses the Nicolae Bălcescu Land Forces Military Academy, the Foreign Language Center as well as some private universities.
In Sibiu there are 20 educational institutions on the secondary level, the most prestigious of which are:
Rugby
Volleyball
Basketball
Handball
Speed Skating
, Brazil, since 1995. Columbia
, USA, since 1994. Deventer
, the Netherlands, since 2007. Klagenfurt
, Austria, since 1990. Landshut
, Germany, since 2002. Marburg
, Germany, since 2005. Mechelen
, Belgium, since 1996. Rennes
, France, since 1999. Valencia, Venezuela
, since 1993. Wirral
, United Kingdom, since 1994. Takayama, Gifu
, Japan, since 2009.
. Honorary Consulate of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
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...
with a population of 154,548. Located some 282 km north-west of Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
, the city straddles the Cibin River, a tributary of the river Olt
Olt River
The Olt River is a river in Romania. It is the longest river flowing exclusively through Romania. Its source is in the Hăşmaş Mountains of the eastern Carpathian Mountains, near the village Bălan. It flows through the Romanian counties Harghita, Covasna, Braşov, Sibiu, Vâlcea and Olt...
. Nowadays the capital of Sibiu County
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....
, between 1692 and 1791 Sibiu was the capital of the Principality of Transylvania.
Sibiu is one of the most important cultural centres of Romania and, in tandem with Luxembourg
Luxembourg (city)
The city of Luxembourg , also known as Luxembourg City , is a commune with city status, and the capital of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It is located at the confluence of the Alzette and Pétrusse Rivers in southern Luxembourg...
, it was designated a European Capital of Culture
European Capital of Culture
The European Capital of Culture is a city designated by theEuropean Union for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong European dimension....
for the year 2007. Formerly the centre of the 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...
, the old city of Sibiu was ranked as "Europe's 8th most idyllic place to live" by Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
.
The city administers the ski resort Păltiniş
Paltinis
Păltiniş is a mountain resort in Transylvania, Romania, 35 km south-west from Sibiu in the Cindrel Mountains.It is situated at 1440 m altitude, being the highest resort in Romania. It lies in a conifer forest. It is a popular winter destination and in summer it is sought for its peacefulness...
.
Geography
Sibiu is situated near the geographical center of Romania at display=inline,title°name=Sibiu′45.792784"N 24.152069°E. Set in the Cibin Depression, the city is about 20 km from the Făgăraş MountainsFagaras Mountains
Făgăraș Mountains , are the highest mountains of the Southern Carpathians, in Romania. The highest peaks are Moldoveanu , Negoiu , Viștea Mare , Lespezi , Vânătoarea lui Buteanu , and Dara .They are bordered in the north by the Făgăraș Depression, through which the Olt river flows, and in the west...
, 12 km from the Cibin Mountains, and about 15 km from the Lotrului Mountains, which border the depression in its southwestern section. The northern and eastern limits of Sibiu are formed by the Târnavelor Plateau, which descends to the Cibin Valley through Guşteriţei Hill.
The Cibin river as well as some smaller streams runs through Sibiu. The geographical position of Sibiu makes it one of the most important transportation hubs in Romania with important roads and railway lines passing through it.
Temperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
-continental
Continental climate
Continental climate is a climate characterized by important annual variation in temperature due to the lack of significant bodies of water nearby...
with average temperatures of 8 to 9°C. The multi-annual average of rainfall is 662 l/mp, and there are about 120 days of hard frost annually.
City districts
The following districts are part of Sibiu. Some were villages annexed by the city but most were built as the city developed and increased its surface.
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Two main industrial areas are located within the city limits:
- East industrial zone, alongside the railway to BraşovBrasovBrașov 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....
and Râmnicu VâlceaRâmnicu VâlceaRâmnicu Vâlcea is the capital city of Vâlcea County, Romania .-Geography and climate:Râmnicu Vâlcea is situated in the central-south area of Romania... - West industrial zone, near the exit to SebeşSebesSebeș is a city in Alba County, central Romania, southern Transylvania.-Geography:The city lies on the Mureș River valley and it straddles the Sebeș river...
, close to the AirportSibiu International AirportSibiu International Airport or Aeroportul International Sibiu serves the historic city of Sibiu. It is located in southern Transylvania, west of Sibiu and about northwest of Romania's capital city, Bucharest. In 2006 - 2008, the airport passed through the most important rehabilitation program in...
The Southern part, including the ASTRA National Museum Complex
ASTRA National Museum Complex
"ASTRA" National Museum Complex is a museum complex in Sibiu, Romania, which gathers under the same authority four ethnology and civilisation museums in the city, a series of laboratories for conservation and research, and a documentation centre. It is the successor of the ASTRA museum that has...
and the zoo, also falls within the city limits.
Geographic location
History
The first official record referring to the Sibiu area comes from 1191, when Pope Celestine III confirmed the existence of the free prepositure of the German settlersTransylvanian 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...
in Transylvania, the prepositure having its headquarters in Sibiu, named Cibinium at that time. It was probably built near a Roman
Roman Dacia
The Roman province of Dacia on the Balkans included the modern Romanian regions of Transylvania, Banat and Oltenia, and temporarily Muntenia and southern Moldova, but not the nearby regions of Moesia...
settlement, one that would be known during the early Middle Ages as Caedonia.
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. Sibiu became the most important ethnic German city among the seven cities that gave Transylvania its German name Siebenbürgen (literally seven cities), and it was home to the Universitas Saxorum, the assembly of Germans in Transylvania.
Common opinion in the 17th century ascribed Sibiu the quality of being the easternmost city to be part of the European sphere; it was also the eastern terminus of postal routes.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, the city became the second and later the first most important center of Transylvanian Romanian ethnics
Romanians
The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
. The first Romanian-owned bank had its headquarters here (The Albina Bank), as did the ASTRA (Transylvanian Association for Romanian Literature and Romanian's People Culture). After the Romanian Orthodox Church was granted status in the Habsburg Empire from the 1860s onwards, Sibiu became the Metropolitan seat
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
, and the city is still regarded as the third most important center of the Romanian Orthodox Church
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...
. Between the Hungarian Revolution of 1848
Hungarian Revolution of 1848
The Hungarian Revolution of 1848 was one of many of the European Revolutions of 1848 and closely linked to other revolutions of 1848 in the Habsburg areas...
and 1867 (the year of the Ausgleich
Ausgleich
The Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 established the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary. The Compromise re-established the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Hungary, separate from and no longer subject to the Austrian Empire...
), Sibiu was the meeting-place of the Transylvanian Diet
Transylvanian Diet
The Transylvanian Diet was the constitutional and political body of Principality of Transylvania, and later of the Grand Principality of Transylvania...
, which had taken its most representative form after the Empire agreed to extend voting rights in the region.
After 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...
, when 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...
was dissolved, Sibiu became part of Romania; the majority of its population was still ethnic German (until 1941) and counted a large Romanian community, as well as a small Hungarian one. Starting from the 1950s and until after 1990, most of the city's ethnic Germans emigrated to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Among the roughly 2,000 who have remained is Klaus Johannis
Klaus Johannis
Klaus Werner Iohannis is a Romanian politician of German origin. Since 2000 he has been the mayor of the Transylvanian city of Sibiu, representing the small centrist Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania. He has been re-elected by landslide votes in 2004 and 2008...
, who is mayor of Sibiu City.
The city features in the famous novel "The Reader
The Reader
The Reader is a novel by German law professor and judge Bernhard Schlink, published in Germany in 1995 and in the United States in 1997...
" (Der Vorleser) by German law professor and judge Bernhard Schlink
Bernhard Schlink
Bernhard Schlink is a German jurist and writer. He was born in Bethel, Germany, to a German father and a Swiss mother, the youngest of four children. Both his parents were theology students, although his father lost his job as a Professor of Theology due to the Nazis, and had to settle on being a...
, upon which an Oscar-winning film was based.
Milestones in Sibiu's history
- 1191 - Mentioned for the first time in a document of the Vatican, under the name "Cibinium" (due to the river Cibin that flows through the city)
- 1241 - Mongol victory over the Hungarian army, April 10
- 1292 - The first hospital in the Kingdom 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...
was opened. - 1380 - The first documented school in the Kingdom 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...
. - 1494 - The first pharmacyPharmacyPharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
in the Kingdom 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...
. - 1534 - The first paper millPaper millA paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags and other ingredients using a Fourdrinier machine or other type of paper machine.- History :...
in the Kingdom 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...
. - 1544 - The first book in the Romanian languageRomanian languageRomanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
was printed in Sibiu, funded by John II Sigismund ZápolyaJohn II Sigismund ZápolyaJohn II Sigismund Zápolya was King of Hungary from 1540 to 1570 and Prince of Transylvania from 1570–1571.-Family:The son of King John I and Isabella Jagiełło, he succeeded his father as an infant...
. This was in Cyrillic letters. - 1551 - Conrad HaasConrad HaasConrad Haas was a military engineer of the Holy Roman Empire, who is believed to be the first person to describe a multistage rocket in writing.Haas was perhaps born in Dornbach...
's experiment with rocketRocketA rocket is a missile, spacecraft, aircraft or other vehicle which obtains thrust from a rocket engine. In all rockets, the exhaust is formed entirely from propellants carried within the rocket before use. Rocket engines work by action and reaction...
s. - 1570 - The OttomanOttoman EmpireThe Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
-dependent Principality of Transylvania was formed after the Ottoman conquest in 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...
. - 1671 - Methane gas was discovered near Sibiu.
- 1782 - Franz-Joseph Müller von ReichensteinFranz-Joseph Müller von ReichensteinFranz-Joseph Müller Freiherr von Reichenstein or Franz-Joseph Müller von Reichenstein was an Austrian mineralogist and mining engineer. Müller held several positions in the Austria-Hungarian administration of mines and coinage in the Banat, Transylvania, and Tyrol...
discovered the chemical element tellurium. - 1788 - First theatre in TransylvaniaTransylvaniaTransylvania 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...
. - 1795 - The first lightning rodLightning rodA lightning rod or lightning conductor is a metal rod or conductor mounted on top of a building and electrically connected to the ground through a wire, to protect the building in the event of lightning...
in TransylvaniaTransylvaniaTransylvania 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...
and in Southeastern Europe was installed in NagydisznódCisnadieCisnădie is a town in Sibiu County, Transylvania, Romania located approximately 10 km from Sibiu. As of 2002, it has a population of about 17,871...
(present-day CisnădieCisnadieCisnădie is a town in Sibiu County, Transylvania, Romania located approximately 10 km from Sibiu. As of 2002, it has a population of about 17,871...
). - 1817 - The Brukenthal MuseumBrukenthal National MuseumThe Brukenthal National Museum is a museum, erected in the late of 15th century in Sibiu, Romania, housed in the palace of Samuel von Brukenthal — who was Habsburg governor of Transylvania and who established its first collections around 1790...
, the first museum in TransylvaniaTransylvaniaTransylvania 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...
was opened. - 1867 - The Principality of TransylvaniaPrincipality of Transylvania (1711–1867)The Principality of Transylvania or Grand Principality of Transylvania was a province of the Habsburg Monarchy and Austrian Empire.-History:...
was reunited with Hungary in the dual monarchy of Austria-HungaryAustria-HungaryAustria-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... - 1896 - The first use of electricity in Austria-HungaryAustria-HungaryAustria-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...
, and the first power line in Southeastern Europe. - 1904 - The second city in Europe to use an electric-powered trolleyTramA tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
. - 1918 - Upon the Union of Transylvania with RomaniaUnion of Transylvania with RomaniaUnion of Transylvania with Romania was declared on by the assembly of the delegates of ethnic Romanians held in Alba Iulia.The national holiday of Romania, the Great Union Day occurring on December 1, commemorates this event...
, Sibiu became part of RomaniaRomaniaRomania 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...
. - 1928 - The first zoo in RomaniaRomaniaRomania 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...
. - 1941 - Saxons lost their historical majority in the population
- 1989 - The third city to take part in the Romanian RevolutionRomanian Revolution of 1989The Romanian Revolution of 1989 was a series of riots and clashes in December 1989. These were part of the Revolutions of 1989 that occurred in several Warsaw Pact countries...
. - 2007 - European Capital of Culture 2007
- 2011 - The 17.5 km of motorway forming a partial beltway around Sibiu was fully completed on August 30th.
Demographics
According to the last census, from 2002, there were 154,892 people living within the city of Sibiu, making it the 15th largest city in Romania. The ethnic breakdown is as follows:- RomaniansRomaniansThe Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
95.7% - Hungarians 2%
- GermansEthnic GermanEthnic Germans historically also ), also collectively referred to as the German diaspora, refers to people who are of German ethnicity. Many are not born in Europe or in the modern-day state of Germany or hold German citizenship...
(Transylvanian Saxons) 1.6% - Other 0.7%
Population dynamics
- 1850: || 12.765 inhabitants
- 1900: |||| 21.465
- 1930: |||||||||| 49.345
- 1948: |||||||||||||| 60.602
- 1966: |||||||||||||||||||||| 109.515
- 1977: |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| 151.005
- 1992: |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| 169.610
- 2002: ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| 154.892
| Census | Ethnic structure | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Population of Sibiu |
Romanians Romanians The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania.... |
Hungarians | Germans Ethnic German Ethnic Germans historically also ), also collectively referred to as the German diaspora, refers to people who are of German ethnicity. Many are not born in Europe or in the modern-day state of Germany or hold German citizenship... |
| 1850 | 12,765 | 2,089 | 977 | 8,790 |
| 1880 | 19,446 | 2,810 | 2,065 | 14,327 |
| 1890 | 21,465 | 4,581 | 3,199 | 13,148 |
| 1900 | 29,577 | 7,106 | 5,747 | 16,141 |
| 1910 | 33,489 | 8,824 | 7,252 | 16,832 |
| 1920 | 32,748 | 8,553 | 4,291 | 18,218 |
| 1930 | 49,345 | 19,006 | 6,782 | 22,045 |
| 1941 | 63,765 | 33,829 | 4,262 | 23,574 |
| 1948 | 60,602 | 37,371 | 5,060 | 16,359 |
| 1956 | 90,475 | 60,526 | 4,772 | 24,636 |
| 1966 | 109,515 | 78,548 | 5,124 | 25,387 |
| 1977 | 151,005 | 119,507 | 5,111 | 25,403 |
| 1992 | 169,610 | 158,863 | 4,163 | 5,605 |
Population by religious denomination
Today, most of the population is of the Romanian Orthodox religion. Protestants and Roman Catholics represent about 5% of the population.| Confessions in Sibiu | |||||||
| Confession | 1910 | 2002 | |||||
| Eastern 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... |
18 % | 91 % | |||||
| Greek-Catholic (Uniate) | 8 % | 1 % | |||||
| Roman Catholic | 20 % | 2 % | |||||
| Evangelical Lutheran Evangelical Church The term Evangelical Church may refer specifically to:* Slovak Evangelical Church* Armenian Evangelical Church* Assyrian Evangelical Church* Christian Evangelical Church of Romania* Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus... |
42 % | 2 % | |||||
| Reformed | 7 % | 1 % | |||||
| Jewish | 4 % | < 1 % | |||||
| Other | 1 % | 4 % | |||||
Politics
Klaus Johannis
Klaus Werner Iohannis is a Romanian politician of German origin. Since 2000 he has been the mayor of the Transylvanian city of Sibiu, representing the small centrist Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania. He has been re-elected by landslide votes in 2004 and 2008...
, the president of the Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania
Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania
The Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania is a centrist political party representing the German minority in Romania. It was founded at the end of 1989. Despite originally being a German minority party, the party is popular also with many ethnic Romanians, notably in parts of Transylvania...
(FDGR/DFDR). He was elected in 2000, being the first German mayor of a city in Romania since 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...
. Johannis was overwhelmingly reelected in 2004 (with 88.7% of votes) and 2008 (with 83.3% of the votes cast) and his party gained an absolute majority in the city council. The German Forum also won the elections for mayor in the second and third most important towns in Sibiu county, Mediaş
Medias
Mediaș is the second largest city in Sibiu County, Transylvania, Romania.-Geographic location:Mediaș is located in the middle basin of Târnava Mare River, at 39 km from Sighișoara and 41 km from Blaj. The health resort Bazna, officially recognized for the first time in 1302, is...
and Cisnădie
Cisnadie
Cisnădie is a town in Sibiu County, Transylvania, Romania located approximately 10 km from Sibiu. As of 2002, it has a population of about 17,871...
, as well as one third (11 out of 33) of the seats in the county council.
This may seem surprising, as Germans make up less than 2% of Sibiu's population and less than 3% of the county population.
| Party | Seats in 2004 Romanian local election, 2004 Local elections where held in Romania in late May 2004, and a runoff for mayors in early June 2004In late May where elected:* all the villages, communes, cities, and municipal cluncils , and the Sectors Local Councils of Bucharest... |
Seats in 2008 Romanian local election, 2008 Local elections were held in Romania on June 1, 2008, with a runoff for mayors on June 15, 2008.On June 1 where elected:* all the villages, communes, cities, and municipal cluncils , and the Sectors Local Councils of Bucharest... |
Current Council | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic Forum of Germans Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania The Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania is a centrist political party representing the German minority in Romania. It was founded at the end of 1989. Despite originally being a German minority party, the party is popular also with many ethnic Romanians, notably in parts of Transylvania... |
16 | 14 | |||||||||||||||
| Democratic Liberal Party Democratic Liberal Party (Romania) The Democratic Liberal Party is a populist, centre-right party in Romania. It was formed on 15 December 2007, when the Democratic Party merged with the Liberal Democratic Party. From 2004 to 2007, the Democratic Party was part of the governing Justice and Truth Alliance... |
2 | 4 | |||||||||||||||
| Social Democratic Party Social Democratic Party (Romania) The Social Democratic Party is the major social-democratic political party in Romania. It was formed in 1992, after the post-communist National Salvation Front broke apart. It adopted its present name after a merger with a minor social-democratic party in 2001. Since its formation, it has always... |
2 | 3 | |||||||||||||||
| National Liberal Party National Liberal Party (Romania) The National Liberal Party , abbreviated to PNL, is a centre-right liberal party in Romania. It is the third-largest party in the Romanian Parliament, with 53 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 22 in the Senate: behind the centre-right Democratic Liberal Party and the centre-left Social... |
3 | 2 |
Economy
Sibiu is one of the most prosperous cities of Romania, and also receives one of the highest rates of foreign investment in the country. It is an important manufacturer of automotive components (Bilstein-Compa, Takata, Continental, and SNR 'Ball bearingBall bearing
A ball bearing is a type of rolling-element bearing that uses balls to maintain the separation between the bearing races.The purpose of a ball bearing is to reduce rotational friction and support radial and axial loads. It achieves this by using at least two races to contain the balls and transmit...
'). Other local industries are machine components, textiles, agro-industry, and electrical components (Siemens
Siemens AG
Siemens AG is a German multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Munich, Germany. It is the largest Europe-based electronics and electrical engineering company....
).
One of the main concerns for the city is attracting new investors to locate their businesses in Sibiu, and an industrial park
Industrial park
An industrial park is an area zoned and planned for the purpose of industrial development...
has been recently completed. The city also contains Romania's largest stock exchange outside Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
, the Sibiu Stock Exchange
Sibiu Stock Exchange
The Sibiu Monetary Financial and Commodities Exchange is Romania's second largest financial market. It was founded in December 1994 in the historical city of Sibiu, Transylvania by 11 initial shareholders, its main activity was trading commodities on the spot market...
.
Employment breakdown by economic sector
- Industry - 49%
- Commerce - 15%
- Construction - 7.5%
- Health - 7.5%
- Education - 7%
- Transport - 6.5%
Transport
Sibiu is well served in terms of transport and infrastructure. In 2010 a city bypass was opened, significantly decongesting the road traffic.Air
Sibiu International Airport
Sibiu International Airport or Aeroportul International Sibiu serves the historic city of Sibiu. It is located in southern Transylvania, west of Sibiu and about northwest of Romania's capital city, Bucharest. In 2006 - 2008, the airport passed through the most important rehabilitation program in...
in Romania, with direct connections to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
as well as to other Romanian cities.
Direct flights from Sibiu:
- MunichMunichMunich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
(LufthansaLufthansaDeutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating...
, TaromTaromS.C. Compania Națională de Transporturi Aeriene Române TAROM S.A., doing business as TAROM Romanian Air Transport, is the flag carrier and oldest currently operating airline of Romania. The brand name is an acronym for...
) - ViennaViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
(Austrian AirlinesAustrian AirlinesAustrian Airlines is the flag carrier airline of Austria, headquartered in Office Park 2 on the grounds of Vienna International Airport in Schwechat, Wien-Umgebung and a subsidiary of Deutsche Lufthansa AG. Together with regional subsidiary Tyrolean Airways and charter arm Lauda Air, it operates...
) - BucharestBucharestBucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
(Blue AirBlue AirBlue Air Transport Aerian S.A. is a low-cost airline based in Bucharest, Romania, operating mostly out of Aurel Vlaicu International Airport It started operations in December 2004.- Destinations :...
, TaromTaromS.C. Compania Națională de Transporturi Aeriene Române TAROM S.A., doing business as TAROM Romanian Air Transport, is the flag carrier and oldest currently operating airline of Romania. The brand name is an acronym for...
) - TimişoaraTimisoaraTimișoara 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...
(CarpatairCarpatairCarpatair S.A. is the largest regional airline in Eastern Europe, based in Timişoara, Romania. It operates services to 34 destinations in Europe. It co-operates closely with Moldavian Airlines on fleet, maintenance and logistics...
) - StuttgartStuttgartStuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
(Blue AirBlue AirBlue Air Transport Aerian S.A. is a low-cost airline based in Bucharest, Romania, operating mostly out of Aurel Vlaicu International Airport It started operations in December 2004.- Destinations :...
) - CologneCologneCologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
(Blue AirBlue AirBlue Air Transport Aerian S.A. is a low-cost airline based in Bucharest, Romania, operating mostly out of Aurel Vlaicu International Airport It started operations in December 2004.- Destinations :...
) - MadridMadridMadrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
(Blue AirBlue AirBlue Air Transport Aerian S.A. is a low-cost airline based in Bucharest, Romania, operating mostly out of Aurel Vlaicu International Airport It started operations in December 2004.- Destinations :...
) - LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
(Blue AirBlue AirBlue Air Transport Aerian S.A. is a low-cost airline based in Bucharest, Romania, operating mostly out of Aurel Vlaicu International Airport It started operations in December 2004.- Destinations :...
) - Valencia (Blue AirBlue AirBlue Air Transport Aerian S.A. is a low-cost airline based in Bucharest, Romania, operating mostly out of Aurel Vlaicu International Airport It started operations in December 2004.- Destinations :...
)
Road
Sibiu is an important node in the European road network, being on two different European routes (E68 and E81). At a national level, Sibiu is located on three different main national roads, DN1, DN7 and DN14.The Romanian Motorway A1 will link the city with Piteşti
Pitesti
Pitești is a city in Romania, located on the Argeș River. The capital and largest city of Argeș County, it is an important commercial and industrial center, as well as the home of two universities. Pitești is situated on the A1 freeway connecting it directly to the national capital Bucharest,...
and the Romanian western border, near Arad
Arad, Romania
Arad is the capital city of Arad County, in western Romania, in the Crişana region, on the river Mureş.An important industrial center and transportation hub, Arad is also the seat of a Romanian Orthodox archbishop and features two universities, a Romanian Orthodox theological seminary, a training...
. Funding for the project is assured and work is projected to be complete by 2014. Sibiu' s ring road as part of A1 Highway was completed on December 1st 2010.
Sibiu is also an important hub for the international bus links with the biggest passenger transporter in Romania, Atlassib, based here. Transport companies are also providing coach connections from Sibiu to a large number of locations in Romania.
Rail
Sibiu is situated on the CFR-Romanian Railways Main Line 200 (Brasov - Făgăraş - Sibiu - Simeria - Arad - Romanian Western Border) and on Line 206 (Sibiu - Mediaş).The city is served by three rail stations: the Main Station, the Little Station (Gara Micǎ) and Sibiu Turnişor. It has an important diesel-powered locomotives depot and a freight terminal.
Numerous InterCity trains (nicknamed Blue Arrows) connect Sibiu to other major cities in Romania: Cluj-Napoca, Braşov, Craiova, Timişoara and Bucharest.
Main sights
The Lower Town
The Lower Town (Romanian: Oraşul de jos) comprises the area between the river and the hill, and it developed around the earliest fortifications. The streets are long and quite wide for medieval city standards, with small city squares at places. The architecture is rather rustic: typically two-storey houses with tall roofs and gates opening passages to inner courts.Most of the exterior fortifications were lost to industrial development and modern urban planning in the late 19th century; only four towers still exist. A building associated with newer urbanism of the period is the Independenţa Highschool.
This area has the oldest church in the city, dating back to 1292.
The Upper Town
The Upper Town (Romanian: Oraşul de sus) is organised around three city squares and a set of streets along the line of the hill. As the main area for burgherBourgeoisie
In sociology and political science, bourgeoisie describes a range of groups across history. In the Western world, between the late 18th century and the present day, the bourgeoisie is a social class "characterized by their ownership of capital and their related culture." A member of the...
activities, the area contains most points of interest in Sibiu.
Grand Square
Grand Square (Romanian: Piaţa Mare, German: Großer Ring) is, as its name suggests, the largest square of the city, and has been the center of the city since the 16th century. 142 m long and 93 m wide, it is one of the largest ones in Transylvania.Brukenthal Palace, one of the most important Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
monuments in Romania, lies on the north-western corner of the square. It was erected between 1777 and 1787 as the main residence for the Governor of Transylvania Samuel von Brukenthal
Samuel von Brukenthal
Samuel von Brukenthal was the Habsburg governor of the Grand Principality of Transylvania between July 6, 1774 and January 9, 1787...
. It houses the main part of the National Brukenthal Museum, opened in 1817. Next to the palace is the Blue House, an 18th century Baroque house bearing the old coat of arms of Sibiu on its façade.
On the north side is the Jesuit Church, along with its dependencies, the former residence of the Jesuits in Sibiu. Also on the north side, at the beginning of the 20th century an Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
building was constructed on the west part, now it houses the mayor's office.
Next to the Jesuit Church on the north side is the Council Tower, one of the city's symbols. This former fortification tower from the 14th century has been successively rebuilt over the years. The building nearby used to be the City Council's meetingplace; beneath it lies an access way between the Grand Square and the Lesser Square.
On the south and east sides are two- or three-storey houses, having tall attics with small windows known as the city's eyes. Most of these houses are dated 15th to 19th centuries, and most of them are Baroque in style.
Lesser Square
As its name says, the Piaţă Mică (Small Square) is smaller in size, being rather longer than wide. Its north-west side has a curved shape, unlike the Grand Square, which has an approximately rectangular shape. Accordingly, Piaţă Mică plays a smaller part in the city's present-day life.The square is connected to the other two squares and to other streets by small, narrow passages. The main access from the Lower City is through Ocnei Street, which divides the square in two. The street passes under the Liar's Bridge - the first bridge in Romania to have been cast in iron (1859).
To the right of the bridge is another symbol of the city, The House of the Arts, an arched building formerly belonging to the Butchers' Guild. On the left side of the bridge is the Luxemburg House, a Baroque four-storey building, former seat of the Goldsmiths' Guild.
Huet Square
Huet Square is the third of the three main squares of Sibiu. Its most notable feature is the Evangelical Lutheran CathedralSibiu Lutheran Cathedral
The Lutheran Cathedral of Saint Mary is the most famous Gothic-style church in Sibiu, Transylvania, Romania. Its massive 73.34 m high steeple is a landmark of the city.More pictures : -Burials:* Mihnea cel RăuBaron Frank von Frankenstein...
in its center. It is the place where the earliest fortifications have been built. The buildings around this square are mainly Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
. On the west side lies the Brukenthal Highschool, in place of a former 14th century school.
The fortifications
The city of Sibiu was one of the most important fortified cities in Central Europe. Multiple rings were built around the city, most of them out of clay bricks. The south-eastern fortifications are the best kept, and all three parallel lines are still visible. The first is an exterior earth mound, the second is a 10-meter-tall red brick wall, and the third line comprises towers linked by another 10-meter-tall wall. All structures are connected via a labyrinth of tunnels and passageways, designed to ensure transport between the city and lines of defense.In the 16th century more modern elements were added to the fortifications, mainly leaf-shaped bastion
Bastion
A bastion, or a bulwark, is a structure projecting outward from the main enclosure of a fortification, situated in both corners of a straight wall , facilitating active defence against assaulting troops...
s. Two of these survived to this day, as the Haller Bastion (all the way down Coposu Boulevard) and "Soldisch Bastion".
Passage of the Stairs
The steep Passage of the Stairs leads down to the lower section of Sibiu. It descends along some fortifications under the support arches. It is the most picturesque of the several passages linking the two sides of the city.Culture
Sibiu is one of Romania's most culturally lively cities. It has 3 theatres and a philharmonic orchestra.The Radu Stanca National Theatre is one of the leading Romanian theatres. With origins dating back to 1787, it attracts some of the best-known Romanian directors, such as Tompa Gábor and Silviu Purcărete. It has both a Romanian-language and a German-language section, and presents an average of five shows a week.
The Gong Theatre is specialised in puppetry, mime and non-conventional shows for children and teenagers. It also presents shows in both Romanian and German.
The State Philharmonic of Sibiu presents weekly classical music concerts, and educational concerts for children and teenagers. The concerts take place in the newly restored Thalia Hall, a concert and theatre hall dating from 1787, situated along the old city fortifications. Weekly organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
concerts are organised at the Evangelical Cathedral during summers, and thematic concerts are presented by the Faculty of Theology choir at the Orthodox Cathedral.
The "Festivalul International de Teatru de la Sibiu
Festivalul International de Teatru de la Sibiu
The International Theatre Festival in Sibiu is the most important annual festival of performing arts in The International Theatre Festival in Sibiu is the most important annual festival of [[performing arts]] in...
" is an annual festival of performing arts.
Museums
Brukenthal National Museum
The Brukenthal National Museum is a museum, erected in the late of 15th century in Sibiu, Romania, housed in the palace of Samuel von Brukenthal — who was Habsburg governor of Transylvania and who established its first collections around 1790...
and the ASTRA National Museum Complex
ASTRA National Museum Complex
"ASTRA" National Museum Complex is a museum complex in Sibiu, Romania, which gathers under the same authority four ethnology and civilisation museums in the city, a series of laboratories for conservation and research, and a documentation centre. It is the successor of the ASTRA museum that has...
. The Brukenthal Museum consists of an Art Gallery and an Old Books Library located inside the Brukenthal Palace, a History Museum located in the old town hall building, a Pharmacy Museum located in one of the first apothecary
Apothecary
Apothecary is a historical name for a medical professional who formulates and dispenses materia medica to physicians, surgeons and patients — a role now served by a pharmacist and some caregivers....
shops in Europe, dating from the 16th century, a Natural History Museum and a Museum of Arms and Hunting Trophies.
The ASTRA National Museum Complex
ASTRA National Museum Complex
"ASTRA" National Museum Complex is a museum complex in Sibiu, Romania, which gathers under the same authority four ethnology and civilisation museums in the city, a series of laboratories for conservation and research, and a documentation centre. It is the successor of the ASTRA museum that has...
focuses on ethnography
Ethnography
Ethnography is a qualitative method aimed to learn and understand cultural phenomena which reflect the knowledge and system of meanings guiding the life of a cultural group...
, and consists of a Traditional Folk Civilisation Museum, a 96-hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
open-air museum located on a forest south of Sibiu, a Universal Ethnography Museum, a Museum of Transylvanian Civilisation and a Museum of Saxon Ethnography and Folk Art. Also planned is a Museum of the Culture and Civilisation of the Romany People.
There is a Steam Locomotives Museum
Sibiu Steam Locomotives Museum
The Steam Locomotives Museum is a museum in Sibiu, Romania. It houses a collection of steam locomotives and engines.Inaugurated in 1994, the museum comprises 23 standard gauge locomotives, 10 narrow gauge locomotives, 3 snowploughs and 2 steam cranes...
close to the railway station, sheltering around 40 locomotives
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
, two of which are functional.
Events
Several festivals are organised yearly in Sibiu, the most prestigious of them being the Theatre Festival, organized each spring at the end of May. Medieval Festival organized every year in August, reviving the medieval spirit of TransylvaniaTransylvania
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...
.
The Artmania Festival
Artmania Festival
The ARTmania Festival is an art festival, held in the Romanian town of Sibiu. The festival, one of the most important projects developed by ARTmania, was first organized in the summer of 2006 and it has been held every summer since....
is held every Summer since 2006 and as of 2008 the Rockin' Transilvania Festival is also held in Sibiu.
The oldest Jazz Festival in Romania is organized here, as well as the "Carl Filtsch" festival for young classical piano players, the "Astra Film" documentary film festival, the Transylvania calling Festival a Multi Cultural 6 day Open Air Music festival! 26–31 July 2007, a medieval arts festival and many more smaller cultural events.
European Cultural Capital
The designation as a European Cultural Co-CapitalEuropean Capital of Culture
The European Capital of Culture is a city designated by theEuropean Union for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong European dimension....
for 2007, owed greatly to the excellent collaboration with Luxembourg
Luxembourg (city)
The city of Luxembourg , also known as Luxembourg City , is a commune with city status, and the capital of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It is located at the confluence of the Alzette and Pétrusse Rivers in southern Luxembourg...
, but also to what many regard as a miraculous social rebirth taking place in the city during the last years. The Cultural Capital status was expected to bring about an abrupt increase in quantity and quality of cultural events in 2007.
Tourism
TursibTursib
Tursib is the local public transport operator in Sibiu, Romania. For Sibiu's population, Tursib is an extremely efficient network, with a multitude of bus, trolleybus, tram and maxi-taxi routes. It also services outlying areas and villages....
is the city's transport system and operates one tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
way line to Răşinari
Răşinari
Răşinari is a commune in Sibiu County, Transylvania, Romania. It has a population of 5,645 inhabitants and is composed of two villages, Prislop and Răşinari....
, and 22 bus lines.
About 2000 taxis, all of which must be yellow, operate in Sibiu.
In 2007, Sibiu was the European Capital of Culture
European Capital of Culture
The European Capital of Culture is a city designated by theEuropean Union for a period of one calendar year during which it organises a series of cultural events with a strong European dimension....
(together with Luxembourg
Luxembourg (city)
The city of Luxembourg , also known as Luxembourg City , is a commune with city status, and the capital of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It is located at the confluence of the Alzette and Pétrusse Rivers in southern Luxembourg...
). This was the most important cultural event that has ever happened in the city, and a great number of tourists came, both domestic and foreign.
The city of Sibiu and its surroundings are one of the most visited areas in Romania. It holds one of the best preserved historical sites in the country, many of its medieval fortifications having been kept in excellent state. Its old center has begun the process for becoming a UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
in 2004. Sibiu and its surrounding area have many significant museums, with 12 institutions housing art collections, paintings, and exhibits in decorative arts, archeology, anthropology, history, industrial archeology and history of technology and natural sciences.
The city also lies close to the Făgăraş Mountains
Fagaras Mountains
Făgăraș Mountains , are the highest mountains of the Southern Carpathians, in Romania. The highest peaks are Moldoveanu , Negoiu , Viștea Mare , Lespezi , Vânătoarea lui Buteanu , and Dara .They are bordered in the north by the Făgăraș Depression, through which the Olt river flows, and in the west...
- a very popular trekking destination, close to the Păltiniş
Paltinis
Păltiniş is a mountain resort in Transylvania, Romania, 35 km south-west from Sibiu in the Cindrel Mountains.It is situated at 1440 m altitude, being the highest resort in Romania. It lies in a conifer forest. It is a popular winter destination and in summer it is sought for its peacefulness...
resort - a popular winter holiday destination, and it is at the heart of the former Saxon communities in Transylvania renowned for its fortified churches.
Health
Sibiu is the most important medical center of the county and an important regional center, here being present:- County Hospital & Academic Emergency Hospital;
- Hospital of Pediatrics;
- Military Emergency Hospital;
- CFR(Romanian Railways) Hospital;
- "Dr. Gheorghe Preda" Psychiatry Hospital
- Polisano Hospital & Clinics
- other smaller private clinics
Education
Sibiu is an important centre of higher education, with over 34,000 undergraduate students in 2007 (counting for almost one fourth of the entire population).The Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu
Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu
The Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu was named after the philosopher, poet, and playwright, Lucian Blaga. It was founded in 1990 with five schools: Letters, History and Law, Medicine, Food and Textile Processing Technology, Engineering and Sciences...
was founded in 1990, with five faculties: Engineering and Sciences; Letters; History and Law; Medicine; Food and Textile Processing Technology. Nowadays, it has many departments.
- Andrei Şaguna Faculty of Theology
- Faculty of Letters and Arts
- Nicolae Lupu Faculty of History and Patrimony
- Simion Bărnuţiu Faculty of Law
- Hermann Oberth Faculty of Engineering
- Faculty of Political Sciences,International Relations,European Studies ( recently added Security Service )
- Victor Papilian Faculty of Medicine
- Faculty of Sciences
- Faculty of Economics
- Faculty of Journalism
- Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Food Industry and Environmental Protection
- The University College
- Department for Distance and E-Learning
Sibiu also houses the Nicolae Bălcescu Land Forces Military Academy, the Foreign Language Center as well as some private universities.
In Sibiu there are 20 educational institutions on the secondary level, the most prestigious of which are:
- Gheorghe LazărGheorghe LazarGheorghe Lazăr , born and died in Avrig, Sibiu County, was a Transylvanian-born Romanian scholar, the founder of the first Romanian language school - in Bucharest, 1818.-Biography:...
National College - mainly sciences and informatics, with some bilingual classes, first opened in 1692 as a Jesuit College - Samuel von BrukenthalSamuel von BrukenthalSamuel von Brukenthal was the Habsburg governor of the Grand Principality of Transylvania between July 6, 1774 and January 9, 1787...
National College - German language high school - Octavian GogaOctavian GogaOctavian Goga was a Romanian politician, poet, playwright, journalist, and translator.-Life:Born in Răşinari, nearby Sibiu, he was an active member in the Romanian nationalistic movement in Transylvania and of its leading group, the Romanian National Party in Austria-Hungary. Before World War I,...
National College - social sciences, sciences and informatics - Onisifor GhibuOnisifor GhibuOnisifor Ghibu was a Romanian teacher of pedagogy, member of the Romanian Academy, and politician.-Early life:...
Theoretical Highschool - informatics, social sciences and sports - Andrei ŞagunaAndrei SagunaAndrei Şaguna was a Metropolitan bishop of the Romanian Orthodox Church in Transylvania, and one of the Romanian community political leaders in the Habsburg Monarchy, especially active during the 1848 Revolution...
National College - training for schoolteachers, informatics, social sciences and sports - Constantin NoicaConstantin NoicaConstantin Noica was a Romanian philosopher, essayist and poet. His preoccupations were throughout all philosophy, from epistemology, philosophy of culture, axiology and philosophic anthropology to ontology and logics, from the history of philosophy to systematic philosophy, from ancient to...
Theoretical Highschool - social sciences and sciences
Sports teams
Football (soccer)- FC SibiuFC SibiuFC Sibiu was a Romanian professional football club from Sibiu, Sibiu county, founded in 2003 and dissolved in 2007.-Honours:Liga II:*Winners :*Runners-up : 2004–05...
- Atletic Sibiu
- CSU Voinţa SibiuCSU Voinţa SibiuCSU Voinţa Sibiu is a Romanian football team from Sibiu, Sibiu County, founded in 2007, currently playing in the Liga I.-History:Voinţa continues the football tradition in Sibiu after the dissolution of FC Sibiu and FC Inter Sibiu....
Rugby
- CSM Sibiu
Volleyball
- CSM Sibiu (men)
- CSS Sibiu (women)
Basketball
- CSU Atlassib Sibiu (men)
Handball
- CSM Sibiu (women)
- CSM Sibiu (men)
Speed Skating
- CSS Sibiu
Natives
- Michael Gottlieb AgnethlerMichael Gottlieb AgnethlerMichael Gottlieb Agnethler was a German botanist and numismatist.-Early life:Michael Agnethler was born to an aristocratic Transylvanian Saxon family of Hermannstadt . The Agnethlers had been of a long, prestigious history, with many local socialites in the region...
- Alexandru ApolzanAlexandru ApolzanAlexandru Apolzan was a Romanian football player, who played mainly for Steaua Bucureşti and also for Romania...
- Arthur Arz von StraussenburgArthur Arz von StraussenburgArthur Freiherr Arz von Straußenburg was an Austro-Hungarian Colonel General and last Chief of General Staff to the Austro-Hungarian Army.- Early life :...
, Austro-Hungarian general - Alexandru MuşinaAlexandru MusinaAlexandru Muşina is a Romanian poet, essayist, and editor born in Sibiu.He studied literature at the University of Bucharest in the late 1970s and published poetry in the 1980s beginning with Cinci in 1982....
, Romanian poet. - Florin BarbuFlorin BarbuFlorin Barbu was the bass guitar player from Romanian band Proconsul. He was also one of the founding members of Blazzaj.-Biography:...
, bass player in Romanian bands Timpuri Noi and Proconsul - Claudiu BaşteaClaudiu Bastea-Achievements:-References:* on JudoInside.com*...
- Ion BesoiuIon BesoiuIon Besoiu is a Romanian actor.He appeared in some of the most important Romanian films from the Communist period: "Furtuna", "Neamul Şoimăreştilor", "Haiducii", "Răscoala", "Mihai Viteazul", "Ciprian Porumbescu", "Păcală", "Ion, blestemul pământului, blestemul iubirii", "Ultima noapte de...
, Romanian actor - Miklós BorsosMiklós BorsosMiklós Borsos was a Hungarian sculptor. His style integrated elements of archaic art and classicism with modern elements.Born in Nagyszeben, Transylvania , he and his family settled in Győr in 1921; Borsos and his wife lived in the same Győr house until the end of World War II.He became interested...
, Hungarian sculptor - Dan BurincăDan BurincaDan Burincă is a retired Romanian artistic gymnast who specialized in rings. He is a silver Olympic medalist and a multiple world medalist on rings....
- Andrei CodrescuAndrei CodrescuAndrei Codrescu is a Romanian-born American poet, novelist, essayist, screenwriter, and commentator for National Public Radio. He was Mac Curdy Distinguished Professor of English at Louisiana State University from 1984 until his retirement in 2009....
, American writer - Sabina CojocarSabina CojocarSabina Carolina Cojocar is a retired international elite artistic gymnast from Romania as well as a singer...
, Romanian gymnast - Alexandru CurteanAlexandru CurteanAlexandru Curtean is a Romanian footballer currently under contract for Romanian side FC Politehnica Timişoara.-Early career:Curtean started his career at FC Sibiu, but he transferred to Gaz Metan when was still young....
- Sándor Domanovszky, Hungarian historian
- József Ettinger
- Mihaela Fera, Olympic skier
- Steve Holmes, German pornographic actor
- Hermann Kusmanek von Burgneustädten, Austro-Hungarian general, see also Siege of PrzemyślSiege of PrzemyslThe Siege of Przemyśl was one of the greatest sieges of the First World War, and a crushing defeat for Austria-Hungary. The investment of Przemyśl began on September 24, 1914 and was briefly suspended on October 11 due to an Austro-Hungarian offensive...
- Steliana NistorSteliana NistorSteliana Nistor is a Romanian gymnast. She is an Olympic and a world bronze medalist with the team. Individually, she is a world all around and beam silver medalist and a multiple European medalist on beam and uneven bars. Her best events were the uneven bars, the beam and the all around...
, Romanian gymnast - 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 :...
, Romanian and German space flight technology pioneer - Nicolaus OlahusNicolaus OlahusNicolaus Olahus ; January 10, 1493, Sibiu-January 15, 1568, Trnava/Nagyszombat) was the Archbishop of Esztergom, Primate of Hungary, and a distinguished Roman Catholic prelate.-Early life:...
, Romanian (Vlach) archbishop of Hungary - Oskar PastiorOskar PastiorOskar Pastior was a Romanian-born German poet and translator. He was the only German member of Oulipo....
, Romanian-German poet and translator - Dan PerjovschiDan PerjovschiDan Perjovschi is an artist, writer and cartoonist born in 1961 in Sibiu, Romania. Perjovschi has over the past decade created drawings in museum spaces, most recently in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City in which he created the drawing during business hours for patrons to see. The drawings...
, Romanian artist - Lia Perjovschi, Romanian artist
- Claudia PresecanClaudia PresecanClaudia Maria Presăcan, is a world-class Romanian artistic gymnast who competed at the senior international level between 1994 and 2000...
, Romanian gymnast - Iancu SasulIancu SasulIancu Sasul or Ioan Vodă V was the bastard son of Petru Rareş from his relationship with the wife of Braşov Transylvanian Saxon Iorg Weiss, and Prince of Moldavia between November 1579 and September 1582.-Bid for the throne:Let in on the secret of his lineage by his mother, Iancu...
, Moldavian ruler - János Márton Stock, Hungarian painter
- Tobias Stranovius, Saxon painter
- Viorel TileaViorel TileaViorel Virgil Tilea C.B.E. was a Romanian diplomat, most noted for his ambassadorship in the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He died in London. During the Second World War, Tilea lived at Holton Place, Oxfordshire, where he became a key representative of Romania's monarchist regime in...
, Romanian diplomat
Twinned towns
BauruBauru
Bauru is a Brazilian city and municipality in midwestern region of the state of São Paulo. It is also the capital of the micro-region of Bauru...
, Brazil, since 1995. Columbia
Columbia, Missouri
Columbia is the fifth-largest city in Missouri, and the largest city in Mid-Missouri. With a population of 108,500 as of the 2010 Census, it is the principal municipality of the Columbia Metropolitan Area, a region of 164,283 residents. The city serves as the county seat of Boone County and as the...
, USA, since 1994. Deventer
Deventer
Deventer is a municipality and city in the Salland region of the Dutch province of Overijssel. Deventer is largely situated on the east bank of the river IJssel, but also has a small part of its territory on the west bank. In 2005 the municipality of Bathmen Deventer is a municipality and city in...
, the Netherlands, since 2007. Klagenfurt
Klagenfurt
-Name:Carinthia's eminent linguists Primus Lessiak and Eberhard Kranzmayer assumed that the city's name, which literally translates as "ford of lament" or "ford of complaints", had something to do with the superstitious thought that fateful fairies or demons tend to live around treacherous waters...
, Austria, since 1990. Landshut
Landshut
Landshut is a city in Bavaria in the south-east of Germany, belonging to both Eastern and Southern Bavaria. Situated on the banks of the River Isar, Landshut is the capital of Lower Bavaria, one of the seven administrative regions of the Free State of Bavaria. It is also the seat of the...
, Germany, since 2002. Marburg
Marburg
Marburg is a city in the state of Hesse, Germany, on the River Lahn. It is the main town of the Marburg-Biedenkopf district and its population, as of March 2010, was 79,911.- Founding and early history :...
, Germany, since 2005. Mechelen
Mechelen
Mechelen Footnote: Mechelen became known in English as 'Mechlin' from which the adjective 'Mechlinian' is derived...
, Belgium, since 1996. Rennes
Rennes
Rennes is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France. Rennes is the capital of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department.-History:...
, France, since 1999. Valencia, Venezuela
Valencia, Venezuela
Valencia is the capital city of Carabobo State, and the third largest city of Venezuela.The city is an economic hub that contains Venezuela's top industries and manufacturing companies. The population of Valencia reached some 1.5 million in the year 2003, and it is expected to grow dramatically...
, since 1993. Wirral
Metropolitan Borough of Wirral
The Metropolitan Borough of Wirral is a metropolitan borough of Merseyside, in North West England. It has a population of 311,200, and encompasses of the northern part of the Wirral Peninsula. Major settlements include Birkenhead, Wallasey, Bebington, Heswall, Hoylake and West Kirby. The city of...
, United Kingdom, since 1994. Takayama, Gifu
Takayama, Gifu
is a city located in Gifu, Japan. As of July, 2011 the city has an estimated population of 92,369. The total area is .Takayama was settled as far back as the Jōmon period. Takayama is best known for its inhabitants' expertise in carpentry. It is believed carpenters from Takayama worked on the...
, Japan, since 2009.
Legations
Currently there are two legations in Sibiu: General Consulate of the Federal Republic of GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Honorary Consulate of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
See also
- List of castles in Romania
- Tourism in RomaniaTourism in RomaniaTourism in Romania focuses on the country's natural landscapes and its rich history. The number of tourists is growing every year and tourism is becoming an increasingly important source for Romania's GDP with 7-9 million people now visiting yearly. Romania's economy is characterized by a huge...
- Villages with fortified churches in Transylvania
External links
- Informations, pictures and videos
- Sibiu Online - Official Site with information on tourism and history, Sibiu pictures, and more. In Romanian, English and German.
- Sibiu European Cultural Capital 2007 - Official Site
- Sibiu Tourism
- Sibiu on RomaniaTourism.com. Reference regarding surface area, population, etc. Retrieved 22 November 2005.
- Restoration of Historical Monuments in Sibiu - Report and Photo Gallery
- Article on Sibiu as Capital of Culture in Bucharest's The Diplomat
- Sibiu Pictures