Sfântu Gheorghe
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about a city. "Sfântu Gheorghe" may also refer to a town and a commune.
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County | Covasna County | ||
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Status | County capital | ||
Mayor | Albert Álmos, from Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania, since 2000 | ||
Population (2002) | 61,543 | ||
Geographical coordinates | |||
Web site | http://www.sfantugheorghe.ro/ |
Sfântu Gheorghe (Hungarian: Sepsiszentgyörgy; German: Sankt Georgen) is a city in central Romania in Transylvania on the Olt River. It is located in a valley between the Baraolt and Bodoc mountains. Sfântu Gheorghe is the capital of Covasna county. It has 61,543 inhabitants (2002 census), with 46,113 Hungarians, 14,178 Romanians, 932 Roma, and 320 others.
[edit] History
Sfântu Gheorghe is one of the oldest cities in Transylvania, as settlement was first documented there in 1332. The city's name is derived from the patron saint of a local church, Saint George.
While part of the Kingdom of Hungary, the city was an economic and administrative center for the Hungarian county Háromszék, now Covasna and Braşov counties. In the second half of the 19th century, Sfântu Gheorghe developed both a textile and a cigarette factory. It became part of the Kingdom of Romania following World War I.
Sfântu Gheorghe is a center for the Székely people in the cultural region known to them as Székelyföld, and is home to the Székely National Museum. The city hosts two market fairs each year.
[edit] Sights
- Fortified Church (Romanian: Biserică Fortificată; Hungarian: Vártemplom) - constructed in the 14th century in the Gothic style
- State Archive, the former headquarters of the Hussar battalions
- City library constructed in 1832 as the seat of the county council
- Theater used from 1854-1866 as the city hall
- The market bazaar built in 1868, with a clock tower built in 1893
[edit] Economy
The predominant industry in the city is the textile industry.
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