Săcele

Săcele
Szecseleváros
Municipality

Location of Săcele

Location in Brașov County
Săcele
Location of Săcele
Coordinates: 45°37′12″N 25°42′35″E / 45.62000°N 25.70972°E / 45.62000; 25.70972Coordinates: 45°37′12″N 25°42′35″E / 45.62000°N 25.70972°E / 45.62000; 25.70972
Country  Romania
County Brașov County
Status Municipality
Government
 • Mayor Popa Virgil (Social Democratic Party)
Area
 • Total 320 km2 (120 sq mi)
Lowest elevation 650 m (2,130 ft)
Population (2011)
 • Total 30,798
Time zone UTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST) UTC+3 (EEST)
Website http://www.municipiulsacele.ro/

Săcele (Romanian pronunciation: [səˈt͡ʃele]; German: Siebendörfer; Hungarian: Négyfalu, between 1950 and 2001 Szecseleváros) is a city in Brașov County, Romania, in the region of Transylvania, with a population of 30,798 inhabitants in 2011. It is adjacent to the city of Brașov, its city centre being situated 15 km away from downtown Brașov.

History

The city since 1950 is composed of former villages which now form the main sectors: Baciu (Bácsfalu, Batschendorf), Turcheș (Türkös, Türkeschdorf), Cernatu (Csernátfalu, Zerndorf) and Satulung (Hosszúfalu, Langendorf).

After the second half of the 11th century the villages are mentioned as "septem villae valacheles" (seven Vlach villages).

The first official mention is an act issued on May 16, 1366, by the Hungarian King Ludovic I de Anjou in which he offers the area between the Timiş and Olt rivers to a trusted friend—Count Stanislav. Later it was under the Saxon management of Kronstadt (Brașov).

During the Middle Ages three other villages belonged to the nowadays four, those three were: Tărlungeni, Zizin and Cărpiniș.

The Romanian name "Săcele" is first mentioned in a letter between the Wallachian Prince Vlad Călugărul (1482–1495) and the magistrate of Braşov.The Romanian etymology of "Săcele" is from "sătucele" meaning "small villages".

The German name was "Siebendörfen" which means "seven villages" and which is close to the Hungarian name "Hétfalu" or "Négyfalu".

The inhabitants were the "mocani"—local shepherds. They are mentioned in a few official documents and appear to have owned thousands of sheep, the villages being among the wealthiest in the area. They carried the local traditions across many Romanian lands due to the transhumance method of shepherding.

Their customs exist to these days: the "Sintilie" (Saint Elijah) festival, national costumes, etc.

Between the 13th and 14th centuries, an important Hungarian population has established in the region and marked the further development of the area.

After the fall of Communism in Romania in 1990, the city has diversified its economy. In Săcele there are nowadays several small furniture factories, lumber-mills, as well as meat-packaging facilities.

Buildings

The city has 17 churches of the following denominations: Orthodox, Lutheran, Reformed, Roman Catholic.

Sport

Football team: Precizia Săcele (playing in the 4th League).

Population

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1956 18,365—    
1966 22,809+24.2%
1977 30,551+33.9%
1992 30,226−1.1%
2002 29,967−0.9%
2011 26,907−10.2%
Source: Census data

According to the 2011 census, the town has a population of 26,907 of which 75.1% are Romanians, 23% Hungarians, 1.2% Roma and 0.2% Germans. At the 2002 census, 69% were Romanian Orthodox, 15.2% Evangelical Lutheran, 4.9% Roman Catholic, 3.4% each Reformed and Pentecostal, 1.1% belong to "another religion" and 0.5% Unitarian.

International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

Săcele is twinned with:

Natives

References

  1. ↑ "National Commission for Decentralised cooperation". Délégation pour l’Action Extérieure des Collectivités Territoriales (Ministère des Affaires étrangères) (in French). Archived from the original on 2013-11-27. Retrieved 2013-12-26.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.