Gottlob, Timis
Encyclopedia
Gottlob is a commune in Timiş County
, Romania
. It is composed of two villages, Gottlob and Vizejdia. These were part of Lovrin
Commune until 2004, when they were split off.
Until 1967 Gottlob was a commune
, but due to the dwindling population it was demoted to village level without its own administration and incorporated in the Lovrin
commune. In 2003 Gottlob received again commune status and has since elected its own mayor.
The Germans (Banat Swabians
) formed until 1940 the majority of Gottlob's population (1910: 91%). After the war, the ethnic composition of the local residents changed decisively - the number of German residents fell from 1,836 in 1910 to 875 in 1977, representing only 38% of the residents. This trend has continued and led to a number of only 160 Germans in 1991 and 98 in February 1996. Main reasons are the migration to Germany either immediately after the Second World War or during the Communist regime
. Another wave of emigration took place after the opening of borders at the beginning of the 1990's.
The exodus of residents left Gottlob to the situation where only one in three or four houses is inhabited.
Until 1992, Gottlob had a German school and a German kindergarten, but they were closed due to lack of pupils. The Romanian school in the village remained the sole institution responsible for education.
The local church was built in 1867 and lavishly decorated through donations by the rich congregations of the village. The ceiling paintings and the altar were cared of for well over a hundred years. Several sculptures of saints have been specially cared of by local families, which constituted a special honor. Parts of the church furnishings were stolen or destroyed during the 1990s. A renovation of the exterior facade succeeded the late 1990s by donations from Germany.
In 1994 a memorial stone was unveiled in the local cemetery. The inscription on the memorial stone reads:
The former state-owned station for the mechanization of agriculture (SMA) was divided after 1989 into several companies who farm the land of the village and neighboring communes. The old premises of the station fell into disrepair.
The medical care of the residents deteriorated in 2003 when the village doctor resigned and devoted himself to agriculture because it is a more lucrative business.
Timis County
Timiș , , Banat Bulgarian: ) is a county of western Romania, in the historical region Banat, with the county seat at Timișoara. It is the largest county in Romania in terms of land area....
, 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...
. It is composed of two villages, Gottlob and Vizejdia. These were part of Lovrin
Lovrin
Lovrin is a commune in Timiş County, Romania. It is composed of a single village, Lovrin. It also included three other villages until 2004, when they were split off to form Gottlob and Tomnatic Communes....
Commune until 2004, when they were split off.
History
The village was founded between 1770 and 1773 and entailed 203 houses. The Catholic parish was also founded in 1773. The majority of the population was Catholic until the 1940's.Until 1967 Gottlob was a commune
Communes of Romania
A commune is the lowest level of administrative subdivision in Romania. There are 2686 communes in Romania. The commune is the rural subdivision of a county .There is no clear restriction on the population of a commune, even though when a commune...
, but due to the dwindling population it was demoted to village level without its own administration and incorporated in the Lovrin
Lovrin
Lovrin is a commune in Timiş County, Romania. It is composed of a single village, Lovrin. It also included three other villages until 2004, when they were split off to form Gottlob and Tomnatic Communes....
commune. In 2003 Gottlob received again commune status and has since elected its own mayor.
The Germans (Banat Swabians
Banat Swabians
The Banat Swabians are an ethnic German population in Southeast Europe, part of the Danube Swabians. They emigrated in the 18th century to what was then the Austrian Banat province, which had been left sparsely populated by the wars with Turkey. This once strong and important ethnic Banat Swabian...
) formed until 1940 the majority of Gottlob's population (1910: 91%). After the war, the ethnic composition of the local residents changed decisively - the number of German residents fell from 1,836 in 1910 to 875 in 1977, representing only 38% of the residents. This trend has continued and led to a number of only 160 Germans in 1991 and 98 in February 1996. Main reasons are the migration to Germany either immediately after the Second World War or during the Communist regime
Communist Romania
Communist Romania was the period in Romanian history when that country was a Soviet-aligned communist state in the Eastern Bloc, with the dominant role of Romanian Communist Party enshrined in its successive constitutions...
. Another wave of emigration took place after the opening of borders at the beginning of the 1990's.
The exodus of residents left Gottlob to the situation where only one in three or four houses is inhabited.
Until 1992, Gottlob had a German school and a German kindergarten, but they were closed due to lack of pupils. The Romanian school in the village remained the sole institution responsible for education.
The local church was built in 1867 and lavishly decorated through donations by the rich congregations of the village. The ceiling paintings and the altar were cared of for well over a hundred years. Several sculptures of saints have been specially cared of by local families, which constituted a special honor. Parts of the church furnishings were stolen or destroyed during the 1990s. A renovation of the exterior facade succeeded the late 1990s by donations from Germany.
In 1994 a memorial stone was unveiled in the local cemetery. The inscription on the memorial stone reads:
- Den Toten zum Gedächtnis, den Lebenden zum Vermächtnis
- 1939 - 1945 gefallene Helden 52
- 1945 - 1949 Rußlandverschleppung 17 Tote
- 1951 - 1956 Deportation in den Baragan 9 Tote
- Ruhet sanft! - Gemeinde Gottlob
- "In memory of the dead, legacy to the living
- 1939 - 1945 Fallen heroes 52
- 1945 - 1949 Expulsion to RussiaDeportation of Germans from Romania after World War IIThe deportation of Germans from Romania after World War II, conducted on Soviet order early in 1945, uprooted tens of thousands of Romania's Germans, many of whom lost their lives...
17 dead - 1951 - 1956 Deportation to the BărăganBaragan deportationsThe Bărăgan deportations were a large-scale action of penal transportation, undertaken during the 1950s by the Romanian Communist regime. Their aim was to forcibly relocate individuals who lived within approximately 25 km of the Yugoslav border to the Bărăgan Plain.-Reasons:After relations...
9 dead - Rest in peace! - Commune Gottlob"
Gottlob today
Nowadays the Romanian majority shapes Gottlob's cultural image. The first church consecration was held on 3 November 1996 and was accompanied by a costumed parade.The former state-owned station for the mechanization of agriculture (SMA) was divided after 1989 into several companies who farm the land of the village and neighboring communes. The old premises of the station fell into disrepair.
The medical care of the residents deteriorated in 2003 when the village doctor resigned and devoted himself to agriculture because it is a more lucrative business.