Petrosani
Encyclopedia
Petroşani is a city in Hunedoara County
, Romania
, with a population of 45,447 (2002).
cartographer mentions that the entire Jiu Valley
was intensly populated and settlements could be seen from one end to the other.
During the 1818 census, Petroşani had 233 inhabitants, while the entire Valley counted 2550. During this time, the main activity of the people was shepherd
ing and no urban settlement had appeared yet.
Around 1840 coal surface mining began in Petroşani, Vulcan
and Petrila
.
The population encountered a massive increase only in the 20th century during the communist regime
, as many workers were brought in from other parts of the country.
and provides access to the Vâlcan
, Parâng
and Retezat
mountains. The city administers four villages: Dâlja Mare, Dâlja Mică, Peştera and Slătinioara.
, 8.4% Hungarians, 1.2% Roma and 0.6% Germans
. 83.3% were Romanian Orthodox, 7.2% Roman Catholic, 3.7% Reformed, 2.2% Pentecostal
, 0.9% belonged to another religion and 0.8% Greek-Catholic
.
Hunedoara County
Hunedoara is a county of Romania, in Transylvania, with its capital city at Deva.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 485,712 and the population density was 69/km².*Romanians - 92%*Hungarians - 5%*Romas - 2%*Germans under 1%....
, 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 45,447 (2002).
History
The city of Petroşani was founded in the 17th century (around 1640). In 1720, an AustrianAustrians
Austrians are a nation and ethnic group, consisting of the population of the Republic of Austria and its historical predecessor states who share a common Austrian culture and Austrian descent....
cartographer mentions that the entire Jiu Valley
Jiu Valley
The Jiu Valley is a region in southwestern Romania, in Hunedoara county, situated in a valley of the Jiu River between the Retezat Mountains and the Parâng Mountains...
was intensly populated and settlements could be seen from one end to the other.
During the 1818 census, Petroşani had 233 inhabitants, while the entire Valley counted 2550. During this time, the main activity of the people was shepherd
Shepherd
A shepherd is a person who tends, feeds or guards flocks of sheep.- Origins :Shepherding is one of the oldest occupations, beginning some 6,000 years ago in Asia Minor. Sheep were kept for their milk, meat and especially their wool...
ing and no urban settlement had appeared yet.
Around 1840 coal surface mining began in Petroşani, Vulcan
Vulcan, Romania
Vulcan ; ) is a city in Hunedoara county, Romania. With a population of 30,188, it is the second-largest city in the Jiu Valley. It administers two villages, Dealul Babii and Jiu-Paroşeni....
and Petrila
Petrila
Petrila is a town in the Jiu Valley, Hunedoara County, Romania. It is located near the junction of the East Jiu with Taia and Jieţ Creeks.The town administers four villages: Cimpa, Jieţ, Răscoala and Tirici.-History:...
.
The population encountered a massive increase only in the 20th century 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...
, as many workers were brought in from other parts of the country.
Geography
Petroşani is located in the Jiu Valley, which is the entrance to the Retezat National ParkRetezat National Park
Retezat National Park is a natural reserve area located in the Retezat Mountains in Hunedoara county, Romania.Containing more than 60 peaks over and over 100 crystal clear deep glacier lakes, the Retezat Mountains are some of the most beautiful in the Carpathians...
and provides access to the Vâlcan
Vâlcan Mountains
The Vâlcan Mountains are a chain of mountains in the southern Carpathians in Romania. They are part of the Retezat-Godeanu Mountains group. They run for approximately 54 km and the highest peak is 1946 m high...
, Parâng
Parâng Mountains group
The Parâng mountain group is a subgroup of mountains in the Southern Carpathians. It is named after the highest of the mountains in the group, the Parâng Mountains.-Boundaries:The Parâng group is bounded:*in the east, by the Olt River...
and Retezat
Retezat Mountains
The Retezat Mountains are one of the highest massifs in Romania, being part of the Southern Carpathians. The highest peak is Peleaga , at an altitude of 2509 metres...
mountains. The city administers four villages: Dâlja Mare, Dâlja Mică, Peştera and Slătinioara.
Landmarks
- Sfinţii Arhangeli Church ("Holy Archangels Church"), built in the 18th century.
- The "I. G. Duca" school, built in 1935
- The Hungarian school - built in 1873 by Germans and inhabited by a group of 50 Catholic nuns from a monastery near 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...
- The Old Theater, built in 1886
- The LutheranLutheranismLutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
Church, built between 1892 and 1896 - The Mining Museum, built in 1900
- The actual Sports School building, built in 1919
- The "I. D. Sîrbu" Theater Hall, built in 1905
- The Justice Court building, built in 1910
- The actual Students theater, built in 1922
- The Unitarian Church, built between 1924 and 1928
- The University of Petroşani, built in 1948
- The Jiul Shopping Center, re-opened in December 2007 after renovation, initially built in the early 1980s
Social events
The following social events take place in Petroşani:- the Dramatic Theater offers a wide variety of performance every week
- the annual international folklore festival
- the Folk Music Festival Cântecul Adâncului... ("Song of the Deep")
- artistic summer camps organized by the Petroşani University
- art, numismatic and caricatures exhibitions
- piano and violin recitals, offered by the Music School
- the Petroşani Days festival, usually organized in autumn
- the annual Underground Valley Graffiti Fest
Demographics
At the 2002 census, 89.4% of inhabitants were RomaniansRomanians
The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
, 8.4% Hungarians, 1.2% Roma and 0.6% Germans
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
. 83.3% were Romanian Orthodox, 7.2% Roman Catholic, 3.7% Reformed, 2.2% Pentecostal
Pentecostal Union of Romania
The Pentecostal Union of Romania is Romania's fourth-largest religious body and one of its eighteen officially recognised religious denominations. At the 2002 census, 330,486 Romanians declared themselves to be Pentecostals; ethnically, they were 85.2% Romanians, 10.6% Roma, 1.9% Ukrainians, 1.8%...
, 0.9% belonged to another religion and 0.8% Greek-Catholic
Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic
The Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic is an Eastern Catholic Church which is in full union with the Roman Catholic Church. It is ranked as a Major Archiepiscopal Church and uses the Byzantine liturgical rite in the Romanian language....
.
External links
- Jiu Valley Portal - the regional portal host of the official Petrosani municipal website