Blaj

For the village in Olt County, see Voineasa, Olt.

Blaj
—  Municipality  —
Inocenţiu Micu-Clain National College
Coat of arms
Nickname(s): Little Rome[citation needed]
Blaj Location of Blaj
Coordinates: 46°10′31″N 23°54′52″E / 46.17528°N 23.91444°E / 46.17528; 23.91444Coordinates: 46°10′31″N 23°54′52″E / 46.17528°N 23.91444°E / 46.17528; 23.91444
Country	Romania
County	Alba County
Status	Municipality
Government
– Mayor	Gheorghe Valentin Rotar (Democratic Liberal Party)
Population (2002)
– Total	20,758
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
– Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Website	http://www.primariablaj.ro/

Blaj (Romanian pronunciation: [blaʒ]; Hungarian: Balázsfalva; German: Blasendorf; Transylvanian Saxon dialect: Blußendref) is a city in Alba County, Transylvania, Romania. It has a population of 20,758 inhabitants.

The landmark of the city is the fact that it was the principal religious and cultural center of the Romanian Greek-Catholic Church in Transylvania.

Administration

The city administers eight villages: Deleni-Obârşie (Obursatanya), Fliteşti, Izvoarele (Csufud), Mănărade (Monora), Petrisat (Magyarpéterfalva), Spătac (Szászpatak), Tiur (Tűr) and Veza (Véza).

Population breakdown

According to the 2002 census:^[1]

By Ethnicity

• Romanians - 17,091 (82.30 %)
• Hungarians - 1,697 (8.17%)
• Romas - 1,900 (9.15%)
• Germans - 63 (0.30%)

By Religion

• Romanian Orthodox - 14,784 (71.19%)
• Greek-Catholic - 3,397 (3.58%)
• Roman Catholic - 744 (3.58%)
• Reformed Church - 985
• Baptist - 408
• Pentecostal - 220

Geography

Blaj lies at the confluence of the two Târnava Rivers, in a wine-growing region. The city has a continental temperate climate, characteristic for the Transylvanian Plateau, with moderate precipitations of around 550 mm/mp.

History

Blaj is first mentioned in 1271 as Villa Herbordi, after the deed of a Count Herbod. In 1313, the domain passed to Herbod's son Blasius Cserei. Started as a hamlet for the twenty families of servants of the noble's court, it was awarded town status on May 19, 1737.

Blaj is the principal religious and cultural center of Greek Catholics in Transylvania. At 27 October 1687 begins the history of the Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic, history directly connected to the history of the town Blaj. It all started at the end of the treaty through which Transylvania was entering under the protection of Austria, renouncing the protection of the Turkish Empire.

The first public school in Romanian was established in Blaj in 1754. Blaj was the first place to have Romanian written with Latin alphabet instead of the Cyrillic alphabet in which it had traditionally been written. Blaj was also a center for the Romanian Age of Enlightenment, being the founding site of the Şcoala Ardeleană society that promoted the Roman cultural heritage of the Romanians. Thus Blaj gained the nickname "The Little Rome".^{[citation needed]}

Tourism

The castle of the Bethlen dynasty is a popular tourist site near Blaj. Other sights worth visiting include the Metropolitan Palace, the Holy Trinity Cathedral, the "Buna Vestire" Monastery, the Greeks' Church, the "Liberty Field", Mihai Eminescu's linden tree, and Avram Iancu's oak.

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Romania

Twin towns — Sister cities

Blaj is twinned with:

• Allschwil
• Morlanwelz
• Recanati

See also

• Bethlen Castle
• Câmpia Libertăţii

References

1. ^ http://www.edrc.ro/recensamant.jsp?regiune_id=2568&judet_id=2569&localitate_id=2572

External links

• Blaj - Sunrise of Romanians (A short documentary film about Blaj)