Municipality in Sibiu, Romania
Media?
(
Romanian pronunciation:
[?medi.a?]
ⓘ
;
Latin
:
Media
,
German
:
Mediasch
,
Transylvanian Saxon
:
Medwesch
/
Medve?
/
Medwisch
,
Hungarian
:
Medgyes
) is the second largest
town
and municipality in
Sibiu County
,
Transylvania
, central
Romania
.
Geography
[
edit
]
Media? is located in the middle basin of
Tarnava Mare River
, at 39 km (24 mi) from
Sighi?oara
and 41 km (25 mi) from
Blaj
. The health resort
Bazna
, officially recognized for the first time in 1302, is 18 km (11 mi) from Media?. The health resort offers mineral water springs, rich in salts, mineral mud and a special type of salt, called "Bazna salt". The distance between Media? and the county's residence
Sibiu
is 55 km (34 mi).
The city administers one village, Ighi?u Nou (
Eibesdorf
;
Szaszivanfalva
).
History
[
edit
]
Media? in 1862
The first signs of human communities in the area are thought to be from the middle Neolithic period.
The name of the city comes from the Hungarian word meggy (sour cherry). The Romanian name originates in the German version, which comes from the Hungarian name (Medgyes).
In the 13th century, the kings of Hungary invited German settlers known as
Transylvanian Saxons
to the area, who settled in the valley of the Tarnava Mare River.
- According to tradition, the town was founded in 1146, thus being one of the oldest cities in
Transylvania
.
- 1200: Here would have lived around 100 inhabitants.
- 1267: The first document that mentions the city (as Mediesy) is dated 3 June 1267.
- 1283: Another reference appears in a document: Media? is listed as "villa Medgyes".
- 1318: The Hungarian king
Charles Robert of Anjou
offers complete rights for the Sibiu region to people living in Media?,
?eica Mare
, and
Biertan
.
- 1359: Media? is called for the first time a city ("civitas"). The first seal of Media? was used in 1448.
- 1414: The
St. Margaret church
was the first church built in Media?. The first document that notes the presence of a hospital in the city is dated 1487.
- 1448: While preparing for his campaign against the
Ottoman Empire
,
John Hunyadi
passed through Media?.
- 1490?1534: The city is fortified by the people living in Media? and ?eica Mare, after a document signed in 1477 by the king
Matthias Corvinus
's office.
- 1517: Media? obtains the right to organise annual fairs.
- 1557: The population of Media? was hit by
leprosy
. The plague has also devastated the population of Media? several times in history, in 1586, 1601?1604, 1633, 1646, 1653, 1656?1658, 1660?1661 and 1717?1718.
- 1562: 34 guilds are registered.
- 1586: The first mention of a school in Media? ("Schola civitatis").
- 1611: Media? is plundered by the soldiers of
Gabriel Bathory
.
- 1705: The city is besieged for the last time in its history.
- 1771?1781: The Johann Sifft typography started its activity.
- 1822: The first gymnastics association in present-day Romania was established.
[3]
- 1826: The first Romanian church in Media? was raised, with great effort and dedication from the
Greek-Catholic
Bishop
Ioan Bob
. During the same period, Ioan Bob established the first Romanian school in the city.
- 1863: Public lighting of streets in Media? was established.
- 1871: The agricultural school was founded and the G. A. Reisenberger typography started its activity.
- 1872: The first train station was built. The current train station was built between 1963 and 1965.
- 1918?1919: The city of Media? came under Romanian administration as a result of the
Union of Transylvania with Romania
and the subsequent
Hungarian?Romanian War
.
- 1920: The city became part of the
Kingdom of Romania
as a result of the
Treaty of Trianon
. It fell within the
Tarnava-Mare County
, and became the administrative center of
plasa
Media?.
- 1950: After the establishment of the
Romanian People's Republic
in 1947 and the subsequent administrative reform, the city became part of the
Sibiu Region
[
ro
]
, and from 1952, the
Stalin Region
(renamed Bra?ov Region in 1960).
- 1968: The old administrative division of
jude?
was reinstated, and Media? became part of
Sibiu County
.
Demographics
[
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]
Historical population
Year
| Pop.
| ±%
|
---|
1850
| 5,230
| ?
|
---|
1912
| 8,626
| +64.9%
|
---|
1930
| 15,505
| +79.7%
|
---|
1948
| 23,247
| +49.9%
|
---|
1956
| 32,498
| +39.8%
|
---|
1966
| 46,384
| +42.7%
|
---|
1977
| 65,072
| +40.3%
|
---|
1992
| 64,484
| ?0.9%
|
---|
2002
| 55,203
| ?14.4%
|
---|
2011
| 44,169
| ?20.0%
|
---|
2022
| 39,505
| ?10.6%
|
---|
Source: Official Austro-Hungarian and Romanian census data
|
In 1850, Media? had a population of 5,230 inhabitants, of which 2,986 were Germans (57.1%), 1,710 Romanians (32.7%), 264 Hungarians (5%), 200 Roma (3.8%), and 70 (1.3%) of other ethnicities. In 1910, the town had 8,626 inhabitants (44.8% Germans, more specifically Transylvanian Saxons, 31.6% Romanians, and 19.9% Hungarians).
[4]
In 1992, there were 64,481 inhabitants. In 2022, according to that
year's Romanian census
postponed one year because of the
COVID-19 pandemic
, the figure had fallen to 39,505.
The ethnic composition in 2022 was as follows:
[5]
Administration and local politics
[
edit
]
Town council
[
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]
The town's current local council has the following multi-party political composition, based on the results of the votes cast at the
2020 Romanian local elections
:
[6]
Economy
[
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]
Stonemasons' Tower (2009)
The old market in the town centre (as seen at the end of the 19th century)
Media? is the second industrial center after
Sibiu
in the county.
From the 14th to 19th centuries, various manufacturers and professionals were members of associations based on their trades called
bresle
(
guilds
), the first two unions were the ones formed by tailors and cloth makers, in 1457. In 1698, Media? already had 33 unions.
In the 19th century, unions started to merge and build factories. The first factory, called "Karres", was established in 1881 and produced various leather products. In 1888, a factory that manufactured cloth and various textiles was built, followed in 1895 by a factory called "Salconserv" that produced salami and cans. The company used to produce the famous brand of salami called
Salam de Sibiu
, for the company "Theil & Co. A.G. Salami und Selchwarenfabrik", located in Sibiu.
In 1921, Media? started to manufacture windows. The factory is now called Geromed and extended its products with blackboards, mirrors, windscreens and stained glass. In the same year, a factory now called Emailul started to produce
enameled
pots, mugs and dishes.
The "Vitrometan" factory was built in 1922 and produces various glass products, including porcelain, light bulbs and mirrors. "Relee S.A" manufactures automobile components, switches, wall sockets, relays and electric motors.
Media? is known best for its role in production of
methane gas
. The area where Media? is located is the site of the largest
natural gas field
in Romania. The headquarters of
Romgaz
- the national gas exploitation enterprise - and of
Transgaz
- the natural gas carrier - are in Media?.
Education
[
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]
Media? has close to 20 kindergartens and 10 schools (they are numbered, and three of them have names):
There are also 5 high-schools in the city:
Media
[
edit
]
Newspapers
- Monitorul de Media?
- Medie?eanul
- Ziarul de Media?
TV channels
Radio stations
- Radio Media? 88.1 FM
- Radio Ring 90.2 FM
Tourism
[
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]
View towards Turnul Clopotelor (Bell Tower) and Turnul Trompe?ilor (Trumpet Tower) in 2017
The main square of Media?/Mediasch in 2006
The historic town centre of Media?/Mediasch in 2006
The historic town centre of Media?/Mediasch in 2022
Media? has one of the best preserved historical centers in Romania and also some well preserved
medieval
fortifications
. One symbol of the town is the Tower of the Buglers, which is about 70 metres (230 feet) tall. Its construction started in the 13th century. In the 15th century it was raised to 5 tiers. The St. Margaret Church was finished at about the same time. Later, 3 more tiers were added in only two months. The roof consists of colored vitrified tiles, and four turrets were built. The tower had a guard, who would sound his bugle whenever an enemy approached. The tower has in its southwestern corner (between the clocks) a small wooden man who rings a bell, thus announcing in advance when the clock will ring on the hour. The heavy pressure of the tower on the sandy soil is the reason why the tower is slightly tilted to the North. Between 1927 and 1930, and later in 1972, the tower was consolidated. The tilt of the tip compared with the base is 2.32 m (7 ft 7 in).
The town lies in the middle of the area which was inhabited by
Transylvanian Saxons
and in an area of 20 km (12 mi) around it there are dozens of
fortified churches
. Two of these,
Biertan
and
Valea Viilor
, are part of the
Villages with fortified churches in Transylvania
UNESCO
World Heritage Site
.
St. Margaret's Church
:
The fortified church was built in gothic style in 1488, with time it went through different modifications. The feeble ground structure made its tower, built in 1460, inclines. In 1550 the church was raised with three storeys and in 1551 four smaller towers were added to show that the city had a court. It was at that time that it attained its 68.5 metres (225 feet) height. In 1783 the roof-structure was changed and the small towers renovated, it was also then that the golden globe, dating from 1550, was brought down from the tower and according to tradition its content was read aloud. The tower proved to be a good spotting post. In those times the trumpeter in the tower had an important function, sounding the alert about approaching danger. If he made a mistake, he would've been thrown out from the top of the tower. From this does the towers name derive, Trumpeters tower. In this tower was ordered to be locked
Vlad the Impaler
, a.k.a. Dracula, by
King
Matthias Corvinus
in 1476. On the inside walls of the church one can see 14th- or 15th-century frescoes. The altar was made in 1480 in
Gothic
style, and portrays the sufferings of Jesus. On the portrait, below the crucified Jesus' arm, a panorama of
Vienna
can be observed, thereby indicating the portrait's origin. The church walls are also decorated with eastern wall carpets given to the church by Christians, some dating back to the 16th century. In the church there is the oldest brazen baptistry in Romania, made at the beginning of the 19th century. The canopy of the pulpit was made in 1679 by master Sigismund Moess. Its pipe-organ, from 1755, is appropriate for symphony concerts. While those concerts happen, the church benches are turned to face the pipe-organ.
The route of the
Via Transilvanica
long-distance trail
passes through Media?.
[12]
Wine
[
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]
The grapes and wine leaves visible in the city's coat of arms refer to the (once well-known) wine from Media?. For example, the wine is mentioned early in
Bram Stoker
's novel
Dracula
: "The wine was Golden Mediasch, which produces a queer sting on the tongue, which is, however, not disagreeable" (
Jonathan Harker
's diary, May 5, on his way to the castle of the count).
Sports
[
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]
Football
Basketball
Cycling
- The annual
mountain bike
marathon (in Romanian:
Maratonul Medieval Media?
) is a popular bicycle race usually held in June.
[13]
Natives
[
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]
- Ioan Adam
[
ro
]
(b. 1946), historian
- Marius Baciu
(b. 1975), football player
- Andreas Brecht von Brechtenberg
[
ro
]
(1805?1842), German poet
- Ionu? Buzean
(b. 1982), football player
- Iulian Cristea
(b. 1994), football player
- Octavian Fodor
[
ro
]
(1913?1976), doctor
- Giulio Gari
(1909?1994), tenor
- Ioan Ghi?e
[
ro
]
(b. 1956), politician
- Tudor Cristian Jurgiu
[
ro
]
(b. 1984), film director and writer
- Margareta Keszeg
(b. 1965),
middle distance
runner
- Laura Codru?a Kovesi
(b. 1973), prosecutor, the first
European Chief Prosecutor
and the former chief prosecutor of Romania's
National Anticorruption Directorate
, born in
Sfantu Gheorghe
, raised in Media?
- Paul Traugott Meissner
(1778?1864), Austrian
chemist
- Alexandru Munteanu
(b. 1987), football player
- Estelle Nathan
(1871?1949), Austrian-British painter
- Darius Olaru
(b. 1998), football player
- Alexandru Oroian
(b. 2001), football player
- Paul Pirvulescu
(b. 1998), football player
- George Puflea
(1883?1950s), early aviator, he flew in the
First Balkan War
, in the
Mexican Revolution
, in
World War I
, and in early American and Mexican civil aviation
- Cristian Pustai
(b. 1967), football player and manager
- Stephan Ludwig Roth
(1796?1849),
Transylvanian Saxon
intellectual, teacher, pedagogue, revolutionary leader, and Evangelical Lutheran pastor
- Adrian Andrei Rusu
(b. 1951), researcher in Romanian medieval archaeology
- Christian Schesaeus
(1535?1585), Transylvanian Saxon humanist, poet, and a Lutheran pastor
- Ruxandra Sireteanu
(1945?2008), biophysicist and neuroscientist who undertook pioneering research into the human visual system
- Willie Schneider
(b. 1963), German
skeleton racer
- Mihaela Tatu
[
ro
]
(b. 1963), TV host
- George Togan
[
ro
]
(1910?2003), historian
- Michael Weiß
(1569?1612), Transylvanian Saxons politician and historian
International relations
[
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]
Twin towns ? sister cities
[
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]
Media? is
twinned
with:
[14]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Results of the 2020 local elections"
. Central Electoral Bureau
. Retrieved
14 June
2021
.
- ^
"Popula?ia rezident? dup? grupa de varst?, pe jude?e ?i municipii, ora?e, comune, la 1 decembrie 2021"
(XLS)
.
National Institute of Statistics
.
- ^
"Asocia?ii, cluburi, societ??i sportive sau/?i cultural sportive"
(PDF)
(in Romanian)
. Retrieved
March 9,
2014
.
- ^
"ERDELY ETNIKAI ES FELEKEZETI STATISZTIKAJA"
(PDF)
(in Hungarian).
- ^
"Rezultate definitive: Caracteristici etno-culturale demografice"
.
Recensamantromania.ro
. Retrieved
28 July
2023
.
- ^
"Rezultatele finale ale alegerilor locale din 2020"
(Json)
(in Romanian). Autoritatea Electoral? Permanent?
. Retrieved
2020-11-02
.
- ^
"Liceul Teoretic Stephan Ludwig Roth"
.
- ^
"Scoala National? de Gaz Media?"
.
- ^
"Liceul Teoretic "Axente Sever" - O ?coal? prietenoas? deschis? tuturor!"
.
- ^
"Domeniu dezactivat!"
. Archived from
the original
on 2008-09-13.
- ^
"NovaTv Media? - Stiri locale, stiri medias, stiri sibiu, ultima ora ? novatv.ro"
.
novatv.ro
.
- ^
"Terra Saxonum | Via Transilvanica"
.
www.viatransilvanica.com
(in Romanian)
. Retrieved
2023-08-14
.
- ^
"Biciclete, vin ?i istorie ? toate la Media? - Veni, vidi, velo !"
.
Veni, vidi, velo !
.
- ^
"Orase Infratite"
.
primariamedias.ro
(in Romanian). Media?
. Retrieved
2019-10-25
.
External links
[
edit
]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Media?
.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for
Media?
.