Miercurea Ciuc(Romanian:[ˈmjerkure̯aˈtʃjuk];Hungarian:Csíkszereda[ˈt͡ʃiːksɛrɛdɒ];German:Szeklerburg) is the county seat ofHarghita County,Romania.It lies in theSzékely Land,a mainly Hungarian-speaking ethno-cultural region in easternTransylvania,and is situated in theOlt Rivervalley.

Miercurea Ciuc
Csíkszereda
Sándor Petőfi School
Zsolt Erőss Sport Arena
Location in Harghita County
Location in Harghita County
Miercurea Ciuc is located in Romania
Miercurea Ciuc
Miercurea Ciuc
Location in Romania
Coordinates:46°21′34″N25°48′6″E/ 46.35944°N 25.80167°E/46.35944; 25.80167
CountryRomania
CountyHarghita
Government
• Mayor(2020–2024)Attila Korodi[1](UDMR)
Area
117.66 km2(45.43 sq mi)
Elevation
662 m (2,172 ft)
Highest elevation
730 m (2,400 ft)
Lowest elevation
655 m (2,149 ft)
Population
(2021-12-01)[2]
34,484
• Density290/km2(760/sq mi)
Time zoneEET/EEST(UTC+2/+3)
Postal code
530100–530242
Area code(+40) 0266
Vehicle reg.HR
Websitewww.miercureaciuc.ro
The meadows around the water source in theȘumuleu Ciucneighborhood.

The city administers three villages: Ciba (Csiba), Harghita-Băi (Hargita-fürdő), and Jigodin-Băi (Zsögöd-fürdő), including Jigodin (Csíkzsögöd).

Demographics

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According to thecensus of 2021,there were 34,484 people living in the city. Of this population, 81.65% were ethnicHungarians,while 17.41% were ethnicRomanians,0.88% ethnicRomani,and 0.06% declared other nationalities.[3]

According to thecensus of 2011,there were 37,980 people living in the city. Of this population, 81.39% were ethnic Hungarians, while 17.4% were ethnic Romanians, 0.9% were ethnic Romani, and 0.33% declared other nationalities.[3]

According to thecensus of 2002,there were 42,029 people living in the city. Of this population, 81.75% were ethnic Hungarians, while 17.3% were ethnic Romanians, 0.62% were ethnic Romani and 0.33% declared other nationalities.[4]

Demographic movements according to census data:

Roman Catholicismis the majority religion of Miercurea Ciuc, its adherents numbering 74.06% of the total population.Romanian Orthodox(14.99%),Hungarian Reformed(7.41%), andUnitarian(2.05%) adherents represent the most significant other religious groups.

History

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The remains of three Dacian fortifications were found in the Jigodin neighbourhood of Miercurea Ciuc; they belong to the Dacian culture of the 1st century. In theMiddle Agesit was the capital ofCsíkszék(Csik seat). Between 1876 and 1918, Csíkszereda was the seat ofCsík Countyof the historicalSzeklerlandin theKingdom of Hungary.After theTreaty of Trianonin 1920, it became part ofKingdom of Romania,and was the seat ofCiuc Countybetween 1927 and 1938.

Miercurea Ciuc became part of Hungary again between 1940 and 1944 as a result of theSecond Vienna Award.In September 1944, the Romanian Army and the Soviet Red Army captured the town. It was returned to Romania in March 1945, a move confirmed by theParis Peace Treatiesof 1947. Between 1952 and 1960, the town was part of theMagyar Autonomous Region,later named the Mureș-Magyar Autonomous Region between 1960 and 1968. In 1968, Miercurea Ciuc became the county seat ofHarghita County.

In the post-World War II period, the town was industrialized; among other projects, a tractor factory, a textile factory and, in the 1960s, a beer factory were built here. The factory is now owned byHeineken.The Ciuc Beer products have gained an increasing popularity in Romania.

Climate

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Miercurea Ciuc has a coolcontinental climate(Köppen climate classification:Dfb - without a dry season, although summer is wetter than winter and with a cold summer). At an average temperature of 16.3 °C (61.3 °F), July is the hottest month of the year. January has the lowest average temperature of the year: −7.7 °C (18.1 °F). Between the driest and wettest months, the difference in precipitation is 64.5 millimetres (2.54 in).

Miercurea Ciuc is one of the coldest cities in Romania, with temperatures plummeting towards −20 °C (−4 °F) much more often than anywhere in the country, sometimes as early as November. Snow falls as early as October and as late as April.

Climate data for Miercurea Ciuc, Romania
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 12
(54)
16
(61)
23
(73)
26
(79)
30
(86)
32
(90)
35
(95)
35
(95)
33
(91)
27
(81)
22
(72)
17
(63)
35
(95)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) −2.9
(26.8)
0.7
(33.3)
7.1
(44.8)
13.9
(57.0)
19.1
(66.4)
21.8
(71.2)
23.4
(74.1)
23.4
(74.1)
20.1
(68.2)
14.4
(57.9)
6.0
(42.8)
−0.1
(31.8)
12.2
(54.0)
Daily mean °C (°F) −7.7
(18.1)
−4.7
(23.5)
1.0
(33.8)
7.2
(45.0)
12.0
(53.6)
14.9
(58.8)
16.3
(61.3)
15.7
(60.3)
12.3
(54.1)
7.1
(44.8)
1.3
(34.3)
−4.3
(24.3)
5.9
(42.6)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −12.5
(9.5)
−10.1
(13.8)
−5.1
(22.8)
0.5
(32.9)
4.9
(40.8)
8.0
(46.4)
9.2
(48.6)
8.0
(46.4)
4.5
(40.1)
−0.2
(31.6)
−3.5
(25.7)
−8.4
(16.9)
−0.4
(31.3)
Record low °C (°F) −33
(−27)
−33
(−27)
−28
(−18)
−14
(7)
−8
(18)
−1
(30)
0
(32)
−3
(27)
−8
(18)
−14
(7)
−27
(−17)
−33
(−27)
−33
(−27)
Averageprecipitationmm (inches) 28.8
(1.13)
26.2
(1.03)
26.9
(1.06)
43.0
(1.69)
70.6
(2.78)
90.7
(3.57)
83.2
(3.28)
65.7
(2.59)
39.8
(1.57)
32.9
(1.30)
28.4
(1.12)
29.4
(1.16)
565.9
(22.28)
Average precipitation days 12 12 19 16 13 12 10 10 10 9 13 14 150
Average snowy days 8 8 8 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 9 43
Source 1:[5]
Source 2:[6]
Climate data for Miercurea Ciuc: 661m (1991-2020, extremes 1981-2020)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 16.3
(61.3)
23.3
(73.9)
25.6
(78.1)
30.1
(86.2)
32.2
(90.0)
35.3
(95.5)
35.7
(96.3)
36.0
(96.8)
33.2
(91.8)
29.6
(85.3)
25.2
(77.4)
13.3
(55.9)
36.0
(96.8)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) −1.1
(30.0)
1.8
(35.2)
7.8
(46.0)
14.6
(58.3)
19.9
(67.8)
23.4
(74.1)
25.2
(77.4)
25.4
(77.7)
20.2
(68.4)
14.6
(58.3)
6.6
(43.9)
−0.3
(31.5)
13.2
(55.7)
Daily mean °C (°F) −6.1
(21.0)
−4.5
(23.9)
0.7
(33.3)
7.0
(44.6)
12.3
(54.1)
16.0
(60.8)
17.5
(63.5)
16.8
(62.2)
11.7
(53.1)
6.3
(43.3)
0.7
(33.3)
−4.7
(23.5)
6.1
(43.1)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −10.8
(12.6)
−9.6
(14.7)
−4.8
(23.4)
0.1
(32.2)
4.5
(40.1)
8.3
(46.9)
9.7
(49.5)
8.8
(47.8)
4.6
(40.3)
0.4
(32.7)
−3.8
(25.2)
−8.8
(16.2)
−0.1
(31.8)
Record low °C (°F) −35.2
(−31.4)
−29.0
(−20.2)
−13.9
(7.0)
−7.7
(18.1)
−2.0
(28.4)
−0.2
(31.6)
−1.1
(30.0)
−8.2
(17.2)
−13.5
(7.7)
−27.5
(−17.5)
−33.0
(−27.4)
−38.4
(−37.1)
−38.4
(−37.1)
Averageprecipitationmm (inches) 22.4
(0.88)
21.9
(0.86)
32.2
(1.27)
44.7
(1.76)
70.7
(2.78)
97.7
(3.85)
86.4
(3.40)
67.3
(2.65)
46.8
(1.84)
43.0
(1.69)
27.0
(1.06)
35.5
(1.40)
595.6
(23.44)
Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) 5.2 5.4 6.5 7.8 11.3 12.2 9.9 8.8 6.5 6.2 5.1 6 90.9
Mean monthlysunshine hours 65.1 95.4 148.1 178.7 219.1 232.7 257.7 253.7 186.8 144.1 78.9 52.3 1,912.6
Source: NOAA[7][8]

Education

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In 2001, theSapientiaTransylvanian Hungarian University opened in the building of the former Harghita Hotel. The privately run institution is the first Hungarian university in modern Romania. Other cities in Transylvania also have Sapientia University faculties. Since the university opened, it has been attracting growing numbers of young people and intellectuals.

The Early Music Festival takes place every year in July, from 1980 onwards, mainly in the court of the castle. From 2008 it joins a Summer Music University for early music. Its concerts, held by the most important ensembles for early music in Romania and by the most famous ensembles of Europe, are with free admission.[9]

Sports

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"Vákár Lajos" Ice Hall

Miercurea Ciuc is one of the coldest cities in Romania, with winter temperatures often going under −30 °C (−22 °F), making the city ideal for winter sports. TheVákár Lajos Ice Hallannually hosts the nationalice hockeychampionships, often won by the best-supported local team,HSC Csíkszereda.In 2006 the ice rink hosted the world junior championship inshort track speed skating.The onlylong track speed skatingoval in Romania is situated just outside the ice hockey rink.[10]

Main sights

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Petőfi Street (named afterSándor Petőfi) is the main pedestrian street in the city. It houses numerous restaurants and cafés. TheirSzékelyspecialties conjure up images of a small city in Western Europe. During the summer, the street is a popular destination for afternoon and evening recreational activities.[citation needed]

Miercurea-Ciuc is home to the Baroque church atȘumuleu Ciucand, in the city center, theMikó Castle,built in a lateRenaissancestyle. The original more decorative castle was raised in the 17th century on the orders of Ferenc Mikó Hídvégi, the personal advisor ofGabriel Bethlen,then prince of Transylvania. Much of the castle was destroyed in 1661 during theTatarraids, but it was rebuilt at the beginning of the 18th century and was mainly used as a barracks; today it houses the Csík Székely Museum. Behind the castle is a smallSkanzen(museum village), consisting of a few traditional Csíki houses and wooden gates. Across the road from the castle is the city hall built in 1886, originally the county hall of the old HungarianCsík County.Beside the castle is the 1904 Courthouse. The latest significant addition to the architectural landscape is the controversial 2001 Millennium Church, designed by Hungarian architectImre Makoveczand located next to the Baroque Church of the Holy Cross. There is a large Romanian Orthodox church (1929–1939) in the city center. The Orthodox Church has Neo-Byzantine characteristics. It was built in the former administrative center of Miercurea Ciuc, the Castle Square.

Șumuleu/Csíksomlyó Pentecost Pilgrimage

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Franciscan church in Csíksomlyó/Șumuleu

A few kilometres to the east of the city centre is the Franciscan monastery of Șumuleu Ciuc, known in Hungarian asCsíksomlyó.A wooden-sculpture figure of the Virgin Mary, known as the Weeping Mary, can be found in the monastery church, which is the destination of a traditional pilgrimage ofRoman CatholicSzékely held since 1567, called the "Csíksomlyó Pilgrimage" (Romanian:Pelerinajul de la Sumuleu;Hungarian:Csíksomlyói Búcsú). The event, held on the Saturday beforePentecost,attracts several hundred thousand people every year. The mass for the pilgrims is held on a meadow near the church. This traditional gathering is not only attended bySzékelyandCsángóHungarians living in the region, but also by a great number of mostly HungarianCatholicsfrom other parts of Transylvania region, Hungary and all over the world. Beside its religious importance, the pilgrimage has also become a demonstration of the awareness and solidarity of Catholic Hungarian people living in and outside the historical region ofTransylvania.[11]

Politics

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Miercurea Ciuc is amunicipalitywith a mayor–council form of government. Themayorand council members are elected to four-year terms.[12]The present mayor isAttila Korodifrom theDemocratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania(UDMR/RMDSZ). Hewas electedin September 2020 with over 73% of the vote.[13]Thelocal councilhas 19 members with the UDMR holding the majority of the seats:[14]

Party Seats Current Council
Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania(UDMR/RMDSZ) 15
Hungarian Alliance from Transylvania(PPMT/EMNP) 3
National Liberal Party(PNL) 1

Diplomatic missions

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Twin towns — sister cities

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Miercurea Ciuc istwinnedwith:

Notable people

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References

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  1. ^"Results of the 2020 local elections".Central Electoral Bureau.Retrieved10 June2021.
  2. ^"Populaţia rezidentă după grupa de vârstă, pe județe și municipii, orașe, comune, la 1 decembrie 2021"(XLS).National Institute of Statistics.
  3. ^abRomanian census 2011
  4. ^Romanian census 2002
  5. ^"Miercurea Ciuc climate data".Meteo Romania.Retrieved14 December2016.
  6. ^"Climate: Miercurea Ciuc".Retrieved17 August2016.
  7. ^"Miercurea Ciuc Climate Normals 1991-2020".National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.RetrievedAugust 29,2023.
  8. ^"World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1981-2010: Miercurea Ciuc (WMO number:15170)"(CSV).ncei.noaa.gov(Excel file).NOAA.RetrievedFebruary 13,2024.
  9. ^> "Early Music Festival Miercurea-Ciuc".regizene.ro.Retrieved2016-08-14.
  10. ^Rink card of: Patinoarul Artificial Vákár Lajos Miercurea Ciuc (Csikszereda)
  11. ^Csíksomlyó Pilgrimage
  12. ^"Law No. 215 Of 23 April 2001, The Local Public Administration".Global-Regulation.RetrievedDec 2,2021.
  13. ^"Alegeri Locale 2020 Primar Miercurea Ciuc".RezultateVot.ro(in Romanian).RetrievedDec 2,2021.
  14. ^"Alegeri Locale 2020 Consiliul Local Miercurea Ciuc".RezultateVot.ro(in Romanian).RetrievedDec 2,2021.
  15. ^Bozsoki, Agnes."Partnervárosok Névsora Partner és Testvérvárosok Névsora"[Partner and Twin Cities List].City of Székesfehérvár(in Hungarian). Archived fromthe originalon 2012-12-08.Retrieved2013-08-05.
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