Great Plague of 1738

TheGreat Plague of 1738was an outbreak of thebubonic plaguebetween 1738 and 1740 that affected areas of theHabsburg Empire,now in the modern nations ofRomania,Hungary,Ukraine,Serbia,Croatia,Slovakia,Czechia,andAustria.Although no exact figure is available, the epidemic likely killed over 50,000 people.

In February 1738, the plague hit theBanatregion, having been spread there by theImperial Army.

According to the 1740 Hungarian Diet, the Great Plague claimed 36,000 lives.

Southeastern Transylvania may have been the hardest area hit. Over the following eight years, the plague killed a sixth of the population ofTimișoara.Timișoara'sSt. Mary and St. John of Nepomuk Monumentis dedicated to the plague's victims. The plague would return to hit the city again in 1762–1763.

Other cities in the region were also stricken. Between October 1737 and April 1738, 111 deaths were reported inZărneşti,and 70 inCodlea.More than 10% of the population ofCluj-Napocawas reported to have been killed by the pandemic.

The disease's spread extended to theAdriatic.It made its way to the island ofBračin modern-day Croatia.

See also

• Black Death
• Bubonic plague
• Second plague pandemic