Reghin

Reghin Szászrégen
Municipality
Reghin City Hall "Petru Maior" urban ensemble Capitoline Wolf statue Wooden church of the Archangels Fountain in Central Park
Coat of arms
Location in Mureș County
Reghin Location in Romania
Coordinates:46°46′33″N24°42′30″E
Country	Romania
County	Mureș
Government
• Mayor(2020–2024)	Endre Dezső Márk(UDMR)
Area	72.82 km2(28.12 sq mi)
Elevation	395 m (1,296 ft)
Highest elevation	455 m (1,493 ft)
Lowest elevation	350 m (1,150 ft)
Population (2021-12-01)	29,742
• Density	410/km2(1,100/sq mi)
Time zone	EET/EEST(UTC+2/+3)
Postal code	545300
Area code	(+40) 02 65
Vehicle reg.	MS
Website	www.primariareghin.ro

Reghin(Romanian pronunciation:[ˈreɡin];Hungarian:Szászrégen,Hungarian pronunciation:[ˈsaːsreːɡɛn]orRégen;German:(Sächsisch) Regen or Sächsisch-Reen;Transylvanian Saxon:Reen)is acityinMureș County,Transylvania,centralRomania,on theMureș River.As of2021,it had a population of 29,742, making it the second biggest city of theMureș county,just behind the capitalTârgu Mureșand ahead ofSighișoara.

Location

Reghin lies 32 km (20 mi) north-northeast ofTârgu Mureș,extending on both shores of the river Mureș, at the confluence with theGurghiu River.It was created by the 1926 union of the German-inhabited (formerly Szászrégen) and the Hungarian-inhabited (formerly Magyarrégen) city, and later joined with the two smaller communities of Apalina (Hungarian:Abafája;German:Bendorf) and Iernuțeni (Hungarian:Radnótfája;German:Etschdorf), added in 1956. Formally, the latter two are separate villages administered by the city.

The city is on the Târgu Mureș–Deda–GheorgheniRomanian Railwaysline 405.

History

Regin Evangelical Lutheran churchof the local Transylvanian Saxon community

Reghin was first mentioned in 1228 in a charter ofHungarian KingAndrew IIasRegun– however, evidence of its strategic location and defence system suggests that the town might have been considerably older, possibly founded byLadislaus I.

Despite the devastations of the city during theMongol invasion(1241) and during theTatarandCumanincursions (1285), the town developed rapidly: already in the second half of the 13th century the city was the residence and power centre of the families Tomaj and Kacsik, to whom the nearby lands were awarded by the Hungarian Crown. Reghin became a minor ecclesiastical centre in 1330, with the building of theGothicchurch (Roman Catholicat the time, it now serves theProtestantcommunity) in the German part of the city; it is still the largest church in the area, and hosts the oldestMedieval Latininscription of any church in Transylvania. The Hungarian part of the city has an even older church, initially built in theRomanesquestyle.

At the beginning of the 15th century the settlement gainedcity rights,and, from 1427, the right to hold fairs. In the 16th and 17th century Reghin was devastated byHabsburgandOttomantroops on several occasions. It burned to the ground in 1848. In 1850 the town had 4,227 inhabitants, of which 2,964 wereGermans,644Romanians,556Hungarians,40Jews,and 3Roma.In 1910, the population of the city included 7,310 inhabitants, of which 2,994 wereGermans,2,947Hungarians,and 1,311Romanians.

After the collapse ofAustria-Hungaryat the end ofWorld War Iand the declaration of theUnion of Transylvania with Romania,theRomanian Armytook control of the area in December 1918, during theHungarian–Romanian War.The city officially became part of theKingdom of Romaniain June 1920 under the terms of theTreaty of Trianon,under which Hungary relinquished all of Transylvania. In August 1940, theSecond Vienna Award,arbitrated byGermanyandItaly,reassigned the territory ofNorthern Transylvania(which included Reghin) from Romania toHungary.Almost 30% of the inhabitants were Jews at that time. In May 1944, the Jews were gathered in theReghin ghettoand on 4 June 1944 were deported to theAuschwitz concentration camp.Towards the end ofWorld War II,Romanian andSovietarmies entered the city in October 1944. The territory of Northern Transylvania remained under Soviet military administration until March 9, 1945, after the appointment ofPetru GrozaasPrime Minister,when the city again became part of Romania.

After the war, Reghin lost some of its former Transylvanian Saxon character — as many Germans left forWest Germanyduring the later stages ofCommunist Romania— and ethnicRomaniansandHungarianswere settled in their place. The data of the 1992 census showed a population of 24,601 Romanians, 12,471 Hungarian, 1,790Romani,and 346 Germans. In 1994, Reghin was declared acity.

Jewish history of Reghin

Jewsbegan to settle in Reghin at the close of the 18th century, an organized community was established only during the middle of the 19th century, probably in 1849. The majority of the Jews came fromBukovinaandGalicia.As a result of the battles during theRevolution of 1848against Austria and the riots in Transylvania, Reghin and its Jewish population suffered severely. The first Jewish settlers, who arrived mainly from Bukovina and Galicia, wereOrthodox,and the community remained Orthodox throughout its existence.Hasidicinfluence was also felt. Besides the synagogue, there were twokloyzn(houses of prayer) where the Hasidim used to pray and had their ownrabbis.A prominent figure in the community during its early years was the Orthodox rabbi Hillel Pollak, who was spiritually close to the extreme Orthodox rabbi Hillel Lichtenstein.

A Jewish elementary school was founded in 1874. (Later it ceased its activities but was reestablished in 1910 and functioned until 1940.) The language of instruction in the school was Hungarian until 1918, after which it was Romanian. In 1885 the community became the administrative center for all the Jews of the district. The community numbered 282 in 1866, about 40 families in 1889, and 394 persons (about 7% of the total population) in 1891. Jews engaged in commerce, industry, andcrafts.Their trade and industry were mainly connected with timber and some of them owned sawmills; there were also unskilled Jewish workers employed in the timber industry. The institutions of the community assisted the poor. Some of the Ḥadarim established by the community translated the Pentateuch into German instead ofYiddishin order to facilitate study of this language by the children. From 1919 there was considerable Zionist activity in Reghin, and many members of the youth organizations emigrated to Israel. The community numbered 1,587 (about 16% of the total population) in 1930, and 1,653 (about 10% of the total) in 1941.

Between the two world wars, the Jews suffered from the nationalist andantisemiticactivities of members of theIron Guard,and from the official antisemitic policies of most of the Romanian governments. The change of rule in 1940 (from Romanian to Hungarian) did not bring with it any improvement, as was hoped by the Jews, who remembered their legal emancipation in 1867 by the Austro-Hungarian authorities.

Holocaust and aftermath

In the summer of 1944 the local Jews were concentrated intoa ghettoset up in a brick factory. Jews from the surrounding area were also brought there. From thisghettoabout 6,000 Jews were deported toAuschwitzby the Hungarian authorities, at the request of the Nazi occupiers.

After World War II, in 1947 a community numbering about 820 was formed mostly by survivors of thedeath campsand other Jews who had arrived in Reghin from places in different parts of Romania. The community gradually declined as a result of emigration to Israel and elsewhere. In 1971 there were still some 20 to 25 Jewish families living in Reghin and even fewer in the early 21st century.

Architecture

Reghin possesses some of the architectural elements that are unique inTransylvania.The stylistic details and the wrought iron balconies in the centre of the town are examples that prove the artistry of the localcraftsmen.One passes everyday by the apparently modest, yet defining signs of an ancient civilization. They personalize almost each and every building from the center of the town, making the visitor feel the fragrance of times gone by.

The Evangelical church also known as the "Saxon church" has a tower that measures more than 47m high. The four smaller towers are proofs of the town's "Right to the sword". The construction of the church began at the end of the 13th century. Over the years, the architecture was modified because the church underwent many dramatic events. It was set on fire in 1400, 1630, and 1778. The documents reveal the use of several styles of early and transitionGothic style.The church was consolidated in 1501 and since 1551, when theTransylvanian Saxonsadopted theLutheran Reformation,on the main wall are written the words: "Redemption cometh not from war, it is for peace that we all pray.". Inside the church there is an organ with 20 registers that dates from 1784.

The Huszar Castle, formerly Bornemisza, situated in Apalina dates from the 13th–14th centuries and was restored in the 19th century. In the old mansion of the castle lived between 1584 and 1592 Gyulai Pál of Apalina (1559–1592). He was a royal diplomat, historian, chronicler, doctor, and classical poet. The castle was built in theRenaissancestyle withbaroqueelements. In 1953 the castle was taken over and used by different educational institutions for disabled persons. It has recently been returned to its owners according to the new laws of property.

Culture

The "Petru Maior" municipal library has more than 130,000 books, one of which dating from the 16th century. Another important book isPetru Maior's "History of the Romanians' Origins in Dacia".

The Ethnographic Museum has a rich patrimony, grouped in 49 collections of ethnography, folk art, artistry, records. The edifice is a monument of architecture built in 1892. The items exhibited concern trades, national costumes, and tradition specific to the upper course of theMureș River,theGurghiuvalley, and part of theTransylvanian Plain.

The "Eugen Nicoară" community centre was built between 1938 and 1939 when Dr.Eugen Nicoarăwas the president of the Reghin department of Astra Foundation. Representations of theatre, folk music, dances, chamber music, etc. are held on the stage of this building.

The building in which the "Alexandru Ceușianu" secondary school functions was constructed in 1870 and housed the local law court. Lately in the post-war period, there was the Hungarian pedagogical school. Close by was the house of the writer and magistrateAlexandru Ceușianu.

Economy

The industry of Reghin is closely related to the traditions of the medieval trades and of the modern cooperative associations. Starting with the resources in the close vicinity, rich in wood and farm produces, the goods of the private producers from Reghin are in the market all over Romania and abroad. Thewood processingindustry is represented by companies such as Larix, Gralemn, Remex, Bucin-Mob, Prolemn, and Amis. Reghin is well known for the industry of the musical instruments, especially of violins. There are many companies that produce instruments using the famous resonance wood from theCălimani and Gurghiuforests. The violins made in Reghin are used abroad. The "Hora" Company is the first to manufacture instruments. In time, other companies were set up among which "Gliga Instrumente Muzicale".Yehudi Menuhinused a violin made by "Gliga" company.

Sport

Reghin is represented byAvântul Reghininassociation football.Avântul played inLiga Iin the1955 season.The team played inLiga IIIduring the 2015–16 season.

Demographics

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1850	4,227	—
1880	5,652	+33.7%
1900	6,057	+7.2%
1910	7,310	+20.7%
1930	9,290	+27.1%
1948	9,599	+3.3%
1956	18,091	+88.5%
1966	23,295	+28.8%
1977	29,903	+28.4%
1992	39,240	+31.2%
2002	36,023	−8.2%
2011	33,281	−7.6%
2022	29,742	−10.6%
Source: Census data

In 1850, the population of the town was 4,227, of which 2,964 were Germans, 644 Romanians, 556 Hungarians, and 63 others.In 1910, Reghin had 7,310 inhabitants, and the ethnic composition was made of 2,994 Germans, 2,947 Hungarians, 1,311 Romanians, and 58 others.

Ethnic groups (according to the 2011 Romanian census):

• Romanians:21,153 (66.81%)
• Hungarians:8,240 (26.02%)
• Romani people:2,002 (6.32%)
• Germans(more specificallyTransylvanian Saxons): 182 (0.57%)
• Others

Landmarks

Traditional German architectural heritage:

• The Protestant (Lutheran) church, built in 1330 in honour ofSaint Mary.Burnt down in 1708 and in 1848, after which it had been rebuilt.
• The Roman Catholic Church, which was consecrated in 1781.

Traditional Hungarian architectural heritage:

• The Protestant (Calvinist) church, 13th century, in 1910 completely rebuilt.
• ACalvinistchurch built in 1890.

Traditional Romanian architectural heritage:

• TheWooden Church,built in 1744, both Greek-Catholic and Romanian Orthodox during its history.
• TheGreek-Catholicchurch, built between 1811 and 1813, nowadaysRomanian Orthodox.

New landmarks:

• The Romanian Orthodox Cathedral was built in the city in the 1990s.
• The renownedzoologicalandfolklorecollections.

Natives

• Réka Albert(born 1972), physicist, biologist
• Magda Kun(1912–1945), actress
• Augustin Maior(1882–1963), physicist, educator, and inventor
• Georg Maurer(1907–1971), writer
• Hugó Meltzl(1846–1908), rector ofFranz Joseph University
• Rudolf Wagner-Régeny(1903–1969), composer

Twin towns – sister cities

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

Reghin istwinnedwith:

• Bourg-la-Reine,France
• Érd,Hungary
• Lubaczów,Poland
• Nagykőrös,Hungary
• Salle,Italy
• Ungheni,Moldova

Images

• 
  The centre of Reghin
• 
  The city park
• 
  The city centre
• 
  Reformedchurch
• 
  Plaque honouring World War I Hungarian heroes at the Reformed Church
• 
• 
  The monument at the entrance to Reghin, welcoming people
• 
  The Violins monument in the centre of the city, a symbol of Reghin

See also

• List of Hungarian exonyms (Mureș County)

Further reading

• Costea, Ioan I.Reghin: Destin și istorie.
• Ploieșteanu, Grigore; Șara, Marin (2006).Reghinul cultural.Reghin.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Pop, Simion T. (2008).Comorile Transilvaniei: REGHIN.Reghin: ROMGHID.ISBN978-973-88446-1-2.

External links

• primariareghin.ro– official website of Reghin City
• Reghin, RomaniaatJewishGen