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Sfântu Gheorghe

Coordinates: 45°51′49″N 25°47′15″E / 45.86361°N 25.78750°E / 45.86361; 25.78750
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For other places of the same name, see Sfântu Gheorghe (disambiguation) and Saint George (disambiguation).
Sfântu Gheorghe
Sepsiszentgyörgy
Municipality
Descending, from top: Fortified reformed church, County library, Mikó Székely college, Fogolyánhouse, stone mine near Őrkő, nature near Benedekmező, art gallery
Flag of Sfântu Gheorghe
Flag
Coat of arms of Sfântu Gheorghe
Coat of arms
Location in Covasna County
Location in Covasna County
Sfântu Gheorghe is located in Romania
Sfântu Gheorghe
Sfântu Gheorghe
Location in Romania
Coordinates: 45°51′49″N 25°47′15″E / 45.86361°N 25.78750°E / 45.86361; 25.78750
CountryRomania
CountyCovasna
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2024) Árpád András Antal [hu; ro][1] (UDMR)
Area
72.92 km2 (28.15 sq mi)
Elevation
555 m (1,821 ft)
Population
 (2021-12-01)[2]
50,080
 • Density690/km2 (1,800/sq mi)
Time zoneEET/EEST (UTC+2/+3)
Postal code
520003–520093
Area code(+40) 02 67
Vehicle reg.CV
Websitewww.sfantugheorgheinfo.ro

Sfântu Gheorghe (Romanian: [ˈsfɨntu ˈɡe̯orɡe]; Template:Lang-hu or Szentgyörgy [ˈʃɛpʃisɛɲɟørɟ] ⓘ; Yiddish: סנט דזשארדזש; English lit.: Saint George) is the county seat town of Covasna County, Transylvania, Romania. Located in the central part of the country and, consequently, in the historical region of Transylvania, it lies on the Olt River in a valley between the Baraolt Mountains and the Bodoc Mountains [ro]. The town administers two villages, more specifically Chilieni (Kilyén) and Coșeni (Szotyor).

History

Sfântu Gheorghe is one of the oldest urban settlements in Transylvania, the town first having been documented in 1332. The town takes its name from Saint George, the patron of the local church. Historically, it was also known in German as Sankt Georgen. The "sepsi" prefix (sebesi → sepsi, meaning "of Sebes") refers to the area which the ancestors of the local Székely population had inhabited before settling to the area of the town. The previous area of their settlement was around the town of "Sebes" (now: Sebeș in Alba County) which later became populated mainly by Transylvanian Saxons (German: Siebenbürger Sachsen), being known as Mühlbach in German.

While part of the Kingdom of Hungary, the city was the economic and administrative center of the Hungarian county of Háromszék, which spanned the present-day Covasna County and parts of Brașov County. In the second half of the 19th century, Sepsiszentgyörgy witnessed the development of light industry, namely a textile and a cigarette factory was built. It became part of the Kingdom of Romania following the Treaty of Trianon in 1920, after the end of World War I. After the Second Vienna Award in 1940 the city returned to Hungary. Near the end of that period, the Sfântu Gheorghe ghetto briefly existed in the city. At the end of the Second World War the Paris Peace Treaties reaffirmed the city and the entirety of Transylvania as a Romanian territory. Between 1952 and 1960 it was the southernmost town of the Magyar Autonomous Region, and between 1960 and 1968 was part of the Brașov Region, abolished in 1968 when Romania was reorganised based on counties rather than regions.

Sfântu Gheorghe is one of the centres for the Székely people in the region known to them as Székelyföld in Hungarian – which means "Székely Land", and is home to the Székely National Museum. The city hosts two market fairs each year.

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1912 8,665—    
1930 10,818+24.8%
1948 14,224+31.5%
1956 17,638+24.0%
1966 20,768+17.7%
1977 40,804+96.5%
1992 68,359+67.5%
2002 61,512−10.0%
2011 54,312−11.7%
Source: Census data

The majority of the city's inhabitants are Hungarians. In the census of 2011, 41,233 (74%) of the city's 56,006 inhabitants classed themselves as ethnic Hungarians, 11,807 (21%) as Romanians, 398 (0.7%) as Roma, and 2,562 as other ethnicities or no information.[3] 74% had Hungarian as first language, and 21% Romanian.[4]

Sights

Economy

The predominant industry in the city is the textile industry. The city holds underutilized production capabilities such as a downsized automobile transmission parts and gearboxes factory (IMASA SA) and a tobacco factory (ȚIGARETE SA [ro]).[citation needed]

Services sector contains growing areas such as IT services with ROMARG SRL the leading domain registrar and web hosting provider in Romania having its headquarters here.[citation needed]

Sports

Football

The main sport in the city is football. The city has a men's football team called ACS Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe (Sepsiszentgyörgyi OSK). In the 2016–2017 season the team promoted from the 2nd Division and currently play in the Romanian 1st Division.

Basketball

The city has also a women's basketball team called ACS Sepsi SIC. Sepsi-SIC has won the Romanian Championship 7 times: in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023 season.

  • In the 2007/2008 season the team has finished in the 2nd place in the regular season, and lost the final (2-3) against BC ICIM Arad, but they win the Romanian Cup.
  • In the 2008/2009 season the team finished in the 3rd position after the regular season and they lost in the final (0-3) against MCM Târgoviste.
  • In the 2008/2009 season LMK Sepsi BC played in the FIBA EuroCup Women. In the EuroCup Women 2008–09, the team was drawn in Group B with Dynamo Kursk (Russia), Bnot Hasharon (Israel) and Challes-les-Eaux (France). They finished in the 3rd place with 3 wins and 3 losses. In the Sixteenth-Finals they meet Cras Basket Taranto (Italy) and they lost both games.
  • LMK Sepsi BC participates in EuroCup Women 2009–10 and was drawn in Group G with Dynamo Moscow, Hapoel Tel Aviv and Dunav Econt Rousse. They finished in the 3rd place with 2 wins and 4 defeats. In the Sixteenth-Finals they met Mann Filter Zaragoza and they lost both games.
  • In the 2009/2010 season the team finished in the 2nd position after the regular season, but they lost in the semifinals of the play-off against BC ICIM Univ. Vasile Goldis Arad (1-2). They finished in the 3rd place beating CSM Satu Mare (2-0) and they won the bronze medals in the Romanian Championship and in the Romanian Cup too.
  • In the 2010/2011 season the team finished in the 3rd position after the regular season, they lost in the semifinals of the play-off against BC ICIM Univ. Vasile Goldis Arad (1–2). They finished in the 3rd place beating BCM Danzio Timișoara (2–0) and they won the bronze medals in the Romanian Championship and in the Romanian Cup too.

In the 2015–2016 season the club wins the Romanian Cup and for the first time was the Romanian Championship beating in the Final CSU Alba Iulia (3–0).

Futsal

The city also has a futsal team which plays in the Romanian First Division. The name of the team is Futsal Club Sfântu Gheorghe (Sepsiszentgyörgyi Futsal Club).

Culture

The Hungarian artist Jenő Gyárfás was born there and was a lifelong resident. His former studio is now an art gallery and exhibition hall.[5]

Education

The main building of the Mikó High School

Natives

References

  1. ^ "Results of the 2020 local elections". Central Electoral Bureau. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  2. ^ "Populaţia rezidentă după grupa de vârstă, pe județe și municipii, orașe, comune, la 1 decembrie 2021" (XLS). National Institute of Statistics.
  3. ^ Tab8. Populaţia stabilă după etnie – judeţe, municipii, oraşe, comune, 2011 census results, Institutul Național de Statistică, accessed 27 March 2020.
  4. ^ Tab10. Populaţia stabilă după limba maternă – judeţe, municipii, oraşe, comune, 2011 census results, Institutul Național de Statistică, accessed 27 March 2020.
  5. ^ The "Gyárfás Jenő" Art Gallery in Sfântu Gheorghe @ Muzeul Național Secuiesc
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