Huedin

Huedin Bánffyhunyad
Flag Coat of arms
Location on Romania map
Coordinates: 46°52′12″N 23°1′48″E / 46.87°N 23.03°E / 46.87; 23.03Coordinates: 46°52′12″N 23°1′48″E / 46.87°N 23.03°E / 46.87; 23.03
Country	Romania
County	Cluj County
Status	Town (oraş)
Government
– Mayor	Nicolae Chiş (National Liberal Party)
Area
– Total	61 km2 (23.6 sq mi)
Population (July 1, 2007)[1]
– Total	9,658
– Density	158.3/km2 (410.1/sq mi)
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
– Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Website	http://www.primariahuedin.ro

Huedin (Hungarian: Bánffyhunyad; German: Heynod; Yiddish: הוניוד or הוניאד) is a town in Cluj County, Romania.

Huedin is located at the northern edge of the Apuseni Mountains. It is surrounded by the villages of Nearşova, Domoşu, Horlacea and others. The town administers one village, Bicălatu (Magyarbikal). Lately, Huedin has started to be known for its ecotourism initiatives.

Population

The 2002 (census data) of the town's population counted 9,439 people, of which 58.45% were ethnic Romanians, 32.49% ethnic Hungarians and 8.97% ethnic Roma. ^[2]

History

The town of Huedin was founded in the Middle Ages. From 1330 up until 1848, the landlords of the town were the Bánffy family (see the town's Hungarian name of Bánffyhunyad). The town was part of the Kingdom of Hungary. In 1526, Huedin became part of the Principality of Transylvania and, until 1867, of the Grand Duchy of Transylvania.

The town boasts a strong historical Hungarian heritage. On September 26, 1895, Emperor Franz Joseph visited Bánffyhunyad following the end of Hungarian Army manoeuvres in Transylvania and was given an enthusiastic welcome by the townspeople, who built an arch decorated with the region's flowers and plants for the occasion.^[3] In 1910, the town's population was 5194, of whom 90.5% spoke Hungarian. At that time, 57.5% were Calvinist, 20.7% Jewish, and 10% Roman Catholic. From 1918 to 1940, the town was part of Romania. From 1940-44, it was again part of Hungary, due to the Second Vienna Award. The town is home to a 13th century Gothic Reformed Church.

Accessibility

The town is accessible by CFR trains from Cluj-Napoca and other cities, such as Oradea, Timişoara, Satu Mare, Braşov, Ploieşti, Bucharest, and Budapest. Huedin also lies on the line connecting Budapest to Oradea and Cluj-Napoca.

Notes

1. ^ "Population as of July 1, 2007" (in Romanian). INSSE. April 4, 2008. http://www.insse.ro/cms/rw/resource/populatia_stab_1%20iulie2007.htm. Retrieved 2008-05-04. 
2. ^ http://www.edrc.ro/recensamant.jsp?regiune_id=2140&judet_id=2295&localitate_id=2301
3. ^ Hubmann, Franz, & Wheatcroft, Andrew (editor) (1972). The Habsburg Empire, 1840–1916. London: Routledge & Paul. pp. 292–3. ISBN 0-7100-7230-9. 

Images

• 

  View from Huedin.

• 

  Reformed church in Huedin.

External links

• (Romanian) Huedin Business Center