(; , archaic ; ; ) is the capital city of Bistrița-Năsăud County, in northern Transylvania, Romania. It is situated on the Bistrița River. The city has a population of 78,877 inhabitants as of 2021 and administers six villages: (; ), (; ), (; ), (; ), (until 1950 ; ; ) and (; ). There is a project for the creation of a metropolitan area that will contain the municipality of Bistrița and 3 surrounding localities (Șieu-Măgheruș, Budacu de Jos, and Livezile), whose combined population would be over 91,600 inhabitants.

Etymology

The town was named after the River, whose name comes from the Slavic word meaning 'fast-moving water'.

History

The earliest sign of settlement in the area of is in Neolithic remains. The Turkic Pechenegs settled the area in 12th century following attacks of the Cumans. Transylvanian Saxons settled the area in 1206 and called the region . A large part of settlers were fugitives, convicts, and poor people looking for lands and opportunities. The destruction of ("Market Nösen") under the Mongols of central Europe is described in a document from 1241. The city was then called . Situated on several trade routes, became a flourishing medieval trading post.

became a free royal town in 1330. In 1353, King Louis I of Hungary granted the town the right to organize an annual 15-day fair on Saint Bartholomew day, as well as a seal containing the coat of arms of an ostrich with a horseshoe in its beak. The town developed markets throughout Moldavia, and its craftsmen travelled extensively. It was given the right to be surrounded by defensive walls in 1409. In 1465, the city's fortifications had 18 defensive towers and bastions defended by the local guilds. It was also defended by a , or fortified church. In 1713 the Romanian population was expelled by the Saxon magistrates, but they returned later. The town was badly damaged by fire five times between 1836 and 1850. The church suffered from fire in 1857, when the tower's roof and the bells were destroyed. The roof was rebuilt after several years. Fires in the nineteenth century also destroyed much of the city's medieval citadel.

A Jewish community developed in after the prohibition on Jewish settlement there was lifted in 1848, The community was Orthodox with a strong Hasidic section, but there were also Jews who adopted German and Hungarian culture. A Zionist youth organization, , was founded in in 1901 by Nissan Kahan, who corresponded with Theodor Herzl and there was significant support for the Zionist movement in the town between the two world wars. In 1925, Bistrița became the capital of Năsăud County.

World War II

thumb|Hungarian troops march in to Liviu Rebreanu Street in Bistrița, on September 8, 1940

In the wake of the Second Vienna Award (August 1940), the city reverted to the Kingdom of Hungary.

After King Michael's Coup of August 1944, Romania switched sides to the Allies. By October of that year, Romanian and Soviet troops gained control of all of Northern Transylvania, which was reintegrated into Romania in March 1945. In 1950, Bistrița became the seat of ; in 1952, the region was dissolved and the city became the seat of Bistrița raion (part of Cluj Region) until 1968.

Recent events

On June 11, 2008, the tower and roof of the church caught fire when three children who went to steal copper set it on fire while playing. The main part of the church suffered only slight damage, the interior remaining intact. It is speculated that both of the tower's bells, one dating from the 15th century, the other from the 17th, may have melted in the blaze.

Climate

According to Köppen climate classification, Bistrița has a humid continental climate(Dfb) with cold, snowy winters and warm, rainy summers.

Due to its modest elevation, has one of the coldest climates in Romania.

Demographics

In 1850, of the 5,214 inhabitants, 3,704 were Germans (71%), 1,207 Romanians (23.1%), 176 Roma (3.4%), 90 Hungarians (1.7%), and 37 (0.7%) of other ethnicities.

According to the census of 1910, the town had 13,236 inhabitants of whom 5,835 were German (44%), 4,470 Romanian (33.77%), 2,824 Hungarian (21.33%).

At the 2021 census, the city had a population of 78,877. According to the 2011 census, there were 75,076 inhabitants of , making it the 30th largest city in Romania, with the following ethnic makeup:

  • Romanians: 64,214 (91.09%)
  • Hungarians: 4,109 (5.82%)
  • Roma: 1,644 (2.33%)
  • Germans (Transylvanian Saxons): 304 (0.43%)
  • Others: 0.16%

Prior to World War II there was a sizable Jewish community living in the town. In 1891, 718 of the 9,100 inhabitants (8%) were Jews; in 1900 (11%) and 2,198 (16%) in 1930. In 1941 there are 2,358 (14%).

  • Colibița Lake (artificial dam, situated in the Bârgău Mountains)
  • Lakes and (glacier lakes, below Ineu Peak)
  • The city is home to a section of the Via Transilvanica long-distance trail.

Natural reservations

  • National park in the Rodna Mountains, which covers in County
  • – "Raven's Rock", a geological and vegetal park, situated in the Călimani Mountains
  • The Salt Mount in
  • Tăușoare Cave, the deepest cave in Romania –

Resorts

  • (balneo – climatic resort, situated in the Rodna Mountains, approx. from )
  • (approx. from )
  • (approx. from , at an altitude of – Tihuța Pass)
  • – Wine Valley – (approx. from )

Museums and exhibitions

  • Transylvanian Saxons' Museum – Livezile
  • Museum of Contemporary Art –
  • Andrei Mureșanu Memorial House –
  • Liviu Rebreanu Memorial House – Liviu Rebreanu village
  • Silversmith's House –
  • George Coșbuc Memorial House – Coșbuc village
  • Ion-Pop Reteganul Memorial House – Reteag village

Notable people

  • Gavril Bănulescu-Bodoni (1746–1821), bishop
  • Maria Bosi (born 1954), handball player
  • Adrian Crișan (born 1980), table tennis player
  • Arnold Graffi (1910–2006), doctor
  • Anita Hartig (born 1983), operatic soprano
  • Kalinikos Kreanga (born 1972), table tennis player
  • Viorel Moldovan (born 1972), football player and coach
  • Valeria Motogna-Beșe (born 1979), handball player
  • Andrei Mureșanu (1816–1863), writer of the Romanian national anthem
  • Radu Negulescu (born 1939), table tennis player
  • Remus Nicolai (born 1977), aerobic gymnast
  • Max Speter (1883–1942), German chemist and science historian
  • Daniel Suciu (born 1980), politician
  • Gabriela Szabo (born 1975), track and field athlete

Sport

Teams

  • CS Gloria 2018 Bistrița-Năsăud playing in Romania's Liga Națională (women's handball), Romanian Handball Federation
  • CS Gloria Bistrița-Năsăud, the city's most important team both historically and valuably, currently inactive, commonly known as Gloria is a Romanian football club based Bistrita, Bistrița-Năsăud County, currently playing in the Liga II.

International relations

Twin towns and sister cities

Bistrița is twinned with:

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  • , France (since 1997)
  • , Poland (since 2001)
  • Columbus, Georgia, US (since 2003)
  • , Germany (since 2005)

||

  • , Italy (since 2006)
  • , Austria (since 2014)
  • , Germany (since 2015)
  • Rehovot, Israel (since 2017)

|}

References

  • Info Bistrița
  • History of Bistrița
  • ArtGallery Bistrița
  • BistrițaOnline.ro