Jibou (; ; ; ) is a town in Sălaj County, Transylvania, Romania. In 2021 it had a population of 9,677. Jibou includes the town proper and other four villages: Rona (Hungarian: Szilágyróna), Cuceu (Kucsó), Husia (Hosszúújfalu), and Var (Szamosőrmező).

Jibou is northeast of the county seat Zalău; the two are linked by national road and county road DJ108A, as well as by railroad. Its major attractions are the old Wesselényi Castle, Vasile Fati Botanical Garden, and the thermal baths.

Geography

Jibou is situated in the northeastern region of Sălaj County, Romania. It is positioned on the left bank of the Someș River, where it meets the Agrij River. The town is located at the coordinates of approximately 47°16′N latitude and 23°15′E longitude.

History

thumb|200px|Jibou during the [[Battle of Zsibó|battle of 1705]]

The city is located in a Daco-Roman area and developed early as a rural settlement. The first documentary attestation of Jibou dates to 1205, under the name Chybur. Among the many names Jibou bore are the titles villa (town) in 1219 and oppidum (fortified town) in 1564, which attest the importance of the locality at the time. Jibou is likely older than its first documentary attestation, given that the Roman road connecting the castra of Tihău with that of Porolissum passed through its boundary. The other component localities were noted a little later: Rona in 1338, Cuceu in 1388, Husia in 1405 and Var in 1469. The development of Jibou continued in medieval times, but suffered from Turkish invasions such as those in 1610 and 1665. (see Battle of Zsibó) taken against Habsburg rule. The Wesselényi family played an important role in the evolution of Jibou, which built a castle there in 1584; today, only traces of the foundation are preserved. The construction of the current castle, the largest baroque complex in Transylvania, began in 1778 and lasted more than 30 years. The most prominent representative of this family was Baron Miklós Wesselényi Jr., who lived between 1796 and 1850. Miklós Wesselényi appears at Gârbou, taking Haller by surprise, who did not expect such a gesture. As a result of this conflict, Haller sends Wesselényi to trial for six counts: "blasphemy, crooked oath, fire implementing threat, challenge to a duel, infestation and arrest of royal officials, disturbing public security". The process is settled only after three years, when the very Emperor Joseph II, son of Maria Theresa, condemns Wesselényi to several years of prison at Kufstein.

According to the census of 2011, the town numbered at that time 10,407 inhabitants, of which 5,141 were male and 5,266 female. The decrease in population was mainly due to negative natural growth, but also emigration to other western European countries. The city's population was made up of 8,210 Romanians (9,181 in 2002), alongside also live 1,192 Hungarians (1,503 in 2002), 584 Roma (603 in 2002), 5 Ukrainians (3 in 2002), 3 Slovaks (2 in 2002), 7 of other nationalities, and 401 of undeclared ethnicity. Regarding religious confessions, 7,153 were Orthodox (9,044 in 2002), 151 Roman Catholic (162 in 2002), 127 Greek Catholic (175 in 2002), 1,088 Reformed (1,520 in 2002), 4 Unitarians (1 in 2002), 402 Baptist (500 in 2002), 746 Pentecostal (560 in 2002), 7 Seventh-day Adventist (12 in 2002), 12 Evangelical (8 in 2002), 3 Muslim (2 in 2002), 220 Jehovah's Witness, 14 other religions, 11 without religion (6 in 2002), 5 atheists (2 in 2002), and 460 with undeclared religion.

At the 2021 census, Jibou had a population of 9,677; of those, 78.89% were Romanians, 11.45% Hungarians, and 5.61% Roma.

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Economy

Over time, Jibou has kept its predominant agricultural and handicraft character. If before 1968 it had only one industrial unit, Red Star (, ), that produced joinery articles, in the years that followed were built and expanded: the Flax Plant, the Clothing Firm, the Flax Melter, the Dairy, the Mining Company, the CFR Depot, sections of the Zalău Enterprise of Industrial Armature of Iron and Steel, Zalău Ceramics, the Forest Unit of Exploitation and Transport, the handicraft cooperatives the Craftsmen Collective and the Progress, and others. After 1989, some of these economic units have ceased work, others had reprofiled, adapting in one way or another to market economy. The most worrisome effect is the large number of unemployed, which is why it falls upon the general standard of living of the inhabitants.

Industry

In terms of industry, Jibou has profiled, in time, on certain sectors of light industry, wood processing, food, crafts and construction. Productive units have small production capacities, but optimally harness material and human resources of the area. In this regard can be mentioned: Confecții SA, Samtex, Multiprod, Mining Company, Bălănean Mill, the Progress cooperative, the Craftsman cooperative, the Cheese Factory, Absolut Typography, Clem SRL, Calion Prod, etc. it is nicknamed the "high-tech church" for its modern amenities (electronic censer, underfloor heating, altar with remote control).

  • Reformed Church – burned by Tatars in 1658 and by Lobonts in 1705, it is rebuilt in 1749.
  • Assumption of the Virgin Mary Roman Catholic Church (1886)
  • Wesselényi Castle, in the courtyard of which is arranged the Botanical Garden.
  • Béldy Castle – built in 1903 by Béldy family for its boy, the castle houses a neuropsychiatric hospital.
  • Former casino (late 19th century)
  • Old train station (1890), subsequently converted into bus terminal
  • Town Hall (late 19th century)
  • Town Hospital, formerly Court (late 19th century)

Education

Registers of the Calvin (Reformed) confessional school are run starting in 1746, but the institution is much older. State education dates from 1895. According to monographist Petri Mór, here functioned, by the late 19th century, the first kindergarten in Transylvania, with Júlia Teleki as educator.

Jibou has three kindergartens, two high schools and a secondary school:

  • Ion Agârbiceanu Theoretical High School (established on 1 September 1957);
  • Octavian Goga Technological High School (until 23 October 2001, general school; until 12 January 2012, school group);
  • Lucian Blaga Secondary School (since 1971).

Notable people

  • Ștefan Birtalan (1948–2024), a Romanian former handball player, coach and sports official
  • Cornel Damian (born 1960), a Romanian cleric, auxiliary bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bucharest
  • (1926–2093), literary historian, literary critic, and translator
  • Miklós Wesselényi (1796–1850), statesman and a celebrity in his age for his sportsman's accomplishments

Climate

Jibou has a humid continental climate (Cfb in the Köppen climate classification).

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References

  • Map of Jibou
  • Jibou Botanical Garden
  • Old images of Jibou