(, ,
Romania with a population of about 155,000. It straddles the
Cibin River , a tributary of the river
Olt . It is the capital of
Sibiu County .
Sibiu was designated European Capital of Culture for the year 2007 together with Luxembourg.
Sibiu is situated near the geographical center of Romania. Set in the Cibin Depression, the city is about 20 km from the
Făgăraş Mountains , 12 km from the
Cibin Mountains , and about 15 km from the
Lotrului Mountains , which border the depression in its southwestern section. The northern and eastern limits of Sibiu are formed by the Târnavelor Plateau, which descends to the Cibin Valley through Guşteriţei Hill.
The Cibin river and some roads of national and international interest run through Sibiu, which is also an important city for the railway transportation, as the meeting point of east-west and north-south routes.
Sibiu's climate is
Temperate -
Continental with average temperatures of 8 to 9° C. The multi-annual average of rainfall is 662 l/mp, and there are about 120 days of hard frost annually.
The city was founded in
1190 by
German Settlers . It was probably built near a
Roman settlement, one that would be known during the early Middle Ages as
Caedonia , and may have been deserted at the time of the Saxons' arrival.
In the
14th Century , it was already an important trade center. In
1376 , the craftsmen were divided in 19
Guild s. Sibiu became the most important ethnic German city among the seven cities that gave Transylvania its German name ''Siebenbürgen'' (literally ''seven cities''), and it was home to the ''Universitas Saxorum'', the assembly of Germans in Transylvania.
Common opinion in the
17th Century ascribed Sibiu the quality of being the easternmost city to be part of the European sphere; it was also the eastern terminus of postal routes.
During the
18th and
19th centuries, the city became the second and later the first most important center of Transylvanian
Romanian Ethnics . The first Romanian-owned bank had its headquarters here (The ''Albina'' Bank), as did the
ASTRA (Transylvanian Association for Romanian Literature and Romanian's People Culture). After the
Romanian Orthodox Church was granted status in the
Habsburg Empire from the 1860s onwards, Sibiu became the
Metropolitan Seat , and the city is still regarded as the third most important center of the
Romanian Orthodox Church . Between the
1848 Hungarian Revolution and
1867 (the year of the ''
Ausgleich ''), Sibiu was the meeting-place of the
Transylvanian Diet , which had taken its most representative form after the Empire agreed to extend voting rights in the region.
After
World War I , when
Austria-Hungary was dissolved, Sibiu became part of Romania; the majority of its population was Romanian and counted large ethnic German and Hungarian communities. Starting from the 1950s and until after
1990 , most of the city's ethnic Germans emigrated to
Germany . Among the roughly 2,000 who have remained is
Klaus Johannis , who is
Currently mayor of Sibiu City.
- 1191 - Mentioned for the first time in a document of the Vatican, under the name "Cibinium" ( due to the river Cibin that flows through the city)
- 1292 - The first hospital in present-day Romania was opened.
- 1380 - The first documented school in present-day Romania.
- 1494 - The first Pharmacy in present-day Romania.
- 1534 - The first Paper Mill in present-day Romania.
- 1544 - The first book in the Romanian language was printed in Sibiu.
- 1570 - Transylvania became an independent principality
- 1551 - Conrad Haas ' experiment with Rocket s.
- 1671 - Methane Gas was discovered near Sibiu.
- 1782 - Franz Joseph Müller discovered the chemical element '' Tellurium ''.
- 1788 - First theatre in present-day Romania.
- 1795 - The first Lightning Rod in Southeastern Europe was installed in Cisnădie.
- 1797 - Samuel Hahnemann opened the world's first Homeopathic laboratory.
- 1817 - The Brukenthal Museum , the first museum in present-day Romania, was opened.
- 1867 - Union of Transylvania and Hungary
- 1896 - The first use of electricity in present-day Romania, and the first power line in Southeastern Europe.
- 1904 - The second city in Europe to use an electric-powered Trolley .
- 1918 - Union of Transylvania and Romania. Sibiu became part of Romania
- 1928 - The first zoo in Romania.
- 1941 - Saxons lost their historical majority in the population
- 1989 - The third city to take part in the Romanian Revolution .
- 2007 - European Capital of Culture 2007
As Of Approximately 2002 , Sibiu has a population of about 170,000. The ethnic breakdown is as follows:
Most of the population is of the Romanian Orthodox religion.
Protestant s and
Roman Catholic s represent 4% of the population.
- 25% of the population are over 50 years old
- 18% of the population are college or university graduates
Sibiu is one of the most prosperous cities of Romania, and also receives one of the highest rates of foreign investment in the country. It is an important manufacturer of automotive components (
Bilstein -Compa, Takata, Continental, and SNR '
Ball Bearing '). Other local industries are machine components, textiles, agro-industry, and electrical components (
Siemens ).
One of the main concerns for the city is attracting new investors to locate their businesses in Sibiu, and an
Industrial Park has been recently completed. The city also contains Romania's largest stock exchange outside of
Bucharest , the
Sibiu Stock Exchange .
- Industry - 49%
- Commerce - 15%
- Construction - 7.5%
- Health - 7.5%
- Education - 7%
- Transport - 6.5%
It has an
International Airport with daily connections to
Germany ,
Italy and
Austria , most of them via
Timişoara .
way line to
Răşinari , 5
Trolleybus lines and about 20 bus lines. It is also an important hub for the international bus links with the biggest passenger transporter in Romania,
Atlassib Atlassib - Official Site, based here.
The city is also a hub for the Romanian railway network,
CFR , with links to
Braşov ,
Râmnicu Vâlcea ,
Alba Iulia and
Mediaş . It has an important diesel powered locomotives depot and a freight terminal.
In 2007 Sibiu is the
European Capital Of Culture (together with
Luxembourg ). It is the most important cultural event that has ever happened in the city and a great number of tourists are expected, both domestic and foreign.
Sibiu - European Capital of Culture - Official Site.
The city of Sibiu and its surroundings are one of the most visited areas in Romania. It holds one of the best preserved historical sites in the country, many of its medieval fortifications having been kept in excellent state. Its old center has begun the process for becoming a
UNESCO World Heritage Site in
2004 . Sibiu and its surrounding area have many significant museums, with 12 institutions housing art collections, paintings, and exhibits in decorative arts, archaeology, anthropology, history, industrial archeology and history of technology and natural sciences.
The city also lies close to the
Făgăraş Mountains - a very popular trekking destination, close to the
Păltiniş resort - a popular winter holiday destination, and it is at the heart of the former Saxon communities in Transylvania renowned for its
Fortified Churches .
There are over 35 hotels in Sibiu, with different classifications. The most exquisite hotel is the ''Împăratul Romanilor'' hotel, located in the center of the old part of the city. Continental Hotels Romania owns two important hotels in the city and in 2006 it will upgrade one of them and rebadge it under the
Ibis name with an
Accor franchise. Also at least two brand new hotels are scheduled to open by 2007.
Much of the city's aspect is due to its position, easily defensible, but allowing horizontal development. The old city of Sibiu lies on the right bank of the Cibin River, on a hill situated at about 200 m from the river. It consists of two distinct entities: the ''Upper City'' and the ''Lower City''. Traditionally, the Upper City was the wealthier part and commercial outlet, while the Lower City served as the manufacturing area.
The ''Lower City'' (Romanian: ''Oraşul de jos'') comprises the area between the river and the hill, and it developed around the earliest fortifications. The streets are long and quite wide for medieval city standards, with small city squares at places. The architecture is rather rustic: typically two-storey houses with tall roofs and gates opening passages to inner courts.
Most of the exterior fortifications were lost to industrial development and modern urban planning in the late 19th century; only one or two towers still exist. A building associated with newer urbanism of the period is the ''Independenţa'' Highschool.
This area has the oldest church in the city, dating back to 1386.
The ''Upper City'' (Romanian: ''Oraşul de sus'') is organised around three city squares and a set of streets along the line of the hill. As the main area for
Burgher activities, the area contains most points of interest in Sibiu.
The Large Square (Romanian: ''Piaţa Mare'', German: ''Großer Ring'') is, as its name suggests, the
Largest Square of the city, and has been the center of the city since the
16th Century . 142 m long and 93 m wide, it is one of the largest ones in Transylvania.
Brukenthal Palace , one of the most important
Baroque monuments in Romania, lies on the north-western corner of the square. It was erected between 1777 and 1787 as the main residence for the Governor of Trasylvania
Samuel Von Brukenthal . It houses the main part of the ''National Brukenthal Museum'', opened in 1817. Next to the palace is the ''Blue House'', an
18th Century Baroque house bearing the old coat of arms of Sibiu on its façade.
On the north side is the
Jesuit Church, along with its dependencies, the former residence of the Jesuits in Sibiu. Also on the north side, at the beginning of the 20th century an ''
Art Nouveau '' building was constructed on the west part, now it houses the mayor's office.
Next to the Jesuit Church on the north side is the ''Council Tower'', one of the city's symbols. This former fortification tower from the 14th century has been successively rebuilt over the years. The building nearby used to be the City Council's meetingplace; beneath it lies an access way between the ''Large Square'' and the ''Small Square''.
On the south and east sides are two- or three-storey houses, having tall attics with small windows known as the ''city's eyes''. Most of these houses are dated 17th to 19th centuries, and most of them are Baroque in style.
As its name says, the ''Piaţă Mică'' is smaller in size, being rather longer than wide. Its north-west side has a curved shape, unlike the ''Large Square'', which has an approximately rectangular shape. Accordingly, ''Piaţă Mică'' plays a smaller part in the city's present-day life.
The square is connected to the other two squares and to other streets by small, narrow passages. The main access from the Lower City is through Ocnei Street, which divides the square in two. The street passes under the ''Liar's Bridge'' - the first bridge in Romania to have been cast in iron (1859).
To the right of the bridge is another symbol of the city, ''The House of the Arts'', an arched building formerly belonging to the Butchers' Guild. On the left side of the bridge is the ''Luxemburg House'', a Baroque four-storey building, former seat of the Goldsmiths' Guild.
''Huet Square'' is the third of the three main squares of Sibiu. Its most notable feature is the Evangelical (
Lutheran ) Cathedral in its center. It is the place where the earliest fortifications have been built. The buildings around this square are mainly
Gothic . On the west side lies the Brukenthal Highschool, in place of a former 15th century school.
The city of Sibiu was one of the most important fortified cities in Southeastern Europe. Multiple rings were built around the city, most of them out of clay bricks. The south-eastern fortifications are the best kept, and all three parallel lines are still visible. The first is an exterior earth mound, the second is a 10-meter-tall red brick wall, and the third line comprises towers linked by another 10-meter-tall wall. All structures are connected via a labyrinth of tunnels and passageways, designed to ensure transport between the city and lines of defense.
In the 16th century more modern elements were added to the fortifications, mainly leaf-shaped
Bastion s. One of these survived to this day, as the ''Haller Bastion'' (all the way down Coposu Boulevard).
The steep ''Passage of the Stairs'' leads down to the lower section of Sibiu. It descends along some fortifications under the support arches. It is the most picturesque of the several passages linking the two sides of the city.
Sibiu is one of Romania's most culturally lively cities. It has two theatres and a philharmonic orchestra.
The and
Silviu Purcărete . It has both a Romanian-language and a German-language section, and presents an average of five shows a week.
The
Gong Theatre is specialised in puppetry, mime and non-conventional shows for children and teenagers. It also presents shows in both Romanian and German.
The , a concert and theatre hall dating from 1787, situated along the old city fortifications. Weekly
Organ concerts are organised at the
Evangelical Cathedral during summers, and thematic concerts are presented by the Faculty of Theology choir at the
Orthodox Cathedral .
Sibiu's museums are organised around two entities: the
Brukenthal National Museum and the
ASTRA National Museum Complex . The Brukenthal Museum consists of an ''Art Gallery'' and an ''Old Books Library'' located inside the Brukenthal Palace, a ''History Museum'' located in the old town hall building, a ''Pharmacy Museum'' located in one of the first
Apothecary shops in Europe, dating from the
16th Century , a ''Natural History Museum'' and a ''Museum of Arms and Hunting Trophies''.
The
ASTRA National Museum Complex focuses on
Ethnography , and consists of a ''Traditional Folk Civilisation Museum''—a 96-
Hectare open-air museum located on a forest south of Sibiu—a ''Universal Ethnography Museum'', a ''Museum of Transylvanian Civilisation'' and a ''Museum of Saxon Ethnography and Folk Art''. It also has a project of opening a ''Museum of the Culture and Civilisation of the Romany People''.
There is a
Steam Locomotives Museum close to the railway station, sheltering around 40
Locomotives , two of which are functional.
Several festivals are organised yearly in Sibiu, the most prestigious of them being the
Theatre Festival , organised each spring at the end of May. The 2005 edition gathered over 2,500 participants from 68 countries; more than 300 shows were presented. The oldest
Jazz Festival in Romania is organised here, as well as the "Carl Filtsch" festival for young classical piano players, the "Astra Film" documentary film festival, the
Transylvania calling Festival a Multi Cultural 6 day Open Air Music festival! 26-31 July 2007, a medieval arts festival and many more smaller cultural events.
2006 Cultural Programme
Sibiu has been designated as a
European Cultural Co-Capital for 2007, owing greatly to the excellent collaboration with
Luxembourg , but also to what many regard as a miraculous social rebirth taking place in the city during the last years.
The Cultural Capital status is expected to bring about an abrupt increase in quantity and quality of cultural events during year 2007. The long term effects, on the other hand, and the impact on the city's inhabitants are quite disputed. Some people consider the status of Cultural Capital a natural recognition of the city's merits, while young intellectuals consider it less of a recognition and more of a chance that has been generously granted to Sibiu.
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Sibiu is an important centre of higher education, with over 26,000 undergraduate students in 2004.
The
Lucian Blaga University Of Sibiu Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu - Official Site was founded in 1990, with five faculties: Engineering and Sciences; Letters; History and Law; Medicine; Food and Textile Processing Technology. Nowadays, it has many departments.
- Andrei Şaguna Faculty of Theology
- Faculty of Letters and Arts
- Nicolae Lupu Faculty of History and Patrimony
- Simion Bărnuţiu Faculty of Law
- Hermann Oberth Faculty of Engineering Hermann Oberth Faculty of Engineering - Official Site
- Faculty of Sciences
- Victor Papilian Faculty of Medicine
- Faculty of Economics
- Faculty of Journalism
- Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Food Industry and Environmental Protection
- The University College
- Department for Distance and E-Learning Department for Distance and E-Learning - Official Site
Sibiu also houses the
Nicolae Bălcescu Land Forces Military Academy , as well as some private universities.
In Sibiu there are 20 educational institutions on the secondary level, the most prestigious of which are:
- Colegiul Naţional Gheorghe Lazăr - mainly sciences and informatics, with some bilingual classes
- Colegiul Naţional Samuel von Brukenthal - German language high school
- Colegiul Naţional Octavian Goga - social sciences, sciences and informatics
- Liceul Teoretic Onisifor Ghibu - informatics, social sciences and sports
- Colegiul Pedagogic Andrei Şaguna - training for schoolteachers
- Liceul Teoretic Constantin Noica - social sciences and sciences
- Arthur Arz Von Straussenburg , Austro-Hungarian general
- Miklós Borsos , Hungarian sculptor
- Andrei Codrescu , American writer
- Sabina Cojocar , Romanian gymnast
- Sándor Domanovszky , Hungarian historian
- Steve Holmes , German pornographic actor
- Iancu Sasul , Moldavian ruler
- Hermann Kusmanek Von Burgneustädten , Austro-Hungarian general
- Hermann Oberth , German space flight technology pioneer
- Nicolaus Olahus , Hungarian archbishop
- Oskar Pastior , Romanian-German poet and translator
- Dan Perjovschi , Romanian artist
- Lia Perjovschi , Romanian artist
- János Márton Stock , Hungarian painter
- Tobias Stranovius , Saxon painter
- Viorel Tilea , Romanian diplomat
- Sibiu on RomaniaTourism.com. Reference regarding surface area, population, etc. Retrieved 22 Nov 2005.
- Sibiu Online - Official Site with information on tourism and history, Sibiu pictures, and more. In Romanian, English and German.
