Balinț ( hu, Bálinc; german: Balintz) is a
commune
A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to:
Administrative-territorial entities
* Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township
** Communes of ...
in
Timiș County
Timiș () is a county ('' județ'') of western Romania on the border with Hungary and Serbia, in the historical region of Banat, with the county seat at Timișoara. It is the westernmost and the largest county in Romania in terms of land area. T ...
,
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
. It is composed of four villages: Balinț, Bodo ( hu, Nagybodófalva), Fădimac ( hu, Fagymag) and Târgoviște ( hu, Vásáros). It borders
Bara to the north,
Coșteiu
Coșteiu ( hu, Kastély; german: Großkostil) is a commune in Timiș County, Romania. It is composed of five villages: Coșteiu (commune seat), Hezeriș, Păru, Țipari and Valea Lungă Română. It is located on the right bank of the Timiș Rive ...
to the south,
Belinț
Belinț ( hu, Belence; german: Belintz) is a communes of Romania, commune in Timiș County, Romania. It is located between the cities of Timișoara and Lugoj and is composed of four villages: Babșa, Belinț (commune seat), Chizătău and Gruni. G ...
and
Ghizela
Ghizela ( hu, Gizellafalva; german: Giseladorf) is a commune in Timiș County, Romania. It is composed of four villages: Ghizela, Hisiaș ( hu, Hosszúág), Paniova ( hu, Panyó; german: Panjowa) and Șanovița (formerly Șușanovăț; hu, Sziklá ...
to the west and
Bethausen
Bethausen ( hu, Bethlenháza; german: Bethausen; Banat Swabian: ''Pettlenhaas''; often Romanianized Betleaz) is a commune in Timiș County, Romania. It is composed of six villages: Bethausen (commune seat), Cladova, Cliciova, Cutina, Leucușești ...
to the east.
History
Since the 10th–11th centuries, there have been numerous
flood
A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrol ...
s on the middle course of the
Bega River. Balinț, being located 500 meters from the Bega riverbed, was periodically flooded. In the 11th century, some of the villagers moved to a hearth protected from floods. A new village appears, derived from the first, ''Balințul de Sus'' (Upper Balinț), located in the Church valley, and ''Balințul de Jos'' (Lower Balinț) remains on the old hearth.
The first recorded mention of Balinț dates from 1488, when Count Ferenc Haraszti donates the ''Felső-Bályncz'' estate to his daughter. By 1554 the two settlements merged under the name ''Balinch''. In 1604, around Balinț, there are battles between the troops of
George I Rákóczi
George I Rákóczi (8 June 1593 – 11 October 1648) was Prince of Transylvania from 1630 until his death in 1648. Prior to that, he was a leader of the Protestant faction in Hungary and a faithful supporter of Gabriel Bethlen, his predecessor ...
and the rebels of
Stephen Bocskai
Stephen Bocskai or Bocskay ( hu, Bocskai István; 1 January 155729 December 1606) was Prince of Transylvania and Hungary from 1605 to 1606. He was born to a Hungarian noble family. His father's estates were located in the eastern regions of th ...
(future
Prince of Transylvania
The Prince of Transylvania ( hu, erdélyi fejedelem, german: Fürst von Siebenbürgen, la, princeps Transsylvaniae, ro, principele TransilvanieiFallenbüchl 1988, p. 77.) was the head of state of the Principality of Transylvania from the last d ...
) and
Gabriel Bethlen
Gabriel Bethlen ( hu, Bethlen Gábor; 15 November 1580 – 15 November 1629) was Prince of Transylvania from 1613 to 1629 and Duke of Opole from 1622 to 1625. He was also King-elect of Hungary from 1620 to 1621, but he never took control of th ...
.
Balinț is mentioned in the documents from 1690 and 1717, meaning that it continued to exist during the Turkish occupation. At the 1717 census it had 20 houses. In 1739 Austrian troops retaliated against the villagers who supported the Turks during the
Austro-Turkish War of 1737–1739 and took part in the uprising. The villages of Balinț, Fădimac and Târgoviște were burned down by the imperial armies.
By 1740 the Austrians set new hearths for the burned villages.
Bodo seems to have existed since at least the 14th century, mentioned by the name ''Bodov'' in 1344.
Later, in 1401, a certain ''Bodofalva'' is mentioned.
However, the village itself was founded only in 1890, by
Hungarian colonists who settled near the Romanian village of
Păru, forming the current hearth of the village. Between 1880 and 1890, more than 50 Hungarian families settled here, most of them from the
Debrecen
Debrecen ( , is Hungary's second-largest city, after Budapest, the regional centre of the Northern Great Plain region and the seat of Hajdú-Bihar County. A city with county rights, it was the largest Hungarian city in the 18th century and i ...
area. After the union of
Banat
Banat (, ; hu, Bánság; sr, Банат, Banat) is a geographical and historical region that straddles Central and Eastern Europe and which is currently divided among three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania (the counties of T ...
with Romania, the village was called ''Bodofalva'' for a while. The
Romanians
The Romanians ( ro, români, ; dated exonym ''Vlachs'') are a Romance languages, Romance-speaking ethnic group. Sharing a common Culture of Romania, Romanian culture and Cultural heritage, ancestry, and speaking the Romanian language, they l ...
also called it ''Bodăul Mare''.
The first recorded mention of Fădimac can be considered a diploma from 1488 where the name ''Fagymag'' appears.
From the period 1500–1550 there are numerous other Hungarian and Turkish documents attesting the village under different derived names. The village has always been Romanian and was located on the hill to the north of the village. After conquering
Banat
Banat (, ; hu, Bánság; sr, Банат, Banat) is a geographical and historical region that straddles Central and Eastern Europe and which is currently divided among three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania (the counties of T ...
, the Austrians named it ''Vitigmak''. At the 1717 census it appeared with 23 houses and was owned by the state.
The first recorded mention of Târgoviște dates from 1690 in
Marsigli
Count Luigi Ferdinando Marsili (or Marsigli, Lat. ''Marsilius''; 10 July 1658 – 1 November 1730) was an Italian scholar and eminent natural scientist, who also served as an emissary and soldier.
Biography
Born in Bologna, he was a member ...
's notes.
The village is probably older, since the traces of a medieval earth fortification were discovered here.
Politics and administration
The commune of Balinț is administered by a mayor and a local council composed of 11 councilors. The mayor, Dănuț Crașovan, from the
Social Democratic Party
The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology.
Active parties
For ...
, has been in office since 2004. As from the
2020 local elections, the local council has the following composition by political parties:
Demographics
Balinț had 1,596 inhabitants at the 2011 census, down 9% from the 2002 census. Most inhabitants are
Romanians
The Romanians ( ro, români, ; dated exonym ''Vlachs'') are a Romance languages, Romance-speaking ethnic group. Sharing a common Culture of Romania, Romanian culture and Cultural heritage, ancestry, and speaking the Romanian language, they l ...
(69.05%), larger minorities being represented by
Hungarians
Hungarians, also known as Magyars ( ; hu, magyarok ), are a nation and ethnic group native to Hungary () and historical Hungarian lands who share a common culture, history, ancestry, and language. The Hungarian language belongs to the Urali ...
(23.37%) and
Roma
Roma or ROMA may refer to:
Places Australia
* Roma, Queensland, a town
** Roma Airport
** Roma Courthouse
** Electoral district of Roma, defunct
** Town of Roma, defunct town, now part of the Maranoa Regional Council
*Roma Street, Brisbane, a ...
(2.19%). For 4.32% of the population, ethnicity is unknown.
By religion, most inhabitants are
Eastern Orthodox
Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism.
Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or "canonical") ...
(66.79%), but there are also minorities of
Reformed
Reform is beneficial change
Reform may also refer to:
Media
* ''Reform'' (album), a 2011 album by Jane Zhang
* Reform (band), a Swedish jazz fusion group
* ''Reform'' (magazine), a Christian magazine
*''Reforme'' ("Reforms"), initial name of the ...
(19.74%),
Greek Catholic The term Greek Catholic Church can refer to a number of Eastern Catholic Churches following the Byzantine (Greek) liturgy, considered collectively or individually.
The terms Greek Catholic, Greek Catholic church or Byzantine Catholic, Byzantine Ca ...
s (3.57%),
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
s (2.88%) and
Pentecostal
Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement s (1.69%). For 4.32% of the population, religious affiliation is unknown.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Balint
Communes in Timiș County
Localities in Romanian Banat