Ilie Birt (1698–December 29, 1786) was an

ethnic Romanian The Romanians ( ro, români, ; dated exonym ''Vlachs'') are a Romance-speaking ethnic group. Sharing a common Romanian culture and ancestry, and speaking the Romanian language, they live primarily in Romania and Moldova. The 2011 Romanian ...

merchant from the Principality of Transylvania.

Commercial and military activity

A native of Șcheii Brașovului, his family dealt in wine and livestock. He married a merchant's daughter and had eight children. No portrait of his exists. Aside from his native Romanian, Birt knew German, Hungarian, Greek, and Turkish. For this reason, he represented the local Romanian community in the royal capitals

Buda Buda (; german: Ofen, sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Budim, Будим, Czech and sk, Budín, tr, Budin) was the historic capital of the Kingdom of Hungary and since 1873 has been the western part of the Hungarian capital Budapest, on the ...

and Vienna, arguing for their right to sell anywhere. He petitioned the

Holy Roman Emperor The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans ( la, Imperator Romanorum, german: Kaiser der Römer) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period ( la, Imperat ...

to establish a republic at Șchei, but was ignored. Simona Suciu
“Șmecher de Brașov din anii 1700”
''

Adevărul ''Adevărul'' (; meaning "The Truth", formerly spelled ''Adevĕrul'') is a Romanian daily newspaper, based in Bucharest. Founded in Iași, in 1871, and reestablished in 1888, in Bucharest, it was the main left-wing press venue to be published dur ...

'', June 27, 2015 A captain in the Army of the Holy Roman Empire, Birt took part in the Austro-Turkish War of 1737–1739. In 1737, he formed a company, largely composed of ' troops. Under orders from Field Marshal Count Wallis, Birt and his men engaged the Ottoman forces at

Pitești Pitești () is a city in Romania, located on the river Argeș. The capital and largest city of Argeș County, it is an important commercial and industrial center, as well as the home of two universities. Pitești is situated in the historical re ...

, capturing 36 prisoners of war. Even after retiring from the

hussar A hussar ( , ; hu, huszár, pl, husarz, sh, husar / ) was a member of a class of light cavalry, originating in Central Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries. The title and distinctive dress of these horsemen were subsequently widely ...

s, Birt continued to sign as “captain”, underscoring his prestige. Wallis awarded him a medal, as did three other commanders, including Prince Lobkowitz and Count Traun.Vasile Oltean, ''Școala românească din Șcheii Brașovului'', p. 48. Bucharest: Editura Științifică și Enciclopedică, 1989

Crosses and legends

Birt contributed generously to St. Nicholas Church and the affiliated

First Romanian School The First Romanian School ( ro, Prima școală românească) is located on the grounds of the 16th-century St. Nicholas Church, itself located in the historic district of Șcheii Brașovului, in what is now Brașov, Romania. This is the first s ...

. His request to found a church was denied, so he instead built wayside crosses. Just two of many survive; they are built of stone and were thus more difficult to demolish. One is on Piața Prundului, while the other is by his house, on the street that bears his name. His activity provoked a fifteen-year feud with the

Transylvanian Saxon The Transylvanian Saxons (german: Siebenbürger Sachsen; Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjer Såksen''; ro, Sași ardeleni, sași transilvăneni/transilvani; hu, Erdélyi szászok) are a people of German ethnicity who settled in Transylvania ...

city authorities, in particular the magistrate. Irate that Birt had not asked permission to build, they sought to tear them down. Pointing to his war record and medals, Birt stood his ground. Eventually, in 1761, the crosses were approved on condition they never be enlarged or fenced in. Legend holds that Birt kept part of his war loot, making a fortune. He also engaged in contraband alcohol trade, ignoring the Saxons’ warnings and never paying taxes. He took advantage of a law exempting from duties the amount of alcohol one could consume in a winter; whenever an inspector arrived, he stated the wine was for personal use. Another legend says he was a usurer who threatened his debtors, even holding a gun to their heads while they slept. An avid shooter, Birt when drunk would gallop through the city center, gun in hand. As he was always armed, the Saxons arranged to have him arrested while in church, where guns were prohibited. Tried in Casa Sfatului, he was acquitted and freed. In 1759, the magistrate accused Birt of illegally fishing in the

Ghimbășel The Ghimbășel (also ''Ghimbav'') is a left tributary of the river Bârsa in Romania. Its source is in the northern part of the Bucegi Mountains. Originally it discharged directly into the Olt, but much of its flow has been diverted into the B� ...

, swearing at the watchmen who approached to caution him. Described as “a quintessential Șchei character”, Constantin C. Giurescu, ''Istoria pescuitului și a pisciculturii în Romînia'', p. 190. Bucharest: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, 1964 Birt died a very wealthy man at age 88. He owned a valuable house, a garden, land in

Poiana Brașov Poiana Brașov (, german: Schulerau; hu, Brassópojána) is a neighborhood of Brașov and a Romanian ski resort. After the 2010s modernization, the ski area has expanded from to and the slope’s length was increased from to . Most slopes n ...

, herds of livestock and vineyards in Wallachia.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Birt, Ilie 1698 births 1786 deaths People from Brașov Romanian people in the Principality of Transylvania (1711–1867) Romanian businesspeople Members of the Romanian Orthodox Church Hussars Military personnel of the Holy Roman Empire