Jibou (; hu, Zsibó ; german: Siben; yi, זשיבוי) is a town in
Sălaj County
Sălaj County () (also known as ''Land of Silvania'', ''silva, -ae'' means "forest") is a Counties of Romania, county (''județ'') of Romania, located in the north-west of the country, in the Historical regions of Romania, historical regions of Cr ...
,
Transylvania
Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
,
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
. In 2011 it had a population of 10,407. Jibou includes the town proper and other four villages: Rona ( Hungarian: ''Szilágyróna''), Cuceu (''Kucsó''), Husia (''Hosszúújfalu'') and Var (''Szamosőrmező'').
Jibou is 25 km northeast of the county seat
Zalău
Zalău (, unofficial and former official name: ro, Zălau (; german: Zillenmarkt or , hu, Zilah, tr, Zile) is the seat of Sălaj County, Romania. In 2011, its estimated population was 56,202.
History
Ancient times
Zalău is situated in the ...
; the two are linked by national road DN1H 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 located in the northeastern part of Sălaj County, on the left bank of
Someș River
The Someș (; hu, Szamos; german: Somesch or ''Samosch'') is a left tributary of the Tisza in Hungary and Romania. It has a length of (including its source river Someșul Mare), of which 50 km are in Hungary.Agrij River. It is crossed by the 47°16′N parallel and the 23°15′E meridian.
History
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
Porolissum was an ancient Roman city in Dacia. Established as a military camp in 106 during Trajan's Dacian Wars, the city quickly grew through trade with the native Dacians and became the capital of the province Dacia Porolissensis in 124. The si ...
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.
Jibou is well known for his participation in the Kurucz rebellion (1703–1711) (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. He fought for the liberation of the serfs, being considered the leader of the reformist Hungarian nobility opposition, which struggled against the conservatism of Habsburg monarchy.
In 1781, his father, Miklós Wesselényi Sr., conflicts with aulic chancellor Johan Haller, his neighbor from
Gârbou
Gârbou ( hu, Csákigorbó) is a commune located in Sălaj County, Transylvania, Romania. It is composed of seven villages: Bezded (''Bezdédtelek''), Călacea (''Kiskalocsa''), Cernuc (''Csernek''), Fabrica (''Cukorgyártelep''), Gârbou, Poptele ...
. On 16 October 1781, with an army of 540 people, armed "some with rifles, most with scythes, iron pitchforks, cudgels" and 12 outlaws ( ro, haiduci), 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
Joseph II (German: Josef Benedikt Anton Michael Adam; English: ''Joseph Benedict Anthony Michael Adam''; 13 March 1741 – 20 February 1790) was Holy Roman Emperor from August 1765 and sole ruler of the Habsburg lands from November 29, 1780 un ...
, son of Maria Theresa, condemns Wesselényi to several years of prison at Kufstein.
The last forty-eighter revolutionary army in Europe, made up of about 8,000 soldiers commanded by General Kazinczy, capitulated at the castle on 25 August 1849.
From 1876 to 1920, Jibou was part of the
Szilágy County
Szilágy (Romanian: Sălaj) was an administrative county (comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory is now in north-western Romania. The capital of the county was Zilah (present-day Zalău in Romania).
Geography
Szilágy county shared ...
of the
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...
Zalău
Zalău (, unofficial and former official name: ro, Zălau (; german: Zillenmarkt or , hu, Zilah, tr, Zile) is the seat of Sălaj County, Romania. In 2011, its estimated population was 56,202.
History
Ancient times
Zalău is situated in the ...
railway in 1890, and over several years to
Baia Mare
Baia Mare ( , ; hu, Nagybánya; german: Frauenbach or Groß-Neustadt; la, Rivulus Dominarum) is a municipality along the Săsar River, in northwestern Romania; it is the capital of Maramureș County. The city lies in the region of Maramur ...
, made Jibou to become an important railway center. Through the development of industries and construction of railway the number of employees and workers increased. Nevertheless,
agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people t ...
remained main branch of the economy, especially after the introduction of alternative crops and the use of agricultural machines. To the end of 19th century in Jibou established many Jewish families, which made to increase the role of exchange of the locality. The main occupation of the
Jews
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
was trade; they opened a number of stores.
Documents of the time attested that residents here have participated in the Bobâlna uprising (1437) and the revolt led by Gheorghe Doja in 1514. Locals fought oppression by outlawry and local uprisings, which have been reported both in the 17th century, and in the 18th century. During the rebellion led by Horea, Cloșca and Crișan in 1784 and during the revolution of 1848, serfs in Jibou have been with the thought and deeds by the side of other exploited inhabitants of the Transylvanian settlements, regardless of nationality. The
Great National Assembly Great National Assembly or Grand National Assembly may refer to:
* Great National Assembly of Alba Iulia, an assembly of Romanian delegates that declared the unification of Transylvania and Romania
* Great National Assembly (Socialist Republic of ...
of
Alba Iulia
Alba Iulia (; german: Karlsburg or ''Carlsburg'', formerly ''Weißenburg''; hu, Gyulafehérvár; la, Apulum) is a city that serves as the seat of Alba County in the west-central part of Romania. Located on the Mureș River in the historica ...
(1 December 1918) was also attended by delegates from Jibou, headed by Gheorghe Petruca. On 16 October 1944 enter in Jibou the Romanian army and liberates the locality.
In 1950, Jibou became a district seat within the Cluj Region; it lost the statute in 1960, when the district seat became Zalău. Jibou was declared a town in 1968, when a new administrative law was adopted .
Demography
According to the population census of 2011, Jibou numbered at that time 10,407 inhabitants, of which 5,141 male and 5,266 female. Decrease in population is mainly due to negative natural growth, but also emigration to other western European countries.
According to the 2011 census, the city's population is made up of 8,210
Romanians
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 Roman ...
(9,181 in 2002), alongside also live 1,192
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 ...
(1,503 in 2002), 584
Gypsies
The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with sign ...
(603 in 2002), 5
Ukrainians
Ukrainians ( uk, Українці, Ukraintsi, ) are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine. They are the seventh-largest nation in Europe. The native language of the Ukrainians is Ukrainian. The majority of Ukrainians are Eastern Ort ...
(3 in 2002), 3 Slovaks (2 in 2002) and 7 of other nationalities. Likewise, 401 persons have not declared their ethnicity.
On religious confessions, situation of Jibou population in 2011 was as follows: 7,153
Orthodox
Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to:
Religion
* Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pa ...
(9,044 in 2002), 151
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 let ...
(162 in 2002), 127
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 ...
(175 in 2002), 1,088 Reformed (1,520 in 2002), 4 Unitarians (1 in 2002), 402
Baptist
Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compe ...
(500 in 2002), 746
Pentecostal
Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement
(560 in 2002), 7
Seventh-day Adventist
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sabbath, and ...
(12 in 2002), 12
Evangelical
Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual expe ...
Jehovah's Witness
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The group reports a worldwide membership of approximately 8.7 million adherents involved in ...
Over time, Jibou has kept its predominant agricultural and handicraft character. If before 1968 it had only one industrial unit, ''Red Star'' ( ro, Steaua Roșie, hu, Vörös Csillagot), 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
Light industry are industries that usually are less capital-intensive than heavy industry and are more consumer-oriented than business-oriented, as they typically produce smaller consumer goods. Most light industry products are produced for ...
, 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.
Agriculture and silviculture
Fertile lands in Someș meadow and terraces favored the cultivation of the main agricultural plants, but also the animals' growth. Along with acreage, appear sectors covered by
deciduous forest
In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, ...
s, which complete the natural landscape.
Commerce
The geographical position of the city favored the layout of a market for sale of industrial and agricultural products, but also of an animal market. There are many commercial units making a wide range of products, such as: Bujor SNC, Alfa, But Impex, Bălănean, Tora, Baciu, Paloma, Criss and Consumcoop units.
Services
In order to meet certain needs of the population, there are many units providing services, such as: Prod Fizeș, Arcada, Consomes, Tinca SRL, the ''Craftsman'' cooperative, the ''Progress'' cooperative, that perform construction, plumbing, heating and water works, carpentry, repair of household appliances, auto repair shops, etc.
Banking system
Monetary circulation in the city and surroundings is provided by the
CEC Bank
CEC Bank (prior to May 6, 2008 Casa de Economii și Consemnațiuni, but already known then as ''CEC''),Romanian Commercial Bank, the Romanian Bank for Development, the Treasury and the Credit Cooperative. In the insurance field operates the following units: Asirom, Unita, Ardaf.
Tourism
Monuments
* Old Orthodox Church (1931)
* St. George Orthodox Church – built between 1998 and 2001, it is nicknamed the "high-tech church" for its modern amenities (electronic censer, underfloor heating, altar with remote control).
* Reformed Church – burned by
Tatars
The Tatars ()Tatar in the Collins English Dictionary is an umbrella term for different
in 1658 and by Lobonts in 1705, it is rebuilt in 1749.
*
Assumption of the Virgin Mary
The Assumption of Mary is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII defined it in 1950 in his apostolic constitution ''Munificentissimus Deus'' as follows:
We proclaim and define it to be a dogma revealed by Go ...
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
A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live entertai ...
(late 19th century)
* Old
train station
A train station, railway station, railroad station or depot is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track and a station building providing s ...
(1890), subsequently converted into
bus terminal
A bus station or a bus interchange is a structure where city or intercity buses stop to pick up and drop off passengers. While the term bus depot can also be used to refer to a bus station, it generally refers to a bus garage. A bus station is l ...
* 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
Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th ce ...
in
Transylvania
Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
, 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
*
Miklós Wesselényi
Baron Miklós Wesselényi de Hadad (; archaically English: Nicholas Wesselényi;Robert J. Hunter : Racing Calendar - Page xxv 1842 20 December 179621 April 1850) was a Hungarian statesman, leader of the upper house of the Diet, member of the Bo ...
(1796–1850), statesman and a celebrity in his age for his sportsman's accomplishments.
*
Ștefan Birtalan
Ştefan Birtalan (born 25 September 1948) is a former Romanian handball player, coach and sports official.
Birtalan was one of the best players of his time and was named the World Player of the Year in 1974, 1976 and 1977. He spent most of his ...
(born 1948), 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
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bucharest is the Latin Metropolitan archdiocese in Romania.
Its cathedral episcopal see is Bucharest. Ioan Robu was the archbishop from 1990 until his retirement on 21 November 2019. He previously Apostolic Adm ...
.
Climate
Jibou has a
humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...
(''Cfb'' in the
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...