Târnava-Mare County is one of the historical counties of the

Kingdom of Romania The Kingdom of Romania ( ro, Regatul României) was a constitutional monarchy that existed in Romania from 13 March ( O.S.) / 25 March 1881 with the crowning of prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen as King Carol I (thus beginning the Romanian ...

, in the historical region of

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 ...

. The county seat was

Sighișoara Sighișoara (; hu, Segesvár ; german: Schäßburg ; Transylvanian Saxon: ''Schäsbrich''; yi, שעסבורג, Shesburg; la, Castrum Sex) is a city on the Târnava Mare River in Mureș County, Romania. Located in the historic region of Transy ...

Geography

The county covered 2836 km² and was located in the central part of

Greater Romania The term Greater Romania ( ro, România Mare) usually refers to the borders of the Kingdom of Romania in the interwar period, achieved after the Great Union. It also refers to a pan-nationalist idea. As a concept, its main goal is the creation ...

, in the south of

. Its territory currently belongs to the counties of

Sibiu Sibiu ( , , german: link=no, Hermannstadt , la, Cibinium, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Härmeschtat'', hu, Nagyszeben ) is a city in Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania. Located some north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Ci ...

, Mureș and

Brașov Brașov (, , ; german: Kronstadt; hu, Brassó; la, Corona; Transylvanian Saxon: ''Kruhnen'') is a city in Transylvania, Romania and the administrative centre of Brașov County. According to the latest Romanian census (2011), Brașov has a popu ...

. It was bordered to the north by the counties of Odorhei and Târnava-Mică, to the south by the counties of

and

Făgăraș Făgăraș (; german: Fogarasch, Fugreschmarkt, hu, Fogaras) is a municipiu, city in central Romania, located in Brașov County. It lies on the Olt (river), Olt River and has a population of 28,330 as of 2011. It is situated in the historical regi ...

, and to the east by

Brașov County Brașov County () is a county ( județ) of Romania, in Transylvania. Its capital city is Brașov. The county incorporates within its boundaries most of the Medieval "lands" (''țări'') Burzenland and Făgăraș. Name In Hungarian, it is known ...

. The county was disbanded with the administrative reform of 6 September 1950.

History

Prior to World War I, the territory of the county belonged to

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

and was identical with the

Nagy-Küküllő County Nagy-Küküllő ( ro, Comitatul Târnava-Mare) was an administrative county (comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory is now in central Romania (central Transylvania). Nagy-Küküllő is the Hungarian name for the river Târnava Mare. ...

of Hungary. The territory of Târnava-Mare County was transferred to Romania from 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 ...

as successor state to

in 1920 under the

Treaty of Trianon The Treaty of Trianon (french: Traité de Trianon, hu, Trianoni békeszerződés, it, Trattato del Trianon) was prepared at the Paris Peace Conference (1919–1920), Paris Peace Conference and was signed in the Grand Trianon château in ...

. After the administrative unification law in 1925, the name of the county remained as it was, but the territory was reorganized. In 1940, a portion of the county was transferred back to Hungary with the rest of

Northern Transylvania Northern Transylvania ( ro, Transilvania de Nord, hu, Észak-Erdély) was the region of the Kingdom of Romania that during World War II, as a consequence of the August 1940 territorial agreement known as the Second Vienna Award, became part of ...

under the

Second Vienna Award The Second Vienna Award, also known as the Vienna Diktat, was the second of two territorial disputes that were arbitrated by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. On 30 August 1940, they assigned the territory of Northern Transylvania, including all ...

. Beginning in 1944, Romanian forces with Soviet assistance recaptured the ceded territory and annexed it to the rump county. Romanian jurisdiction over the entire county per the Treaty of Trianon was reaffirmed in the

Paris Peace Treaties, 1947 The Paris Peace Treaties (french: Traités de Paris) were signed on 10 February 1947 following the end of World War II in 1945. The Paris Peace Conference lasted from 29 July until 15 October 1946. The victorious wartime Allied powers (princi ...

. The county was finally disestablished by the communist government of Romania in 1950.

Administrative organization

1938 map of interwar county Tarnava Mare

Administratively, Târnava-Mare County was divided originally into four districts ('' plăși''):Portretul României Interbelice – Județul Târnava Mare
/ref> #Plasa Agnita, headquartered at

Agnita Agnita (; german: Agnetheln; Transylvanian Saxon: ''Ongenîtlen''; hu, Szentágota) is a town on the Hârtibaciu river in Sibiu County, Transylvania, central Romania. It is considered the locality in the center of the country. The town administer ...

#Plasa Mediaș, headquartered at

Mediaș Mediaș (; german: Mediasch, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Medwesch''/''Medveš'', hu, Medgyes) is the second largest town in Sibiu County, Transylvania, Romania. Geographic location Mediaș is located in the middle basin of Târnava Mare River, a ...

#Plasa Rupea, headquartered at

Rupea Rupea (german: Reps; Transylvanian Saxon: ''Räppes''; hu, Kőhalom, lit=mound of rocks; la, Ripa) is a town in Brașov County in Transylvania, Romania. It administers one village, Fișer (''Schweischer''; ''Sövénység''), which has a fortif ...

#Plasa Sighișoara, headquartered at

Later, a fifth district was added:

Plasa Șeica Mare, headquartered at Șeica Mare

Târnava Mare County contained two urban municipalities (cities):

(county capital) and

Population

According to the 1930 census, the county counted 147,994 inhabitants, of which 44.8% were Romanians, 39.7% Germans, 11.8% Hungarians, 2.6% Romanies, and other smaller minorities.Recensământul general al populației României din 29 decemvrie 1930, Vol. II, pag. 438-441 From a religious point of view, the population was divided as follows: Lutheran (39.2%), followed by Eastern Orthodox (36.6%), Greek Catholic (10.4%), Reformed (6.2%), Roman Catholic (4.5%), and other smaller minorities.Recensământul general al populației României din 29 decemvrie 1930, Vol. II, pag. 740-741

Urban population

The urban population consisted of Germans (39.3%), Romanians (30.0%), Hungarians (23.7%), and other smaller minorities. From the religious point of view, the urban population was made up of Lutheran (36.2%), Eastern Orthodox (23.2%), Roman Catholic (15.2%), Reformed (10.4%), Greek Catholic (7.8%), and other smaller denominations.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tarnava-Mare County Former counties of Romania Geography of Transylvania 1925 establishments in Romania 1938 disestablishments in Romania 1940 establishments in Romania 1950 disestablishments in Romania States and territories established in 1925 States and territories disestablished in 1938 States and territories established in 1940 States and territories disestablished in 1950