Fălciu County
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Fălciu County was an
administrative division Administrative division, administrative unit,Article 3(1). country subdivision, administrative region, subnational entity, constituent state, as well as many similar terms, are generic names for geographical areas into which a particular, ind ...
of
Moldavia Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and former principality in Centr ...
(until 1859), then a county ('' judeṭ'') in
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 ...
between 1859 and 1950. Its capital was the town of
Huși Huși (, Yiddish/ he, חוש ''Khush'', hu, Huszváros, German: ''Hussburg'') is a city in Vaslui County, Romania, former capital of the disbanded Fălciu County in the historical region of Western Moldavia, Romanian Orthodox episcopal see, an ...
. Another important town was
Fălciu Fălciu is a commune in Vaslui County, Western Moldavia, Romania. It is composed of six villages: Bogdănești, Bozia, Copăceana, Fălciu, Odaia Bogdana, and Rânzești. The commune is a border crossing between Moldova and Romania. The Fălciu ...
.


History

Fălciu was a land (''ṭinut'') of the principality of Moldavia. After the formation 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 ...
, it was integrated in the new administrative system as a county (''judeṭ''). It covered 2,120 km2. It was one of the most rural counties of Romania and one of the poorest. The
communist regime A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state that is administered and governed by a communist party guided by Marxism–Leninism. Marxism–Leninism was the state ideology of the Soviet Union, the Cominte ...
disbanded the Fălciu County in 1950, when all counties were replaced with
Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
-style
raion A raion (also spelt rayon) is a type of administrative unit of several post-Soviet states. The term is used for both a type of subnational entity and a division of a city. The word is from the French (meaning 'honeycomb, department'), and is co ...
s. Fălciu County consisted of the western part of the current
Vaslui County Vaslui County () is a county ( județ) of Romania, in the historical region Western Moldavia, with the seat at Vaslui. Demographics In 2011, it had a population of 395,499 and the population density was 74/km². * Romanians - over 98% * Rom ...
and the extreme southeast of the current
Iași County Iași County () is a county (județ) of Romania, in Western Moldavia, with the administrative seat at Iași. It is the most populous county in Romania, after the Municipality of Bucharest (which has the same administrative level as that of a c ...
, and a small eastern part of the county now lies in
Moldova Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The List of states ...
. It bordered Vaslui County to the west, Iași county to the north, Lăpușna County and
Cahul County Cahul County was a county of Bessarabia. In the Middle Ages, its territory belonged to the Fălciu County, but after the annexation of Bessarabia by the Russian Empire in 1812 it became a county by itself. History Two smaller, Codru County and ...
to the east, and
Tutova County Tutova County is one of the historic counties of Moldavia, Romania with the city of Bârlad as capital. Geography Tutova County covered 2,498 km2 and was located in the central-eastern part of Greater Romania, in the south-eastern part of Mol ...
to the south.


Administrative organization

Administratively, Fălciu County was divided into three districts ('' plăși''):Portretul României Interbelice - Județul Fălciu
/ref> # Plasa D. Cantemir, containing 52 villages, with its seat at Fălciu # Plasa
Mihail Kogălniceanu Mihail Kogălniceanu (; also known as Mihail Cogâlniceanu, Michel de Kogalnitchan; September 6, 1817 – July 1, 1891) was a Romanian liberal statesman, lawyer, historian and publicist; he became Prime Minister of Romania on October 11, 1863 ...
, containing 72 villages, with its seat at Huși # Plasa
Răducăneni Răducăneni is a commune in Iași County, Western Moldavia, Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borde ...
, containing 29 villages, with its seat at Răducăneni (Răducăneni district was established later) The county had two urban communes: Huși and
Fălciu Fălciu is a commune in Vaslui County, Western Moldavia, Romania. It is composed of six villages: Bogdănești, Bozia, Copăceana, Fălciu, Odaia Bogdana, and Rânzești. The commune is a border crossing between Moldova and Romania. The Fălciu ...
.


Population

According to the Romanian census of 1930 the population of Fălciu County was 115,055, of which 94.4% were ethnic
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 ...
, 3.1%
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 ...
, 1.6%
Romani Romani may refer to: Ethnicities * Romani people, an ethnic group of Northern Indian origin, living dispersed in Europe, the Americas and Asia ** Romani genocide, under Nazi rule * Romani language, any of several Indo-Aryan languages of the Roma ...
, and 0.3% ethnic
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 ...
. Classified by religion: 91.7% were
Orthodox Christian Orthodoxy (from Greek: ) is adherence to correct or accepted creeds, especially in religion. Orthodoxy within Christianity refers to acceptance of the doctrines defined by various creeds and ecumenical councils in Antiquity, but different Churche ...
, 4.9%
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 ...
, and 3.2%
Jewish 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 ...
. By 1937, the estimated population had increased to 125,640.


Urbanization

In 1930 the urban population of Fălciu County was 17,130, which included 81.9% Romanians, 14.6% Jews, and 1.9% Hungarians by ethnicity. The religious mix of the urban population was 61.8% Eastern Orthodox, 23.3% Roman Catholic, and 14.7% Jewish.


Education

According to the 1930 census, the county's population aged seven and older was 87,231 inhabitants, 57.5% of whom were literate. Literacy by sex was reported to be 72.5% men and 43.3% women. The school population of Fălciu County (5-18 years old) was 30,515 inhabitants in 1934 (3,121 in the urban area and 27,394 in the rural area). In 1934, in the county there were: 1 boys lyceum, 1 girls high school, 1 boys commercial gymnasium, 1 boys industrial gymnasium, 1 girls gymnasium, 1 viticulture school and 1 church school. In addition, there were 137 primary schools – 128 in the rural area and 9 in the towns.


Economy

The economy of Fălciu County was primarily agricultural, but often suffered from drought and lack of forests. Vineyards covered up to 4,500 hectares, with those in the Huşi area well-known. The arable surface was over 138,000 hectares, about 65% of the county's surface area. Out of the arable area of the county, large estates owned over 16,000 hectares, and smallholders nearly 122,000 hectares. Most of the arable land was cultivated with cereals (corn, barley, wheat, oats, rye, millet). Cultivated meadows and other forage crops occupied approximately 12,000 hectares, forage plants almost 3,000 hectares, and factory farms about 7,000 hectares. There were also pastures on more than 21,000 hectares, and forests occupied nearly 23,000 hectares. The lack of deposits and other natural resources, as well as the low degree of urbanization, led to poor industrial development. The small industry of the county was concentrated in Huşi. In 1935, in the county there were: 58 mills, 2 oil factories (at
Oltenești Oltenești is a commune in Vaslui County, Western Moldavia, 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, H ...
) and Hurduci), 2 knitwear works, 5 woolworks, 3 candleworks, 1 soapworks, 2 brickworks, 1 tannery (all at Husi), 2 timber factories (at Drânceni and
Fălciu Fălciu is a commune in Vaslui County, Western Moldavia, Romania. It is composed of six villages: Bogdănești, Bozia, Copăceana, Fălciu, Odaia Bogdana, and Rânzești. The commune is a border crossing between Moldova and Romania. The Fălciu ...
), and a pottery factory (at Răducăneni). Trade was mainly made in agricultural products, wine, grapes, fruits, wool, and cheese. In the interwar period, the trade developed around the two important roads that crossed the county to
Bessarabia Bessarabia (; Gagauz: ''Besarabiya''; Romanian: ''Basarabia''; Ukrainian: ''Бессара́бія'') is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds of Be ...
: one passing through
Huși Huși (, Yiddish/ he, חוש ''Khush'', hu, Huszváros, German: ''Hussburg'') is a city in Vaslui County, Romania, former capital of the disbanded Fălciu County in the historical region of Western Moldavia, Romanian Orthodox episcopal see, an ...
and another, located in the southern part of the county, passing through Urdești and Fălciu. Along these roads there were several trading points, such as at Fălciu, which in the past had city status and a mosque, but had by the interwar years declined. On the territory of the county, several annual fairs were organized: in
Huși Huși (, Yiddish/ he, חוש ''Khush'', hu, Huszváros, German: ''Hussburg'') is a city in Vaslui County, Romania, former capital of the disbanded Fălciu County in the historical region of Western Moldavia, Romanian Orthodox episcopal see, an ...
on 14 September, in
Fălciu Fălciu is a commune in Vaslui County, Western Moldavia, Romania. It is composed of six villages: Bogdănești, Bozia, Copăceana, Fălciu, Odaia Bogdana, and Rânzești. The commune is a border crossing between Moldova and Romania. The Fălciu ...
on 24 June, in Vutcani on 15 August, in
Hoceni Hoceni is a commune in Vaslui County, Western Moldavia, 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 Bu ...
on 14 October, in Băsești on 23 June, and in Răducăneni on 29 August. Transportation routes were both road and railway. The road network of Fălciu County was 1,496 km and it was divided as follows: national roads (69 km in total, of which the General Directorate of Roads maintained 66 km of paved road, the remaining 3 km paved roads maintained by the communes), county roads (231 km cobbled, and maintained by the county administration), communal roads (1,196 km). The county was crossed by three national roads linking the following localities:
Bârlad Bârlad () is a city in Vaslui County, Romania. It lies on the banks of the river Bârlad, which waters the high plains of Western Moldavia. At Bârlad the railway from Iași diverges, one branch skirting the river Siret, the other skirting th ...
Huși Huși (, Yiddish/ he, חוש ''Khush'', hu, Huszváros, German: ''Hussburg'') is a city in Vaslui County, Romania, former capital of the disbanded Fălciu County in the historical region of Western Moldavia, Romanian Orthodox episcopal see, an ...
Chișinău Chișinău ( , , ), also known as Kishinev (russian: Кишинёв, r=Kishinjóv ), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Republic of Moldova. The city is Moldova's main industrial and commercial center, and is located in the ...
, Crasna
Vaslui Vaslui (), a city in eastern Romania, is the seat of Vaslui County, in the historical region of Western Moldavia. The city administers five villages: Bahnari, Brodoc, Moara Grecilor, Rediu, and Viișoara. History Archaeological surveys indicate ...
Iași Iași ( , , ; also known by other alternative names), also referred to mostly historically as Jassy ( , ), is the second largest city in Romania and the seat of Iași County. Located in the historical region of Moldavia, it has traditionally ...
,
Bârlad Bârlad () is a city in Vaslui County, Romania. It lies on the banks of the river Bârlad, which waters the high plains of Western Moldavia. At Bârlad the railway from Iași diverges, one branch skirting the river Siret, the other skirting th ...
Fălciu Fălciu is a commune in Vaslui County, Western Moldavia, Romania. It is composed of six villages: Bogdănești, Bozia, Copăceana, Fălciu, Odaia Bogdana, and Rânzești. The commune is a border crossing between Moldova and Romania. The Fălciu ...
Comrat Comrat ( ro, Comrat, ; gag, Komrat, Russian and bg, Комрат, Komrat) is a city and municipality in Moldova and the capital of the autonomous region of Gagauzia. It is located in the south of the country, on the Ialpug River. In 2014, Comr ...
. Also, the county had a network of railways with a total length of 56 km, of which 15 km of single track main lines and 3 km of single track narrow-gauge lines. The main stations were those in Crasna and Huși.


References


Bibliography

* Dimitrie Gusti (ed.) - ''„Enciclopedia României - Volumul II: Țara Românească”'' (Ed. Imprimeriei Naționale, București, 1938)


External links


Fălciu County on memoria.ro
{{coord missing, Romania Former counties of Romania 1859 establishments in Romania 1950 disestablishments in Romania States and territories established in 1859 States and territories disestablished in 1950 1938 disestablishments in Romania States and territories disestablished in 1938 1940 establishments in Romania States and territories established in 1940 Western Moldavia