Târnava-Mică County was a county (

Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language *** Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language ** Romanian cuisine, tradition ...

: '' județ'') in 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 ...

, the successor to Kis-Küküllő County 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 ...

. Its capital was Diciosânmartin (now Târnăveni, in

Mureș County Mureș County (, ro, Județul Mures, hu, Maros megye) is a county (''județ'') of Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania, with the administrative centre in Târgu Mureș. The county was established in 1968, after the administrative ...

) until 1926, and afterwards at

Blaj Blaj (; archaically spelled as ''Blaș''; hu, Balázsfalva; german: Blasendorf; Transylvanian Saxon: ''Blußendref'') is a city in Alba County, Transylvania, Romania. It has a population of 20,630 inhabitants. The landmark of the city is the f ...

Geography

Târnava-Mică County covered 2,081 km² and was located in 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 centre 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 ...

. Currently, the territory that comprised the greater part of Târnava-Mică County is now part of

Sibiu County Sibiu County () is a county ( ro, județ) of Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania. Its county seat ( ro, reședință de județ) is the namesake town of Sibiu (german: Hermannstadt). Name In Hungarian, it is known as ''Szeben m ...

, and Alba County. Its borders were as follows: Turda County to the northwest,

to the northeast, Alba County to the west,

and Târnava-Mare County to the south, and Odorhei County to the east.

History

Prior to

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, 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 Kis-Küküllő County of the

. The territory of Târnava-Mică County was transferred to Romania from Hungary as successor state to Austria-Hungary 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 and was signed in the Grand Trianon château in Versailles on 4 June 1920. It forma ...

. 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 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 o ...

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

Administrative organization

1938 map of interwar county Tarnava Mica

Administratively, Târnava-Mică County was made up of three cities – Diciosânmartin, Ibașfalău (Elisabetopol, Elisabethstadt, Erzsébetváros), and

– and initially four districts ('' plăși''):Portretul României Interbelice - Județul Târnava Mică
/ref> #Plasa Blaj, headquartered at

#Plasa Diciosânmartin, headquartered at Diciosânmartin #Plasa Dumbrăveni, headquartered at

Dumbrăveni Dumbrăveni (before 1945 ''Ibașfalău''; german: Elisabethstadt; Saxon dialect: ''Eppeschdorf''; hu, Erzsébetváros) is a town in the north of Sibiu County, in the centre of Transylvania, central Romania. The town administers two villages, Ern ...

#Plasa Iernut, headquartered at Iernut Later, a fifth district was established:

Plasa Valea Lungă, headquartered at Valea Lungă

Population

Whilst still part of Austria-Hungary, in 1870, the population of Târnava-Mică County was 100,161. In 1891, the population of the county was 101,045, of which 49.1% were ethnic

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 ...

, 27.4%

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 ...

, and 18.1%

Germans , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...

, as well as other minorities. According to the Romanian census of 1930 the population of Târnava-Mică County was 149,482, of which 53.9% were ethnic

, 23.6%

, 16.1%

Germans , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...

, 5.1% Romanies, and 1.1%

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 ...

, as well as other minorities.Recensământul general al populației României din 29 decemvrie 1930, Vol. II, pag. 442-447 Classified by religion: 40.7% were

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 ...

, 16.6% Orthodox Christian, 16.6% were Reformed (Calivinist), 16.2%

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...

, 4.6% were

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 ...

, 3.3% Unitarian, and 1.1%

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 ...

, as well as other minorities.Recensământul general al populației României din 29 decemvrie 1930, Vol. II, pag. 742-744

Urban population

In 1930 the urban population of Târnava-Mică County included 45.6% Romanians, 37.3% Hungarians, 5.6% Jews, and 5.3% Germans by ethnicity, as well as other minorities. The religious mix of the urban population was 38.0% Greek-Catholic, 18.8% Reformed, 12.9% Roman Catholic, 11.0% Eastern Orthodox, 6.2% Unitarian, 6.0% Jewish, and 4.7% Lutheran, and 1.2%

Adventist Adventism is a branch of Protestant Christianity that believes in the imminent Second Coming (or the "Second Advent") of Jesus Christ. It originated in the 1830s in the United States during the Second Great Awakening when Baptist preacher Wil ...

, as well as other minorities.

References

External links

*
Târnava-Mică website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tarnava-Mica 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