Galații Bistriței (; ) is a commune in

Bistrița-Năsăud County Bistrița-Năsăud () is a county (județ) of Romania, in Transylvania, with its capital city at Bistrița. Name In Hungarian language, Hungarian, it is known as ''Beszterce-Naszód megye'', and in German language, German as ''Kreis Bistritz-N ...

Transylvania Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

. It is composed of five villages: Albeștii Bistriței (formerly ''Ferihaza''; ''Weisskirchen'', ''Kisfehéregyház''), Dipșa (''Dürrbach'', ''Dipse''), Galații Bistriței, Herina (''Münzdorf'', ''Harina''), and Tonciu (''Tatsch'', ''Tacs''). At the 2011 census, 80.4% of inhabitants were

Romanians Romanians (, ; dated Endonym and exonym, exonym ''Vlachs'') are a Romance languages, Romance-speaking ethnic group and nation native to Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. Sharing a Culture of Romania, ...

, 9.3%

Hungarians Hungarians, also known as Magyars, are an Ethnicity, ethnic group native to Hungary (), who share a common Culture of Hungary, culture, Hungarian language, language and History of Hungary, history. They also have a notable presence in former pa ...

, and 8.7% Roma. At the 2021 census, Galații Bistriței had a population of 2,257; of those, 79.62% were Romanians, 7.04% Roma, and 6.47% Hungarians. Dipșa village features a church originally completed in 1489. It was founded by

Transylvanian Saxon The Transylvanian Saxons (; Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjer Såksen'' or simply ''Soxen'', singularly ''Sox'' or ''Soax''; Transylvanian Landler: ''Soxn'' or ''Soxisch''; ; seldom ''sași ardeleni/transilvăneni/transilvani''; ) are a people ...

s as a Catholic and later Lutheran church, and is now Romanian Orthodox, dedicated to Saint

Demetrius of Thessaloniki Saint Demetrius (or Demetrios) of Thessaloniki, Thessalonica (, ), also known as the Holy Great martyr, Great-Martyr Demetrius the Myroblyte (meaning 'the Myrrh-Gusher' or 'Myrrh-Streamer'; 3rd century – 306), was a Greeks, Greek Christianity, ...

. It is known as the “sow’s church” because, according to legend, a sow discovered a bucket full of gold coins that were used to build the church.Florina Pop
"Biserica scroafei din Dipșa"
''

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 during the Kingd ...

'', December 24, 2010

References

File:RO BN Albestii Bistritei 5.jpg, Albeștii Bistriței Wooden Church File:RO BN Biserica evanghelica din Dipsa (1).jpg, Dipșa Church File:Biserica reformata din Tonciu 2019.jpg, Tonciu Reformed Church Communes in Bistrița-Năsăud County Localities in Transylvania {{BistriţaNăsăud-geo-stub