Hațeg (; ; ) is a town in

Hunedoara County Hunedoara County () is a county (''județ'') of Romania, in Transylvania, with its capital city at Deva, Romania, Deva. The county is part of the Danube–Criș–Mureș–Tisa Euroregion. Name In Hungarian language, Hungarian, it is known as , ...

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 ...

with a population of 8,793 as of 2021. Three villages are administered by the town: Nălațvad (''Nalácvád''), Silvașu de Jos (''Alsószilvás''), and Silvașu de Sus (''Felsőszilvás''). It is situated in the southwestern reaches of the historical region of

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 ...

. The town is the center of the ethnocultural and historical region of Țara Hațegului. It lies at an altitude of , on the banks of the Râul Galben. Hațeg is located in the south-central part of Hunedoara County, south of the county seat,

Deva Deva may refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Deva, List of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition monsters, an ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' 2nd edition monster * Deva, in the 2023 Indian film ''Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefir ...

Hațeg Island Hațeg Island was a large offshore Former island, island in the Tethys Sea which existed during the Late Cretaceous period, probably from the Cenomanian to the Maastrichtian ages. It was situated in an area corresponding to the region around moder ...

, a large island that existed in the

Tethys Ocean The Tethys Ocean ( ; ), also called the Tethys Sea or the Neo-Tethys, was a prehistoric ocean during much of the Mesozoic Era and early-mid Cenozoic Era. It was the predecessor to the modern Indian Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Eurasia ...

during the late

Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 143.1 to 66 mya (unit), million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era (geology), Era, as well as the longest. At around 77.1 million years, it is the ...

period and the giant pterosaur that lived on the island, Hatzegopteryx are named after the town.

History

Hațeg is mentioned for the first time in the Diploma of the Joannites of 1247 as a possession of Vlach voivode Litovoi, granted from King Béla IV of Hungary. In 1360 it is mentioned as the seat of a Romanian district. In 1765, while part of the

Habsburg The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout Europe d ...

controlled Principality of Transylvania, the settlement was completely militarised and integrated into the Second Border Company of the First Border Regiment from Orlat, until 1851, when that unit was disbanded. Prior to WWII, Hațeg was home to a thriving Jewish community comprising both Ashkenazi and Sephardim Jews, and featured at least one synagogue. During the Second World War, antisemitic policies of the Antonescu dictatorship resulted in the confiscation of Jewish properties, forced labour and extortion of the Jewish communities. In 1940, all of the Jewish residents of Hațeg were rounded up and housed in one location, and all of their possessions were confiscated. By the end of World War II, only 30 Jewish residents remained.

Geology

Țara Hațegului (the Hațeg Country) is the region around the town of Hațeg. The fossils found in the Hațeg area span over 300 million years of Earth's geologic history, showing tropical coral reefs and volcanic island in the Tethys Sea,

dinosaur Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic Geological period, period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the #Evolutio ...

s, primitive mammals, birds, and

Pterosaurs Pterosaurs are an extinct clade of flying reptiles in the Order (biology), order Pterosauria. They existed during most of the Mesozoic: from the Late Triassic to the end of the Cretaceous (228 million to 66 million years ago). Pterosau ...

(such as '' Hatzegopteryx'', which was named for the region).

was an island during the

Period where a dwarf species of

sauropod Sauropoda (), whose members are known as sauropods (; from '' sauro-'' + '' -pod'', 'lizard-footed'), is a clade of saurischian ('lizard-hipped') dinosaurs. Sauropods had very long necks, long tails, small heads (relative to the rest of their b ...

dinosaur, '' Magyarosaurus dacus'', lived until their extinction at the end of the

. Baron Franz Nopcsa published articles about these

Mesozoic The Mesozoic Era is the Era (geology), era of Earth's Geologic time scale, geological history, lasting from about , comprising the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous Period (geology), Periods. It is characterized by the dominance of archosaurian r ...

-era

archosaur Archosauria () or archosaurs () is a clade of diapsid sauropsid tetrapods, with birds and crocodilians being the only extant taxon, extant representatives. Although broadly classified as reptiles, which traditionally exclude birds, the cladistics ...

s on Hațeg Island. His studies led to his theory of

insular dwarfism Insular dwarfism, a form of phyletic dwarfism, is the process and condition of large animals evolving or having a reduced body size when their population's range is limited to a small environment, primarily islands. This natural process is disti ...

, the notion that "limited resources" on small islands can lead to a downsizing of the indigenous

vertebrate Vertebrates () are animals with a vertebral column (backbone or spine), and a cranium, or skull. The vertebral column surrounds and protects the spinal cord, while the cranium protects the brain. The vertebrates make up the subphylum Vertebra ...

animals. Since 2015 the area has been an UNESCO Global Geopark.

Demographics

According to the first ethnic census of 1850, the town had 1,194 inhabitants, 915 of them being

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, ...

, 92 Roma, 77

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 ...

, 62

Germans Germans (, ) are the natives or inhabitants of Germany, or sometimes more broadly any people who are of German descent or native speakers of the German language. The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, constitution of Germany, imple ...

(more specifically

Transylvanian Saxons The Transylvanian Saxons (; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjer Såksen'' or simply ''Soxen'', singularly ''Sox'' or ''Soax''; Transylvanian Landler dialect, Transylvanian Landler: ''Soxn'' or ''Soxisch''; ; seldom ''sa ...

), and 48 of other ethnicities. According to the 2011 census, Hațeg had 9,685 inhabitants, of which 93.15% were Romanians, 1.6% Hungarians, 1,1% of other ethnicities, and unknown for 4,14% of the population. At the 2021 census, the town had a population of 8,793; of those, 90.88% were Romanians and 7.61% of unknown ethnicities.

Natives

* Nicholas Deak (1905—1985), American banker and a secret service operative with the OSS and the CIA * Elena Lasconi (born 1972), TV personality and politician * Chike Onyejekwe (born 1986), handballer * Nneka Onyejekwe (born 1989), volleyball player

Gallery

File:14-18-hateg-zimbrii-2.jpg, European bison in Hațeg nature reserve File:Colegiul National I C Bratianu Hateg.jpg, The I. C. Brătianu National College File:HategHD2012 (4).JPG, Saint Nicholas Orthodox Church File:HategHD2012 (7).JPG, Historic bank building, today Hotel Ferdinand File:HategHD2012 (6).JPG, Reformed Church File:Hatszegi zsinagoga.jpg, Synagogue File:NalatvadHD (19).JPG, Nalatzi-Fay Manor, Nălațvad. Now in poor condition, was built in the 19th century. Between 1941 and 1944 some of the rural Jews were interned here. File:Adler - Drumul lui Traian lângă Haţeg, la începutul secolului XX.jpg,

Trajan Trajan ( ; born Marcus Ulpius Traianus, 18 September 53) was a Roman emperor from AD 98 to 117, remembered as the second of the Five Good Emperors of the Nerva–Antonine dynasty. He was a philanthropic ruler and a successful soldier ...

's Road near Hațeg (1900–1920) File:Adler - Interiorul bisericii greco-catolice din Haţeg, jud. Hunedoara.jpg, Interior of the

Greek-Catholic Greek Catholic Church or Byzantine-Catholic Church may refer to: * The Catholic Church in Greece * The Eastern Catholic Churches that use the Byzantine Rite, also known as the Greek Rite: ** The Albanian Greek Catholic Church ** The Belarusian Gr ...

Church (1900–1920)

References

External links

*
Hațeg City Hall Official Site
Towns in Romania Populated places in Hunedoara County Localities in Transylvania Țara Hațegului Global Geoparks Network members Geoparks in Romania {{Hunedoara-geo-stub