Hunyad County

Hunyad (today mainly Hunedoara) was an administrative county (comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary, of the Eastern Hungarian Kingdom and of the Principality of Transylvania. Its territory is now in Romania in Transylvania. The capital of the county was Déva (present-day Deva).

Hunyad County
Comitatus Hunyadensis (Latin)
Hunyad vármegye (Hungarian)
Komitat Hunyad (German)
Comitatul Hunedoara (Romanian)
County of the Kingdom of Hungary
(1265–1526)
County of the Eastern Hungarian Kingdom
(1526–1570)
County of the Principality of Transylvania
(1570–1867)
County of the Kingdom of Hungary
(1867–1920)
Coat of arms of Hunyad
Coat of arms

CapitalDéva
Area
  Coordinates45°53′N 22°54′E
 
 1910
7,809 km2 (3,015 sq mi)
Population 
 1910
340100
History
History 
 Established
1265
 Treaty of Trianon
4 June 1920
Today part ofRomania
Deva is the current name of the capital.

Geography

Map of Hunyad County, 1891.

After 1876, Hunyad county shared borders with Romania and the Hungarian counties Krassó-Szörény, Arad, Torda-Aranyos, Alsó-Fehér and Szeben. Its area was 7,809 km2 around 1910.

Etymology

The toponym Hunyad most likely comes from the Hungarian huny verb, meaning 'to close' or 'to die'. According to linguist Géza Kuun, the name may keep the memory of the Huns.[1]

History

Administrative division of Transylvania in the early 16th century
Hunyad county as an administrative unit in the early 16th century
Hunyad county in the Principality of Transylvania

The first known civilization living on the territory were the Scythian Agathyrsi and Sigynnae. Later the Dacians under their leader Burebista established solid control over the territory, but were conquered and massacred by the Roman Empire. Hunyad was part of Roman Dacia for a short time, but by the 3rd century it was occupied by the Goths, later by the Vandals and Gepids. The nomadic Avars conquered Transylvania in 567, and remained the ethnic majority even after the collapse of their khaganate. The Igech, Szerekes, Andos and Zeyk noble families are all of Avar origin, along with the name of the river Zsil.[2]

Hunyad county was formed in the Middle Ages. It was first attested in 1265 as Hungnod by the Papal Quitrent Register. In 1876, when the administrative structure of Transylvania was changed, its territory was modified to include about two thirds of the former Zaránd County (Brád/Brad and Körösbánya/Baia de Criș districts) and the Saxon seat of Broos/Orăștie. In 1920, by the Treaty of Trianon, the county became part of Romania. Most of its territory lies in the present Romanian county Hunedoara; a strip in the east is now part of Alba and a strip in the west is now part of Caraș-Severin County (the commune Băuţar).

Demographics

Ethnic map of the county with data of the 1910 census (see the key in the description).
Population by mother tongue[lower-alpha 1]
CensusTotalRomanianHungarianGermanOther or unknown
1880[3] 248,464217,414 (90.28%)12,278 (5.10%)6,968 (2.89%)4,166 (1.73%)
1890[4] 267,895238,486 (89.02%)17,167 (6.41%)8,047 (3.00%)4,195 (1.57%)
1900[5] 303,838257,013 (84.59%)32,316 (10.64%)9,189 (3.02%)5,320 (1.75%)
1910[6] 340,135271,675 (79.87%)52,720 (15.50%)8,101 (2.38%)7,639 (2.25%)
Population by religion[lower-alpha 2]
CensusTotalEastern OrthodoxGreek CatholicRoman CatholicCalvinistJewishLutheranOther or unknown
1880 248,464177,725 (71.53%)48,381 (19.47%)11,883 (4.78%)6,568 (2.64%)1,996 (0.80%)1,799 (0.72%)112 (0.05%)
1890 267,895190,018 (70.93%)50,520 (18.86%)15,121 (5.64%)7,351 (2.74%)2,470 (0.92%)2,202 (0.82%)213 (0.08%)
1900 303,838204,350 (67.26%)55,116 (18.14%)24,993 (8.23%)11,398 (3.75%)4,056 (1.33%)3,269 (1.08%)656 (0.22%)
1910 340,135217,425 (63.92%)60,024 (17.65%)34,668 (10.19%)16,675 (4.90%)5,679 (1.67%)4,110 (1.21%)1,554 (0.46%)

Subdivisions

Administrative map of Hunyad County, 1910

In the early 20th century, the subdivisions of Hunyad County were:

Districts (járás)
DistrictCapital
  AlgyógyAlgyógyalfalu (now Geoagiu)
  BrádBrád (now Brad)
  DévaDéva (now Deva)
  HátszegHátszeg (now Hațeg)
  KőrösbányaKőrösbánya (now Baia de Criș)
  MarosillyeMarosillye (now Ilia)
  PetrozsényPetrozsény (now Petroșani)
  PujPuj (now Pui)
  SzászvárosSzászváros (now Orăștie)
  VajdahunyadVajdahunyad (now Hunedoara)
Urban districts (rendezett tanácsú város)
Déva (now Deva)
Hátszeg (now Hațeg)
  Szászváros (now Orăștie)
Vajdahunyad (now Hunedoara)

Notes

  1. Only linguistic communities > 1% are displayed.
  2. Only religious communities > 1% are displayed.

References

  1. Kuun, Géza; Torma, Zsófia; Téglás, Gábor (1902). "Hunyadvármegye története" [The history of Hunyad County]. Irodalmi Szemle (in Hungarian). Budapest. I: 353.
  2. Kuun, Géza; Torma, Zsófia; Téglás, Gábor (1902). "Hunyadvármegye története" [The history of Hunyad County]. Irodalmi Szemle (in Hungarian). Budapest. I.
  3. "Az 1881. év elején végrehajtott népszámlálás főbb eredményei megyék és községek szerint rendezve, II. kötet (1882)". library.hungaricana.hu. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  4. "A Magyar Korona országainak helységnévtára (1892)". library.hungaricana.hu. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  5. "A MAGYAR KORONA ORSZÁGAINAK 1900". library.hungaricana.hu. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  6. "KlimoTheca :: Könyvtár". Kt.lib.pte.hu. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
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