Brezoi

Brezoi lies in the middle of the Southern Carpathians in the Lauterbach Valley ( Valea Lotrului ), a right side valley of the Olt River . In the north are the foothills of the Lotru Mountains , in the south those of the Căpățână Mountains . The district capital Râmnicu Vâlcea is about 30 km southeast.

history

Archaeologists discovered objects from the Iron Age and the Dacian era on the town's territory . After their submission by the Romans , they set up a base with a watchtower here. An ancient statuette and a coin were found from Roman times . According to Romanian historians, some field names speak for a continuous settlement of the Lauterbach valley since that time. Settlements in the valley have also been documented in writing since 1389; the first written mention of Brezoi comes from the year 1575. At that time the place belonged to the principality of Wallachia , which was under Ottoman rule.

In the 16th century, gold was extracted in the region on a modest scale, both from mines and from the water of the Lotru ( Lauterbach ).

From 1718 to 1739, Little Wallachia and thus Brezoi were under Austrian rule. The very secluded Lauterbach valley experienced an upswing during this time with the construction of a road ("Via Carolina") through the Olt valley. After Little Wallachia came under Turkish control again in the Peace of Belgrade (1739), the Via Carolina fell into disrepair and was only restored after 1829.

In the 19th century, wood extraction and processing was the main occupation of the residents. The first sawmill was mentioned in 1819; there was a school since the 1830s.

In 1864 Brezoi became a municipality. At the end of the 19th century, the number and importance of sawmills reached their peak. In 1900 a hospital opened.

During the First World War , Brezoi was occupied by German and Austro-Hungarian troops from 1916 to 1918; There was a prison camp for Romanian soldiers near the place.

After the Second World War , a narrow-gauge railway was built from the Olttal via Brezoi to Voineasa in the upper Lauterbach valley in 1948/49 , which made the rafting of logs in Lauterbach, which had been common up until then, superfluous.

In 1968 Brezoi was connected to the power grid; in the same year the place was declared a city. In 1969 the road leading through the Lauterbachtal was given an asphalt surface; the small railway line was shut down.

In 1986 the Gura Lotrului hydroelectric power station went into operation below the city .

The most important branches of industry are livestock and continue to be the logging. Tourism is playing an increasing role.

population

In 1930 there were around 4,300 residents in the area of today's city, including around 450 Roma , 200 Germans and 200 Hungarians, and 100 Jews ; the rest were Romanians . The 2002 census counted 6,859 inhabitants, including 6,810 Romanians, 16 Hungarians and 9 Germans .

traffic

Brezoi is located on the railway line between Sibiu and Râmnicu Vâlcea in the Olt Valley . Lotru train station is located near the city. From here there are currently (2009) around seven local trains running each day in both directions. There are regular bus connections to Râmnicu Vâlcea.

Attractions

Church in the Proieni district (1794–1798)
Church in the district of Călinești (1775)
Wooden church in Brezoi (1789)
Lotru Station (1897–1902)
Scenic surroundings

Web links

Commons : Brezoi - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

↑ 2011 census in Romania at citypopulation.de
^ City website, accessed September 10, 2012
↑ 2002 census, accessed April 3, 2009

[1] 2011 census in Romania at citypopulation.de

[2] City website, accessed September 10, 2012

[3] 2002 census, accessed April 3, 2009