Făgăraș

Fogaras - Făgăraș – A Historic Town in Romania
Făgăraș (Hungarian: Fogaras, German: Fogarasch, Transylvanian Saxon dialect: Fugresch) is a town located in central Romania, within Brașov County.

Location

The town lies on the left bank of the Olt River, approximately 67 km west of Brașov and 76 km east of Sibiu, at the foot of the Făgăraș Mountains.

Origin of the Name

The first recorded mention of the town dates back to 1291, under the name Fogros. Other historical name variants include Fogaras (1369), Fugaras (1372), oppidum Fugrasch (1413), and later Fogarasum and Fogarasch (around 1600).

There are several theories regarding the origin of the name:

• One suggests it derives from the Hungarian dialect word fogor, meaning partridge (fogoly in standard Hungarian).
• Another theory proposes a hydronymic origin from the Pecheneg term “Fagar šu”, meaning “ash-tree (wooded) water”.
• A more anecdotal explanation cited by historian Kőváry László claims the name comes from wooden tokens (fagaras) given as payment to laborers during the construction of the fortress, as mentioned by József Benkő in 1857.
• A derivation from the Romanian word fag (beech tree) is considered linguistically unsupported.

Population Over Time

• 1786: The first modern census recorded 3,376 inhabitants: 36% were landless peasants, 27% townspeople, 20% serfs, and 7% nobility. About 40% of the population was non-agricultural.
• 1880: The population reached 5,307, including 1,732 Romanians, 1,666 Hungarians, and 1,559 Germans. Religious breakdown: 1,223 Greek Catholics, 1,199 Roman Catholics, 891 Reformed, 885 Lutherans, 713 Orthodox, 262 Jews, 102 Unitarians.
• 1910: Of 6,579 residents, 3,357 were Hungarian, 2,174 Romanian, and 1,003 German. Faiths included 1,409 Roman Catholics, 1,323 Reformed, 1,262 Greek Catholics, 1,003 Orthodox, 830 Lutherans, 514 Jews, 229 Unitarians.
• 1930: Population rose to 7,841, with 4,303 Romanians, 2,327 Hungarians, and 1,056 Germans. Religions: 2,734 Orthodox, 1,551 Greek Catholics, 1,131 Reformed, 1,055 Roman Catholics, 779 Lutherans, 390 Jews, 180 Unitarians.
• 2002: The town had 36,121 residents, of whom 33,677 were Romanian, 1,643 Hungarian, 426 Roma, and 332 German.